Long-term (⩽1-year) records obtained by seabed observatories (BOBO) and repeated (24-h) CTD casts show the presence of a highly energetic environment in and around two cold-water carbonate-mound ...provinces, on the Southwest and Southeast Rockall Trough (SW and SE RT) margin. Carbonate mounds, covered with a thriving coral cover, are embedded mainly in the Eastern North Atlantic Water (ENAW) and are observed in a confined bathymetric zone between 600 and 1000
m water depth. Cold-water corals seem to be restricted in their growth by temperature and food availability. The presence of living corals on top of the carbonate mounds appears linked to the presence of internal waves and tidal currents in the water column, and consequently carbonate mound structures are shaped by the local hydrodynamic regime. Mound clusters have an elongated shape perpendicular to the regional contours and corresponding to the direction of the highest current speeds. On the SW RT margin temperature, salinity and current speed reflect a diurnal tidal pattern, causing maximum temperature variations at 900
m depth of more than 3
°C. Current speeds up to 45
cm
s
−1 occur, and a residual current of 10
cm
s
−1 is directed along the slope to the southwest. At the SE RT margin the temperature of the bottom water fluctuates more than 1
°C with a semi-diurnal tidal cyclicity. Amplitudes of average and peak current speeds here are comparable with those measured on the southwest margin, but the residual current in this area is directed to the northeast. Tidal currents and internal waves at both margins force the formation of intermediate and bottom nepheloid layers and bring fresh food particles with increased velocity to the mounds. The distribution of corals in both mound areas is considered directly related to the presence of enhanced turbidity. An increase in temperature can be directly related to an increase in the amount of particles in the water column. Current velocity increases when a transition occurs from cold to warm waters. High current velocities prevent local sedimentation but provide sufficient food particles to the corals, so that the corals thrive at the mound summits.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Background
Estimation of the post-mortem interval (PMI) is a crucial aspect in crime scene investigation. PMI is defined as the time between the moment of death and the moment of finding the dead ...body. A combination of methods for estimating the PMI in forensic casework is internationally mostly used. Supravital muscle reaction (SMR) is one of those methods. SMR is an idiomuscular contraction and can be provoked by mechanical stimulation.
Objectives
A field study was carried out with the aim to investigate whether a reflex hammer can be used as tool for triggering an idiomuscular contraction and, furthermore, to determine if a learning period has to be taken into account by a forensic physician for appropriate application of a reflex hammer to trigger SMR.
Methods
From January 2017 to January 2022, four forensic physicians used this SMR by mechanically stimulating the musculus brachioradialis and musculus biceps brachii. In total, 332 cases were included with a PMI less than 24 h. The cases were divided in chronological clusters of 20 cases. The ratio of the number of positive SMR versus the total number stimulations per forensic physician was used as a measure of accuracy of a reflex hammer for triggering SMR. The distribution of the data was analyzed by comparing the clusters in chronological order to assess whether a learning curve applies.
Results
In 55.7%, a muscle reaction could be provoked by mechanical stimulation. Comparable outcome of SMR between the participating physicians was observed after 40 stimulations.
Conclusion
A reflex hammer is usable for provoking SMR. A learning period has to be taken in to account during the first forty cases per forensic physician.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Estimation of the post-mortem interval (PMI) is mainly based on the state of body cooling, post-mortem lividity (livor mortis) and post-mortem muscle stiffness (rigor mortis). However, the time span ...of development of these post-mortem phenomena are influenced by a variety of factors concerning the body of the deceased and the environment in which the body is found. Subsequently, this leads to a substantial spread in upper and lower limits of PMI based on determination of the state of these phenomena. Moreover, interpretation of post-mortem phenomena like lividity, rigor and interpretation of the correction factor for Henssge's nomogram is subjective. For this reason, PMI estimations are often broad, possibly too broad to be helpful for answering questions which are relevant for the criminal investigation. Therefore, combining the outcome of different methods for estimating the PMI, the so-called compound method, is recommended. Supravital muscle reaction by mechanical stimulation of skeletal muscle is a less known aspect of the compound method. Here we present a series of cases series in which supravital muscle reaction contributed to a more precise estimation of the PMI.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
ABSTRACT
Objective
To establish reference curves for size and volume of the fetal kidney, renal pelvis and adrenal gland, as measured using ultrasound from the 15th week of gestation.
Methods
This ...was a prospective, longitudinal study of 96 fetuses in low‐risk singleton pregnancies, in which we performed serial ultrasound examinations at 4‐week intervals. The length and anteroposterior and transverse diameters of both kidneys, the anteroposterior and transverse diameters of the renal pelvises and the length of the adrenal glands were measured three times at each examination, with the average being used for further analysis. Reference charts were constructed using multilevel statistical analysis and comparisons were made with previously published charts derived from cross‐sectional data.
Results
We present nomograms for fetal kidney dimensions and volume, renal pelvis dimensions and adrenal gland length. The new charts show differences in shape and have narrower percentile bands in comparison to previously published reference ranges.
Conclusions
These new charts of measurements of the fetal kidney, renal pelvis and adrenal gland, from a prospective, longitudinal study, may be useful in the diagnosis and assessment of pathology of the kidney and adrenal gland.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Living (Rose Bengal stained) benthic foraminifera were investigated at 18 deep-sea stations sampled in the Whittard Canyon area (NE Atlantic). The stations were positioned along 4 bathymetric ...transects ranging from 300 to 3000
m depth: two along the main canyon axes (Western and Eastern branches) and two along adjacent open slopes (Western and Eastern slopes). The aim of this study was to assess changes of foraminiferal standing stock, composition and microhabitat in relation to the physico-chemical conditions prevailing at and below the sediment–water interface in various canyon and open-slope environments. Minimal oxygen penetration depths and maximal diffusive oxygen uptakes were recorded at upper canyon stations, suggesting a high mineralisation rate. This is confirmed by the high phytopigment concentrations measured in the sediment of the upper canyon axes. Foraminiferal abundance was positively correlated with diffusive oxygen uptake and phytopigment concentration in the sediment. This suggests a control of organic matter fluxes on the foraminiferal communities. Foraminiferal abundance was generally higher along the canyon axis compared to open-slope sites at comparable water depths. The species composition varied with water depth along all four transects, but was also different between canyon branches and adjacent slopes. The silty/sandy intercalations at many of the deeper canyon stations may have been rapidly deposited by fairly recent gravity flows. At station 51WB (3002
m), the faunal characteristics (strong dominance, shallow infaunal microhabitats) suggest that the foraminiferal community is in an early state of ecosystem colonisation after these recent sedimentation events, which would have supplied the important amounts of phytopigments.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Pollution history of Pb and other trace metals was reconstructed for the first time for the Eastern Mediterranean, from a small urban winter pond (Dora, Netanya), located at the densely populated ...coastal plain of Israel. An integrated approach including geochemical, sedimentological, and historical analyses was employed to study sediments from the center of the pond. Profiles of metal concentrations (Pb, Zn, V, Ni, Cu, Cr, Co, Cd, and Hg) and Pb isotopic composition denote two main eras of pre- and post-19th century. The deeper sediment is characterized by low concentrations and relatively constant 206Pb/207Pb (around 1.20), similar to natural Pb sources, with slight indications of ancient anthropogenic activity. The upper sediment displays an upward increase in trace metal concentrations, with the highest enrichment factor for Pb (18.4). Lead fluxes and isotopic composition point to national/regional petrol-Pb emissions as the major contributor to Pb contamination, overwhelming other potential local and transboundary sources. Traffic-related metals are correlated with Pb, emphasizing the polluting inputs of traffic. The Hg profile, however, implies global pollution rather than local sources.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Cold-water coral reefs and mounds are observed mainly on slopes and topographic highs, in areas with high current speeds. Previous investigations of the near-bed hydrodynamic regime around cold-water ...coral mounds at the Southwest Rockall Trough margin have revealed the presence of internal waves with a diurnal tidal frequency. Hitherto only short-term measurements existed on the particle supply to the corals and data are lacking on the seasonal variability. Bottom landers equipped with sensors recording near-bottom current dynamics were deployed at two sites in a mound area on the Southwest Rockall Trough margin, one with a dense coral cover and one without coral cover. At both sites a similar seasonal variation in internal-wave activity was recorded with high activity during winter and summer months and less dynamic conditions in spring and autumn. Increased intensity of internal-wave activity, reflected in higher average near-bottom current speed and amplitude of daily temperature fluctuations, results in higher mass fluxes as recorded in the sediment traps. On the site without coral cover, mass fluxes are two times higher, compared to the site with dense coral cover. During periods of high mass fluxes a predominance of resuspended material was observed at both sites, as indicated by reduced
210Pb activity and low organic matter concentrations. The flux of resuspended material largely masked the primary pelagic signal. However, low
δ
15N values in early spring and summer marked the arrival of fresh particles on both sites. A dense coral framework, baffling a large amount of particles settling between the coral branches, results in differences in particle flux, chemical composition and freshness of the trapped material. On the long term the presence of a coral framework plays a crucial role in the build-up of cold-water coral mounds.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Objective
To assess the effect of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion on quality of life in acutely anaemic women after postpartum haemorrhage.
Design
Randomised non‐inferiority trial.
Setting
...Thirty‐seven Dutch university and general hospitals.
Population
Women with acute anaemia (haemoglobin 4.8–7.9 g/dl 3.0–4.9 mmol/l 12–24 hours postpartum) without severe anaemic symptoms or severe comorbidities.
Methods
Women were allocated to RBC transfusion or non‐intervention.
Main outcome measures
Primary outcome was physical fatigue 3 days postpartum (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, scale 4–20; 20 represents maximal fatigue). Non‐inferiority was demonstrated if the physical fatigue difference between study arms was maximal 1.3. Secondary outcomes were health‐related quality of life and physical complications. Health‐related quality of life questionnaires were completed at five time‐points until 6 weeks postpartum.
Results
In all, 521 women were randomised to non‐intervention (n = 262) or RBC transfusion (n = 259). Mean physical fatigue score at day 3 postpartum, adjusted for baseline and mode of delivery, was 0.8 lower in the RBC transfusion arm (95% confidence interval: 0.1–1.5, P = 0.02) and at 1 week postpartum was 1.06 lower (95% confidence interval: 0.3–1.8, P = 0.01). A median of two RBC units was transfused in the RBC transfusion arm. In the non‐intervention arm, 33 women received RBC transfusion, mainly because of anaemic symptoms. Physical complications were comparable.
Conclusions
Statistically, non‐inferiority could not be demonstrated as the confidence interval crossed the non‐inferiority boundary. Nevertheless, with only a small difference in physical fatigue and no differences in secondary outcomes, implementation of restrictive management seems clinically justified.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
•Impact fragmentation of CCZ polymetallic nodules under high ambient pressure.•Ambient pressure plays a minor role in fragmentation of polymetallic nodules.•Determination of fragmentation rates for ...engineering modelling.
The mining of poly metallic nodules from the seafloor comprises excavation or pickup, vertical transport to the sea surface and the processing and shipping of the material afterward. Polymetallic nodules from the deep-sea bed of the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a prospective mining area, are typically abundant at depths of around 5000m under ambient pressures of 500bar. The particle size distribution of the mixture leaving the Vertical Transport System (VTS) is a key design parameter for the ore processing equipment, hence it is of importance to know how nodules will be degraded or fragmented under different conditions of ambient pressure occurring during upward transport in the VTS while passing through a series of centrifugal pumps supporting the flow in the VTS. Up to date, quantification of nodule degradation by predictive models is impossible due to the unavailability of data. In this paper, results of experiments performed with CCZ nodules passing through a centrifugal pump under ambient pressures between 5 and 500bar at different pump speeds are reported. The fragmentation of the nodules into smaller size classes was determined and complementary experiments on nodule fragmentation under atmospheric pressure conditions at different impact velocities are reported.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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