Summary
1. Geolocation by light allows for tracking animal movements, based on measurements of light intensity over time by a data‐logging device (‘geolocator’). Recent developments of ultra‐light ...devices (<2 g) broadened the range of target species and boosted the number of studies using geolocators. However, an inherent problem of geolocators is that any factor or process that changes the natural light intensity pattern also affects the positions calculated from these light patterns. Although the most important factors have been identified, estimation of their effect on the accuracy and precision of positions estimated has been lacking but is very important for the analyses and interpretation of geolocator data.
2. The ‘threshold method’ is mainly used to derive positions by defining sunrise and sunset times from the light intensity pattern for each recorded day. This method requires calibration: a predefined sun elevation angle for estimating latitude by fitting the recorded day/night lengths to theoretical values across latitudes. Therewith, almost constant shading can be corrected for by finding the appropriate sun elevation angle.
3. Weather, topography and vegetation are the most important factors that influence light intensities. We demonstrated their effect on the measurement of day/night length, time of solar midnight/noon and the resulting position estimates using light measurements from stationary geolocators at known places and from geolocators mounted on birds. Furthermore, we investigated the influence of different calibration methods on the accuracy of the latitudinal positions.
4. All three environmental factors can influence the light intensity pattern significantly. Weather and an animal’s behaviour result in increased noise in positioning, whereas topography and vegetation result in systematic shading and biased positions. Calibration can significantly shift the estimated latitudes and potentially increase the accuracy, but detailed knowledge about the particular confounding factors and the behaviour of the studied animal is crucial for the choice of the most appropriate calibration method.
Despite an overall advancement in breeding area arrival, one of the latest spring arrivals in northwest Europe since 1950 of several trans-Saharan songbird species occurred in 2011. Year-round ...tracking of red-backed shrikes and thrush nightingales revealed that the cause of the delay was a prolongation of stopover time during spring migration at the Horn of Africa, which was affected by extreme drought. Our results help to establish a direct link at the individual level between changes in local climate during migration and arrival and breeding condition in Europe thousands of kilometers further north.
Background
Sodium fluorescein (fluorescein) crosses a disrupted blood-brain barrier similarly to gadolinium contrast in contrast-enhancing cerebral tumors. When exposed to light with 560 nm ...wavelength during surgery, fluorescein emits a yellow-green fluorescent light that can be visualized through an operating microscope equipped with an appropriate emission filter. The distribution of the fluorescence correlates with the contrast on a gadolinium contrast-enhanced MRI.
Objective
The objective of this single-center retrospective study was to investigate if the use of fluorescein would increase the extent of resection and to examine if fluorescein guided resection influences postoperative neurological status.
Methods
During the study period from August 2014 to August 2018, 117 patients were operated for cerebral metastases. Of these, 56 operations were guided by fluorescein and 61 by traditional white light. All patients had an early postoperative MRI within 72 h after surgery.
Results
The use of fluorescein increased the extent of resection in patients with cerebral metastases. The use of fluorescein was not associated with increased postoperative sequelae or neurological damage regardless of underlying primary cancer.
Conclusion
Fluorescein is a helpful supplement in the neurosurgical treatment of cerebral metastases.
Purpose
To determine the validity of the Australian clinical prediction tool Criteria for Screening and Triaging to Appropriate aLternative care (CRISTAL) based on objective clinical criteria to ...accurately identify risk of death within 3 months of admission among older patients.
Methods
Prospective study of ≥ 65 year-olds presenting at emergency departments in five Australian (Aus) and four Danish (DK) hospitals. Logistic regression analysis was used to model factors for death prediction; Sensitivity, specificity, area under the ROC curve and calibration with bootstrapping techniques were used to describe predictive accuracy.
Results
2493 patients, with median age 78–80 years (DK–Aus). The deceased had significantly higher mean CriSTAL with Australian mean of 8.1 (95% CI 7.7–8.6 vs. 5.8 95% CI 5.6–5.9) and Danish mean 7.1 (95% CI 6.6–7.5 vs. 5.5 95% CI 5.4–5.6). The model with Fried Frailty score was optimal for the Australian cohort but prediction with the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) was also good (AUROC 0.825 and 0.81, respectively). Values for the Danish cohort were AUROC 0.764 with Fried and 0.794 using CFS. The most significant independent predictors of short-term death in both cohorts were advanced malignancy, frailty, male gender and advanced age. CriSTAL’s accuracy was only modest for in-hospital death prediction in either setting.
Conclusions
The modified CriSTAL tool (with CFS instead of Fried’s frailty instrument) has good discriminant power to improve prognostic certainty of short-term mortality for ED physicians in both health systems. This shows promise in enhancing clinician’s confidence in initiating earlier end-of-life discussions.
A1 QuickSOFA is an independent predictor of 30-day mortality among patients admitted to an emergency department with suspected or documented infection Osama Bin Abdullah1, Johannes Grand1, Astha ...Sijapati1, Petrine Nimskov1, Finn Erland Nielsen1,2 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Slagelse Hospital, Slagelse, Denmark; 2Department of Clinical Research and Institute of Regional Health Services Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark Correspondence: Finn Erland Nielsen (fien@regionsjaelland.dk) Background Definitions and clinical criteria for sepsis have been revised in 2016. A simple bedside score (‘qSOFA’, for quick Sequential Sepsis-Related Organ Failure Assessment) has been proposed, which incorporates hypotension (systolic blood pressure ≤100 mmHg), altered mental status and respiratory rate ≥ 22/min: the presence of at least two of these criteria has been associated with poor outcomes typical of sepsis. A3 Acutely admitted medical patients have increasing one-year mortality with increasing age, a follow up study Marianne Fløjstrup1, Mikkel Brabrand2,3,4 1Department of anaesthesiology, Vejle Sygehus, Vejle, Denmark; 2Medical Admission Unit 272, Hospital of South West Jutland, Esbjerg, Denmark; 3Emergency Department, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; 4Institute of Regional Health, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark Correspondence: Marianne Fløjstrup (flojstrup1@hotmail.com) Background The majority of patients admitted to a medical admission unit are old. Methods The project was conducted in five departments (i.e. emergency department, cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, and rheumatology) at Odense University Hospital, Svendborg, in the period 1st of April 2016 to 30th of April 2016.
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