This paper introduces this special issue of Aquatic Sciences. It outlines a multi-scale, hierarchical framework for developing process-based understanding of catchment to reach hydromorphology that ...can aid design and delivery of sustainable river management solutions. The framework was developed within the REFORM (REstoring rivers FOR effective catchment Management) project, funded by the European Union’s FP7 Programme. Specific aspects of this ‘REFORM framework’ and some applications are presented in other papers in this special issue. The REFORM framework is founded on previous hierarchical frameworks, sixteen examples of which are reviewed. However, the REFORM framework has some particular properties that reflect the European context for which it was developed. The framework delineates regional landscapes into nested spatial units at catchment, landscape unit, segment, reach, geomorphic unit and finer scales. Reaches, regardless of their ‘naturalness’, are assigned to a river type based on valley confinement, planform and bed material. Indicators are quantified at each spatial scale to feed three groups of assessments. First, contemporary indicators at reach and geomorphic unit scales investigate present processes, forms and human pressures within each reach. These feed assessments of present reach hydromorphological function/alteration, including whether the reach is functioning appropriately for its type; riparian corridor function and alteration; and hydromorphological adjustment. Second, indicators at catchment to segment scales investigate water and sediment production and delivery to reaches and how these are affected by human pressures now and in the past. These are used to construct an inventory of changes over space and time. Third, historical reach and geomorphic unit scale indicators are used to construct the trajectory of reach-scale changes. Contemporary reach-scale assessments, space–time inventory, and trajectory of changes are then combined to establish how river reaches of different type, subject to different human pressures, and located in different environmental contexts behave in response to changes at all considered spatial scales. These support forecasts of the likely responses of reaches to future scenarios (e.g., changes in climate, land cover, channel interventions).
Secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) is a common hormonal complication of chronic kidney disease. There are several therapeutic options for sHPT management aiming at calcium-phosphorus balance ...normalization and decrease of parathormone secretion.
The aim of this retrospective, observational study was the outcome assessement of three most common therapeutic strategies of secondary hyperparathyroidism treatment with vitamin D receptor activator-paricalcitol, calcimimetic-cinacalcet or both agents administered together during in 12-months period.
One hundred and thirty-one haemodialysed patients with uncontrolled parathyroid hormone secretion have been treated with paricalcitol administered intravenously (group PAR-60 patients) or cinacalcet per os (group CIN-50 patients). The last group (group PAR+CIN-21 patients) received paricalcitol i.v. and oral cinacalcet administered simultaneously.
In all groups, the iPTH level decreased significantly, however in group 1 treated with paricalcitol administered intravenously iPTH level decrease was greater than in group 2 treated with cinacalcet and in group 3 treated with paricalcitol and cinacalcet in parallel. The most substantial change of iPTH level was noticed after 3-months of observation. After this period the iPTH level was stabilized and maintained till the end of observation. Safety level of all strategies was comparable. No severe hypercalcemia or hypocalcemia was observed during the whole period of observation.
The results of observation show significant advantage of intravenous paricalcitol treatment. Complementing cinacalcet therapy with paricalcitol does not improve treatment outcomes. In case of unsatisfactory results after 3-months treatment, potential continuation should be considered carefully. Among three available therapeutic options, the treatment with paricalcitol i.v. should be considered in all haemodialysed patients with inadequate control of serum PTH level. The second option-with cinacalced administered orally should be considered in PD patients and when severe hypercalcemia occurs.
The Morphological Quality Index (MQI) and the Morphological Quality Index for monitoring (MQIm) have been applied to eight case studies across Europe with the objective of analyzing the ...hydromorphological response to various restoration measures and of comparing the results of the MQI and MQIm as a morphological assessment applied at the reach scale, with a conventional site scale physical-habitat assessment method. For each restored reach, the two indices were applied to the pre-restoration and post-restoration conditions. The restored reach was also compared to an adjacent, degraded reach. Results show that in all cases the restoration measures improved the morphological quality of the reach, but that the degree of improvement depends on many factors, including the initial morphological conditions, the length of the restored portion in relation to the reach length, and on the type of intervention. The comparison with a conventional site scale physical-habitat assessment method shows that the MQI and MQIm are best suited for the evaluation of restoration effects on river hydromorphology at the geomorphologically-relevant scale of the river reach.
The objective of these experiments was to compare 4 total mixed rations fed to USDA-certified organic dairy cows in New England. Forty-eight Jersey cows from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and ...64 Holstein cows from the University of Maine (UMaine) were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments testing the main effects of corn silage versus grass silage as the forage base and commodity concentrates versus a complete pelleted concentrate mixture. Treatment diets were fed as a total mixed ration for 8 wk during the winter and spring months of 2007, 2008, and 2009. Milk yield, component, and quality data were recorded and used to calculate the value of the milk produced for each cow. The dry matter intake (DMI) was recorded and used to calculate the average cost per cow per day of each diet. Income over feed costs were calculated for each diet using milk value and feed cost data. Feed cost and income over feed cost data were resampled using bootstrap methodology to examine potential patterns. Milk yield, milk fat and true protein concentrations, and SCC were similar among treatments. Cows at UNH fed corn silage tended to have higher DMI and lower milk urea nitrogen than did cows fed grass silage, whereas cows fed pellets had higher DMI than cows fed commodities. Cows at UNH fed commodities tended to have higher body condition scores than those fed pellets. Cows at UMaine fed commodities tended to have higher DMI than did cows fed pellets, and cows fed corn silage had lower milk urea nitrogen than did cows fed grass silage. Body weights and body condition scores were not different for cows at UMaine. Feed costs were significantly higher for corn silage diets and diets at UNH containing pellets, but not at UMaine. The calculated value of the milk and income over feed costs did not differ among treatments at either university. Bootstrap replications indicated that the corn silage with commodities diet generally had the highest feed cost at both UNH and UMaine, whereas grass silage diets containing commodities generally had the lowest cost. In contrast, the grass silage with commodities diets had the highest income over feed cost in the majority of the replications at both UNH and UMaine replications, whereas the corn silage with commodities diets had the lowest rank. Similar results were observed when forage prices were increased or decreased by 5, 10, and 25% above or below the actual feed price. Feeding a grass silage-based diet supplemented with commodity concentrates may have an economic advantage for dairy producers in New England operating under an organic system of production.
We present our studies on jet induced modifications of the characteristics of bulk nuclear matter. To describe such matter, we use efficient relativistic hydrodynamic simulations in (3+1)-dimension, ...employing the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) in the parallel programming framework. We use Cartesian coordinates in the calculations to ensure a high spatial resolution that is constant throughout the evolution of the system. We show our results on how jets modify the hydrodynamics fields and discuss the implications.
To increase the user acceptance and to push electric mobility towards mass suitability, the energy and power density of Li-ion batteries for electric vehicles are among the most crucial features to ...be improved. The two major approaches to increase the energy density are the development of improved active materials and favorable cell designs. However, the identification of an optimal cell design is a sophisticated challenge due to the large number of interdependent factors influencing the different performance parameters. In the present study, a straightforward model based on the concept of diffusion-limited C-rate is proposed to optimize the energy density of Li-ion battery cells with specified rate performance. The model is introduced and the underlying assumptions are verified by comprehensive experimental investigations. The model is used to identify optimal design parameters of anode and cathode regarding maximum volumetric and gravimetric energy for specified rate performance. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to quantify optimization potentials of cell components and their properties. The results are discussed regarding promising improvement strategies and the practical limits of Li-ion batteries.
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•Development of an application-oriented modeling tool for Li-ion battery design.•Optimizing design parameters regarding max. energy for specified rate performance.•Quantification of optimization potentials of cell components and their properties.•Optimization of cells using state-of-the-art design and material parameters.•Determination of practical limits of Li-ion batteries using a best-case scenario.
A demonstrator of traffic events detector based on the multimodal analysis of audio and video signals is described. The subsystem is a part of smart surveillance applications. It uses surveillance ...cameras and microphones as the data source. The algorithms employed to the analysis of data - sound event recognition and video analytics, are explained. Results of the multimodal analysis of recordings of dangerous and passive traffic situations are presented and discussed.
Fifty percent concentrate diets containing 2% sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, or no additional mineral salts were fed at a rate of 86 g dry matter/kg body weight X 75/d to three barren Holstein ...cows fitted with ruminal fistulas in a 3 X 3 Latin square design. Dietary adaptation was 14 d followed by 4 d collection. Ruminal pH, liquid volume, liquid dilution rate, and particulate rate of passage were increased with dietary mineral salts. Six Holstein cows fitted with ruminal fistulas were administered .01 mg carbachol/kg body weight/d, .10 mg pilocarpine/kg body weight/d, or saline placebo via subcutaneous, osmotically controlled pumps in a replicated 3 X 3 Latin square design. Treatments were administered for a 14-d adaptation period followed by an 8-d collection period. Both carbachol and pilocarpine increased liquid dilution rate, particulate rate of passage, and percent cellulolytic bacteria, whereas liquid volume was reduced.
We present our studies on jet-induced modifications of the characteristic of the bulk nuclear matter. To describe such a matter, we use efficient relativistic hydrodynamic simulations in (3+1) ...dimensions employing the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) in the parallel programming framework. We use Cartesian coordinates in the calculations to ensure a high spatial resolution that is constant throughout the evolution of the system. We show our results on how jets modify the hydrodynamics fields and discuss the implications.
Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) is known for preventing atherosclerosis through lipid-modifying features, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptosis, anti-thrombosis, and anti-adhesion properties. ...Uremic patients requiring haemodialysis (HD) are especially prone to atherosclerosis and its complications. We analysed the PON1 gene (PON1) polymorphisms and serum PON1 (paraoxonase) activity concerning dyslipidaemia and related cardiovascular diseases and mortality to show how they associate under uremic conditions modified by maintenance HD treatment. The rs662 AA + AG (OR 1.76, 95%CI 1.10-2.80, P = 0.018), rs854560 TT (OR 1.48, 95%CI 1.04-2.11, P = 0.031), and rs854560 AT + TT (OR 1.28, 95%CI 1.01-1.63, P = 0.040) contributed to the prevalence of atherogenic dyslipidaemia diagnosed by the triglyceride (TG)/HDL-cholesterol ratio ≥ 3.8. The normalized serum PON1 activity positively correlated with atherogenic dyslipidaemia (ẞ 0.67 ± 0.25, P = 0.008). The PON1 rs854560 allele T was involved in the higher prevalence of ischemic cerebral stroke (OR 1.38, 1.02-1.85, P = 0.034). The PON1 rs705379 TT genotype contributed to cardiovascular (HR 1.27, 95% CI 1.03-1.57, P = 0.025) and cardiac (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.05-1.71, P = 0.018) mortality. All P-values were obtained in multiple regression analyses, including clinical variables. Multifaceted associations of PON1 with dyslipidaemia, ischemic cerebral stroke, and cardiovascular mortality in HD patients provide arguments for the consideration of PON1 and its protein product as therapeutic targets in the prevention of atherosclerosis and its complications in uremic patients.
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