bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
National Emergency Department Overcrowding Study tool is not useful in an Australian emergency department
Authors: Raj Kamini , Baker Kylie , Brierley Stephan , Murray Duncan 
Published: May 2006

AbstractObjective:  To determine the accuracy and usefulness of the National Emergency Department Overcrowding Study (NEDOCS) tool in an urban hospital ED in Australia by direct comparison with subjective assessment by senior ED staff.Method:  A sample of simultaneous subjective and objective data pairs were collected six times a day for a period of 3 weeks. All senior medical staff in the ED answered a brief questionnaire along with the senior charge nurse for the ED. Simultaneously, the senior charge nurse also documented the total number of patients in the ED, the number of patients awaiting admission, the number of patients on ventilators, the longest time waited by an ED patient for ward bed, and the waiting time for the last patient from the Waiting Room placed on a trolley. The objective indicators were entered into a Web‐based NEDOCS tool and transformed scores were compared with the averaged and transformed subjective scores for each sample time. Bland–Altmann and Kappa statistics were used to test the agreement between the objective and subjective measuring methods.Results:  The mean difference between the subjective and objective methods was small (3.5 [95% confidence interval −0.875–7.878] ); however, the 95% limits of agreement was wide (−46.52–53.43). The Kappa statistic used to assess the extent of reproducibility between categorical variables was 0.31 (95% confidence interval 0.17–0.45).Conclusion:  The present study suggests that NEDOCS method of processing the objective overcrowding data does not accurately reflect the subjective assessment of the senior staff working at that time in the ED. This might be because the assumptions of the original NEDOCS study are flawed.
Evolution of health information management and information technology in emergency medicine
Authors: Dinh Michael , Chu Matthew 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThe implementation of information technology will continue to have important effects on the practice of emergency medicine. Patient registration and tracking systems, telemedicine electronic order entry systems, and the advent of electronic health records are some examples of applications that influence patient care in emergency departments. We review the literature regarding information technology advances in emergency medicine and outline the important role that emergency physicians play in developing and implementing a national health information technology strategy.
Acute retrobulbar haemorrhage: An ophthalmic emergency
Authors: Shek Kam Chuen , Chung Kin Lai , Kam Chak Wah , Yau Hon Hung 
Published: May 2006

AbstractAcute retrobulbar haemorrhage is a rare complication of blunt eye trauma. It can be sight‐threatening but is reversible when recognized and treated promptly. We presented a case of acute retrobulbar haemorrhage with profound reduction of vision. Emergency surgical decompression was performed to preserve the vision. Clinical features and management are discussed.
Supernova remnant energetics and magnetars: no evidence in favour of millisecond proto-neutron stars
Authors: Vink Jacco , Kuiper Lucien 
Published: May 2006

Abstract
It is generally accepted that anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) are magnetars, i.e. neutron stars with extremely high surface magnetic fields (B &gt; 1014 G). The origin of these high magnetic fields is uncertain, but a popular hypothesis is that magnetars are born with an initial spin period not much exceeding the convective overturn time (∼3 ms), which results in a powerful dynamo action, amplifying the seed magnetic field to ≳1015 G. Part of this rotation energy is then expected to power the supernova through rapid magnetic braking. It is therefore possible that magnetar creation is accompanied by supernovae that are an order of magnitude more energetic than normal supernovae, provided their initial spin period is ∼1 ms. However, we list here evidence that the explosion energies of these supernova remnants associated with AXPs and SGRs - Kes 73 (AXP 1E 1841-045), CTB 109 (AXP 1E2259+586) and N49 (SGR 0526-66) - are close to the canonical supernova explosion energy of 1051 erg, suggesting an initial spin period of P0≳ 5 ms.
We therefore do not find evidence that magnetars are formed from rapidly rotating proto-neutron stars, allowing for the possibility that they descend from stellar progenitors with high magnetic field cores, and discuss the merits of both formation scenarios.
In an appendix we describe the analysis of XMM-Newton observations of Kes 73 and N49 used to derive the explosion energies for these remnants.
Subsurface Imaging of an Abandoned Solid Waste Landfill Site in Norman, Oklahoma
Authors: Zume Joseph T. , Tarhule Aondover , Christenson Scott 
Published: May 2006

AbstractLeachate plume emanating from an old unlined municipal landfill site near the city of Norman, Oklahoma, is discharging into the underlying alluvial aquifer. Subsurface imaging techniques, electrical resistivity tomography and electrical conductivity (EC) logging, were used on the site to detect and map the position of the leachate plume. Anomalous EC zones, delineated with the two methods, correlated with the occurrence of the plume detected by water chemistry analyses from multilevel monitoring wells. Specific conductance, a potential indicator of leachate contamination, ranged from 1861 to 7710 μS/cm in contaminated zones and from 465 to 2180 μS/cm in uncontaminated ground water. Results are in agreement with those from earlier studies that the leachate plume emerges from the landfill along preferential pathways. Additionally, there are indications that the leading edge of the plume has migrated, at least, 200 m away from the landfill in the direction of ground water flow.
Monitoring Subsurface Microbial Ecology in a Sulfate‐Amended, Gasoline‐Contaminated Aquifer
Authors: Sublette Kerry , Peacock Aaron , White David , Davis Greg , Ogles Dora , Cook David , Kolhatkar Ravi , Beckmann Dennis , Yang Xiaomin 
Published: May 2006

AbstractAn unconfined, gasoline‐contaminated aquifer (2.3 to 5 m water table) in fractured sedimentary bedrock has been under remediation since 1999 in Bellingham, Washington. The central portion of the ground water plume has been difficult to remediate because of the fractured sedimentary bedrock and the presence of significant utilities that have prevented aerobic in situ cleanup methods. A 15‐month field trial was conducted to determine the efficacy of enhancing the attenuation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) hydrocarbons at the site by continuously amending the aquifer with sulfate that was initially introduced into the aquifer using an infiltration trench in 3.8‐m3 batches at a concentration of 500 mg/L. The goal was to stimulate anaerobic bacteria and enhance dissolved‐phase gasoline and BTEX biodegradation rates. The subsurface microbial ecology in the aquifer was monitored during sulfate injection using Bio‐Sep® biotraps (Microbial Insights Inc., Rockford, Tennessee). Bio‐Sep beads have been shown to be very effective in collecting biofilms, which are more indicative of in situ microbial ecology than planktonic organisms from ground water samples. Sulfate injection was shown to increase the rates of biodegradation of BTEX components by more than twofold for toluene, for example, and about fivefold for gasoline‐range hydrocarbons. The subsurface microbial community became more anaerobic in character as sulfate utilization increased as evidenced by its depletion in the aquifer. Bead biofilms were also compared to planktonic samples from ground water monitoring wells. During sulfate injection, bead biofilm biomarkers were shown to correlate with changes in ground water geochemistry, while planktonic samples from ground water remained relatively unchanged over time.
New Approach for Ground Water Detection Monitoring at Lined Landfills
Authors: Buket Yenigül N. , Elfeki Amro M.M. , Van Den Akker Cees 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThe design of a ground water detection monitoring system at a lined landfill is complicated due to uncertainties in contaminant source characteristics and variability of hydrogeological conditions. Maximizing the likelihood of detecting contaminants and minimizing the contaminated area are the conflicting design objectives. Mostly, a large number of wells may be required to achieve the desired efficiency. However, the cost might be quite high from a practical point of view. Moreover, with the conventional monitoring approach, a widely applied three‐well monitoring system (minimum regulatory requirement) is more often inadequate to accomplish these objectives at lined landfills due to the limited capture zone of monitoring wells. Therefore, implementation of a new monitoring approach has been proposed in this study to design a highly efficient, cost‐effective, three‐well system. In this new approach, the main idea is to increase the interception of contaminant plumes at early stages by broadening the capture zone of monitoring well(s) simply by continuous pumping from the monitoring well(s) with a small pumping rate. A hypothetical problem is presented where a Monte Carlo framework is used to incorporate uncertainties due to subsurface heterogeneity and the leak location. A finite‐difference ground water model coupled with a random‐walk particle‐tracking model simulates a contaminant plume released from the landfill for each Monte Carlo realization. The efficiency and the cost of the three‐well monitoring network have been compared for conventional and proposed monitoring approaches (PMA). It has been observed that the efficiency of the monitoring system improves significantly by the application of the PMA.
Precision Ground Water Sampling in Coastal Aquifers Using a Direct‐Push, Shielded‐Screen Well‐Point System
Authors: Charette Matthew A. , Allen Matt C. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractConventional ground water sampling methods are often expensive and lack the sampling resolution required to categorize geochemical processes in surficial aquifers. Here, we describe the application of a commercially available gas vapor sampling probe to ground water sampling in shallow coastal aquifers. The system involves a small‐diameter, shielded‐screen well‐point sampler that can provide high resolution (∼10 cm) to depths of 10 m or greater depending on the aquifer matrix. Examples of the system’s utility are presented for two geologically contrasting environments (Waquoit Bay, Massachusetts, USA; Ubatuba, Brazil). In Waquoit Bay, the sampler allowed us to resolve a sharp saline transition zone (∼2 m) and the associated changes in nutrients and trace metals that were associated with biogeochemical reactions at this interface. The system also proved useful in Ubatuba, Brazil, where small‐scale gradients in sediment composition and permeability controlled the ground water salinity profile.
Surveying Ground Water Level Using Remote Sensing: An Example over the Seco and Hondo Creek Watershed in Texas
Authors: Chen Pei‐yu , Arnold Jeffrey G. , Srinivasan Raghavan , Volk Martin , Allen Peter M. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThe Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from satellite data has been applied to various vegetation studies. The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of using the NDVI response to plant water content to predict ground water level over a watershed located in the Edwards Aquifer of Texas, USA. Results showed that the precipitation data collected inside the watershed were not highly correlated to ground water depth within 10 d of the event, though a 60‐foot sinkhole in the study site was expected to collect rainfall and recharge ground water in a short time. Alternatively, the NDVI derived from SPOT‐VEGETATION satellite data and potential evapotranspiration (PET) based on the Hargreaves PET model were significantly correlated to ground water depth. Moreover, the stream flow measurements were correlated to ground water level as well. Two simple models were developed for estimating ground water levels in the artesian and recharge zones. Independent validations were performed to verify both models. All three variables (NDVI, PET, and stream flow) were directly or indirectly related to the precipitation. The PET was mainly controlled by air temperature, and the temperature was negatively related to precipitation. The NDVI values were affected by both temperature and precipitation, and the amount of rainfall was strongly correlated to the stream flow. This study initiated a unique approach to surveying ground water level based on satellite information and meteorological data.
Design of an MTBE Remediation Technology Evaluation
Authors: Azadpour‐Keeley Ann , Barcelona Michael J. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractThis study examines the intrinsic variability of dissolved methyl tert‐butyl ether (MTBE) concentrations in ground water during the course of a pilot‐scale bioremedial technology trial in Port Hueneme, California. A pretrial natural gradient tracer experiment using bromide was conducted in an anaerobic test section of the aquifer to characterize hydrogeology. The results showed the presence of a complex velocity field in terms of vertical stratification and preferential flowpaths. The hydraulic conductivity at the test area varied by >2 orders of magnitude, and the effects of vertical stratification were made apparent by the tracers’ detection pattern, which was predominately higher in the lower part of the aquifer. Since historically the lower portion of the aquifer significantly influenced MTBE transport, it was emphasized by increasing the sampling frequency for MTBE and tracers during the pilot test that involved the intermittent addition of oxygen and propane into the aquifer. A second tracer experiment using bromide and deuterated MTBE (2H12‐MTBE) was conducted at the onset of the technology trial and after the aquifer was made aerobic. The continuous metering of the tracer solutions into the test area was maintained for 300 d. The results showed that 2H12‐MTBE behaved as a conservative tracer since (1) its concentrations increased throughout the study approaching its designed injected level and (2) the pattern of its detection resembled that of bromide. On the other hand, 2H12‐MTBE, which was purposefully introduced into the aquifer, behaved differently from that of the existing dissolved MTBE plume that emanated from a non–aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) source over a decade ago, thereby undergoing years of diffusion. The data imply that a detailed understanding of the complexity of the flow field was not possible by observing the intrinsic MTBE data alone.
Quantifying PCE and TCE in DNAPL Source Zones: Effects of Sampling Methods Used for Intact Cores at Varied Contaminant Levels and Media Temperatures
Authors: Siegrist Robert L. , Lowe Kathryn S. , Crimi Michelle L. , Urynowicz Michael A. 
Published: May 2006

AbstractAn experimental study was completed to assess the impact of sampling methods, contaminant levels, and subsurface temperatures on the quantification of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) in source zones contaminated by dense non–aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs). Intact cores of clean aquifer solids (fine‐grained uniform sand with low foc) from a DNAPL site in Florida were spiked with neat PCE and TCE to yield concentrations such that DNAPL‐phase contamination would be absent or present. Three methods characterized by different levels of media disaggregation and atmospheric exposure (MDE) were used to obtain samples from intact cores, which were at temperatures of 2°C, 20°C, and 38°C. The results of this study demonstrated that sampling of intact cores can yield negative bias, ranging from 0% to 98% or more, in the concentrations of PCE and TCE measured. Larger negative bias was correlated with higher MDE methods, presumably due to elevated volatilization losses during sample collection and containerization. Larger negative bias was also correlated with higher temperatures but only during sampling using higher MDE methods. The results of this study suggest that intact core sampling procedures may or may not lead to erroneous conclusions about a DNAPL source zone. For example, sampling data may lead to a conclusion that a potential source zone has no DNAPL‐phase contamination present when in fact it is present, or that remediation has achieved source zone cleanup to a residual concentration goal, when in fact the goal was not met. Conversely, if a remediation goal is to achieve a specified mass depletion level (e.g., 90%), measurement bias may not result in an erroneous conclusion. Further research is planned to examine a wider range of aquifer properties and sampling conditions and to assess the impacts of measurement errors on DNAPL source zone characterization and assessment of remediation performance.
Protein Requirements of the Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii Evaluated by the Factorial Method
Authors: Teshima Shin‐Ichi , Koshio Shunsuke , Ishikawa Manabu , Alam Md. Shah , Hernandez Hernandez Luis Hector 
Published: May 2006

Abstract The dietary protein requirement of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii to obtain the maximum body protein retention was assessed by the estimated protein needed daily for maintenance (M) and body protein increment (G). The body protein increment was estimated by quantifying body nitrogen increments when the prawn was fed high‐protein diets composed primarily of casein. The protein required for maintenance was estimated by regressing weight gains in feeding experiments using graded dietary levels of casein. The true daily retention (R) or increase in body protein of the prawn corresponds to the sum of M and G. The values of M, G, and R determined in the present study were 3.86, 0.24, and 4.10 g/kg body weight/d, respectively. On the basis of the daily body protein increment and the net protein utilization of casein (58%), dietary protein requirement of the juvenile M. rosenbergii for maximum body protein retention was suggested to be about 7.1 g/kg body weight/d.
Effect of Diet Processing Method and Ingredient Substitution on Feed Characteristics and Survival of Larval Walleye, Sander vitreus
Authors: Barrows Frederic T. , Lellis William A. 
Published: May 2006

Abstract Two methods were developed for the production of larval fish diets. The first method, microextrusion marumerization (MEM), has been tested in laboratory feeding trials for many years and produces particles that are palatable and water stable. The second method, particle‐assisted rotational agglomeration (PARA), produced diets that have lower density than diets produced by MEM. Each method was used to produce diets in the 250‐ to 400‐ and 400‐ to 700‐μm range and compared with a reference diet (Fry Feed Kyowa* [FFK]) for feeding larval walleye in two experiments. The effect of substituting 4% of the fish meal with freeze‐dried artemia fines was also investigated. In the first experiment, 30‐d survival was greater (P < 0.05) for fish fed a diet produced by PARA without Artemia (49.1.0%) than for fish fed the same diet produced by MEM (27.6%). The addition of Artemia to a diet produced by MEM did not increase survival of larval walleye. Fish fed the reference diet had 24.4% survival. In the second experiment, there was an effect of both processing method and Artemia supplementation, and an interaction of these effects, on survival. Fish fed a diet produced by PARA without Artemia supplementation had 48.4% survival, and fish fed the same diet produced by MEM had only 19.6% survival. Inclusion of 4% freeze‐dried Artemia improved (P < 0.04) survival of fish fed MEM particles but not those fed PARA particles. Fish fed FFK had greater weight gain than fish fed other diets in both experiments. Data indicate that the PARA method of diet processing produces smaller, lower density particles than the MEM process and that diets produced by the PARA process support higher survival of larval walleye with low capital and operating costs.
Effects of Gender and Size on Feed Acquisition in the Pacific White Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei
Authors: Moss Dustin R. , Moss Shaun M. 
Published: May 2006

Abstract Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, are sexually dimorphic for growth, where subadult and adult females typically are larger than males of the same age. This character may be attributed to physiological and/or behavioral differences between the sexes. To determine if growth differences are the result of a more aggressive feeding behavior by females, four concurrent feeding trials were conducted to study the effects of gender and size on feed acquisition time. Feeding trials consisted of tanks (three replicate tanks per trial) stocked with (1) all females with small‐ and large‐size groups, (2) all males with small‐ and large‐size groups, (3) a random selection of males and females (resulting in larger females than males), and (4) males and females of equal size. Depending on the trial, tanks were stocked with either an equal number of males and females or small and large shrimp. Shrimp were fed a limited ration of squid, and the total feeding time (TFT) of shrimp between groups within a tank was compared. Results show that both gender and size are important factors in TFT as large shrimp out‐competed small shrimp in both all‐female and all‐male feeding trials. Gender is more important than size as males out‐competed females for feed even when they were smaller than competing females. These results suggest that sexual growth dimorphism is not the result of more aggressive feeding by females. In fact, males have a competitive advantage over females in acquiring feed. These results are counterintuitive because females typically are larger than males. Additional research is needed to investigate the physiological basis for sexual growth dimorphism in this commercially important shrimp.