THE WIND DEFLATION FROM SAND AREAS AFFECTED BY ATMOSFERIC DRYNESS: LEU-ROTUNDA AND DĂBULENI FIELDS (OLTENIA PLAIN)

Leu-Rotunda and Dăbuleni Fields are characterized by substantial extension of sandy soils. The sands on the left of Jiu are poli-stratificated fluvial deposits eolian shaped as dunes and interdunes. During the reported period 1980-2007, it was found that the most exposed time of the year to the wind was during the spring, the months of March, April and May as in speed and frequency. According to the analyzed data, the dominant wind direction during spring season on the sandy soils from Dăbuleni is the western, with negative effects on crops who then begin their vegetation cycle. The shelterbelts have decreased, although lately there have been numerous programs which aimed afforestation of affected areas

DEBRIS FLOW ACTIVITY RECONSTRUCTION USING DENDROGEOMORPHOLOGICAL METHODS. STUDY CASE (PIULE IORGOVANU MOUNTAINS)

Debris Flow Activity Reconstruction Using Dendrogeomorphological Methods. Study Case (Piule Iorgovanu Mountains). Debris flows are one of the most destructive mass-movements that manifest in the mountainous regions around the world. As they usually occur on the steep slopes of the mountain streams where human settlements are scarce, they are hardly monitored. But when they do interact with built-up areas or transportation corridors they cause enormous damages and even casualties. The rise of human pressure in the hazardous regions has led to an increase in the severity of the negative consequences related to debris flows. Consequently, a complete database for hazard assessment of the areas which show evidence of debris flow activity is needed. Because of the lack of archival records knowledge about their frequency remains poor. One of the most precise methods used in the reconstruction of past debris flow activity are dendrogeomorphological methods. Using growth anomalies of the affected trees, a valuable event chronology can be obtained. Therefore, it is the purpose of this study to reconstruct debris flow activity on a small catchment located on the northern slope of Piule Iorgovanu Mountains. The trees growing near the channel of transport and on the debris fan, exhibit different types of disturbances. A number of 98 increment cores, 19 cross-sections and 1 semi-transversal cross-section was used. Based on the growth anomalies identified in the samples there were reconstructed a number of 19 events spanning a period of almost a century.

Fiber optic-based time-resolved fluorimetry for Immunoassays

Rare earth metal chelate fluorescent labels for immunoassays possess extremely long fluorescence lifetimes and permit the effective use of time-resolved detection. This is shown to be very important in fiber optic-based fluorimetry, which is a technique that ordinarily exhibits large signal backgrounds due to backscatter radiation. Using time-resolved detection to reject the backscatter radiation, the fiber optic-based limit of detection for Eu-2-naphthoyltrifluoroacetone is 10-12 M; nearly three orders of magnitude lower than for the fiber optic-based measurement of the most common fluorescent label, fluorescein isothiocyanate. Commercially available Eu-chelate labeled reagents are used to demonstrate the potential utility of time-resolved fluorimetry in fiber optic-based immunoassays. Rabbit Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is covalently bonded to the distal end of quartz optical fibers prior to exposing to Eu-chelate labelled anti-rabbit IgG. The limit of detection for the assay is approximately 1 x 10-4 mg/mL

Factors influencing research engagement: research interest, confidence and experience in an Australian speech-language pathology workforce

Background: Recent initiatives within an Australia public healthcare service have seen a focus on increasing the research capacity of their workforce. One of the key initiatives involves encouraging clinicians to be research generators rather than solely research consumers. As a result, baseline data of current research capacity are essential to determine whether initiatives encouraging clinicians to undertake research have been effective. Speech pathologists have previously been shown to be interested in conducting research within their clinical role; therefore they are well positioned to benefit from such initiatives. The present study examined the current research interest, confidence and experience of speech language pathologists (SLPs) in a public healthcare workforce, as well as factors that predicted clinician research engagement

THE EVALUATION OF ACCESSIBILITY TO HOSPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE AT REGIONAL SCALE BY USING GIS SPACE ANALYSIS MODELS: THE NORTH-WEST REGION, ROMANIA

The Evaluation of Accessibility to Hospital Infrastructure at Regional Scale by Using GIS Space Analysis Models: the North-West Region, Romania. Easy access of the population to hospital infrastructure represents one of the main preoccupations of local and national authorities in the attempt to increase the degree of deliverance of quality medical services. The analysis of territorial distribution of various hospital categories- city, clinical, teaching, emergency hospitals- has revealed some areas of deficit in what regards the availability of various types of medical assistance. Identifying the areas of deficit from the point of view of accessibility to hospital infrastructure is carried out by means of a GIS model of space analysis (Cost Surface Modeling type) based on the calculation of access time from any location in the territory to the nearest hospital taking into consideration the vector databases (access ways, hospitals etc.), assignment (speed of motion on access ways, hospital type) and raster (access time)

Swallowing, nutrition and patient-rated functional outcomes at 6 months following two non-surgical treatments for T1-T3 oropharyngeal cancer

Altered fractionation radiotherapy with concomitant boost (AFRT-CB) may be considered an alternative treatment for patients not appropriate for chemoradiation (CRT). As functional outcomes following AFRT-CB have been minimally reported, this exploratory paper describes the outcomes of patients managed with AFRT-CB or CRT at 6 months post-treatment

Guidelines for parenteral nutrition in preterm infants: The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition

Background: Parenteral nutrition (PN) is prescribed for preterm infants until nutrition needs are met via the enteral route, but unanswered questions remain regarding PN best practices in this population. Methods: An interdisciplinary committee was assembled to answer 12 questions concerning the provision of PN to preterm infants. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) process was used. Questions addressed parenteral macronutrient doses, lipid injectable emulsion (ILE) composition, and clinically relevant outcomes, including PNALD, early childhood growth, and neurodevelopment. Preterm infants with congenital gastrointestinal disorders or infants already diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis or PN-associated liver disease (PNALD) at study entry were excluded. Results: The committee reviewed 2460 citations published between 2001 and 2023 and evaluated 57 clinical trials. For most questions, quality of evidence was very low. Most analyses yielded no significant differences between comparison groups. A multicomponent oil ILE was associated with a reduction in stage 3 or higher retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) compared to an ILE containing 100% soybean oil. For all other questions, expert opinion was provided. Conclusion: Most clinical outcomes were not significantly different between comparison groups when evaluating timing of PN initiation, amino acid dose, and ILE composition. Future clinical trials should standardize outcome definitions to permit statistical conflation of data, thereby permitting more evidence based recommendations in future guidelines. This guideline has been approved by the ASPEN 2022-2023 Board of Directors

THE EVALUATION OF ACCESSIBILITY TO HOSPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE AT REGIONAL SCALE BY USING GIS SPACE ANALYSIS MODELS: THE NORTH-WEST REGION, ROMANIA

The Evaluation of Accessibility to Hospital Infrastructure at Regional Scale by Using GIS Space Analysis Models: the North-West Region, Romania. Easy access of the population to hospital infrastructure represents one of the main preoccupations of local and national authorities in the attempt to increase the degree of deliverance of quality medical services. The analysis of territorial distribution of various hospital categoriescity, clinical, teaching, emergency hospitals- has revealed some areas of deficit in what regards the availability of various types of medical assistance. Identifying the areas of deficit from the point of view of accessibility to hospital infrastructure is carried out by means of a GIS model of space analysis (Cost Surface Modeling type) based on the calculation of access time from any location in the territory to the nearest hospital taking into consideration the vector databases (access ways, hospitals etc.), assignment (speed of motion on access ways, hospital type) and raster (access time)

Physiological characteristics of dysphagia following thermal burn injury

The study aim was to document the acute physiological characteristics of swallowing impairment following thermal burn injury. A series of 19 participants admitted to a specialised burn centre with thermal burn injury were identified with suspected aspiration risk by a clinical swallow examination (CSE) conducted by a speech-language pathologist and referred to the study. Once medically stable, each then underwent more detailed assessment using both a CSE and fiberoptic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). FEES confirmed six individuals (32%) had no aspiration risk and were excluded from further analyses. Of the remaining 13, CSE confirmed that two had specific oral-phase deficits due to orofacial scarring and contractures, and all 13 had generalised oromotor weakness. FEES revealed numerous pharyngeal-phase deficits, with the major findings evident in greater than 50% being impaired secretion management, laryngotracheal edema, delayed swallow initiation, impaired sensation, inadequate movement of structures within the hypopharynx and larynx, and diffuse pharyngeal residue. Penetration and/or aspiration occurred in 83% (n = 10/12) of thin fluids trials, with a lack of response to the penetration/aspiration noted in 50% (n = 6/12 penetration aspiration events) of the cases. Most events occurred post swallow. Findings support the fact that individuals with dysphagia post thermal burn present with multiple risk factors for aspiration that appear predominantly related to generalised weakness and inefficiency and further impacted by edema and sensory impairments. Generalised oromotor weakness and orofacial contractures (when present) impact oral-stage swallow function. This study has identified a range of factors that may contribute to both oral- and pharyngeal-stage dysfunction in this clinical population and has highlighted the importance of using a combination of clinical and instrumental assessments to fully understand the influence of burn injury on oral intake and swallowing