A preliminary analysis of aortic injuries in lateral impacts

Injuries to the aorta are among the more serious injuries that result from vehicle impacts, and often may be fatal. This article examines the incidence of aortic injuries in the United States and United Kingdom by using two international databases of real-world crashes. The main outcome of interest was the level of risk associated with each principal direction of force for drivers and front-seat passengers with respect to sustaining aortic injuries. The results indicate that the risk of sustaining an injury to the aorta is greater for near-side crashes than for far-side crashes. Further it is apparent that, given a near-side crash, the risk of an aortic injury is greater on the left side of the body (and left side of the vehicle) than on the right. It also was found that the delta-V of crashes where occupants sustained an injury to the aorta was considerably higher than crashes where occupants did not sustain aortic injuries. It is speculated that the anatomical asymmetry of the thorax might play a role in the differences seen in injury risk associated with different impact directions. The results presented in this article could be of use to both the emergency physician treating patients involved in motor vehicle collisions as well as the engineer involved in occupant design countermeasures. Limitations and further planned research are discussed.     

Stakeholder perceptions of grassland ecosystem services in relation to knowledge on soil fertility and biodiversity

The concept of ecosystem services is increasingly being used by scientists and policy makers. However, most studies in this area have focussed on factors that regulate ecosystem functions (i.e. the potential to deliver ecosystem services) or the supply of ecosystem services. In contrast, demand for ecosystem services (i.e. the needs of beneficiaries) or understanding of the concept and the relative ranking of different ecosystem services by beneficiaries has received limited attention. The aim of this study was to identify in three European mountain regions the ecosystem services of grassland that different stakeholders identify (which ecosystem services for whom), the relative rankings of these ecosystem services, and how stakeholders perceive the provision of these ecosystem services to be related to agricultural activities. We found differences: (1) between farmers?? perceptions of ecosystem services across regions and (2) within regions, between knowledge of ecosystem services gained by regional experts through education and farmers?? local field-based knowledge. Nevertheless, we identified a common set of ecosystem services that were considered important by stakeholders across the three regions, including soil stability, water quantity and quality, forage quality, conservation of botanical diversity, aesthetics and recreation (for regional experts), and forage quantity and aesthetic (for local farmers). We observed two contrasting stakeholder representations of the effects of agricultural management on ecosystem services delivery, one negative and the other positive (considering low to medium management intensity). These representations were determined by stakeholders?? perceptions of the relationships between soil fertility and biodiversity. Overall, differences in perceptions highlighted in this study show that practitioners, policy makers and researchers should be more explicit in their uses of the ecosystem services concept in order to be correctly understood and to foster improved communication among stakeholders.     

Comparison of carbon footprints of steel versus concrete pipelines for water transmission

The global demand for water transmission and service pipelines is expected to more than double between 2012 and 2022. This study compared the carbon footprint of the two most common materials used for large-diameter water transmission pipelines, steel pipe (SP) and prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP). A planned water transmission pipeline in Texas was used as a case study. Four life-cycle phases for each material were considered: material production and pipeline fabrication, pipe transportation to the job site, pipe installation in the trench, and operation of the pipeline. In each phase, the energy consumed and the CO₂-equivalent emissions were quantified. It was found that pipe manufacturing consumed a large amount of energy, and thus contributed more than 90% of life cycle carbon emissions for both kinds of pipe. Steel pipe had 64% larger CO₂-eq emissions from manufacturing compared to PCCP. For the transportation phase, PCCP consumed more fuel due to its heavy weight, and therefore had larger CO₂-eq emissions. Fuel consumption by construction equipment for installation of pipe was found to be similar for steel pipe and PCCP. Overall, steel had a 32% larger footprint due to greater energy used during manufacturing.

Implications: This study compared the carbon footprint of two large-diameter water transmission pipeline materials, steel and prestressed concrete cylinder, considering four life-cycle phases for each. The study provides information that project managers can incorporate into their decision-making process concerning pipeline materials. It also provides information concerning the most important phases of the pipeline life cycle to target for emission reductions.     

Scenarios and story lines: drivers of land use change in southern Mexico

The study presents three scenarios of land use and cover change (LUCC), the most important factor for environmental degradation in southern Mexico. We developed story lines and quantitative projections for regional scenarios based on historic LUCC processes, environmental policies, socioeconomic drivers, stakeholder consultations and official planning documents to gain a better understanding of drivers of LUCC, and quantitative scenarios were modeled with DINAMICA-EGO. Regionally specific interactions between social and natural systems are recognized, and detrimental policies and policy options for landscape conservation and management for sustainability are acknowledged in a base line, variant and alternative scenario. Incongruent policies and ineffective ground implementation of conservation actions were identified as the critical underlying drivers of deforestation and forest degradation that could lead to a severe reduction in natural forests, while the local socioeconomic situation stays precarious. The baseline scenario parts from an analysis of historic LUCC processes and shows the consequences of LUCC tendencies: 73% of temperate forests and 50% of tropical forests would get deforested until 2030. In the variant scenario, these tendencies are adjusted to planning goals extracted from official documents and recent changes in public policies. The alternative scenario further addresses policy options for fostering conservation and sustainable development, but because of the time lag of implementation, still 59% of temperate forests and 36% of tropical forest would get lost until 2030. Nevertheless, this represents a reduction of 13% of forest loss and 11% less pastureland due to the proposed measures of conservation, and sustainable management, including strategies for reforming agricultural systems, agricultural and forestry policies and trade, land tenure and livelihood risk management.     

Decreasing lead bioaccessibility in industrial and firing range soils with phosphate-based amendments

In-situ stabilization using phosphate (P) amendments, such as P-based fertilizers and rock, are a potentially cost-effective and minimally disruptive alternative for stabilizing Pb in soils. We examined the effect of time (0-365 d), in vitro extraction pH (1.5 vs. 2.3), and dosage of three P-based amendments on the bioaccessibility (as a surrogate for oral bioavailability) of Pb in 10 soils from U.S. Department of Defense facilities. Initial untreated soil bioaccessibility consistently exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency default value of 60% relative bioavailability, with higher bioaccessibility consistently observed at an in vitro extraction pH of 1.5 vs. 2.3. Although P-based amendments statistically (P < 0.05) reduced bioaccessibility in many instances, with reductions dependent on the amendment and dosage, large amendment dosages (approximately 20-25% by mass to yield 5% P by mass) were required to reduce average bioaccessibility by approximately 25%. For most amendment combinations, reductions continued to occur for periods up to 1 yr, indicating that the observed reductions were not merely experimental artifacts of the in vitro extraction procedure. Although our results indicated that reductions in Pb bioaccessibility with P amendments are technically feasible, relatively large amendment masses were required to achieve relatively modest reductions in bioaccessibility. The cost and potential environmental implications of adding such large amounts of P may limit the practicality of in situ immobilization for some Pb-contaminated soils, industrial and firing range soils in particular.     

瑞典梅拉伦、哈马伦、维纳恩和韦特恩湖外来种的环境影响

在梅拉伦、维纳恩、韦特恩、和哈马伦湖已经有了20个外来种.有意引入的种类有来自北美洲的鱼类、信号小龙虾、观赏植物以及加拿大大雁.非有意引入的有,随被感染的小龙虾而来的小龙虾瘟疫,随压舱水而来的斑马贻贝和中国绒螯蟹.病原体、寄生虫,特别是小龙虾瘟疫的引入,给各大湖带来很大的环境和社会经济影响,造成了本地贵重小龙虾的大批死亡.放养起源于不同生物地理区的鳟鱼和大哈鱼,使得维纳恩湖残留的本地鱼种类消失了.尽管除了小龙虾瘟疫外由于外来种的引入造成的主要生态系统的破坏没有在瑞典的4大潮发生,但局部问题已时有出现.     

Water quantity and quality dynamics of the THC — Tuyamuyun Hydroengineering Complex — And implications for reservoir operation

Background In the Aral Sea basin, safe water resources are scarce and steadily becoming scarcer. Particularly high quality water is going to become a rare good. The object of the study was the Tuyamuyun Hydroengineering Complex (THC), a complex of artificial water reservoirs located in the lower Amu Darya River, which provides water for irrigation, industry, and drinking for the lower Amu Darya region. The focus was on operation of one of its four reservoirs, the Kaparas, which is mainly used for drinking water supply. The objective includes the investigation of impacts of conventional operation schemes on the reservoir water quality for improving drinking water quality (salinity). Basic operation rules for Kaparas, which can be considered as representative for conventional dam operation under dry year conditions, had to be identified and improved operation schemes derived. Methods Existing data archives were analysed, and further data were acquired from field surveys, data processing and modelling studies. Historical data were identified, which are appropriate to determine representative schemes for the conventional operation. For the simulation of time-dependent and depth-dependent changes of reservoir salinisation, the reservoir water quality model Lac was used and linked with the THC model. Results and Discussion Modelling results for the simulation of temperature dynamics and density stratification showed a sufficient congruence with the measured temperature profiles. The conformity of measured and calculated salt concentration is basically ensured. The reservoir, which fill with higher saline water at the end of the summer, aggravates the entrainment of high saline water in the entire water column. Conclusions The current conventional operation regime mainly leads to filling the Kaparas reservoir with high saline water during the winter months. Even in the event of starting with comparable low salinity levels, the simulation demonstrates the rapid deterioration of the reservoir water quality. Under dry year conditions, the WHO standards for drinking water will be exceeded by 30% after two years, so that the impact of dry years in the context of water stress becomes visible. Recommendations and Outlook Processed data and results are now available to identify enhanced reservoir operation strategies for salinity reduction by changing the period of reservoir filling and release, as well as to initiate a detailed analysis of how water deficits in dry years may be reduced by improved operation regimes. Using adapted and enhanced operation rules for THC reservoirs, the local population within the lower Aral Sea basin might be supplied with more potable water of higher quality in future.     

Quantifying the physical and chemical mass transfer processes for the fate and transport of Co(II)EDTA in a partially-weathered limestone-shale saprolite

The objective of the research is to quantify the relative contributions of physical and chemical mass transfer to the movement of Co(II/III)EDTA (chelates of Cobalt and Ethylene Diamine Tetraacetic Acid or EDTA) through a limestone-shale saprolite soil. Saprolite is a collective term referring to partially-weathered bedrock. It exists extensively in the subsurface. Because the parent bedding structures are maintained during the weathering process, saprolite soils are characterized by intensive fractures and secondary deposits of minerals such as Al-, Fe- and Mn-oxides on the fracture surfaces. Movement of reactive species through the soils may be influenced by diffusion into the rock matrix, a physical mass transfer (PMT) process, and interfacial chemical reactions, a chemical mass transfer (CMT) process. The PMT and CMT processes are phenomenologically similar but mechanistically different. In this research, previous laboratory observations from a Br and Co(II)EDTA tracer injection into an undisturbed saprolite soil column were used. Mechanistic reactive transport models were formulated to quantify the PMT and CMT processes. The PMT process was independently characterized by using the non-reactive tracer Br. Model parameters thus obtained were subsequently used as constraints to quantify the CMT processes involving Co(II)EDTA and its oxidation product Co(III)EDTA. Our calculations indicated that the PMT rates of the less reactive Co(III)EDTA were comparable with their theoretical CMT rates. In contrast, for the more reactive species Co(II)EDTA, CMT rates are higher than PMT rates. Evaluations of alternative CMT process models further confirmed one of our hypotheses on the basis of previous experimental understandings. The hypothesis suggested that competition from Fe-oxide for Co(II)EDTA may account for the majority of the decrease of Co(III)EDTA effluent concentrations that resulted in the separation of total Co and Co(III)EDTA breakthrough curves. Because Co(III)EDTA is more mobile than Co(II)EDTA in the subsurface, the results of this research suggest independent quantifications of CoEDTA PMT and CMT processes if laboratory results are to be interpreted correctly and scaled up for field and predictive uses.