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PubMed2004

Historical alpha-HCH budget in the Arctic Ocean: the Arctic Mass Balance Box Model (AMBBM).

An Arctic Mass Balance Box Model (AMBBM) has been developed to calculate a sequential historical alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane (alpha-HCH) budget in the Arctic Ocean from its introduction in the 1940s up to the present. The AMBBM is created in the context of the Arctic as a receptor, and has three major components: the air concentration module, the loading from Arctic river module and the transport/transformation module. The results of the model provide a more complete depiction of the behavior of alpha-HCH within the Arctic Ocean. Model output includes annual concentrations in Arctic air and water, annual alpha-HCH loading to, removal from the Arctic Ocean and annual cumulative burden of alpha-HCH in the Arctic waters from 1945 to 2000. Our model results compare well with published data in the 1980s and 1990s and show that the alpha-HCH burden in the Arctic Ocean started to accumulate in the early 1940s and reached the highest value of 6670 t in 1982, 1 year before China banned the use of technical HCH. Since then the burden of alpha-HCH in Arctic waters has decreased quickly by an average annual rate of approximately 270 ty(-1) during the 1990s, decreasing from 4220 t in 1990 to 1550 t in 2000. The complete elimination of alpha-HCH from Arctic waters would require another two decades. The total loading between 1945 and 2000 was 27700 t accounting for approximately 0.6% of total global alpha-HCH emission from agricultural land to the atmosphere. Differences in loadings of alpha-HCH to the North American Arctic Ocean and Eurasian Arctic Ocean are also discussed.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2000

A low budget luminometer for sensitive chemiluminescent immunoassays.

We have designed a simple luminometer based on a reasonably priced Peltier-cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, housed in a light-tight box, with straightforward lens imaging and a simple platform for a microtitre or other assay format. The quantitative readout of the CCD image is recorded on a PC using customised software. The instrument can be assembled in a standard university workshop for under pound3000, compared with the cheapest commercial instruments retailing at pound10,000 and above. Consistent with the general view on chemiluminescent assays, the sensitivity is 10-100 times greater than that obtained with parallel ELISA's using a chromogenic substrate. A unique feature of the CCD format is that it enables assays to be carried out on arrays of minidots and even nanodots of antigen on the floor of each microtitre well. This permits direct comparison and standardisation of reactivity of a single sample against several antigens and economy in the use of reagents, test sample and technician time; finger-prick samples of blood can be analysed. The instrument should have widespread applicability in developing countries and, indeed, in any laboratories with hard-pressed budgets.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

A reassessment of trace metal budgets in the Western Mediterranean Sea.

This paper presents inputs and output fluxes of dissolved metals (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) into and out the Western Mediterranean. These flux estimates are based on the most recently published concentrations and fluxes for the atmosphere, the rivers and the straits. Comparison of the different sources shows the predominance of the inputs through the straits over other sources. The river input is smaller than the atmospheric input except for As. For all elements except Fe, output flux and input flux are balanced; iron budget indicates transfer from the dissolved to the particulate phase.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2002

Nutrient budget for Saguling Reservoir, West Java, Indonesia.

A preliminary nutrient budget for Saguling Reservoir is reported as a first attempt to quantify the behaviour of nutrients entering this reservoir. This work is part of a larger Indonesia-Australia collaborative research and training project, involving Padjadjaran University and Monash University, established to study nutrient dynamics in Saguling Reservoir. Saguling Reservoir, the first of a chain of three large reservoirs (Saguling, Cirata and Jatilahur), built on the Citarum River in central Java, was completed in 1985. It has already become highly polluted, particularly with domestic and industrial effluent (organic matter, nutrients, heavy metals) from the urban areas of Bandung (population 2 million). The reservoir experiences major water quality problems, including excessive growths of floating plants, toxic cyanobacterial blooms and regular fish-kills. The work reported in this paper shows that Saguling receives a very large nutrient load from the city of Bandung and because of this, is highly eutrophic. It is unlikely that the water quality of Saguling will improve until a substantial part of Bandung is sewered and adequate discharge controls are placed on the many industries in the region upstream of the reservoir.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Assessing the contribution of natural sources to regional atmospheric mercury budgets

Naturally mercury-enriched substrate is a long-lived source of mercury to the global atmospheric mercury cycle. Field flux chambers, laboratory gas exchange chambers and micrometeorological methods may be applied to estimate emissions from these sources. However, field chamber experimental design may affect the magnitude of the fluxes measured, and the laboratory chamber only provides a minimum estimate of flux. Many factors, such as mercury concentration and speciation in substrate, light, precipitation, and temperature, influence the emission of mercury from the substrate. Mercury concentration in the substrate is a dominant factor controlling emissions and may be used to predict emissions from regions of mercury enrichment. Mercury fluxes measured from three areas of natural enrichment and three areas with low levels of mercury enrichment are 1-5 orders of magnitude greater than the value applied to global belts of natural enrichment. Preliminary scaling of emissions from one of these areas and for western North America indicates that mercury enriched areas may be significant sources of mercury to the atmosphere, and that their contribution to regional and global atmospheric budgets needs to be reassessed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Major nutrients and acidity: budgets and trends at four remote boreal stands in Finland during the 1990s.

Major nutrients and acidity were studied at six plots in four Integrated Monitoring catchments in Finland, located along a south-north deposition gradient. The quality and quantity of bulk precipitation, throughfall, soil water, and litterfall were monitored during the period 1989-1997. The results showed a marked decline in SO4 and H+ concentrations overall. Trends in throughfall ANC values were positive, while those in soil water were mostly negative. The increase in throughfall ANC values indicates recovery from acid deposition. The adsorption of base cations and release of organic acids was implicated in the decrease in soil water ANC trends. For all variables, the changes tended to be the greatest in the most southerly catchment, which received the most deposition loads. Mass balance budgets showed that total deposition inputs were greater than soil leaching outputs (at 40 cm) for NO3, NH4 and SO4, and were attributed to nutrient uptake and cycling processes. In contrast, for Ca, Mg, K and Na, and S (Valkea-Kotinen3 and Vuoskojärvi2 plots only), inputs were less than outputs, indicating net leaching. Throughfall + litterfall inputs to the forest floor showed that the organic layer is particularly important in the retention of Ca, Mg and N. Sulfur was retained in the lower soil layers, and attributed to Al and Fe hydroxide adsorption in the B horizon.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed2003

Nutrient fluxes and budgets for the North West European Shelf from a three-dimensional model.

A three-dimensional ecosystem model of the NW European continental shelf is used to simulate the seasonal cycle of nutrients (N, P, Si) and primary and secondary production during 1995. Nutrient budgets within areas of the shelf are calculated and their component parts (advective, benthic, pelagic, riverine, recycling) are examined. Nutrient fluxes across sections of the continental shelf are also calculated and compared with previous modelled/observed flux values.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Life history implications of allocation to growth versus reproduction in dynamic energy budgets.

We compare the implications of determinate vs. indeterminate growth of a parthenogenetic iteroparous ectotherm at constant food density in the context of the dynamic energy budget theory, which specifies the tight links between life history traits, such as feeding, aging, growth and reproduction. We do a comparative analysis using, as measure of fitness, the life span reproduction, the population growth rate, and the conversion efficiency of food to biomass. When extrinsic mortality is constant, indeterminate growth cannot maximize fitness if measured by the population growth rate or the conversion efficiency, except when mortality is low, in which case both types of animals are similar. If the fitness measure is life span reproduction, indeterminate growth maximizes fitness even with constant mortality, provided it is not very high. When mortality decreases with size, indeterminate growth maximizes fitness for almost all measures of fitness. Finally, we suggest an evolutionary link between allocation strategies and expected life span. In populations of long living species, each type of animal can establish in the population of the other. In populations of short living species, determinate growers can invade, and displace, a population of indeterminate ones. However, when the mortality risk of organisms with small size is much higher than those of large size, indeterminate growers can be superior.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Modern sedimentary processes in the Santa Monica, California continental margin: sediment accumulation, mixing and budget.

Sediment input to SMB appears to be associated with at least two point sources on the shelf, with Malibu Creek and the Hyperion sewage outfall being the most significant. Sediment contributions are sufficient to support apparent mass accumulation rates near these sources up to approximately 1.8 g/cm(2) year, which with distance decrease to approximately 0.5 g/cm(2) year near the shelf break (approximately 80-100 m water depth). Sequestering of material on the shelf and decreasing sediment supply to the slope is evident as rates decrease between 100 and 200 m water depths to less than 0.2 g/cm(2) year. Below 100-200 m water depth, rates are relatively slow throughout a broad region of the slope (0.07-0.14 g/cm(2) year). These slower rates are in general agreement with rates determined on the flanks of the California Borderland basins. Sediment texture fines from approximately 3.5 phi to approximately 7 phi with distance offshore. Texture does not exhibit significant changes from surficial values with depth in the seabed at any given site or between sites on the slope. This similarity in rates and downcore texture over such a broad extent suggests that hemiplegic sedimentation is the dominant mechanism of sediment delivery in water depths >200 m. Seabed distributions of radionuclides suggest that apparent accumulation rates in SMB may be twice the actual accumulation rates. A sediment budget documents that over the past century at least, SMB has served as a sink for 50-100% of the natural and anthropogenic inputs to the coastal ocean.

California↗
PubMed2001

Twenty-four hour activity budgets and patterns of behavior in captive ocelots (Leopardus pardalis).

Activity budgets of captive ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) were assessed from over 547h of observational data obtained from six ocelots; two females at the Dallas Zoo (Dallas, TX), two females at the Caldwell Zoo (Tyler, TX) and a male and female at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center (Glen Rose, TX). Data were examined for the percentage of active behaviors exhibited during the day and nighttime hours; temporal patterns of active, pace, exploratory and marking behavior, and for significance in pacing behavior between pre- and post-feeding times. The captive cats had a bimodal pattern of active behavior similar to field studies of wild ocelots, except that the timing of the active peaks were closer to the diurnal hours for the captive cats. The captive ocelots were less active than wild ocelots, and more diurnal. Also, the captive cats exhibited stereotypic pacing. When the percentage of time of active behavior was assessed for each cat, a strong variation between individuals and institution was not seen. Pacing behavior was highest prior to the feeding times for the cats. In assessing patterns of behavior, peaks in marking and exploratory behavior in the cats did not occur at the same time as the peaks in active behavior. However, we did see institutional differences in the pattern of exploratory and marking behavior, which may have been influenced by differing management practices.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Methodology for estimating soil carbon for the forest carbon budget model of the United States, 2001.

The largest carbon (C) pool in United States forests is the soil C pool. We present methodology and soil C pool estimates used in the FORCARB model, which estimates and projects forest carbon budgets for the United States. The methodology balances knowledge, uncertainties, and ease of use. The estimates are calculated using the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service STATSGO database, with soil dynamics following assumptions based on results of site-specific studies, and area estimates from the USDA Forest Service. Forest Inventory and Analysis data and national-level land cover data sets. Harvesting is assumed to have no effect on soil C. Land use change and forest type transitions affect soil C. We apply the methodology to the southeastern region of the United States as a case study.

Carbon↗
PubMed2000

Federation of European Cancer Societies. Full report. Economic evaluation in cancer care: questions and answers on how to alleviate conflicts between rising needs and expectations and tightening budgets.

All Western countries have experienced a fast growth in their healthcare expenses over recent decades. It is expected that pressure for such growth will continue in the future. But spending an ever larger share of our nation's resources on healthcare cannot be afforded. As a consequence, making choices will become more and more inevitable, even in cancer care. Economic evaluation is a very supportive tool for such decisions. This position statement concludes with recommendations for providers and healthcare policy-makers, to safeguard and further improve good clinical decision making and healthcare policy in cancer care under tightening budgets.

Female↗
PubMed2001

Nitrogen budget in Scenedesmus obliquus cultures with artificial wastewater.

Semicontinuous cultures of Scenedesmus obliquus in artificial wastewater, recycled into proteins about 33% and 25% of the dissolved nitrogen missing from the medium 24 h after harvesting 50% and 70% of the culture, and replacing the volume harvested with fresh medium. The residual dissolved nitrogen concentrations were 25% and 43% of the initial, respectively, with an imbalance in the mass budget close to 17 and 20 mg N l(-1) d-1. Most or all the nitrogen missing was found in an ammonia trap located at the air vent of the closed cultures, showing that an important role of microalgae in wastewater treatment is that of favouring NH3 stripping due to the photosynthesis-induced pH increases.

Ammonia↗
PubMed2000

Thriving and surviving in home care and skilled nursing facilities under the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.

The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA 97) contains the most dramatic changes to the Medicare program since its genesis nearly 35 years ago. To remain financially viable under the cost-cutting measures mandated in this Act, hospitals, home health agencies, skilled nursing facilities, and their employees must have a working knowledge of its contents. In addition, the patients served by these health care providers must have well documented and positive health outcomes, and they must be satisfied with the care and service they receive. Nevertheless, merely understanding the changes mandated by BBA 97 is not sufficient for success; clinicians also must develop innovative solutions to the hurdles the Act erects and quickly integrate them into daily practice. Issues of payment and reimbursement have everything to do with the delivery of today's patient care, regardless of the setting where it is delivered. BBA 97 offers special opportunities to wound, ostomy, and continence care clinicians.

Community Health Nursing↗
PubMed2001

Meeting energy budgets by modulation of behaviour and physiology in the eel (Anguilla anguilla L.).

Availability of energy for feeding, and the scope to accommodate the associated increase in oxygen demand (SDA: specific dynamic action) can, to a large degree, regulate the future feeding and energy availability of an animal. There is a fundamental conflict between locomotion and SDA within the physiological capacity of a mobile organism to respire sufficiently in order to simultaneously meet both requirements. This paper is a first attempt to integrate the costs of behaviour and physiology and produce a testable model of energy allocation in the eel. Total oxygen consumption (metabolic rate MO2) of the eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) was 109 micromol O2 x g(-1) x day(-1) with a cost of measured protein synthesis representing 49% of this value, and measured routine swimming (locomotor) activity representing approximately 34%. By allocating periods of reduced activity, the eel is able to develop a strategy to prudently meet the costs of feeding and temporally balance energy budgets (in terms of oxygen) by modulation of the behaviour and demands of physiology.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Budget impact analysis of the treatment of chronic hepatitis C in a hospital].

OBJECTIVE: To perform a budget impact analysis (BIA) of the treatment with pegylated interferon (pegIFN), alfa-2a or alfa-2b, plus ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). METHOD: An interactive model has been designed from the inputs obtained from hospital databases. Prices for pegIFN and RIB have been taken from the hospitals considering their respective discounts. Only pharmacological costs (euros 2005 values) for the options have been considered. Both strategies have been considered as therapeutic equivalents. RESULTS: The number of patients with CHC evaluated in the model has been of 117, with an average age of 42 years and an average weight of 75 kg. The genotypes of the patients were: G1/4, 85% and; G2/3, 15%. Discontinuation of the treatment at week 12 took place in 26% of the patients. The average duration of treatment has been of 37 weeks. Total cost of the 117 evaluated patients ranged between 942,632-952,109 and 861,646-880,751 euros for the treatment with pegIFN alfa-2a + RIB and pegIFN alfa-2b + RIB, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: BIA models can be useful for the inclusion or reassessment of drugs in formularies. In this case, the treatment with pegIFN alfa-2b + RIB (in comparison with pegIFN alfa-2a + RIB) is an efficient strategy although it depends on acquisition prices, and so, it would be rarely useful in other centres. In our hospital it would produce a budgetary saving that would range from 71,358 to 80,986 euros, which would represent a 7.5-8.6% of the total cost of the pharmacological treatment of the CHC.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Use of partial budgeting to determine the economic benefits of antibiotic treatment of chronic subclinical mastitis caused by Streptococcus uberis or Streptococcus dysgalactiae.

The economic effect of lactational antibiotic treatment of chronic subclinical intramammary infections due to Streptococcus uberis or Streptococcus dysgalactiae was explored by means of partial budgeting. Effects at cow level and herd level were modelled, including prevention of clinical mastitis episodes and the prevention of transmission of infections. Input variables for our deterministic model were derived from literature or based on 2002/2003 dairy prices and farming conditions in The Netherlands. Sensitivity analysis was used to examine the effect of uncertainty around input variables or changes in price estimates. On farms where pathogen transmission was prevented through proper udder health management, 3-d antibiotic treatment during lactation resulted in an average net profit of euro+11.62 over no treatment while 8-d antibiotic treatment had an average negative net result of euro-21.83. Sensitivity analysis showed that profitability depends on the probability of treatment-induced cure, pathogen transmission rates, culling rate, retention pay-off, and costs of antibiotic treatment. Three-day antibiotic treatment of chronic subclinical streptococcal mastitis is economically profitable over a range of input values for cure probabilities, transmission rates and losses due to culling. In contrast, 8-d lactational treatment is only profitable for very valuable animals, on farms where the risk of pathogen transmission is high and/or when the farmer is likely to cull a high percentage of cows with subclinical mastitis. Because bacterial flora, cow characteristics and management differ widely between farms, the economic outcome of lactational treatment of chronic subclinical streptococcal mastitis may be highly farm-dependent.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Mercury and lead budgets for Lochnagar, a Scottish mountain lake and its catchment.

Lochnagar is a mountain lake located to the southeast of the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland. The inputs and outputs of Hg and Pb and their distribution within the various ecosystem compartments were measured. Further, 17 sediment cores and 10 catchment peat cores were taken and dated using spheroidal carbonaceous particle (SCP) and 210Pb techniques. Total and anthropogenic Hg and Pb inventories since the 1860s for the lake basin and the catchment peats were calculated using this multiple core strategy. Hg sediment flux profiles based on the whole lake basin show that the flux to the sediments increased from the 1880s until the 1970s. This was followed by a relatively stable period (1970s to the present), during which the flux was approximately twice that of the 1880s. Similarly, the Pb flux increased from the 1860s until the 1940s and was also followed by a relatively stable period through to the present. Hg and Pb budgets for the whole catchment for 1998 indicated that 78% of the Hg and 91% of the Pb input to the lake were transported from the catchment. Hence, the expected decline resulting from the decrease in the atmospheric deposition of Pb was obscured in the sediment record. It is estimated that 77% of the total Hg and 90% of the total Pb deposited since the 1860s, and stored in the upper layers of the catchment peat soils, are from anthropogenic sources. The increased storage of Hg and Pb in the catchment implies that this will be a major source of these metals for the lake for many years. This will delay the restoration of the lake system, despite reductions in emissions to the atmosphere and subsequent deposition.

Air Pollutants↗