Longer Transport Distances Research Articles

Comparative analysis of zero-carbon supply solutions for mid-to-low temperature process heat using nuclear energy

Energy consumption and carbon emissions from industrial heating processes constitute a significant and indispensable proportion of industrial production. Therefore, advancing the decarbonization of industrial production, particularly to optimize industrial heating processes, is of considerable importance in achieving global environmental sustainability. This study evaluates long-distance steam transport (LDST) and long-distance hot water transport (LDHWT) as zero-carbon supply schemes for mid-to-low temperature process heat. The heat is sourced from the existing Hainan Nuclear Power Plant using indirect heat exchange, ensuring safety for the long-distance transport medium. The schemes were applied in the Yangpu Industrial Park and comparatively analyzed based on energy efficiency and economic viability. The results indicate that both schemes exhibit comparable energy efficiencies, with LDHWT offering a slight economic advantage. However, beyond this case study, LDHWT becomes increasingly advantageous with longer transport distances and encourages factories to lower their required temperatures through technological modifications. By evaluating these schemes, this study aimed to inform future sustainable process heat decisions and contribute to reducing carbon emissions in global industrial operations.

Carbon intensity of mass timber materials: impacts of sourcing and transportation

Mass timber construction is widely considered a promising alternative construction method to reduce buildings’ total life-cycle carbon emissions because wood is a carbon sink. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels, manufactured by gluing lumber layers with grains at right angles, are potential low-carbon alternatives to carbon-intensive concrete and steel construction. However, most environmental impact assessment studies do not consider variation in transportation impacts within the CLT supply chain when calculating life-cycle impacts. This study investigates the embodied primary energy and the global warming potential (GWP) of CLT supply chain decisions regarding the type of timber species used, the U.S. region it is sourced from, and the location of the CLT mill. Longer transport distances in the supply chain for timber and CLT panels can contribute as much as 923 MJ/m2 (20%) of the embodied primary energy of a CLT building, and the use of a higher-density timber species increases this contribution to 1246 MJ/m2 (24%), with most of that energy derived from fossil energy sources. For perspective, the GWP of a building whose CLT panels and timber have been transported by truck over 6,000 km (252–270 kgCO2/m2) is greater than the GWP of an equivalent reinforced concrete (RC) building (245 kgCO2/m2). Thus, factors like the location of CLT processing facilities and the type of timber species can significantly impact the overall life-cycle assessment and, if chosen appropriately, can mitigate the environmental impacts of CLT construction.

Bystander intervention is associated with reduced early mortality among injury victims in Cameroon.

Despite high injury mortality rates, Cameroon currently lacks a formal prehospital care system. In other sub-Saharan African low and middle-income countries, Lay First Responder (LFR) programs have trained non-medical professionals with high work-related exposure to injury in principles of basic trauma care. To develop a context-appropriate LFR program in Cameroon, we used trauma registry data to understand current layperson bystander involvement in prehospital care and explore associations between current non-formally trained bystander-provided prehospital care and clinical outcomes. The Cameroon Trauma Registry (CTR) is a longitudinal, prospective, multisite trauma registry cohort capturing data on injured patients presenting to four hospitals in Cameroon. We assessed prevalence and patterns of prehospital scene care among all patients enrolled the CTR in 2020. Associations between scene care, clinical status at presentation, and outcomes were tested using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Injury severity was measured using the abbreviated injury score. Data were analyzed using Stata17. Of 2212 injured patients, 455 (21%) received prehospital care (PC) and 1699 (77%) did not receive care (NPC). Over 90% (424) of prehospital care was provided by persons without formal medical training. PC patients were more severely injured (p<0.001), had markers of increased socioeconomic status (p = 0.01), and longer transport distances (p<0.001) compared to NPC patients. Despite increased severity of injury, patients who received PC were more likely to present with a palpable pulse (OR = 6.2, p = 0.02). Multivariate logistic regression adjusted for injury severity, socioeconomic status and travel distance found PC to be associated with reduced emergency department mortality (OR = 0.14, p<0.0001). Although prehospital injury care in Cameroon is rarely performed and is provided almost entirely by persons without formal medical training, prehospital intervention is associated with increased early survival after injury. Implementation of LFR training to strengthen the frequency and quality of prehospital care has considerable potential to improve trauma survival.

Analysis and installation of H2 value chains in rural areas

Hydrogen is considered a promising alternative to fossil fuels for energy transportation and storage. Establishing a hydrogen supply chain is crucial for a widespread adoption of hydrogen as an energy carrier. Existing guidelines for establishing a hydrogen supply chain in urban areas have been developed based on the unique characteristics and requirements of urban environments. However, rural areas have different characteristics and requirements that need to be considered to ensure successful implementation of hydrogen technologies. In this study, we adapted the existing guidelines for establishing a hydrogen supply chain in urban areas in seven steps to rural areas. It starts with identifying the ecosystem and ends with the implementation of the use case and the upscaling towards a fully developed hydrogen ecosystem. A comprehensive review of literature on the unique characteristics and requirements of rural areas for hydrogen supply chain implementation was conducted. Thereby, key differences between urban and rural environments were identified and modifications to the existing guidelines to address these specific challenges of rural areas. The modified guideline aims for example the lower population density, longer transportation distances, and limited infrastructure in rural areas. Industrial companies are scatter over a relatively wide area, therefore a centralized hydrogen supply like in cities is not sufficient. The study also emphasizes the importance of community engagement, which is an essential factor, especially in rural areas because of the strong interconnections between the companies, and collaboration with local stakeholders like politicians and the communities to ensure the acceptance and sustainability of hydrogen technologies in rural areas. The study provides a valuable contribution to the field of hydrogen energy by providing practical guidelines for establishing a hydrogen supply chain in rural areas. The modified guidelines can help overcome the challenges of rural areas and accelerate the adoption of hydrogen technologies in these regions.

Age evolution of secondary organic aerosol: Impacts of regional transport and aerosol volatility

In this study, a revised CMAQ model incorporating source and temporal apportioning functions has been used to analyze the aging characteristics of SOA in East Asia. The results show that in the aerosol phase, the fraction of the non-volatile components typically fluctuates around 75 %–95 %, and aromatic hydrocarbon precursors contribute significantly to SOA, accounting for 45.6 %–72.7 % in winter and 29.1 %–52.7 % in summer. Transport due to meteorological conditions does not affect the SOA volatility profile in the cities, while regional source composition has been found to be important for the characterization of the properties of SOA in cities. When the SOA regional composition type is a multi-region-imported-dominated type (MRT), its age composition type tends to be an old-age-SOA-dominated type (OAT) (>48 h). Additionally, transport also causes fluctuations in the range of hourly SOA with atmospheric age of 96 h or higher. The SOAs normally transport through seasonal monsoon and could migrate longer in winter (700-1500 km in January) than in other seasons (250-900 km in April; 500-1200 km in July; 300-1000 km in October). Additionally, in winter, non-volatile SOA generally has a longer transport distance (700-1600 km) than semi- and low-volatile SOA (300-1300 km and 600-1500 km). Furthermore, during the transport process, geographical barriers have negligible impact on SOA in the 48+ hour age group.

On-Chip Liquid Manipulation via a Flexible Dual-Layered Channel Possessing Hydrophilic/Hydrophobic Dichotomy

The hydrophilic/hydrophobic cooperative interface provides a smart platform to control liquid distribution and delivery. Through the fusion of flexibility and complex structure, we present a manipulable, open, and dual-layered liquid channel (MODLC) for on-demand mechanical control of fluid delivery. Driven by anisotropic Laplace pressure, the mechano-controllable asymmetric channel of MODLC can propel the directional slipping of liquid located between the paired tracks. Upon a single press, the longest transport distance can reach 10 cm with an average speed of ∼3 cm/s. The liquid on the MODLC can be immediately manipulated by pressing or dragging processes, and versatile liquid-manipulating processes on hierarchical MODLC chips have been achieved, including remote droplet magneto-control, continuous liquid distributor, and gas-producing chip. The flexible hydrophilic/hydrophobic interface and its assembly can extend the function and applications of the wettability-patterned interface, which should update our understanding of complex systems for sophisticated liquid transport.

Time-to-care metrics in patients with interhospital transfer for mechanical thrombectomy in north-east Germany: Primary telestroke centers in rural areas vs. primary stroke centers in a metropolitan area.

Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is highly effective in large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke. In north-east Germany, many rural hospitals do not have continuous neurological expertise onsite and secondary transport to MT capable comprehensive stroke centers (CSC) is necessary. In metropolitan areas, small hospitals often have neurology departments, but cannot perform MT. Thus, interhospital transport to CSCs is also required. Here, we compare time-to-care metrics and outcomes in patients receiving MT after interhospital transfer from primary stroke centers (PCSs) to CSCs in rural vs. metropolitan areas. Patients from ten rural telestroke centers (RTCs) and nine CSCs participated in this study under the quality assurance registry for thrombectomies of the Acute Neurological care in North-east Germany with TeleMedicine (ANNOTeM) telestroke network. For the metropolitan area, we included patients admitted to 13 hospitals without thrombectomy capabilities (metropolitan primary stroke centers, MPSCs) and transferred to two CSCs. We compared groups regarding baseline variables, time-to-care metrics, clinical, and technical outcomes. Between October 2018 and June 2022, 50 patients were transferred from RTCs within the ANNOTeM network and 42 from MPSCs within the Berlin metropolitan area. RTC patients were older (77 vs. 72 yrs, p = 0.05) and had more severe strokes (NIHSS 17 vs. 10 pts., p < 0.01). In patients with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT; 34.0 and 40.5%, respectively), time from arrival at the primary stroke center to start of IVT was longer in RTCs (65 vs. 37 min, p < 0.01). However, RTC patients significantly quicker underwent groin puncture at CSCs (door-to-groin time: 42 vs. 60 min, p < 0.01). Despite longer transport distances from RTCs to CSCs (55 vs. 22 km, p < 0.001), there was no significant difference of times between arrival at the PSC and groin puncture (210 vs. 208 min, p = 0.96). In adjusted analyses, there was no significant difference in clinical and technical outcomes. Despite considerable differences in the setting of stroke treatment in rural and metropolitan areas, overall time-to-care metrics were similar. Targets of process improvement should be door-to-needle times in RTCs, transfer organization, and door-to-groin times in CSCs wherever such process times are above best-practice models.

The microbial condition of Scottish wild deer carcasses collected for human consumption and the hygiene risk factors associated with Escherichia coli and total coliforms contamination

Wild deer hunting is necessary in Scotland to control deer population density, with most carcasses being processed for human consumption. As limited information is available on the microbial condition of Scottish venison, we studied the variation of total coliforms and Escherichia coli (E. coli) on 214 wild deer carcasses collected from six approved establishments. Samples were collected from the hide, body cavity and external surface of each carcass and mean values were determined following bacterial plate counts. The mean log10/cm2 coliforms were 5.78 (hide), 6.80 (body cavity) and 6.36 (external surface). The mean log10/cm2E. coli were 1.82 (hide), 2.27 (body cavity) and 2.17 (external carcass). Significantly higher coliforms counts were associated with storage-to-dressing times above 6 days and with longer transport distances. Risk factors that increased E. coli were red deer species, ambient temperature above 7 °C during hunting, dirty hides, faecal contamination and moisture or slimy film on the carcass. Although the bacterial counts obtained in this study indicated some hygienic processing, for around half of the carcasses, the E. coli counts were above 2 log10/cm2. Therefore, the above risk factors suggest a few handling hygiene practices that should be further improved to enhance quality and safety.

Cross-Front Transport Triggered by Winter Storms Around the Shandong Peninsula, China

Ocean fronts are widespread on the eastern China shelf, especially in winter and early spring. Previous studies have shown that sediments on the northern coast of the Shandong Peninsula could penetrate the coastal fronts and deposit on the southern coast of the Liaodong Peninsula, and this cross-front transport process is closely related to winter storms. However, the detailed mechanisms of cross-front transport remain unclear. In this study, through realistic numerical modeling and physical mechanism analysis, a dynamic mechanism involving cross-front transport triggered by winter storms was proposed, and two locations with the highest probability of frontal instability around the Shandong Peninsula were identified. In detail, forced by winter storms, the Lubei Coastal Current significantly intensifies first and causes frontal inertial instability in the early stage of the winter storm, favoring cross-front exchange between both sides of the front. Then, serving as a compensation current, the Yellow Sea Warm Current intensifies in the late stage of the winter storm, leading to the northward transport of the materials out of the front. Furthermore, the intensity, distance, and path of the cross-front transport under varying winter storms are also investigated. The winter storm, with longer duration, greater wind speed, and westward wind direction, tends to trigger stronger cross-front transport and longer transport distance. Transport paths also differ under different winter storms. This study provides a theoretical explanation for cross-front transport and analyzes the role of winter storms in it, providing some new ideas for nearshore materials dispersal to the sea, which is of great significance for future studies on pollutant diffusion, nutrient distribution, and sediment transport in coastal areas.

Why is plastic recycling expensive? Hybrid panel data analysis of recyclable plastic containers and packaging in Japan

This study used panel datasets of recyclable plastic containers and packaging (PCP) in Japan to examine the determinants of contract prices (bids) for recycling. The study applied two methods: the first measure used a hybrid model with characteristics of both fixed and random effects models for an analysis of storage facilities managed by municipalities; and the second measure used standard fixed and random effects models for an analysis by each recycler (recycling facility). The main results clearly showed four phenomena: 1) contract prices tend to be low in large population municipalities; 2) higher quality of collected PCP do not necessarily decrease the contract prices; 3) mechanical recycling and consecutive contracts with the same recyclers for PCP increase contract prices; 4) longer transport distances between storage and recycling facilities and isolated island locations increase contract prices. High contract prices suggest the high recycling cost and low market value of recycled material. The results of the first measure also demonstrated that between-effects were larger than within-effects for all the determinants except for time-invariant isolated islands. For example, consecutive contracts with the same recyclers increased contract prices by 9.4% for the between-effects, while by 2.2% for the within-effects. Mechanical recycling increased contract prices by 14.7% for the between-effects, while by 7.0% for the within-effects. As such, policymakers should organize the recycling market so that competitive and high-quality recyclers can make a successful bid for PCP recycling regardless of recycling methods.

Identification of sediment provenance in the South Yellow Sea using detrital amphibole geochemistry

Marginal seas are major sinks of fluvial sediments. Identifying the sources and quantifying the contributions of different sources are essential to studying the transport and distribution of terrestrial sediments on the shelves of marginal seas. The South Yellow Sea (SYS) to the east of the Asian continent receives sediment discharged by the Huanghe (Yellow) and Changjiang (Yangtze) rivers, and it is a favorable location for studying the provenance of marginal sea deposits. In this study, we tested the geochemistry of amphibole in different grain-size fractions (very fine sand and coarse silt) of the SYS sediments, and compared this geochemistry with those of fractions in the Huanghe River (HH) and the Changjiang River (CJ) to quantify the terrestrial provenance of the sea. The results show that for the very fine sand fraction, Zr, Be, Ga, Ge, Nb, Cd, and Hf in amphibole can be used as indicators to discriminate between the HH and CJ sediments. For the coarse silt fraction, the trace elements of Ba, Zr, Li, Rb, and Hf in amphibole can be used to distinguish the sediment of the two rivers. The mean contribution of the HH sediment to the very fine sand and coarse silt fractions of SYS is 45.0% ± 6.7% and 57.6% ± 5.9%, respectively, compared with 54.8% ± 6.7% and 42.4% ± 5.9% for the CJ, respectively. Provenance analysis of amphibole reveals spatial variation in the supply of terrigenous sediment to different parts of the SYS: the nearshore area of the Shandong Peninsula and the sea areas adjacent to the abandoned Huanghe River (FHH) estuary are supplied mainly by the HH, whereas the South and eastern parts of the SYS are supplied predominantly by the CJ. In the SYS sediment of very fine sand, a line extending from 34°N, 121°E to 35°N, 123°E demarcates the boundary between areas supplied by the HH (north) and the CJ (south), while coarse silt has a longer transport distance and higher mixing degree compared with very fine sand. This study demonstrates that quantitative analysis of the trace-element geochemistry of detrital amphibole can discriminate terrigenous sediment provenance in the mixed area of the marginal sea.

Abstract 12497: Long Transport Distances to a Tertiary Cardiac Arrest Center Does Not Affect Survival in Patients With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Introduction: Patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) are increasingly transported to tertiary cardiac arrest centers, when the arrest is presumed to be of cardiac origin. For some patients, centralization has led to longer transport distances to advanced care resulting in prolonged prehospital system delays, which may affect outcome. Hypothesis: Longer transport distance to center for patients with OHCA reduces 30-day survival. Methods: Central Denmark Region covers rural and urban areas of 13 000 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 1.3 million inhabitants. Aarhus University Hospital functions as the tertiary cardiac care hospital with access to 24/7 cardiac catherization service and extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Distance to center varies greatly among citizens in the region; with longest distance exceeding 170 km. This observational retrospective study included all patients with OHCA referred to Aarhus University Hospital from 2015 to 2018. Kaplan-Meier curves were conducted to evaluate association between distance and mortality. The odds of 30-day mortality were generated using logistic regression. Results: A total of 807 patients with OHCA were referred to center. Distance to center was &lt; 25km (22%), 25 to 50km (40%), 50 to 100km (20%) and &gt; 100km (18%), respectively. The median prehospital system delay from collapse to arrival at center was 70 minutes [IQR, 55-90 minutes]. Logistic regression did not demonstrate an association between 30-day mortality and increasing distance to center (distance &lt; 25 km as reference, 25 to 50km: OR 0.83, 95% CI [0.58-1.20], 50 to 100km: OR 0.96, 95% CI [0.62-1.47] and &gt;100km: OR 1.20, 95% CI [0.77-1.88]). Conclusions: In OHCA patients with long transport distances to a tertiary cardiac center, survival was similar in patients with short distance to center. Centralization of post cardiac care is feasible in the setting of long transport distances.

Effects of Season, Plumage Colour, and Transport Distance on Body Weight Loss, Dead-on-Arrival, and Reject Rate in Commercial End-of-Lay Hens.

Simple SummaryThe transport conditions of end-of-lay hens to slaughterhouses are essential for their welfare. In this study, the effect of season, plumage colour, and transport distance on body weight loss, dead-on-arrival rates, and reject rates was examined. Transport-related data of 31.6 million end-of-lay hens over a two-year period from one slaughter plant in Turkey were analysed. Hens transported in the winter and spring seasons had a greater body weight loss and reject rates. Brown-feathered hens had a higher death rate, while white-feathered hens had a higher body weight loss and reject rate. Hens transported longer distances for slaughter had increased body weight loss, death rates, and reject rates. These results indicate that more care should be taken when transporting end-of-lay hens in cold weather and over longer transport distances. We suggest the transport should be reduced to a certain distance, and improved conditions ought to be provided to mitigate losses.Transport conditions of end-of-lay hens are important for their welfare. This study investigated the effects of season, plumage colour, and transportation distance on the welfare of end-of-lay hens. Retrospective data from 31,667,274 end-of-lay hens transported to a poultry slaughterhouse in Turkey were analysed. The mean body weight loss, dead-on-arrival (DOA) rate, and reject rate were 3.723%, 1.397%, and 0.616%, respectively. The effects of season, plumage colour, and transport distance on the evaluated parameters were all statistically significant (p < 0.001). The highest body weight loss was found in winter, while the lowest body weight loss was found in autumn. The average DOA rate was highest in spring and lowest in autumn. The highest average reject rate was found in spring (0.630%). Body weight loss, DOA rates, and reject rates were also significantly different among white and brown hens (p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p = 0.016, respectively). The highest body weight loss and reject rates were found in white plumage hens, while the highest DOA rate was found in brown plumage hens. The body weight loss and DOA rate were positively correlated with transportation distance (p < 0.001). The results of this study indicate that more preventive measures should be taken during the transport of end-of-lay hens, especially in cold seasons such as winter, and over longer transport distances, in regard to the welfare of these animals. Additionally, the transport of these animals should be lessened to a certain distance.

An ex-ante analysis of transport impacts of a distance-based heavy goods vehicle charge in the Netherlands

In 2017, the newly installed Dutch government announced in its coalition agreement to introduce a distance-based heavy goods vehicle charge, similar to the charges levied in other European countries. To study the possible transport impacts, we applied available models and methods in preparation for the introduction of this truck charge in the Netherlands in 2023, in order to present decision information to the government on different aspects of the charge. In this paper we present the analysis of different implementation scenarios for a distance-based truck charge. Different behavioural responses can be expected in terms of freight transport demand, mode choice, logistic efficiency, and route choice. Many studies however lack sufficient detail to properly describe the impact of road charges for HGV on OD flows and freight traffic. In our contribution we explore the bandwidth of impacts of different pricing schemes, using strategic transport models for freight demand and traffic assignment, with detailed modal split and route choice models, ensuring a proper representation of generalsed transport costs. We explain how we use available transport models in an overarching analytical framework to make a comprehensive impact assessment of the different responses, and to decompose the impacts on the different responses. Final impacts are quantified in terms of freight demand (spatial pattern of transport flows), modal split and traffic flows (route choice, and congestion).Depending on the pricing scenario the tonne kilometres decrease by 0.4%–4.8% on average. The modal shift impacts are stronger on longer transport distances: this is explained both by the larger impact of a distance-based charge on these routes, and by higher substitution possibilities to barge or rail. The results indicate that the overall impacts of the introduction of the different charging alternatives are moderate. However, the network impacts at local level can be substantial due to the impact of re-routing of truck trips to avoid charge.

Blood parameters of young calves at abattoirs are related to distance transported and farm of origin

Nonreplacement dairy calves, or bobby calves, are fasted and transported to abattoirs from as young as 5 d of age in Australia. The aims of this cross-sectional observational study were (1) to assess the welfare status, as measured by blood parameters, of bobby calves in the commercial supply chain after transport and lairage, and (2) to assess whether distance and duration of transport are risk factors for poor bobby calf welfare, as measured by blood parameters. We hypothesized that bobby calves transported greater distances would be more likely to show evidence of compromised welfare, as measured by blood indicators of hydration, energy status, and muscle fatigue or damage. We also hypothesized that there would be a large amount of variability in indicators of energy status between calves from different farms. We analyzed blood samples collected at slaughter over a spring and an autumn calving period from 4,484 Australian bobby calves aged approximately 5 to 14 d old from 3 different states, after transport, fasting, and lairage. Packed cell volume (PCV), plasma glucose, and serum urea, total protein, β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), and creatine kinase (CK) were measured. Radio frequency identification ear tag data were used to estimate the distance that the calves were transported and to identify the farm of origin. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models, except for BHB, which was analyzed using a Goodman-Kruskal gamma test due to left censoring of the data. Twelve percent of calves showed evidence of anemia (PCV less than 0.23 L/L), and 11% had urea concentrations consistent with dehydration (urea more than 7.7 mmol/L). Thirty-six percent of calves had CK activity above normal resting values, and 1% of calves had CK >2,000 U/L, indicating muscle fatigue or damage. Distance transported had significant effects on all blood variables except urea and BHB. With increasing distance transported, calves were more likely to show evidence of a negative energy balance (low plasma glucose) or dehydration (high PCV or total protein). The estimated effect of distance overall was small, but for calves transported more than 500 km, plasma glucose concentration declined more per kilometer. The calves' farm of origin accounted for a reasonable amount of the random variation between calves for plasma glucose (20%). Our results suggest that longer transport distances may increase the risk of poor calf welfare (dehydration, negative energy balance) after transport, and on-farm calf management (e.g., nutrition, timing of feeding before transport) may affect transported calves' energy status; improving this area could result in better energy availability during fasting.

Association of transport time with adverse outcome in paediatric trauma

BackgroundIt is unclear how the length of prehospital transport time affects outcome in paediatric trauma. This study evaluated the association of transport time from alarm to arrival at hospital with adverse outcome in paediatric trauma patients in Sweden.MethodsThis was a retrospective study based on prospectively collected data from the Swedish trauma registry between 2012 and 2019 of children less than 18 years with major trauma (New Injury Severity Score (NISS) greater than 15). The primary outcome was 30-day mortality, and secondary outcomes were emergency interventions (e.g., chest tube or laparotomy) and low functional outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale 2–3). Primary exposure was transport time from alarm to arrival at hospital. Co-variables in multivariable regressions were gender, age, ASA score before injury, injury intention, dominant injury type, NISS, Glasgow Coma Scale score, prehospital competence and hospital level.ResultsAmong 597 patients, 30-day mortality was 9.8 per cent, emergency interventions were performed in 34.7 per cent and low functional outcome was registered in 15.9 per cent. Median transport time was 51 (i.q.r. 37–68) minutes. After adjustment for patient, injury and hospital characteristics, no association between longer transport time and 30-day mortality, frequency of emergency interventions or lower functional outcome could be found. Treatment at a university hospital was associated with a lower risk for 30-day mortality (odds ratio 0.23 (95 per cent c.i. 0.08 to 0.68), P = 0.008).ConclusionLonger transport time after major paediatric trauma was not associated with adverse outcome. Hence, it seems that longer transport distances should not be an obstacle against centralization of paediatric trauma care. Further studies should focus on the role of prehospital competence and other transport-associated parameters and their association with adverse outcome.

Hydrodynamic processes and source changes caused elevated 14C ages of organic carbon in the East China Sea over the last 14.3 kyr

• Provenance of organic carbon (OC) in ECS 14–0 ka determined from δ 13 C & Δ 14 C. • 14 C ages of OC are older than co-deposited sediments by 1.9 to 5.5 kyr. • Old 14 C OC ages due to pre-aged terrigenous OC & aging during sediment transport. More than 80% of marine organic carbon (OC) burial occurs in sediments of marginal seas. Sedimentary OC 14 C ages up to several millennia older than co-deposited coastal and pelagic sediments have been well documented but the cause of this phenomenon remains uncertain. We measured 14 C and 13 C contents of OC, along with the sedimentary content of terrestrial and marine lipid biomarkers, in sediment cores from the East China Sea to evaluate and quantify processes controlling OC ages over the last 14.3 kyr. We find that 14 C ages of OC were persistently older than co-deposited sediments by 1930–5530 yr. Temporal variations of the calculated apparent initial radiocarbon ages of total OC (TOC-AIR) mirrored sea level changes, with higher values (4570 ± 1250 yr) during the transgression (14.1–7.8 kyr BP) and lower values (3170 ± 670 yr) during the mid-late Holocene (7.8–0 kyr BP), suggesting that transgression-induced coastline retreat reduced the transport of pre-aged terrestrial OC to the marginal sea. However, bulk OC 14 C ages were consistently older than those expected from ternary mixing of Changjiang (Yangtze River), Huanghe (Yellow River) and marine sources based on δ 13 C and Δ 14 C end-members. We therefore propose that hydrodynamic processes during sediment transport and the addition of pre-aged OC from land and submerged coast were the main factors contributing to these old 14 C ages of OC and their temporal variations. During the transgression, higher TOC-AIR values were observed during times of lower sea-level, which suggests that erosion of coastal deposits during transgression might have contributed old OC. Since sea level stabilized 7.8 kyr BP hydrodynamic processes were the primary cause of high 14 C ages of OC. The significant role for hydrodynamic aging processes during the mid-late Holocene is hypothesized to result from longer transport distances between river mouths and sediment depocenters which can accommodate additional deposition-resuspension loops.

Microbiological Safety and Sensory Quality of Cultivated Mushrooms (Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus ostreatus and Lentinula edodes) at Retail Level and Post-Retail Storage.

In this study, the microbiological and sensory quality of cultivated mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus and eryngii and Lentinula edodes) available at the Austrian retail level were determined. Aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMC), Enterobacteriaceae (EB), Pseudomonadaceae (PS), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), yeast, moulds and presumptive Bacillus cereus were enumerated at the day of purchase and after storage at 4 °C for 7 or 12 days. Additionally, the presence of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes was investigated. Isolates of presumptive spoilage bacteria were confirmed by partial 16S rRNA sequencing. At the day of purchase, 71.2% of the samples were of high microbiological quality and grouped into the low contamination category (AMC < 5.0 log cfu/g), while the sensory quality of 67.1% was categorized as “very good or good”. After storage, the number of samples with high microbial quality was 46.6%, and only 37.0% of the samples scored as “very good or good”. The most abundant species across all mushroom samples were the Pseudomonas fluorescens species complex (58.4%) and the potential mushroom pathogen Ewingella americana (28.3%). All mushroom samples tested negative for Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus. The microbiological and sensory quality of the analysed mushrooms at the day of purchase and after storage was considered to be good overall. Longer transport distances were found to have a significant influence on the microbiological and sensory quality.

Red imported fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) cover inaccessible surfaces with particles to facilitate food search and transportation.

Eusocial insects have evolved diverse particle-use behaviors. A previous study reported that red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren, deposited soil particles on substances treated with essential balm, a fire ant repellent. We hypothesized that S. invicta modifies inaccessible surfaces by covering them with soil particles to facilitate food search and transportation. Here, laboratory experiments were conducted to study the particle-covering behavior of S. invicta in response to viscose surfaces or surfaces treated with essential balm or liquid paraffin in the presence of real food (sausage) or non-food objects (acrylic plates). S. invicta workers deposited significantly more soil particles on these three types of treated surfaces than on untreated surfaces. In addition, significantly more particles were relocated on viscose and paraffin-smeared surfaces in the presence of food than in the presence of non-food objects. The particle-covering behavior on viscose surfaces was also observed in the field. Interestingly, when no soil particles were available, ants searched and transported food on viscose surfaces only if the surfaces were artificially covered with sufficient quantities of soil particles but could not do so on viscose surfaces without soil particles or with insufficient quantities of soil particles. In addition, ants actively relocated particles to cover viscose surfaces if the transportation distance was within 200 mm, whereas significantly fewer particles were relocated at longer transportation distances (400 mm). Our study provides a novel example of particle use by fire ants during foraging.

Effects of Fe-rich acid mine drainage on percolation features and pore structure in carbonate rocks

Acid mine drainage (AMD) poses significant ecological, environmental and geological challenges worldwide, especially in more vulnerable karst areas. However, the impact of AMD on percolation features and pore structure of carbonate strata is poorly understood, despite its importance for the evolution of carbonate aquifer as well as karst groundwater quality. To fill this knowledge gap, field investigations, core-flooding experiments, reactive transport modeling and pore structure studies [mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and nitrogen physisorption analysis] were conducted to understand the geochemical processes and associated pore development in carbonate strata exposed to Fe-rich AMD. Our field investigation shows that the AMD is characterized by low pH values (2.4–3.8), high contents of sulfate (1457–4217 mg/L), Fe (100–830 mg/L, Fe3+/Fe2+) and heavy metals, that can potentially leak into carbonate strata. The major findings of this study include: (1) core-flooding experiments reveal that the interaction of carbonate rock with AMD causes a rapid elevation of solution pH and simultaneous precipitation of Fe3+/Fe2+ as iron (oxy)hydroxides or (oxy)hydroxy sulfates within the rock; (2) the results of reactive transport modeling suggest that ferrous iron has a longer transport distance than ferric iron in the carbonate core plug, and then it precipitates to fill the pore space; and (3) despite the precipitation, the flooding of AMD increases the overall permeability of cores by creating large numbers of pores with throat diameter between 0.001 and 10 μm. We also found that the interaction of AMD with the carbonate rock might stimulate the formation of preferential flow channel(s). Our results have been incorporated into a conceptual model, built to illustrate the geochemical processes and mechanisms involved. Our research has important applications in AMD treatment for coal-mining industries, and for local governments devising strategies for karst water resource protection and management.