Deployment Period Research Articles

Performance of a fine-scale acoustic positioning system for monitoring temperate fish behavior in relation to offshore marine developments

Rapid global expansion of offshore wind farms, tidal, and wave technologies signifies a new era of renewable energy development. While a promising means to combat the impacts of climate change, such developments necessitate fine-scale monitoring of biological communities to determine impacts associated with construction, operation, and eventual decommission. Here, we evaluate the performance of a gridded, Innovasea Systems, Inc. fine-scale acoustic telemetry positioning system (FSPS, n = 20 acoustic receivers) for tracking behaviors of diverse, temperate fish assemblages in relation to a subsea cable route supporting the Ørsted offshore wind development in coastal New York. We examined array performance through positioning error derived from receiver reference transmitters and tracked animals (n = 260) comprising 17 species of teleost and elasmobranch. We evaluated the effects of environmental variables (temperature, tilt, noise, and depth), transmitter power, individual movement rates, and receiver loss on horizontal positioning error (HPE) and route mean squared error (RMSE). Across a 16-month deployment period, many positions were derived for Atlantic sturgeon (n = 2,612), black sea bass (n = 9,175), clearnose skate (n = 10,306), summer flounder (n = 13,304), and little skate (n = 15,186), suggesting that these species may serve as sentinel candidates for assessing behavioral changes following construction, operation, and decommission. We found that receivers placed at the boundary of the grid exhibited higher HPE and RMSE, however these errors did not significantly change despite large receiver losses (25%). Generalized Linear Models revealed that temperature, noise, tilt, and depth were often significant predictors of HPE and RMSE, however, a substantial amount of variance was not explained by the models (~ 70%). Average movement rates ranged from 1.1 m s−1 (common thresher shark) to 0.03 m s−1 (little skate and summer flounder) but had minimal effects on positioning error. Finally, we observed that higher transmitter powers (158 dB) may lead to higher and more variable HPE values. Overall, these findings provide new insight into the drivers of FSPS array performance and illustrate their broad utility for monitoring fish behavior associated with offshore marine developments.

Retrospective Analysis of the Impact of Screening for Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) with the Psoriasis Epidemiology Screening Tool (PEST) in Clinical Dermatology Practice

Introduction: Patients with plaque psoriasis (PSO) have an increased risk of developing PsA as the disease severity progresses. While it is estimated that 30% of patients with PSO have PsA, nearly 16% of patients with PSO may have undiagnosed PsA.1,2 Implementing the PEST questionnaire for PsA screening in dermatologic practice may increase early intervention by improving rates of timely diagnosis.3 This observational study aimed to assess the proportion of patients with PSO and no previous PsA diagnosis who screened positive on the PEST and were then diagnosed with PsA by a healthcare provider in the PEST deployment period within the Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery (ADCS) specialty dermatology network. Procedure/Study: De-identified, real-world patient data [2018–2019 and 2021–2022] were sourced from electronic health records within the ADCS network of outpatient facilities across 14 states in the United States. Patients were included in the analysis if they received care at an ADCS facility where the PEST was deployed, had ≥1 encounter with a diagnosis code for PSO, and never had a diagnosis code for PsA before their first diagnosis code for PSO. For outcomes directly related to PEST evaluations, data from 1/1/2021–12/31/2022 (PEST deployment period) were used. For outcomes not directly related to PEST results, data from 1/1/2018–12/31/2019 (period before PEST deployment) were evaluated. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for categorical variables, were used to characterize the patient cohorts by study period. Results: Among ADCS facilities using the PEST during the deployment period (44% of practices in the network), the final study population included 14,308 and 21,142 patients with PSO in the period before PEST deployment and during the PEST deployment period, respectively. In the PEST deployment cohort, 1,100 (5.2%; 95% CI: 4.9–5.5) patients were screened using the PEST. In the period before PEST deployment, 327 (2.3%; 95% CI: 2.0–2.5) patients with PSO and no previous PsA diagnosis were subsequently diagnosed with PsA. During the PEST deployment period, 449 (2.1%; 95% CI: 1.9–2.3) patients with PSO and no previous PsA diagnosis received a subsequent PsA diagnosis without PEST screening. Of all patients with PSO who screened positive for PsA on the PEST (score ≥3; n=296), 10.8% (n=32; 95% CI: 7.6–15.1) subsequently received a formal PsA diagnosis during the PEST deployment period. Conclusion: These results suggest that a meaningful proportion of patients with PsA may be underdiagnosed in the dermatology setting. Deployment of the PEST in the clinical dermatologic workflow may provide an opportunity to diagnose PsA earlier and improve patient outcomes.

Efficacy of attractive targeted sugar bait stations against malaria in Western Province Zambia: epidemiological findings from a two-arm cluster randomized phase III trial

BackgroundAttractive targeted sugar bait (ATSB) stations containing bait (to attract) and ingestion toxicant (to kill) sugar-foraging mosquitoes are hypothesized to reduce malaria transmission by shortening the lifespan of Anopheles vectors.MethodsA two-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial (cRCT) was conducted in Western Province Zambia. Seventy clusters of 250–350 households were assigned (1:1) by restricted randomization to an intervention arm (ATSB) or control arm (no ATSB) in the context of standard of care vector control (insecticide-treated nets and/or indoor residual spraying). Two ATSB stations (Westham Sarabi, 0.11% dinotefuran w/w) were maintained on exterior walls of eligible household structures for a 7-month deployment period (December-June) during the high malaria transmission season. The primary outcome was clinical malaria incidence among two consecutive seasonal cohorts of children aged 1–14 years, followed-up monthly from January-June in 2022 and 2023. Secondary outcome was Plasmodium falciparum prevalence among individuals aged over six months. Analysis compared clinical malaria incidence and prevalence between arms among the intention-to-treat population.ResultsATSB coverage, assessed by cross-sectional survey, was 98.3% in March–April 2022 and 89.5% in March–April 2023. 4494 children contributed any follow-up time to the cohort, with 2313 incident malaria cases in the intervention arm (1.28 per child per six-month transmission season), and 2449 in the control arm (1.38 per child-season). The incidence rate ratio between the two arms was 0.91 (95% CI 0.72–1.15, p = 0.42). 2536 individuals participated in cross-sectional surveys, with prevalence of P. falciparum 50.7% in the intervention arm and 53.5% in the control arm. The odds ratio between the two arms was 0.89 (95% CI 0.66–1.18, p = 0.42). Secondary covariable-adjusted and subgroup analyses did not substantially alter the findings. No serious adverse events associated with the intervention were reported.ConclusionsTwo ATSB stations deployed per eligible structure for two consecutive transmission seasons did not result in a statistically significant reduction in clinical malaria incidence among children aged 1–14 years or in P. falciparum prevalence in rural western Zambia. Further studies are needed to assess the efficacy of ATSB stations in different settings and with different deployment strategies.Trial registrationThe trial is registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04800055).

Indoor and ambient influences on PM2.5 exposure and well-being for a rail impacted community and implications for personal protections

Abstract Background
Higher air pollution concentrations can be observed near rail networks, local and highway automobile corridors, and shipyards. Communities adjacent to such sources are disproportionately exposed to air pollution from these stationary and mobile sources. One such community is West San Bernardino in California, where households are feet away from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe intermodal facility and are impacted by activities that are estimated to continuously emit air pollutants due to 24/7 operation.
Objective
This study aimed to (1) quantify the impact of personal mobility and housing characteristics on daily PM2.5 exposures and well-being for West San Bernardino community members, and (2) develop individualized resilience plans for community collaborators to support future PM2.5 exposure reduction. 
Methods
Personal PM2.5 exposures were measured for community collaborators for seven consecutive days during three deployment periods: October 2021, January 2022, and March 2022. Indoor and ambient PM2.5 levels were also continuously measured for five households over six months using PurpleAir Classic monitors. Demographic and well-being data were collected upon recruitment and after each week of engagement, respectively. 
Results
Personal exposures in home microenvironments were highest near the railyard and lower farthest away from the railyard. Home exposures were 40% higher on average compared to non-home microenvironments. Household PM2.5 had a higher-than-expected average infiltration factor of 0.55, and indoor 98th percentiles across the households far exceeded a healthy level at an average of 165 μg/m3. Resilience plans featured summaries of personal data and recommendations for mitigating exposures. 
Significance
Results suggest that surrounding land use and residential building characteristics compound to worsen air pollution exposures beyond what is expected for exposures in non-industrialized areas. Findings prompt a call for stronger regulation, not only for emissions, but also for indoor air quality and zoning standards that specifically protect disproportionately impacted communities.

Near-Surface Particulate Backscattering Observations with Bio-Optical Lagrangian Drifters

Abstract Particulate matter concentration is an essential ocean variable (EOV) useful for understanding biogeochemical processes, improving ocean productivity estimates, and constraining coupled physical and biogeochemical numerical models. While direct observations of this parameter are difficult to obtain, the optical backscattering coefficient of marine particles (bbp) can be used as a reliable proxy. However, most in situ multispectral bbp measurements are ship-borne or obtained from moored systems, thus with a limited spatial and temporal coverage. Utilizing Surface Velocity Programme (SVP) drifting buoys with self-contained backscatter sensors designed for extended deployment periods offers a promising solution for collecting data in challenging marine environments. In this study, we presented for the first time the integration of a commercially available, high-frequency, and multispectral optical backscatter sensor into an SVP drifter, the so-called backscatter optical-SVP (BO-SVP) drifter designed to collect bbp measurements near the ocean surface. The bbp measurements obtained by the BO-SVP drifter were reliable over a wide range of environmental conditions, showing a good agreement with independent datasets (relative bias < 10%; relative standard deviation < 36%). The BO-SVP drifter captures the satellite sub- and pixel-scale variability by combining the Lagrangian approach and a high-frequency sampling. This configuration enables the acquisition of measurements across numerous pixels in a single day, enhancing validation activities for ongoing and future satellite products and the quantification of associated uncertainties. The measurements acquired by these platforms can offer valuable insights into particle distribution at fine spatial scales, daily variability, and its relationship with water masses type and ocean dynamics.

Spatial and temporal dynamics of the prevalence of resistance genes and gastrointestinal pathogens in stool samples of German deployment returnees

AbstractBackgroundThe exploratory study assessed trends in the abundance of CTX-M-type extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and vancomycin-resistance genes vanA and vanB in the stool samples of German soldiers and police officers returning from predominantly tropical deployments next to the common diarrheagenic Escherichia (E.) coli pathovars enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) and enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC)) as well as rarely imported Vibrio spp. between 2006 and 2024.MethodsSurveillance was performed applying real-time polymerase chain reaction and results were stratified by World Health Organization region of deployment as well as by deployment period. For the latter, the study interval was divided into three pre-COVID-19-pandemic periods, the COVID-19-pandemic period and the post-COVID-19-pandemic period. Averaged prevalences were used as references.ResultsIn stool samples of 1817 deployed German soldiers and 117 police officers, averaged prevalences were 47.9% and 24.8% for the ESBL-type beta-lactamase blaCTX-M, 30.2% and 14.5% for vanB, 9.0% and 17.9% for EPEC, 3.4% and 12.8% for ETEC, 4.0% and 3.4% for EAEC as well as 2.0% and 3.4% for Vibrio spp., respectively. While resistance genes peaked during early deployments, maximum prevalences for enteropathogens were seen later.ConclusionsThe assessment suggested time- and region-dependence of the assessed parameters.

Deriving iceberg ablation rates using an on-iceberg autonomous phase-sensitive radar (ApRES)

Abstract The increase in iceberg discharge into the polar oceans highlights the importance of understanding how quickly icebergs are deteriorating and where the resulting freshwater injection is occurring. Recent advances in quantifying iceberg deterioration through combinations of modeling, remote sensing and direct in situ measurements have successfully calculated overall ablation rates, and surface and sidewall ablation; however, in situ measurements of basal melt rates have been difficult to obtain. Radar has successfully measured iceberg thickness, but repeat measurements, which would capture a change in iceberg thickness with time, have not yet been collected. Here we test the applicability of using an on-iceberg autonomous phase-sensitive radar (ApRES) to quantify basal ablation rates of a large (~800 m long) non-tabular Arctic iceberg during an intensive 2019 summer field campaign in Sermilik Fjord, southeast Greenland. We find that ApRES can be used to measure basal ablation even over a short deployment period (10 d), and also provide a lower bound on sidewall melt. This study fills a critical gap in iceberg research and pushes the limits of field instrumentation.

Improving the Long-Term Protection of Buried Steel Tanks: Considering the Impact of Temperature and Extended Sacrificial Anodes

Corrosion prevention techniques such as cathodic protection (CP) are commonly applied to extend the useful lifetime of buried steel tanks in corrosive environments. Sacrificial anodes effectively supplement CP systems through controlled galvanic corrosion. For buried steel tanks, magnesium-based anodes are regularly used due to suitable current output over extended deployment periods. However, field conditions such as temperature fluctuations and proximity effects between adjacent tanks can influence CP performance. This study numerically simulates the CP of a 3.8 m diameter, 12 m long steel tank which the upper section of the tank is located at a depth of 1 m, protected by uniformly distributed magnesium anodes. To understand the importance of the current output of extended anodes, conventional anodes (i.e., 7.7 kg, 38.7 mA) and extended anodes (i.e., 9 kg, 62.7 mA) were studied. Proximity effects on anodes placed between adjacent buried tanks were also examined. In addition, the influence of temperature and concentration parameters was investigated along with a time-dependent analysis of the protected structure. Under the hottest and coldest conditions, the bottom temperature of the computational domain (in height of 6.8 m) reached 8.7°C and 11.3°C, respectively, with noticeable concentration gradients. The temperature rise necessitated increased protective current, leading to the need for additional sacrificial anodes to meet the demand. The simulation results indicated that the anodes positioned between the two tanks experienced the highest corrosion rate. After 21.5 y, approximately 85% of the mass of these anodes will be lost, with full depletion occurring shortly thereafter. This modeling approach offers valuable insights for selecting the optimal type and placement of anodes, ensuring the long-term integrity of underground infrastructure under varying thermal conditions.

Learn Then Adapt: A Novel Test-Time Adaptation Method for Cross-Domain Fault Diagnosis of Rolling Bearings

Cross-domain fault diagnosis enhances the generalization capability of diagnostic models across different operating conditions and machines. Current studies tackle the domain shift problem by adapting the model during training with data from the target domain or multiple source domains. However, a more realistic and less explored scenario is automatically adapting a trained (developed) model at test time (deployment period) using limited normal-condition data. To bridge this research gap, we propose a novel test-time adaptation framework to rapidly and effectively adapt the trained model, which only requires mini-batch test data (normal condition). Specifically, we first transform input signals to informative signal embedding and mitigate its noise with a reconstruction loss. Then, we decompose the signal embedding to the domain-related healthy component and the domain-invariant faulty component to better leverage the normal-condition data. Finally, we adapt the model by re-identifying the normal signals of the target domain during the test stage. Extensive experiments verify the effectiveness of our method, demonstrating performance improvements across public and private datasets.

Roles, Objectives, and Structural Framework of the East African Community Regional Force's Intervention in Managing the Democratic Republic of Congo's Intractable Intra-State Conflict

The protracted new generation warfare in the Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the intervention by the EAC Regional Force are indicative of the need for comprehensive security strategy and the vitality of regional efforts. Intra-state conflicts in eastern DRC have been protracted since its independence in 1960. The conflicts have varied from political, ethnic to resource use-based. They have rendered the Eastern part of the country ungovernable and contributed to a huge influx of refugees into neighbouring countries as well as millions of internally displaced persons. This paper sought to investigate the Roles, Objectives, and Structural Framework of the East African Community Regional Force’s Intervention in Managing of DRCs intractable intra-state conflict. The paper is anchored on interpretivism research philosophy and buttressed by neo functionalism theory to explain the interplay of its variables. The study adopted two research designs- descriptive survey and historical longitudinal research designs. The target population was 297 from which a sample of 177 was derived. Sampling techniques included census, simple random, snowballing and purposive sampling. Primary data were collected using an interview guide and questionnaire. Analyses of quantitative data were conducted utilizing descriptive statistics, including percentages and frequencies. Version 28 of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was utilized to conduct the analysis. The findings were visually represented through the use of tables, pie charts, photographs, and graphs. Qualitative data were analysed through content analysis, which involved an examination of aspects of the information gathered through open-ended queries, interviews, and observation. Findings of this paper indicated that East African Community Regional Force (EACRF) major role is military coordination of 85(56.66%) of the respondents, rapid deployment of troops is 40(25.66%) while capacity to respond in Crisis is 25(16.66%). However, military coordination challenges occur as a result of intervening state interests in the DRC conflict, therefore, deployment of these troops in DRC is seen as a ploy to undermine conflict management efforts. The paper concludes that EACRF's efforts to restore peace and security in the DRC have been hampered by inadequate personnel deployment structures. This could potentially result in their overall responsibility being limited to peacekeeping due to the presence of structural capacity deficits. The EAC peacekeeping force is a multifaceted organization that, in a sense, works in tandem with various militia and military entities present in the region. The paper recommends expended role and structure for East African Community Regional Force. Besides the military and political wing, there is need to include local police and civilian’s role to effectively and comprehensively manage the conflict. This means the one-year period of deployment was inadequate to realize peace in DRC.

A 291-day Evaluation of the Performance of a Consumer-grade Temporal Radon Detector.

Affordable, accurate, and robust temporal measurement devices are desirable for screening and assessment of radon levels in private homes and workplaces. This research expands upon prior research, using the RadonFTlab RadonEye device through a comparison of multiple samples of this instrument with a laboratory-grade instrument, the Saphymo AlphaGUARD, over a more extensive period than reported previously. Data were collected over 291 d in a poorly ventilated basement space in an occupied building. Environmental conditions varied naturally, changing both the radon source term and radon entry into the space approximating typically deployed conditions. The R-squared linear regression correlation coefficient and relative sensitivities of each RadonEye with the AlphaGUARD were computed. Overall temporal and diurnal variations were also studied. The sensitivities of all RadonEyes and the AlphaGUARD agreed to within 22% throughout the entire deployment period.

Burnout and moral injuries after foreign deployment among medical personnel of the German armed forces: a pre-post study.

Given a high amount of workplace stressors, burnout syndrome, as a depression-related syndrome, is highly relevant for medical service soldiers. This study aims to examine their effects with regard to moral injuries and personal values following foreign deployment. This longitudinal study included 91 soldiers of the German Armed Forces Medical Service. Participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Portrait-Value-Questionnaire (PVQ) before and after a foreign deployment as well as the Moral Injury Scale (SMBE) after deployment. Analysis has been conducted using t-tests to assess potential changes in MBI and PVQ scales between pre-test - t1 (2-4 weeks before deployment) and post-test - t2 (up to 6 months after deployment). In addition, correlations were examined between moral injuries (MI) after deployment and MBI scores at t1 and t2 as well as between personal values (PVQ t1) and MBI scores at t1 and t2. The MBI subscales showed mild to moderate burnout symptoms at both pre- and post-tests, with a slight deterioration during the study period, albeit not significant. There were no significant mean differences in PVQ between measurement points. Nevertheless, PVQ self-direction and tradition at t1 correlated negatively with MBI INV at t2 (PVQ SD r = -.21, p = .043) and MBI PA at t2 (PVQ TR r = -.23, p = .027). Furthermore, the subscale PVQ power at t1 correlated positively with MBI PA at t2 (PVQ PO r = .28, p = .006), meanwhile PVQ universalism at t1 correlated positively with MBI INV at t1 (PVQ UN r = .25, p = .018). Furthermore, positive correlations were found between moral injuries at t2 (SMBE total score, SMBE_Sub1, SMBE_Sub2) and MBI subscales Emotional Exhaustion (EE; r = -.54, p = .001), Depersonalization (DP; r = .38, p = .001), and Involvement (INV; r = .30, p = .004) before and after the deployment period. No correlation was found between MI and MBI subscale Personal Accomplishment (PA). The results indicate that medical service soldiers exhibit mild to moderate burnout symptoms even before deployment. Significant associations between moral injuries and burnout were found in 3 out of 4 MBI subscales (EE, DP, INV). There was a significant association with a stronger moral injury and higher burnout levels, persisting both before and after the study period. Furthermore, our results suggest that personal value orientations might be meaningful predictors of burnout. Hence, causal questions regarding general work stress among medical service soldiers should be further explored in more detailed studies. Further research could lay the foundation for future approaches in psychotherapy as well as primary and secondary prevention in this field.

Assessing the vulnerability of Elasmobranch species in the Bay of Bengal: Insights from Lakkha gill net fishery of Bangladesh

The elasmobranch population is declining in the Bay of Bengal of Bangladesh due to large-mesh gill net fishing, locally known as the Lakkha net, which primarily targets Indian threadfin (Leptomelanosoma indicum). This study was the first attempt to identify megafaunal bycatch in Lakkha fishing and assess its vulnerability using Productivity Susceptibility Analysis. A total of 40 elasmobranch bycatch species were identified, with sharks comprising 13 species from three families, while 27 rays belonged to six families, with the majority belonging to the Myliobatiformes order (60 %). Productivity and susceptibility scores were assigned to all identified species, with values ranging from 1.27 to 2.73 and 1.50 to 2.63, respectively. The target Lakkha fish exhibited the highest susceptibility score, followed by several pelagic sharks and eagle rays. Vulnerability assessment revealed that 31.7 % (n = 13) of species were highly vulnerable, while 43.9 % (n = 18) were classified as moderate, and 24.4 % (n = 10) were considered to have low vulnerability. All the high-risk megafauna species (n = 13) are classified as threatened by the global IUCN Red List. Sensitivity analysis highlighted susceptibility as a major contributor to species’ vulnerability. Alterations in susceptibility scores led to significant changes in the vulnerability status of many species. The overall data quality assessment indicated moderate data quality across species, with variability observed between productivity (76 % of species received a poor data quality score) and susceptibility attributes. However, vulnerability of these species can be reduced through adequate gear modification, shorter net deployment periods, adoption of safe discharge techniques, identification of critical habitats, and establishment of marine protected areas within this region. This study provides valuable insights into the species composition and vulnerability of elasmobranchs in the Lakkha gill net fishery, emphasizing the need for conservation measures to mitigate bycatch impacts on threatened species.

Application of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) passive samplers for monitoring PAHs in groundwater

Equilibrium passive sampling continues to find increasing use for performing in situ assessments and monitoring of hydrophobic organic compounds (HOCs). Although this method has been successfully used in several field studies including open surface waters and sediments, comparatively, their use in groundwater has been very limited. In this study, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) passive samplers were deployed for 80 days in three groundwater wells contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Prior to deployment, LDPE was loaded with performance reference compounds (PRCs) consisting of deuterated PAHs and their release used to ascertain system equilibrium. Within the 80-day deployment period, LDPE-groundwater equilibrium was confirmed for PAHs with molecular weights (MWs) in the range of 178 to 228 (i.e. anthracene, chrysene). Measured freely dissolved concentrations (Cw) were between one to three orders of magnitude lower than the total filtered concentrations (Ctotal) in the studied wells. The sum of PAHs (ΣPAHs) measured based on Cw and Ctotal were 2.05, 0.07 and 29.2 μg L−1 and 197, 59.7 and 1010 μg L−1, at wells 1, 2 and 3, respectively. A separate dataset, comprising long-term (2010 to 2022) concentrations of PAHs in total (i.e., unfiltered) groundwater, is also presented to provide insight into PAH contamination levels at the assessed groundwater wells based on conventional measurement. Estimated in situ LDPE daily clearance volumes (2.34 to 27.56 Ld−1) for the target analytes were far less than the daily turnover of ground water (144 to 348 Ld−1) encountered in the wells eliminating the possibility of depletive sampling of the groundwater by the passive samplers. These results represent the first published study on the practical application of equilibrium passive sampling using LDPE for monitoring and quantitatively assessing PAHs in groundwater. Also, this work demonstrates that LDPEs are a useful tool for measuring the Cw of PAHs in groundwater, a critical contaminant in many ecological and human health risk assessments.

Community acceptance of a novel malaria intervention, Attractive Targeted Sugar Baits, in the Zambia phase III trial

BackgroundCommunity acceptance is an important criterion to assess in community trials, particularly for new tools that require high coverage and use by a target population. Installed on exterior walls of household structures, the attractive targeted sugar bait (ATSB) is a new vector control tool designed to attract and kill mosquitoes. ATSBs were evaluated in Western Zambia during a two-year cluster randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of ATSBs in reducing malaria transmission. Community acceptance of ATSBs was critical for successful trial implementation.MethodsA community engagement strategy outlined activities and key messages to promote acceptance. Annual cross-sectional surveys, conducted during the peak transmission period, assessed households for presence of ATSBs as well as perceived benefits, concerns, and willingness to use ATSBs. Sixteen focus group discussions and 16 in-depth interviews, conducted at the end of each ATSB station deployment period, obtained a range of perceptions and household experiences with ATSB stations, as well as ITN use in the context of ATSB deployment.ResultsMethods used during the study to promote acceptance and continued use of ATSBs were effective in achieving greater than 90% coverage, a high (greater than 70%) level of perceived benefits, and fewer than 10% of households reporting safety concerns. Common facilitators of acceptance included the desire for protection against malaria and reduction of mosquitoes, trust in health initiatives, and understanding of the product. Common barriers to acceptance included misconceptions of product impact on mosquitoes, continued cases of malaria, association with satanism, and damage to household structures.DiscussionFuture use of the ATSB intervention will likely require activities that foster community acceptance before, during, and after the intervention is introduced. Additional research may be needed to understand the impact of different levels of community engagement on ATSB station coverage, ATSB station perception, and ITN use.ConclusionThere was high acceptance of ATSB stations during the trial in Western Zambia. Continuous and intense community engagement efforts contributed to sustained ATSB coverage and trust in the product. Acceptance of ATSBs during programmatic delivery requires further research.

Comparison of in situ black-lipped oyster spat collection and larval dispersal modelling results in semi-closed pearl-farming lagoons of the Tuamotu Archipelago

Spat collection of the pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera in atoll lagoons of French Polynesia is the fundamental sustain of black pearl farming. Spat collection has always yielded variable results in space and time, but obvious signs of steady decreases, even collapses, have emerged in several lagoons. Spat collection materializes the ecological connectivity pathways between wild spawning populations and the location of artificial larval settlement substrates. To assess if oyster larval dispersal modelling could capture such pathways, we compared four six-week long spat collector deployment periods with dispersal simulations in two different lagoons. Spat collectors displayed wide spatial and temporal variations. Numerical modelling and field experiments were generally not in agreement. Although both methods have limitations, they can still approximate each other. But the accuracy of model simulations cannot be ascertained with spat collection data only. Using a SWOT (Strength-Weakness-Opportunities-Threats) analysis, we emphasize the complementarity of both approaches for management decisions.

Validity of Ultra-Short-Term Heart Rate Variability Derived from Femoral Arterial Pulse Waveform in a British Military Cohort

Various non-electrocardiogram (ECG) based methods are considered reliable sources of heart rate variability (HRV) measurement. However, the ultra-short recording of a femoral arterial waveform has never been validated against the gold-standard ECG-based 300s HRV and was the aim of this study.A validity study was conducted using a sample from the first follow-up of the longitudinal ADVANCE study UK. The participants were adult servicemen (n = 100); similar in age, rank, and deployment period (Afghanistan 2003–2014). The femoral arterial waveforms (14s) from the pulse wave velocity (PWV) assessment, and ECG (300s) were recorded at rest in the supine position using the Vicorder™ and Bittium Faros™ devices, respectively, in the same session. HRV analysis was performed using Kubios Premium. Resting heart rate (HR) and root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) were reported. The Bland-Altman %plots were constructed to explore the PWV-ECG agreement in HRV measurement. A further exploratory analysis was conducted across methods and durations.The participants’ mean age was 38.0 ± 5.3 years. Both PWV-derived HR (r = 0.85) and RMSSD (rs=0.84) showed strong correlations with their 300s-ECG counterparts (p < 0.001). Mean HR was significantly higher with ECG than PWV (mean bias: -12.71 ± 7.73%, 95%CI: -14.25%, -11.18%). In contrast, the difference in RMSSD between the two methods was non-significant [mean bias: -2.90 ± 37.82% (95%CI: -10.40%, 4.60%)] indicating good agreement. An exploratory analysis of 14s ECG-vs-300s ECG measurement revealed strong agreement in both RMSSD and HR.The 14s PWV-derived RMSSD strongly agrees with the gold-standard (300s-ECG-based) RMSSD at rest. Conversely, HR appears method sensitive.

Upper Limb Function in People With Upper and Lower Limb Loss 8Years Postinjury: The Armed Services Trauma Outcome Study (ADVANCE) Cohort Study.

Upper limb (UL) disability in people with UL loss is well reported in the literature, less so for people with lower limb loss. This study aimed to compare UL disability in injured (major trauma) and uninjured UK military personnel, with particular focus on people with upper and lower limb loss. A volunteer sample of injured (n= 579) and uninjured (n= 566) UK military personnel who served in a combat role in the Afghanistan war were frequency matched on age, sex, service, rank, regiment, role, and deployment period and recruited to the Armed Services Trauma Rehabilitation Outcome (ADVANCE) longitudinal cohort study. Participants completed the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, scored from 0 (no disability) to 100 (maximum disability) 8years postinjury. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compared DASH scores between groups. An ordinal model was used to assess the effect of injury and amputation on DASH scores. DASH scores were higher in the Injured group compared to the Uninjured group (3.33 vs 0.00) and higher in people with lower limb loss compared to the Uninjured group (0.83 vs 0.00), although this was not statistically significant. In the adjusted ordinal model, the odds of having a higher DASH score was 1.70 (95% CI = 1.18-2.47) times higher for people with lower limb loss compared to the Uninjured group. DASH score was not significantly different between people with major and partial UL loss (15.42 vs 12.92). The odds of having a higher DASH score was 8.30 (95% CI = 5.07-13.60) times higher for people with UL loss compared to the Uninjured group. People with lower limb loss have increased odds of having more UL disability than the Uninjured population 8years postinjury. People with major and partial UL loss have similar UL disability. The ADVANCE study will continue to follow this population for the next 20years. For the first time, potential for greater long-term UL disability has been shown in people with lower limb loss, likely resulting from daily biomechanical compensations such as weight-bearing, balance, and power generation. This population may benefit from prophylactic upper limb rehabilitation, strength, and technique.

Surface water monitoring of chemicals associated with animal husbandry in an agricultural region in the Netherlands using passive sampling

Compounds originating from animal husbandry can pollute surface water through the application of manure to soil. Typically, grab sampling is employed to detect these residues, which only provides information on the concentration at the time of sampling. To better understand the emission patterns of these compounds, we utilized passive samplers in surface water to collect data at eight locations in a Dutch agricultural region, during different time intervals. As a passive sampler, we chose the integrative-based Speedisk® hydrophilic DVB. In total, we targeted 46 compounds, among which 25 antibiotics, three hormones, nine antiparasitics, and nine disinfectants. From these 46 compounds, 22 compounds accumulated in passive samplers in amounts above the limit of quantification in at least one sampling location. Over the 12-week deployment period, a time integrative uptake pattern was identified in 53% of the examined cases, with the remaining 47% not displaying this behavior. The occurrences without this behavior were primarily associated with specific location, particularly the most upstream location, or specific compounds. Our findings suggest that the proposed use of passive samplers, when compared in this limited context to traditional grab sampling, may provide enhanced efficiency and potentially enable the detection of a wider array of compounds. In fact, a number of compounds originating from animal husbandry activities were quantified for the first time in Dutch surface waters, such as flubendazole, florfenicol, and tilmicosine. The set-up of the sampling campaign also allowed to distinguish between different pollution levels during sampling intervals on the same location. This aspect gains particular significance when considering the utilization of different compounds on various occasions, hence, it has the potential to strengthen ongoing monitoring and mitigation efforts.

Acoustic observations of walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) migration across the US-Russia boundary in the northwest Bering Sea

Abstract The degree to which walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus, hereafter pollock) move between the US and Russian zones of the Bering Sea is a key source of uncertainty for fisheries management. To study transboundary migrations across the US–Russia maritime boundary and explore how climate variability might influence these migrations, four seafloor-mounted echosounder moorings were deployed from July 2019 to August 2020 in the northwestern Bering Sea. The observations indicated that a substantial amount of pollock moves between the US and Russia seasonally, with a period of southeast movement into the US as winter as sea ice forms and northwest movement into Russia in early summer as waters warm. Over the deployment period, 2.3-times more pollock backscatter moved into the US zone in fall and winter than exited the subsequent spring and summer. We hypothesize that the difference in the net movement between regions was driven by pollock moving farther into Russia during the historically warm conditions at the start of deployment period and reduced northwest return migration the following summer when temperatures were relatively cooler. This supports the hypothesis that temperature affects pollock distribution, and that continued warming will lead to a larger proportion of the stock in Russian waters.