Books on the topic 'Associated surface form'

Underground coal mining disturbs both the overburden strata and the immediate floor strata. The subject of surface subsidence deals with the issues associated with the movement of overburden strata, which are the layers from the seam to the surface, where structures and water resources important to human activities are located. Surface Subsidence Engineering provides comprehensive coverage of the major issues associated with surface subsidence. The chapters are written by experts on surface subsidence in the three leading coal producing and consuming countries in the world: Australia, China and the United States. They discuss general features and terminologies, subsidence prediction, subsidence measurement techniques, subsidence impact on water bodies, subsidence damage, mitigation and control, and subsidence on abandoned coal mines. In addition, the final chapter addresses some of the unique features of surface subsidence found in Australian coal mines. The book provides information on coal seams ranging from flat to gently inclined to steep to ultra-steep seams. Written for mining engineers, geotechnical engineers and students of mining engineering, this book covers both theories and practices of surface subsidence. Unlike previous publications, it also deals with the subsidence impact on surface and groundwater bodies, crucial resources that are often neglected by subsidence researchers.

Manganese is an essential trace metal for numerous metalloenzymes. Manganese homeostasis requires tight regulation in vivo and disruption of this balance can lead to manganese overload and subsequent accumulation of manganese in brain, liver, and blood. Mutations in SLC30A10, a cell surface-localized manganese efflux transporter, cause an autosomal recessive hypermanganesemia syndrome with two distinct phenotypes: childhood onset dystonia and adult onset Parkinsonism, associated with chronic liver disease, polycythemia and features of iron depletion. MRI brain appearances are characteristic of Mn deposition with hyperintense basal ganglia on T1-weighted images. Chelation therapy with disodium calcium edetate and iron supplementation effectively lower blood manganese levels, halt liver disease progression and improve neurological symptoms.The inherited form of hypermanganesemia can be distinguished from acquired causes of manganese overload including environmental overexposure and acquired hepatocerebral degeneration in cases of end stage liver disease.

The goals of treatment in anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody (ANCA) vasculitis are to stop vasculitic activity, to prevent vasculitis returning, and to address longer-term comorbidities caused by tissue damage, drug toxicity, and increased cardiovascular and malignancy risk. Cyclophosphamide and high-dose glucocorticoids remain the standard induction therapy with alternative immunosuppressives, such as methotrexate or azathioprine, to prevent relapse. Refractory disease resulting from a failure of induction or remission maintenance therapy requires alternative agents and rituximab has been particularly effective. Replacement of cyclophosphamide by rituximab for remission induction is supported by recent evidence. Additional therapy with intravenous methylprednisolone and plasma exchange is employed in severe presentations with failing vital organ function. Drug toxicity contributes to comorbidity and mortality and has led to newer regimens with reduced cyclophosphamide exposure. Glucocorticoid toxicity remains a major problem, with controversy over the rapidity with which glucocorticoids can be reduced or withdrawn. Disease relapse occurs in 50% and requires early detection at a stage when it will not adversely affect outcomes. Rates of cardiovascular disease and malignancy are higher than in control populations but strategies to reduce their risk, apart from cyclophosphamide-sparing regimens, have not been developed. Thromboembolic events occur in 10% and may be linked to the recently identified autoantibodies to plasminogen and tissue plasminogen activator. Outcomes of vasculitis depend heavily on the level of tissue damage at diagnosis, especially renal dysfunction, but are also influenced by patient age, ANCA subtype, disease extent, and response to therapy. Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss)is treated along similar principles to granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis but the persistence of steroid-dependent asthma in over one-third and differences in pathogenesis has suggested alternative treatment approaches. Chronic morbidity results from tissue damage and is especially common in the upper and lower respiratory tract and kidneys. Tracheobronchial disease is a severe late complication of GPA, while deafness, nasal obstruction, and chronic sinusitis are sequelae of nasal and ear vasculitis. Chronic infection of damaged epithelial surfaces acts as a drive for vasculitic activity and adequate infection control is necessary for stable remission. Chronic kidney disease can stabilize for many years but the risks of endstage renal disease (ESRD) are increased by acute kidney injury at presentation or renal relapse. Renal transplantation is successful, with similar outcomes to other causes of ESRD.

This chapter discusses mineral rights and joint-venture disputes. The sale and purchase of an individual mining project will generally come down to the transfer of mineral rights. Disputes arising in connection with the transfer of mineral rights usually concern the validity and extent of the rights sold and, in particular, the conveyance of the surface rights associated with the project. Such disputes are often contractual in nature, and can be resolved through domestic or international arbitration. Joint ventures involve a relationship between two or more parties, one of which (the operator) will manage the joint venture for the benefit of its co-venturers. Disputes may arise in connection with the operations and management of the joint venture, particularly in purely contractual joint ventures. A frequent matter of contention is the definition of annual work programs and budget and their approval. Disputes may also emerge in connection with the buy-out and valuation of minority interests.

Sports participation has numerous positive health benefits; however, it is also associated with an increased risk of injury. While bone injuries in sport are less frequent than ligament tears, contusions, or surface wounds, they can be debilitating for an athlete because of the time needed for recovery. In this chapter I describe the incidence and cost of bone injuries in sport, fundamentals of bone biology and repair, risk factors associated with fractures, stress fractures, and periostitis, and review both current and possible future recommendations for the treatment of bone-related injuries....

Two monoclonal antibodies, RP215 and GHR106, were selected, respectively, for the research and development of anti-cancer drugs targeting ovarian cancer and other types of human cancer. RP215 was shown to react with a carbohydrate-associated epitope located mainly in the variable regions of immunoglobulin heavy chains expressed on the surface of almost all cancer cells in humans. GHR106 was generated against a synthetic peptide corresponding to N1-29 amino acid residues in the extracellular domains of human GnRH receptor, which is surface-expressed by most cancer cells as well as the anterior pituitary. This monoclonal antibody was shown to serve as a bioequivalent analog to GnRH-derived decapeptides currently used clinically. The molecular mechanisms of action of these two antibody-based anti-cancer drug candidates were well elucidated following numerous biochemical, immunological, and molecular biological studies, mainly by using ovarian cancer as the model. Further preclinical studies with humanized forms of these two antibodies are essential.

Accurate projections of climate change under increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas levels are needed to evaluate the environmental cost of anthropogenic emissions, and to guide mitigation efforts. These projections are nowhere more important than Africa, with its high dependence on rain-fed agriculture and, in many regions, limited resources for adaptation. Climate models provide our best method for climate prediction but there are uncertainties in projections, especially on regional space scale. In Africa, limitations of observational networks add to this uncertainty since a crucial step in improving model projections is comparisons with observations. Exceeding uncertainties associated with climate model simulation are uncertainties due to projections of future emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Humanity’s choices in emissions pathways will have profound effects on climate, especially after the mid-century.The African Sahel is a transition zone characterized by strong meridional precipitation and temperature gradients. Over West Africa, the Sahel marks the northernmost extent of the West African monsoon system. The region’s climate is known to be sensitive to sea surface temperatures, both regional and global, as well as to land surface conditions. Increasing atmospheric greenhouse gases are already causing amplified warming over the Sahara Desert and, consequently, increased rainfall in parts of the Sahel. Climate model projections indicate that much of this increased rainfall will be delivered in the form of more intense storm systems.The complicated and highly regional precipitation regimes of East Africa present a challenge for climate modeling. Within roughly 5º of latitude of the equator, rainfall is delivered in two seasons—the long rains in the spring, and the short rains in the fall. Regional climate model projections suggest that the long rains will weaken under greenhouse gas forcing, and the short rains season will extend farther into the winter months. Observations indicate that the long rains are already weakening.Changes in seasonal rainfall over parts of subtropical southern Africa are observed, with repercussions and challenges for agriculture and water availability. Some elements of these observed changes are captured in model simulations of greenhouse gas-induced climate change, especially an early demise of the rainy season. The projected changes are quite regional, however, and more high-resolution study is needed. In addition, there has been very limited study of climate change in the Congo Basin and across northern Africa. Continued efforts to understand and predict climate using higher-resolution simulation must be sustained to better understand observed and projected changes in the physical processes that support African precipitation systems as well as the teleconnections that communicate remote forcings into the continent.

With their role in connecting disease-associated antigens to the cellular immune response, antibodies hold considerable promise as therapeutic agents. This chapter discusses three classes of therapeutic antibodies that have been developed for use in ovarian cancer therapy. The first includes antibodies selected against tumor-associated antigens such as MUC16/CA125, mesothelin, epithelial cell adhesion molecule, and folate receptor α‎. Antibodies in the second class target proteins such as CTLA-4 and PD1 that act as immune response checkpoint receptors. The third class of antibodies target secreted factors that promote tumor growth: targets in this class include vascular endothelial growth factor, cytokines, and chemokines. The development of each of these is described. The chapter also discusses the complications presented by soluble antigens, which serve to limit the applicability of antigens (such as MUC16/CA125) that are both cell-surface associated and circulating and the prospects for the combination of antibody-based immunotherapy and chemotherapy.

This chapter explains some of the fundamental issues associated with applying perturbations to a molecular dynamics simulation, along with practical details of methods for studying systems out of equilibrium. The main emphasis is on fluid flow and viscosity measurements. Spatially homogeneous perturbations are described to study shear and extensional flow. Non-equilibrium methods are applied to the study of heat flow and the calculation of the thermal conductivity. Issues of thermostatting, and the modelling of surface-fluid interactions for inhomogeneous systems, are discussed. The measurement of free energy changes through non-equilibrium work expressions such as those of Jarzynski and Crooks is also explained.

Chapter 1 describes how materials are important for the development of consumer goods, are key components of medical diagnostic techniques, underpin industries and offer hope for incurable diseases. The importance of surfaces on material properties is stressed. It associates the 20th century with synthetic polymers and suggests the 21st century is an age of natural polymers. Speciality alloys, renewable materials and renewable energy sources are highlighted. The importance of microstructure on material properties is described. Consideration of foods as materials is discussed in relation to diabetes and obesity.

The aerobic oxidation of organic material by microbes is the focus of this chapter. Microbes account for about 50% of primary production in the biosphere, but they probably account for more than 50% of organic material oxidization and respiration (oxygen use). The traditional role of microbes is to degrade organic material and to release plant nutrients such as phosphate and ammonium as well as carbon dioxide. Microbes are responsible for more than half of soil respiration, while size fractionation experiments show that bacteria are also responsible for about half of respiration in aquatic habitats. In soils, both fungi and bacteria are important, with relative abundances and activity varying with soil type. In contrast, fungi are not common in the oceans and lakes, where they are out-competed by bacteria with their small cell size. Dead organic material, detritus, used by microbes, comes from dead plants and waste products from herbivores. It and associated microbes can be eaten by many eukaryotic organisms, forming a detritus food web. These large organisms also break up detritus into small pieces, creating more surface area on which microbes can act. Microbes in turn need to use extracellular enzymes to hydrolyze large molecular weight compounds, which releases small compounds that can be transported into cells. Fungi and bacteria use a different mechanism, “oxidative decomposition,” to degrade lignin. Organic compounds that are otherwise easily degraded (“labile”) may resist decomposition if absorbed to surfaces or surrounded by refractory organic material. Addition of labile compounds can stimulate or “prime” the degradation of other organic material. Microbes also produce organic compounds, some eventually resisting degradation for thousands of years, and contributing substantially to soil organic material in terrestrial environments and dissolved organic material in aquatic ones. The relationship between community diversity and a biochemical process depends on the metabolic redundancy among members of the microbial community. This redundancy may provide “ecological insurance” and ensure the continuation of key biogeochemical processes when environmental conditions change.

The El Niño Modoki/La Niña Modoki (ENSO Modoki) is a newly acknowledged face of ocean-atmosphere coupled variability in the tropical Pacific Ocean. The oceanic and atmospheric conditions associated with the El Niño Modoki are different from that of canonical El Niño, which is extensively studied for its dynamics and worldwide impacts. A typical El Niño event is marked by a warm anomaly of sea surface temperature (SST) in the equatorial eastern Pacific. Because of the associated changes in the surface winds and the weakening of coastal upwelling, the coasts of South America suffer from widespread fish mortality during the event. Quite opposite of this characteristic change in the ocean condition, cold SST anomalies prevail in the eastern equatorial Pacific during the El Niño Modoki events, but with the warm anomalies intensified in the central Pacific. The boreal winter condition of 2004 is a typical example of such an event, when a tripole pattern is noticed in the SST anomalies; warm central Pacific flanked by cold eastern and western regions. The SST anomalies are coupled to a double cell in anomalous Walker circulation with rising motion in the central parts and sinking motion on both sides of the basin. This is again a different feature compared to the well-known single-cell anomalous Walker circulation during El Niños. La Niña Modoki is the opposite phase of the El Niño Modoki, when a cold central Pacific is flanked by warm anomalies on both sides.The Modoki events are seen to peak in both boreal summer and winter and hence are not seasonally phase-locked to a single seasonal cycle like El Niño/La Niña events. Because of this distinction in the seasonality, the teleconnection arising from these events will vary between the seasons as teleconnection path will vary depending on the prevailing seasonal mean conditions in the atmosphere. Moreover, the Modoki El Niño/La Niña impacts over regions such as the western coast of the United States, the Far East including Japan, Australia, and southern Africa, etc., are opposite to those of the canonical El Niño/La Niña. For example, the western coasts of the United States suffer from severe droughts during El Niño Modoki, whereas those regions are quite wet during El Niño. The influences of Modoki events are also seen in tropical cyclogenesis, stratosphere warming of the Southern Hemisphere, ocean primary productivity, river discharges, sea level variations, etc. A remarkable feature associated with Modoki events is the decadal flattening of the equatorial thermocline and weakening of zonal thermal gradient. The associated ocean-atmosphere conditions have caused frequent and persistent developments of Modoki events in recent decades.

Lifeline for about one-sixth of the world’s population in the subcontinent, the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) is an integral part of the annual cycle of the winds (reversal of winds with seasons), coupled with a strong annual cycle of precipitation (wet summer and dry winter). For over a century, high socioeconomic impacts of ISM rainfall (ISMR) in the region have driven scientists to attempt to predict the year-to-year variations of ISM rainfall. A remarkably stable phenomenon, making its appearance every year without fail, the ISM climate exhibits a rather small year-to-year variation (the standard deviation of the seasonal mean being 10% of the long-term mean), but it has proven to be an extremely challenging system to predict. Even the most skillful, sophisticated models are barely useful with skill significantly below the potential limit on predictability. Understanding what drives the mean ISM climate and its variability on different timescales is, therefore, critical to advancing skills in predicting the monsoon. A conceptual ISM model helps explain what maintains not only the mean ISM but also its variability on interannual and longer timescales.The annual ISM precipitation cycle can be described as a manifestation of the seasonal migration of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) or the zonally oriented cloud (rain) band characterized by a sudden “onset.” The other important feature of ISM is the deep overturning meridional (regional Hadley circulation) that is associated with it, driven primarily by the latent heat release associated with the ISM (ITCZ) precipitation. The dynamics of the monsoon climate, therefore, is an extension of the dynamics of the ITCZ. The classical land–sea surface temperature gradient model of ISM may explain the seasonal reversal of the surface winds, but it fails to explain the onset and the deep vertical structure of the ISM circulation. While the surface temperature over land cools after the onset, reversing the north–south surface temperature gradient and making it inadequate to sustain the monsoon after onset, it is the tropospheric temperature gradient that becomes positive at the time of onset and remains strongly positive thereafter, maintaining the monsoon. The change in sign of the tropospheric temperature (TT) gradient is dynamically responsible for a symmetric instability, leading to the onset and subsequent northward progression of the ITCZ. The unified ISM model in terms of the TT gradient provides a platform to understand the drivers of ISM variability by identifying processes that affect TT in the north and the south and influence the gradient.The predictability of the seasonal mean ISM is limited by interactions of the annual cycle and higher frequency monsoon variability within the season. The monsoon intraseasonal oscillation (MISO) has a seminal role in influencing the seasonal mean and its interannual variability. While ISM climate on long timescales (e.g., multimillennium) largely follows the solar forcing, on shorter timescales the ISM variability is governed by the internal dynamics arising from ocean–atmosphere–land interactions, regional as well as remote, together with teleconnections with other climate modes. Also important is the role of anthropogenic forcing, such as the greenhouse gases and aerosols versus the natural multidecadal variability in the context of the recent six-decade long decreasing trend of ISM rainfall.

Few scenarios in intensive coronary care are commonly associated with as much fear and apprehension as the event of a ventricular tachyarrhythmia. This chapter provides information to help successfully manage such situations. Residents, fellows, and physicians involved in providing acute cardiac care are in need of broad background knowledge regarding the diagnostic and therapeutic means, as well as the prognostic implications of such events, in order to provide adequate medical care to their patients. The present chapter summarizes information on the pathophysiological basis of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and teaches tools to detect and correctly differentiate a ventricular from a supraventricular arrhythmia on the surface electrocardiogram. The chapter provides the reader with a summary of specific treatment modalities and information on indications for treatment with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Last, the chapter deals with the management of device interventions (appropriately delivered for ventricular tachyarrhythmias or inappropriately delivered for other reasons) within the increasing population of patients fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

Few scenarios in intensive coronary care are commonly associated with as much fear and apprehension as the event of a ventricular tachyarrhythmia. This chapter provides information to help successfully manage such situations. Residents, fellows, and physicians involved in providing acute cardiac care are in need of broad background knowledge regarding the diagnostic and therapeutic means, as well as the prognostic implications of such events, in order to provide adequate medical care to their patients. The present chapter summarizes information on the pathophysiological basis of ventricular tachyarrhythmias and teaches tools to detect and correctly differentiate a ventricular from a supraventricular arrhythmia on the surface electrocardiogram. The chapter provides the reader with a summary of specific treatment modalities and information on indications for treatment with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. Last, the chapter deals with the management of device interventions (appropriately delivered for ventricular tachyarrhythmias or inappropriately delivered for other reasons) within the increasing population of patients fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

This article provides an overview of small superconductors, including some of the basic definitions, prominent characteristics, and important effects manifested by such materials. In particular, it discusses size effects, surface effects, electron-mean-free-path effects, phase slips, unusual vortex states, and proximity effects. The article first considers the two characteristic length scales of superconductors, namely the magnetic penetration depth and coherence length, before proceeding with an analysis of two size effects that account for how superconductivity responds when the bulk sample is made smaller and smaller in the nano range: the small size effects and the quantum size effects. It then examines other phenomena associated with small superconductors such as quantum fluctuations, Anderson limit, parity and shell effects, along with the behaviour of nanowires and ultra-thin fims. It also describes some of the experimental techniques commonly used in the synthesis of small superconductors.

This book provides an overview of fundamental methods and advanced topics associated with complex, especially biological, fluids. The contents are taken from a graduate level course taught to biomedical engineers, many of whom are math averse. Consequently the book is organized around gentle historical foundations and illustrative tabletop experiments to make for accessible reading. The book begins with derivations of fundamental equations, defined in the simplest terms possible, and adds embellishments one at a time to build toward the analysis of complex fluid dynamics an and introduction to spontaneous pattern formation. Topics covered include elastic surfaces, flow through elastic tubes, pulsatile flows, effects of entrances, branches, and bends, shearing flows, effects of increased Reynolds number, inviscid flows, rheology in complex fluids, statistical mechanics, diffusion, and self-assembly.

Viral gastroenteritis is a diarrheal disease associated with nausea, vomiting, headache, abdominal cramping, myalgias, and low-grade fever. Stools are often described as watery, with bouts of diarrhea and emesis that can occur on an hourly basis. Blood or mucus in the stool is suggestive of a bacterial or parasitic process. Additionally, the presence of fecal leukocytes excludes viral infection, as it is suggestive of colonic inflammation. Treatment is mainly supportive with appropriate hydration, including oral rehydration and/or intravenous fluids, being the key intervention. Specific antiviral agents are not available. Prevention and control of spread are important issues for viral gastroenteritis. Hand washing alone may reduce the spread of infection. The use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers and daily disinfection of surfaces with quaternary ammonium wipes has reduced the spread of Norovirus and was found superior to handwashing alone.

‘Detection is, or ought to be, an exact science.’ For more than a century the Holmes stories have held a strange, almost inexplicable grip on the popular imagination. They are intimately associated with late Victorian and Edwardian society, yet curiously timeless in their appeal. The characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, together with their housekeeper Mrs Hudson and their address at 221B Baker Street are as familiar today as when they made their first appearance in the late 1880s. The stories have been endlessly interpreted, adapted, and modernized, but still it is to Arthur Conan Doyle's originals that we return. This new selection of some of the best of them is designed to give readers a full sense of their world: the brooding fog of London, ruined heirs in creaking mansions, and hidden crimes in the farthest–flung corners of the British Empire. The stories take Holmes's career from its early days to its close, and include the book–length Sign of the Four. Barry McCrea's introduction investigates the currents that lie beneath their surface.

Glomerulopathies induced by particular exogenous compounds or molecules include those attributable to toxicity, and those caused by inducing an immune or autoimmune response. Tubules are more commonly the target of toxicity as they absorb and concentrate components of filtrate. Damage to endothelial cells may account for thrombotic microangiopathy in response to calcineurin inhibitors. Endothelial cells are also likely to be the target in drug-induced small vessel vasculitis. Toxicity to podocytes accounts for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis caused by pamidronate and other agents. Chloroquine can cause a remarkable pseudo-storage disorder with inclusions in podocytes that resemble those seen in Fabry disease. The mechanism by which drugs cause minimal change disease, another podocyte disorder, is not known. Membranous nephropathy may be caused by exposure to gold, mercury, and some other drugs; this is antibody mediated and presumably the targets are altered podocyte surface molecules. Inhibitors of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) cause proteinuria, possibly through effects on vascular endothelial growth factor, inhibitors of which are associated with not only proteinuria (an expected podocyte effect) but also thrombotic microangiopathy (endothelial cell effect). This latter may be through disturbing podocyte-endothelium cross-signaling.

This book pioneers a new model of personality disorder primarily intended to serve mental health professionals, those already in practice and equally those in training. In contrast to the static concepts of mental normalcy and pathology, the presented nosology is dynamic (accounts for the reversibility of mental functioning) and personalized, context- and time sensitive. In a 3D diagnostic cylinder, the coordinates cross match the person’s common level of mental functioning (vertical diagnosis) with his or her behavior style (horizontal diagnosis) at a point in space and a unit of time, giving the clinician precise milestones to monitor changes in diagnosis and progress in therapy. The central problem with persons suffering from personality disorder does not rest in their extreme behaviors but rather underneath the surface, in the fragmented substrate of personality (a core deficit sine qua non shared by all individual variants), while extreme behaviors merely represent variable compensatory strategies. Based on this model, mechanism-based treatments are outlined: reconstructive interpersonal psychotherapy (a novel, integrative, transtheoretical approach which relies on psychoanalytic and humanist traditions) and mechanism-based pharmacotherapy of neurobiological vulnerabilities associated with excessive temperament traits.

This volume presents the results of the scientific project ‘Production of Iron Along the Drava River During Antiquity and Middle Ages: Creation and Transfer of Knowledge, Technology and Commodities - TransFER project (IP – 2016 - 06 - 5047)’ funded by the Croatian Science Foundation. The research presented explores the evidence for and nature of iron production in the lowland area of the central Drava River basin in Croatia during late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages, from the turn of the 4th to the early 9th centuries. The wide-ranging methodology of the project features non-destructive archaeological site identification (surface survey and geophysics), archaeological excavation of sites with attested bloomery iron production and processing along with their associated dwelling and settlement structures, as well as experimental archaeology. The record of bloomery iron production and processing is explored via an interdisciplinary approach which examines the technology used as well as the natural resources (bog iron ores, wood and plant remains) exploited in the production process. The results of the research testify to the importance and longevity of iron production in the area of the Drava river valley.

Surface or scalp electroencephalography (EEG) has become an indispensable tool for the diagnosis, classification, and care of patients with epilepsy across the age spectrum. This chapter provides an overview of interictal and corresponding ictal scalp EEG patterns observed in adults with certain classical epilepsy syndromes. In patients with one or more new-onset seizures, the value of EEG testing begins with a close examination of the interictal record. The morphology, frequency, and topography of interictal epileptiform discharges (when present) are typically sufficient to broadly distinguish between the propensity to develop “generalized seizures” (those that rapidly engage a distributed epileptogenic network) or “focal seizures” (which have a stereotyped onset within a clearly lateralized focal region or network). Epileptiform discharges may also be seen in patients without epilepsy who are affected by certain acute (e.g., severe metabolic encephalopathies) or chronic neuropsychiatric syndromes (e.g., autism spectrum disorder). An examination of the ictal recording is of crucial importance in patients with medication-refractory focal onset seizures as it serves to guide patient selection and ancillary testing for the possibility of resective surgery for epilepsy. This chapter also highlights the limited anatomical sensitivity of EEG for seizures that lack an associated impairment in consciousness (“simple partial seizures”) or those that remain confined to mesial, deep or inferior cortical regions.

Inhalation injury represents one of the most serious associated injuries complicating the care of thermally-injured patient. It can result in severe respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) by three mechanisms—thermal or chemical injury, and impairment of systemic oxygen supply. Thermal injury can cause erythema, ulceration, and progressive, life-threatening oedema, particularly of the upper airways. Chemical injury is due to irritants or cytotoxic compounds, and depends on the material burned, the temperature of the fire, and the amount of oxygen present in the fire environment. It is responsible for irritation, ulceration, and oedema of the mucosal surface, and the initiation of a lung inflammatory reaction when small particles reach the alveoli. Moreover, the increased vascular permeability, and the reduced surfactant production carry a significant risk in the development of pneumonia and ARDS. Bronchospasm and upper airway oedema can occur rapidly, while lower airway oedema can be asymptomatic for up to 24 hours. Lung imaging techniques may not reveal injured areas for the first 24–48 hours. Fibre optic bronchoscopy is considered to be the most direct diagnostic method for the definitive diagnosis of inhalation injury. The patient management includes airways assessment, adequate fluid resuscitation, and mechanical ventilation when required. All victims of smoke inhalation should be always evaluated for cyanide and carbon monoxide poisoning.

From climate catastrophe to pandemics and economic crises, the problems facing humanity today are impossibly complicated and planetary in scale. Critical Modesty in Contemporary Fiction makes the surprising but compelling claim that it is precisely by culitvating a modest temperament that contemporary fiction can play an central role in conbating the despair that many of us feel in the face of such enormous and intractable problems. This new temperament of critical modesty locates the fight for freedom and human dignity within the limited and compromised conditions in which we find ourselves. Through readings of Ian McEwan, Zadie Smith, J. M. Coetzee, and David Mitchell, Critical Modesty in Contemporary Fiction shows us how contemporary works of literature model modesty as a critical temperament. Exploring modest forms of entangled human agency that represent an alternative to the novel of the large scale that have been most closely associated with the Anthropocene, Dancer builds a case that the novel has the potential to play a more important socio-cultural role than it has done. In doing so, the book offers an engaging response to the debate over post-critical and surface readings, bringing novels themselves into the conversation and arguing for a fictional mode that is both critical and modest, reminding us how much we are already engaged with the world, implicated and compromised, before we start developing theories, writing stories, or acting within it.

Burn injury represents a complex clinical entity with significant associated morbidity and remains the second leading cause of trauma-related death. An understanding of the local and systemic pathophysiology of burns has led to significant improvements in mortality. Thermal insult results in coagulative necrosis of the skin and the depth or degree of injury is classified according to the skin layers involved. First-degree burns involve only epidermis and heal quickly with no scar. Second-degree burns are further classified into superficial partial thickness or deep partial thickness depending on the level of dermal involvement. Damage in a third-degree burn extends to subcutaneous fat. There is a substantial hypermetabolic response to severe burn, resulting in significant catabolism and untoward effects on the immune, gastrointestinal, and renal systems. Accurate assessment of the extent of burn injury is critical for prognosis and initiation of resuscitation. Burn size, measured in total body surface area, can be quickly estimated using the rule of nines or palmar method. A more detailed sizing system is recommended once the patient has been triaged. Appropriate diagnosis of burn depth will be important for later management. First-degree burns are erythematous and painful, like a sunburn; third-degree burns are leathery and insensate. Differentiating between second-degree burn types remains difficult. There are a number of formalized criteria during assessment that should prompt transfer to a burn centre.

Turbojet and turbofan engines, rocket motors, road vehicles, aircraft, pumps, compressors, and turbines are examples of machines which require a knowledge of fluid mechanics for their design. The aim of this undergraduate-level textbook is to introduce the physical concepts and conservation laws which underlie the subject of fluid mechanics and show how they can be applied to practical engineering problems. The first ten chapters are concerned with fluid properties, dimensional analysis, the pressure variation in a fluid at rest (hydrostatics) and the associated forces on submerged surfaces, the relationship between pressure and velocity in the absence of viscosity, and fluid flow through straight pipes and bends. The examples used to illustrate the application of this introductory material include the calculation of rocket-motor thrust, jet-engine thrust, the reaction force required to restrain a pipe bend or junction, and the power generated by a hydraulic turbine. Compressible-gas flow is then dealt with, including flow through nozzles, normal and oblique shock waves, centred expansion fans, pipe flow with friction or wall heating, and flow through axial-flow turbomachinery blading. The fundamental Navier-Stokes equations are then derived from first principles, and examples given of their application to pipe and channel flows and to boundary layers. The final chapter is concerned with turbulent flow. Throughout the book the importance of dimensions and dimensional analysis is stressed. A historical perspective is provided by an appendix which gives brief biographical information about those engineers and scientists whose names are associated with key developments in fluid mechanics.

The atmospheric circulation in the mid-latitudes of both hemispheres is usually dominated by westerly winds and by planetary-scale and shorter-scale synoptic waves, moving mostly from west to east. A remarkable and frequent exception to this “usual” behavior is atmospheric blocking. Blocking occurs when the usual zonal flow is hindered by the establishment of a large-amplitude, quasi-stationary, high-pressure meridional circulation structure which “blocks” the flow of the westerlies and the progression of the atmospheric waves and disturbances embedded in them. Such blocking structures can have lifetimes varying from a few days to several weeks in the most extreme cases. Their presence can strongly affect the weather of large portions of the mid-latitudes, leading to the establishment of anomalous meteorological conditions. These can take the form of strong precipitation episodes or persistent anticyclonic regimes, leading in turn to floods, extreme cold spells, heat waves, or short-lived droughts. Even air quality can be strongly influenced by the establishment of atmospheric blocking, with episodes of high concentrations of low-level ozone in summer and of particulate matter and other air pollutants in winter, particularly in highly populated urban areas.Atmospheric blocking has the tendency to occur more often in winter and in certain longitudinal quadrants, notably the Euro-Atlantic and the Pacific sectors of the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, blocking episodes are generally less frequent, and the longitudinal localization is less pronounced than in the Northern Hemisphere.Blocking has aroused the interest of atmospheric scientists since the middle of the last century, with the pioneering observational works of Berggren, Bolin, Rossby, and Rex, and has become the subject of innumerable observational and theoretical studies. The purpose of such studies was originally to find a commonly accepted structural and phenomenological definition of atmospheric blocking. The investigations went on to study blocking climatology in terms of the geographical distribution of its frequency of occurrence and the associated seasonal and inter-annual variability. Well into the second half of the 20th century, a large number of theoretical dynamic works on blocking formation and maintenance started appearing in the literature. Such theoretical studies explored a wide range of possible dynamic mechanisms, including large-amplitude planetary-scale wave dynamics, including Rossby wave breaking, multiple equilibria circulation regimes, large-scale forcing of anticyclones by synoptic-scale eddies, finite-amplitude non-linear instability theory, and influence of sea surface temperature anomalies, to name but a few. However, to date no unique theoretical model of atmospheric blocking has been formulated that can account for all of its observational characteristics.When numerical, global short- and medium-range weather predictions started being produced operationally, and with the establishment, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, it quickly became of relevance to assess the capability of numerical models to predict blocking with the correct space-time characteristics (e.g., location, time of onset, life span, and decay). Early studies showed that models had difficulties in correctly representing blocking as well as in connection with their large systematic (mean) errors.Despite enormous improvements in the ability of numerical models to represent atmospheric dynamics, blocking remains a challenge for global weather prediction and climate simulation models. Such modeling deficiencies have negative consequences not only for our ability to represent the observed climate but also for the possibility of producing high-quality seasonal-to-decadal predictions. For such predictions, representing the correct space-time statistics of blocking occurrence is, especially for certain geographical areas, extremely important.

Lipids are carried in plasma as microparticles, lipoproteins, composed of a core of hydrophobic lipids and a surface of amphipathic lipids. In addition, the particles carry proteins (i.e. apolipoproteins). The proteins have key functions in the metabolism as receptor ligands, enzymes or activators. Lipoproteins are classified based on density into: chylomicrons, VLDL, IDL, LDL, and HDL. Retention of apoB-containing lipoproteins (LDL, IDL, and VLDL) in the arterial intima is the initiating event in the development of atherosclerosis. Retention is mediated by binding of apoB to structural proteoglycans in the intima. Increased plasma concentration of apoB-containing lipoproteins is the main risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the causative role of LDL has been demonstrated in several studies. Lp(a) is a subclass of LDL and elevated Lp(a) is an independent risk-factor, primarily genetically mediated. Genetic data support that high Lp(a) causes atherosclerosis. Elevated triglycerides in plasma are associated with increased risk for CVD. Whether triglycerides directly induce atherogenesis is still unclear, but current data strongly support that remnant particles from triglyceride-rich lipoproteins are causal. HDL are lipoproteins that have been considered to be important for reversed cholesterol transport. Low HDL is a strong risk-factor for CVD. However, the causative role of HDL is debated and intervention studies to raise HDL have not been successful. Reduction of LDL is the main target for prevention and treatment, using drugs that inhibit the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, i.e. statins. Other drugs for LDL reduction and to modify other lipoproteins may further reduce risk, and new therapeutic targets are explored.

When Isaac Newton's alchemical papers surfaced at a Sotheby's auction in 1936, the quantity and seeming incoherence of the manuscripts were shocking. No longer the exemplar of Enlightenment rationality, the legendary physicist suddenly became “the last of the magicians.” This book unlocks the secrets of Newton's alchemical quest, providing a radically new understanding of the uncommon genius who probed nature at its deepest levels in pursuit of empirical knowledge. The book blends in-depth analysis of newly available texts with laboratory replications of Newton's actual experiments in alchemy. It does not justify Newton's alchemical research as part of a religious search for God in the physical world, nor does it argue that Newton studied alchemy to learn about gravitational attraction. The book traces the evolution of Newton's alchemical ideas and practices over a span of more than three decades, showing how they proved fruitful in diverse scientific fields. A precise experimenter in the realm of “chymistry,” Newton put the riddles of alchemy to the test in his lab. He also used ideas drawn from the alchemical texts to great effect in his optical experimentation. In his hands, alchemy was a tool for attaining the material benefits associated with the philosopher's stone and an instrument for acquiring scientific knowledge of the most sophisticated kind. The book provides rare insights into a man who was neither Enlightenment rationalist nor irrational magus, but rather an alchemist who sought through experiment and empiricism to alter nature at its very heart.

Guidelines for Mine Waste Dump and Stockpile Design is a comprehensive, practical guide to the investigation, design, operation and monitoring of mine waste dumps, dragline spoils and major stockpiles associated with large open pit mines. These facilities are some of the largest man-made structures on Earth, and while most have performed very well, there are cases where instabilities have occurred with severe consequences, including loss of life and extensive environmental and economic damage. Developed and written by industry experts with extensive knowledge and experience, this book is an initiative of the Large Open Pit (LOP) Project. It comprises 16 chapters that follow the life cycle of a mine waste dump, dragline spoil or stockpile from site selection to closure and reclamation. It describes the investigation and design process, introduces a comprehensive stability rating and hazard classification system, provides guidance on acceptability criteria, and sets out the key elements of stability and runout analysis. Chapters on site and material characterisation, surface water and groundwater characterisation and management, risk assessment, operations and monitoring, management of ARD, emerging technologies and closure are included. A chapter is also dedicated to the analysis and design of dragline spoils. Guidelines for Mine Waste Dump and Stockpile Design summarises the current state of practice and provides insight and guidance to mine operators, geotechnical engineers, mining engineers, hydrogeologists, geologists and other individuals that are responsible at the mine site level for ensuring the stability and performance of these structures. Readership includes mining engineers, geotechnical engineers, civil engineers, engineering geologists, hydrogeologists, environmental scientists, and other professionals involved in the site selection, investigation, design, permitting, construction, operation, monitoring, closure and reclamation of mine waste dumps and stockpiles.

Discovered at the very end of the 20th century, the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is a mode of natural climate variability that arises out of coupled ocean–atmosphere interaction in the Indian Ocean. It is associated with some of the largest changes of ocean–atmosphere state over the equatorial Indian Ocean on interannual time scales. IOD variability is prominent during the boreal summer and fall seasons, with its maximum intensity developing at the end of the boreal-fall season. Between the peaks of its negative and positive phases, IOD manifests a markedly zonal see-saw in anomalous sea surface temperature (SST) and rainfall—leading, in its positive phase, to a pronounced cooling of the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean, and a moderate warming of the western and central equatorial Indian Ocean; this is accompanied by deficit rainfall over the eastern Indian Ocean and surplus rainfall over the western Indian Ocean. Changes in midtropospheric heating accompanying the rainfall anomalies drive wind anomalies that anomalously lift the thermocline in the equatorial eastern Indian Ocean and anomalously deepen them in the central Indian Ocean. The thermocline anomalies further modulate coastal and open-ocean upwelling, thereby influencing biological productivity and fish catches across the Indian Ocean. The hydrometeorological anomalies that accompany IOD exacerbate forest fires in Indonesia and Australia and bring floods and infectious diseases to equatorial East Africa. The coupled ocean–atmosphere instability that is responsible for generating and sustaining IOD develops on a mean state that is strongly modulated by the seasonal cycle of the Austral-Asian monsoon; this setting gives the IOD its unique character and dynamics, including a strong phase-lock to the seasonal cycle. While IOD operates independently of the El Niño and Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the proximity between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and the existence of oceanic and atmospheric pathways, facilitate mutual interactions between these tropical climate modes.

This is an advance summary of a forthcoming article in the Oxford Encyclopedia of Planetary Science. Please check back later for the full article.Mars, which has a tenth of the mass of Earth, has cooled as a single lithospheric plate. Current topography gravity maps and magnetic maps do not show signs of the plate tectonics processes that have shaped the Earth’s surface. Instead, Mars has been shaped by the effects of meteorite bombardment, igneous activity, and sedimentary—including aqueous—processes. Mars also contains enormous igneous centers—Tharsis and Elysium, with other shield volcanoes in the ancient highlands. In fact, the planet has been volcanically active for nearly all of its 4.5 Gyr history, and crater counts in the Northern Lowlands suggest that may have extended to within the last tens of millions of years. Our knowledge of the composition of the igneous rocks on Mars is informed by over 100 Martian meteorites and the results from landers and orbiters. These show dominantly tholeiitic basaltic compositions derived by melting of a relatively K, Fe-rich mantle compared to that of the Earth. However, recent meteorite and lander results reveal considerable diversity, including more silica-rich and alkaline igneous activity. These show the importance of a range of processes including crystal fractionation, partial melting, and possibly mantle metasomatism and crustal contamination of magmas. The figures and plots of compositional data from meteorites and landers show the range of compositions with comparisons to other planetary basalts (Earth, Moon, Venus). A notable feature of Martian igneous rocks is the apparent absence of amphibole. This is one of the clues that the Martian mantle had a very low water content when compared to that of Earth.The Martian crust, however, has undergone hydrothermal alteration, with impact as an important heat source. This is shown by SNC analyses of secondary minerals and Near Infra-Red analyses from orbit. The associated water may be endogenous.Our view of the Martian crust has changed since Viking landers touched down on the planet in 1976: from one almost entirely dominated by basaltic flows to one where much of the ancient highlands, particularly in ancient craters, is covered by km deep sedimentary deposits that record changing environmental conditions from ancient to recent Mars. The composition of these sediments—including, notably, the MSL Curiosity Rover results—reveal an ancient Mars where physical weathering of basaltic and fractionated igneous source material has dominated over extensive chemical weathering.

Precipitation levels in southern Africa exhibit a marked east–west gradient and are characterized by strong seasonality and high interannual variability. Much of the mainland south of 15°S exhibits a semiarid to dry subhumid climate. More than 66 percent of rainfall in the extreme southwest of the subcontinent occurs between April and September. Rainfall in this region—termed the winter rainfall zone (WRZ)—is most commonly associated with the passage of midlatitude frontal systems embedded in the austral westerlies. In contrast, more than 66 percent of mean annual precipitation over much of the remainder of the subcontinent falls between October and March. Climates in this summer rainfall zone (SRZ) are dictated by the seasonal interplay between subtropical high-pressure systems and the migration of easterly flows associated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Fluctuations in both SRZ and WRZ rainfall are linked to the variability of sea-surface temperatures in the oceans surrounding southern Africa and are modulated by the interplay of large-scale modes of climate variability, including the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Southern Indian Ocean Dipole, and Southern Annular Mode.Ideas about long-term rainfall variability in southern Africa have shifted over time. During the early to mid-19th century, the prevailing narrative was that the climate was progressively desiccating. By the late 19th to early 20th century, when gauged precipitation data became more readily available, debate shifted toward the identification of cyclical rainfall variation. The integration of gauge data, evidence from historical documents, and information from natural proxies such as tree rings during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, has allowed the nature of precipitation variability since ~1800 to be more fully explored.Drought episodes affecting large areas of the SRZ occurred during the first decade of the 19th century, in the early and late 1820s, late 1850s–mid-1860s, mid-late 1870s, earlymid-1880s, and mid-late 1890s. Of these episodes, the drought during the early 1860s was the most severe of the 19th century, with those of the 1820s and 1890s the most protracted. Many of these droughts correspond with more extreme ENSO warm phases.Widespread wetter conditions are less easily identified. The year 1816 appears to have been relatively wet across the Kalahari and other areas of south central Africa. Other wetter episodes were centered on the late 1830s–early 1840s, 1855, 1870, and 1890. In the WRZ, drier conditions occurred during the first decade of the 19th century, for much of the mid-late 1830s through to the mid-1840s, during the late 1850s and early 1860s, and in the early-mid-1880s and mid-late 1890s. As for the SRZ, markedly wetter years are less easily identified, although the periods around 1815, the early 1830s, mid-1840s, mid-late 1870s, and early 1890s saw enhanced rainfall. Reconstructed rainfall anomalies for the SRZ suggest that, on average, the region was significantly wetter during the 19th century than the 20th and that there appears to have been a drying trend during the 20th century that has continued into the early 21st. In the WRZ, average annual rainfall levels appear to have been relatively consistent between the 19th and 20th centuries, although rainfall variability increased during the 20th century compared to the 19th.

Horseradish roots, due to the content of many valuable nutrients and substances with healing and pro-health properties, are used more and more in medicine, food industry and cosmetics. In Poland, the cultivation of horseradish is considered minor crops. In addition, its limited size causes horseradish producers to encounter a number of unresolved agrotechnical problems. Infectious diseases developing on the leaves and roots during the long growing season reduce the size and quality of root crops. The small range of protection products intended for use in the cultivation of horseradish generates further serious environmental problems (immunization of pathogens, low effectiveness, deterioration of the quality of raw materials intended for industry, destruction of beneficial organisms and biodiversity). In order to meet the problems encountered by horseradish producers and taking into account the lack of data on: yielding, occurrence of infectious diseases and the possibility of combating them with methods alternative to chemical ones in the years 2012–2015, rigorous experiments have been carried out. The paper compares the impact of chemical protection and its reduced variants with biological protection on: total yield of horseradish roots and its structure. The intensification of infectious diseases on horseradish leaves and roots was analyzed extensively. Correlations were examined between individual disease entities and total yield and separated root fractions. A very important and innovative part of the work was to learn about the microbial communities involved in the epidemiology of Verticillium wilt of horseradish roots. The effect was examined of treatment of horseradish cuttings with a biological preparation (Pythium oligandrum), a chemical preparation (thiophanate-methyl), and the Kelpak SL biostimulator (auxins and cytokinins from the Ecklonia maxima algae) on the quantitative and qualitative changes occurring in the communities of these microorganisms. The affiliation of species to groups of frequencies was arranged hierarchically, and the biodiversity of these communities was expressed by the following indicators: Simpson index, Shannon–Wiener index, Shannon evenness index and species richness index. Correlations were assessed between the number of communities, indicators of their biodiversity and intensification of Verticillium wilt of horseradish roots. It was shown that the total yield of horseradish roots was on average 126 dt · ha–1. Within its structure, the main root was 56%, whereas the fraction of lateral roots (cuttings) with a length of more than 20 cm accounted for 26%, and those shorter than 20 cm for 12%, with unprofitable yield (waste) of 6%. In the years with higher humidity, the total root yield was higher than in the dry seasons by around 51 dt · ha–1 on average. On the other hand, the applied protection treatments significantly increased the total yield of horseradish roots from 4,6 to 45,3 dt · ha–1 and the share of fractions of more than 30 cm therein. Higher yielding effects were obtained in variants with a reduced amount of foliar application of fungicides at the expense of introducing biopreparations and biostimulators (R1, R2, R3) and in chemical protection (Ch) than in biological protection (B1, B2) and with the limitation of treatments only to the treatment of cuttings. The largest increments can be expected after treating the seedlings with Topsin M 500 SC and spraying the leaves: 1 × Amistar Opti 480 SC, 1 × Polyversum WP, 1 × Timorex Gold 24 EC and three times with biostimulators (2 × Kelpak SL + 1 × Tytanit). In the perspective of the increasing water deficit, among the biological protection methods, the (B2) variant with the treatment of seedlings with auxins and cytokinins contained in the E. maxima algae extract is more recommended than (B1) involving the use of P. oligandrum spores. White rust was the biggest threat on horseradish plantations, whereas the following occurred to a lesser extent: Phoma leaf spot, Cylindrosporium disease, Alternaria black spot and Verticillium wilt. In turn, on the surface of the roots it was dry root rot and inside – Verticillium wilt of horseradish roots. The best health of the leaves and roots was ensured by full chemical protection (cuttings treatment + 6 foliar applications). A similar effect of protection against Albugo candida and Pyrenopeziza brassicae was achieved in the case of reduced chemical protection to one foliar treatment with synthetic fungicide, two treatments with biological preparations (Polyversum WP and Timorex Gold 24 EC) and three treatments with biostimulators (2 × Kelpak SL, 1 × Tytanit). On the other hand, the level of limitation of root diseases comparable with chemical protection was ensured by its reduced variants R3 and R2, and in the case of dry root rot, also both variants of biological protection. In the dry years, over 60% of the roots showed symptoms of Verticillium wilt, and its main culprits are Verticillium dahliae (37.4%), Globisporangium irregulare (7.2%), Ilyonectria destructans (7.0%), Fusarium acuminatum (6.7%), Rhizoctonia solani (6.0%), Epicoccum nigrum (5.4%), Alternaria brassicae (5.17%). The Kelpak SL biostimulator and the Polyversum WP biological preparation contributed to the increased biodiversity of microbial communities associated with Verticillium wilt of horseradish roots. In turn, along with its increase, the intensification of the disease symptoms decreased. There was a significant correlation between the richness of species in the communities of microbial isolates and the intensification of Verticillium wilt of horseradish roots. Each additional species of microorganism contributed to the reduction of disease intensification by 1,19%.

Bones are multifunctional passive organs of movement that supports soft tissue and directly attached muscles. They also protect internal organs and are a reserve of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Each bone is covered with periosteum, and the adjacent bone surfaces are covered by articular cartilage. Histologically, the bone is an organ composed of many different tissues. The main component is bone tissue (cortical and spongy) composed of a set of bone cells and intercellular substance (mineral and organic), it also contains fat, hematopoietic (bone marrow) and cartilaginous tissue. Bones are a tissue that even in adult life retains the ability to change shape and structure depending on changes in their mechanical and hormonal environment, as well as self-renewal and repair capabilities. This process is called bone turnover. The basic processes of bone turnover are: • bone modeling (incessantly changes in bone shape during individual growth) following resorption and tissue formation at various locations (e.g. bone marrow formation) to increase mass and skeletal morphology. This process occurs in the bones of growing individuals and stops after reaching puberty • bone remodeling (processes involve in maintaining bone tissue by resorbing and replacing old bone tissue with new tissue in the same place, e.g. repairing micro fractures). It is a process involving the removal and internal remodeling of existing bone and is responsible for maintaining tissue mass and architecture of mature bones. Bone turnover is regulated by two types of transformation: • osteoclastogenesis, i.e. formation of cells responsible for bone resorption • osteoblastogenesis, i.e. formation of cells responsible for bone formation (bone matrix synthesis and mineralization) Bone maturity can be defined as the completion of basic structural development and mineralization leading to maximum mass and optimal mechanical strength. The highest rate of increase in pig bone mass is observed in the first twelve weeks after birth. This period of growth is considered crucial for optimizing the growth of the skeleton of pigs, because the degree of bone mineralization in later life stages (adulthood) depends largely on the amount of bone minerals accumulated in the early stages of their growth. The development of the technique allows to determine the condition of the skeletal system (or individual bones) in living animals by methods used in human medicine, or after their slaughter. For in vivo determination of bone properties, Abstract 10 double energy X-ray absorptiometry or computed tomography scanning techniques are used. Both methods allow the quantification of mineral content and bone mineral density. The most important property from a practical point of view is the bone’s bending strength, which is directly determined by the maximum bending force. The most important factors affecting bone strength are: • age (growth period), • gender and the associated hormonal balance, • genotype and modification of genes responsible for bone growth • chemical composition of the body (protein and fat content, and the proportion between these components), • physical activity and related bone load, • nutritional factors: – protein intake influencing synthesis of organic matrix of bone, – content of minerals in the feed (CA, P, Zn, Ca/P, Mg, Mn, Na, Cl, K, Cu ratio) influencing synthesis of the inorganic matrix of bone, – mineral/protein ratio in the diet (Ca/protein, P/protein, Zn/protein) – feed energy concentration, – energy source (content of saturated fatty acids - SFA, content of polyun saturated fatty acids - PUFA, in particular ALA, EPA, DPA, DHA), – feed additives, in particular: enzymes (e.g. phytase releasing of minerals bounded in phytin complexes), probiotics and prebiotics (e.g. inulin improving the function of the digestive tract by increasing absorption of nutrients), – vitamin content that regulate metabolism and biochemical changes occurring in bone tissue (e.g. vitamin D3, B6, C and K). This study was based on the results of research experiments from available literature, and studies on growing pigs carried out at the Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences. The tests were performed in total on 300 pigs of Duroc, Pietrain, Puławska breeds, line 990 and hybrids (Great White × Duroc, Great White × Landrace), PIC pigs, slaughtered at different body weight during the growth period from 15 to 130 kg. Bones for biomechanical tests were collected after slaughter from each pig. Their length, mass and volume were determined. Based on these measurements, the specific weight (density, g/cm3) was calculated. Then each bone was cut in the middle of the shaft and the outer and inner diameters were measured both horizontally and vertically. Based on these measurements, the following indicators were calculated: • cortical thickness, • cortical surface, • cortical index. Abstract 11 Bone strength was tested by a three-point bending test. The obtained data enabled the determination of: • bending force (the magnitude of the maximum force at which disintegration and disruption of bone structure occurs), • strength (the amount of maximum force needed to break/crack of bone), • stiffness (quotient of the force acting on the bone and the amount of displacement occurring under the influence of this force). Investigation of changes in physical and biomechanical features of bones during growth was performed on pigs of the synthetic 990 line growing from 15 to 130 kg body weight. The animals were slaughtered successively at a body weight of 15, 30, 40, 50, 70, 90, 110 and 130 kg. After slaughter, the following bones were separated from the right half-carcass: humerus, 3rd and 4th metatarsal bone, femur, tibia and fibula as well as 3rd and 4th metatarsal bone. The features of bones were determined using methods described in the methodology. Describing bone growth with the Gompertz equation, it was found that the earliest slowdown of bone growth curve was observed for metacarpal and metatarsal bones. This means that these bones matured the most quickly. The established data also indicate that the rib is the slowest maturing bone. The femur, humerus, tibia and fibula were between the values of these features for the metatarsal, metacarpal and rib bones. The rate of increase in bone mass and length differed significantly between the examined bones, but in all cases it was lower (coefficient b <1) than the growth rate of the whole body of the animal. The fastest growth rate was estimated for the rib mass (coefficient b = 0.93). Among the long bones, the humerus (coefficient b = 0.81) was characterized by the fastest rate of weight gain, however femur the smallest (coefficient b = 0.71). The lowest rate of bone mass increase was observed in the foot bones, with the metacarpal bones having a slightly higher value of coefficient b than the metatarsal bones (0.67 vs 0.62). The third bone had a lower growth rate than the fourth bone, regardless of whether they were metatarsal or metacarpal. The value of the bending force increased as the animals grew. Regardless of the growth point tested, the highest values were observed for the humerus, tibia and femur, smaller for the metatarsal and metacarpal bone, and the lowest for the fibula and rib. The rate of change in the value of this indicator increased at a similar rate as the body weight changes of the animals in the case of the fibula and the fourth metacarpal bone (b value = 0.98), and more slowly in the case of the metatarsal bone, the third metacarpal bone, and the tibia bone (values of the b ratio 0.81–0.85), and the slowest femur, humerus and rib (value of b = 0.60–0.66). Bone stiffness increased as animals grew. Regardless of the growth point tested, the highest values were observed for the humerus, tibia and femur, smaller for the metatarsal and metacarpal bone, and the lowest for the fibula and rib. Abstract 12 The rate of change in the value of this indicator changed at a faster rate than the increase in weight of pigs in the case of metacarpal and metatarsal bones (coefficient b = 1.01–1.22), slightly slower in the case of fibula (coefficient b = 0.92), definitely slower in the case of the tibia (b = 0.73), ribs (b = 0.66), femur (b = 0.59) and humerus (b = 0.50). Bone strength increased as animals grew. Regardless of the growth point tested, bone strength was as follows femur > tibia > humerus > 4 metacarpal> 3 metacarpal> 3 metatarsal > 4 metatarsal > rib> fibula. The rate of increase in strength of all examined bones was greater than the rate of weight gain of pigs (value of the coefficient b = 2.04–3.26). As the animals grew, the bone density increased. However, the growth rate of this indicator for the majority of bones was slower than the rate of weight gain (the value of the coefficient b ranged from 0.37 – humerus to 0.84 – fibula). The exception was the rib, whose density increased at a similar pace increasing the body weight of animals (value of the coefficient b = 0.97). The study on the influence of the breed and the feeding intensity on bone characteristics (physical and biomechanical) was performed on pigs of the breeds Duroc, Pietrain, and synthetic 990 during a growth period of 15 to 70 kg body weight. Animals were fed ad libitum or dosed system. After slaughter at a body weight of 70 kg, three bones were taken from the right half-carcass: femur, three metatarsal, and three metacarpal and subjected to the determinations described in the methodology. The weight of bones of animals fed aa libitum was significantly lower than in pigs fed restrictively All bones of Duroc breed were significantly heavier and longer than Pietrain and 990 pig bones. The average values of bending force for the examined bones took the following order: III metatarsal bone (63.5 kg) <III metacarpal bone (77.9 kg) <femur (271.5 kg). The feeding system and breed of pigs had no significant effect on the value of this indicator. The average values of the bones strength took the following order: III metatarsal bone (92.6 kg) <III metacarpal (107.2 kg) <femur (353.1 kg). Feeding intensity and breed of animals had no significant effect on the value of this feature of the bones tested. The average bone density took the following order: femur (1.23 g/cm3) <III metatarsal bone (1.26 g/cm3) <III metacarpal bone (1.34 g / cm3). The density of bones of animals fed aa libitum was higher (P<0.01) than in animals fed with a dosing system. The density of examined bones within the breeds took the following order: Pietrain race> line 990> Duroc race. The differences between the “extreme” breeds were: 7.2% (III metatarsal bone), 8.3% (III metacarpal bone), 8.4% (femur). Abstract 13 The average bone stiffness took the following order: III metatarsal bone (35.1 kg/mm) <III metacarpus (41.5 kg/mm) <femur (60.5 kg/mm). This indicator did not differ between the groups of pigs fed at different intensity, except for the metacarpal bone, which was more stiffer in pigs fed aa libitum (P<0.05). The femur of animals fed ad libitum showed a tendency (P<0.09) to be more stiffer and a force of 4.5 kg required for its displacement by 1 mm. Breed differences in stiffness were found for the femur (P <0.05) and III metacarpal bone (P <0.05). For femur, the highest value of this indicator was found in Pietrain pigs (64.5 kg/mm), lower in pigs of 990 line (61.6 kg/mm) and the lowest in Duroc pigs (55.3 kg/mm). In turn, the 3rd metacarpal bone of Duroc and Pietrain pigs had similar stiffness (39.0 and 40.0 kg/mm respectively) and was smaller than that of line 990 pigs (45.4 kg/mm). The thickness of the cortical bone layer took the following order: III metatarsal bone (2.25 mm) <III metacarpal bone (2.41 mm) <femur (5.12 mm). The feeding system did not affect this indicator. Breed differences (P <0.05) for this trait were found only for the femur bone: Duroc (5.42 mm)> line 990 (5.13 mm)> Pietrain (4.81 mm). The cross sectional area of the examined bones was arranged in the following order: III metatarsal bone (84 mm2) <III metacarpal bone (90 mm2) <femur (286 mm2). The feeding system had no effect on the value of this bone trait, with the exception of the femur, which in animals fed the dosing system was 4.7% higher (P<0.05) than in pigs fed ad libitum. Breed differences (P<0.01) in the coross sectional area were found only in femur and III metatarsal bone. The value of this indicator was the highest in Duroc pigs, lower in 990 animals and the lowest in Pietrain pigs. The cortical index of individual bones was in the following order: III metatarsal bone (31.86) <III metacarpal bone (33.86) <femur (44.75). However, its value did not significantly depend on the intensity of feeding or the breed of pigs.