Scientific echosounder data provide a predator's view of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba).

Raw acoustic data were collected in East Antarctica from the RSV Aurora Australis during two surveys: the Krill Availability, Community Trophodynamics and AMISOR Surveys (KACTAS) and the Krill Acoustics and Oceanography Survey (KAOS) in the East Antarctic (centre coordinate 66.5° S, 63° E). The KACTAS survey was conducted between 14th to 21st January and 2001, and the KAOS survey was conducted between 16 January and 1 February 2003. We examine the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) component of these surveys and provide scientific echosounder (EK500 and EK60) data collected at 38, 120 and 200 kHz, cold water (-1 °C) echosounder calibration parameters and accompanying krill length frequency distributions obtained from trawl data. We processed the acoustic data to apply calibration values and remove noise. The processed data were used to isolate echoes arising from swarms of krill and to estimate metrics for each krill swarm, including internal density and individual swarm biomass. The krill swarm data provide insights to a predators' views of krill distribution and density.

Abdominal injury and the seat-belt sign.

OBJECTIVE: To report on: 1. Prevalence of seat-belt sign in motor vehicle accident victims with abdominal injuries; 2. Prevalence of intestinal injuries in patients with seat-belt sign; and 3. Spectrum of abdominal injuries in a population with high usage of three-point restraints. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted in an adult tertiary-referral hospital from January 1992 to August 1998. Patients were identified from International Classification of Disease-9 codes for abdominal wall and intra-abdominal injuries. RESULTS: The seat-belt sign was present in 60/99. The proportion of intestinal injuries in patients with and without seat-belt sign were 9/60 and 0/39, respectively (P = 0.01). In the 25 patients with intra-abdominal injuries, there were 10 hepatic, 8 splenic, 9 intestinal and 4 retroperitoneal injuries. CONCLUSION: The seat-belt sign is indicative of an increased risk of intestinal injury, which is difficult to detect with no single test providing reliable diagnosis. Other intra-abdominal and retroperitoneal injuries may also occur, which are more readily diagnosed on computed tomography scan or focused abdominal utlrasound when available, but are no more frequent in patients with the seat-belt sign than those without.

Patient factors affecting autologous and allogeneic blood transfusion rates in total hip arthroplasty.

Factors that place patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) at increased risk of receiving an allogeneic or autologous blood transfusion may aid in determining which patients should predonate blood. The records of 354 consecutive patients undergoing THA were retrospectively reviewed to determine patient factors related to transfusion requirement. The risk of transfusion requirement was most strongly correlated with low preoperative hemoglobin level, but also with older age, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status rating, female sex, cemented arthroplasty, and revision surgery. These patients were also least likely to predonate blood, likely because of their comorbid status.