Repair Failures Call for New Policies to Tackle Leaky Natural Gas Distribution Systems.

Methane leaks in natural gas systems are low-hanging fruit for near-term, locally driven climate policy. Recent work suggests this emissions source is larger than previously believed and that repairing a small number of high emitters can cost-effectively reduce system-wide leakage. How successful are these repairs on the ground? Here, we assess the effectiveness of repair policies in the Massachusetts distribution system. Our analysis leverages state-wide utility data, on-site empirical measurements, stakeholder interviews, and document and legal analysis. We use these mixed methods to investigate the rate of repair failure, where a gas utility identifies and fixes a leak, but on-site emissions are not eliminated. We find that repair failures are relatively common, yet they are repeatedly neglected in policy. By not accounting for repair failures, policy may overestimate the effectiveness of distribution system repairs in meeting local greenhouse gas reduction targets. These results also underscore the importance of data transparency for monitoring and verifying subnational climate policies.

R2 and R2* MRI assessment of liver iron content in an undifferentiated diagnostic population with hyperferritinaemia, and impact on clinical decision making.

PURPOSE: To confirm the linear correlation between Ferriscan® R2 (1/T2 Relaxomatry) and R2* (1/T2* Relaxometry) derived 3D Gradient echo (GRE) mDIXON-Quant sequence (Philips) with simultaneous production of a proton density fat fraction (PDFF) in undifferentiated patients with hyperferritinaemia, and to prospectively determine the clinical utility of this tool in these patients by recording the impact on clinical decision-making. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants referred to a hospital haematology outpatient clinic for investigation and management of elevated serum ferritin (two serum ferritin levels > 500 µg/L 4 weeks apart) were included in the study. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: contraindications to MRI; clinically relevant investigations for alternative causes of hyperferritinaemia pending; and terminal illness. Thirty-two participants were recruited: 27 men, 5 women. All MRIs performed at 1.5 T. For R2* quantification, 3D six echo GRE sequence (mDIXON-Quant) was acquired. R2 images were acquired over 20 min as dictated and reported by the licensee (Ferriscan®). Clinician interpretation and patient management based on R2* and liver iron content derived from R2 (LICR2) was recorded. Pearson's correlations, linear regression analyses, and ROC curves were calculated. P value <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: A high degree of correlation between mean R2* and LICR2 was observed in this novel patient population (slope ±â€¯SE of 43.35 ±â€¯1.88 s-1 permg/g; 95 % CI 39.5-47.2; P < 0.001; R2 = 0.87). Clinical decision making was amended in 14/32 (44 %) patients with hyperferritinaemia following the disclosure of R2* results to clinicians, compared with serum ferritin alone. Liver biopsy was avoided in one patient based on LICR2 and R2*. Unrecognised hepatic steatosis was diagnosed in one patient from the PDFF map. CONCLUSION: We have confirmed the linear correlation between R2 and R2* in a real-world diagnostic population with hyperferritinaemia. Non-invasive assessment of liver iron content (LIC) by R2 and R2* MRI is a useful clinical tool and alters management in these patients.

Host Range of the Mikrocytid Parasite Paramikrocytos canceri in Decapod Crustaceans.

Mikrocytids are a widespread but rather neglected group of parasites of aquatic invertebrates. One such parasite is Paramikrocytos canceri-discovered to infect the antennal gland of the juvenile edible crab, Cancer pagurus, taken from several intertidal sites across the United Kingdom. To determine if this parasite is also present in other species of decapod crustaceans, we surveyed crabs (n = 330) across two contrasting sites in Pembrokeshire (UK). Using a histopathological approach, P. canceri infection was confirmed in variable numbers of edible crabs from both survey sites, 7%-44%. No measurable signs of infection were encountered in four other co-located species, including European shore crabs (Carcinus maenas), Montagu's crabs (Xantho hydrophilus), velvet swimming crabs (Necora puber) and broad-clawed porcelain crabs (Porcellana platycheles). These data imply that P. canceri has a more limited host range than suggested by molecular diagnosis alone.

A New Image Analysis Method Based on Morphometric and Fractal Parameters for Rapid Evaluation of In Situ Mammalian Mast Cell Status.

Apart from their effector functions in allergic disorders, tissue-resident mast cells (MC) are gaining recognition as initiators of inflammatory events through their distinctive ability to secrete many bioactive molecules harbored in cytoplasmic granules. Activation triggers mediator release through a regulated exocytosis named degranulation. MC activation is still substantiated by measuring systemic levels of MC-restricted mediators. However, identifying the anatomical location of MC activation is valuable for disease diagnosis. We designed a computer-assisted morphometric method based on image analysis of methylene blue (MB)-stained normal mouse skin tissue sections that quantitates actual in situ MC activation status. We reasoned MC cytoplasm could be viewed as an object featuring unique relative mass values based on activation status. Integrated optical density and area (A) ratios were significantly different between intact and degranulated MC (p<0.001). The examination of fractal characteristics is of translational diagnostic/prognostic value in cancer and readily applied to quantify cytoskeleton morphology and vasculature. Fractal dimension (D), a measure of their comparative space filling capacity and structural density, also differed significantly between intact and degranulated MC (p<0.001). Morphometric analysis provides a reliable and reproducible method for in situ quantification of MC activation status.

Disease profiles of juvenile edible crabs (Cancer pagurus L.) differ at two geographically-close intertidal sites.

The prevalence of disease in edible crabs (Cancer pagurus) was assessed at two sites in South West Wales; one estuarine (Pembroke Ferry) and another facing open water (Freshwater East). Diseases included pink crab disease caused by Hematodinium sp., an infection of the antennal gland caused by Paramikrocytos canceri and an idiopathic inflammatory condition of the connective tissue surrounding the anterior ganglionic masses. This latter condition was only found in crabs from Pembroke Ferry. There was a significantly higher prevalence of pink crab disease at Freshwater East than Pembroke Ferry, although both sites had similar levels of infection by P. canceri.