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Swimming-induced pulmonary edema (SIPE) has been reported to subside within 24 to 48 h, but comprehensive follow-up studies on symptom duration and long-term effects are missing. What are the symptom duration, recurrence, and long-term effects of SIPE? A follow-up study was conducted, based on 165 cases of SIPE from Sweden's largest open-water swimming event with 26,125 individuals participating during 2017-2019. Data on patient characteristics, clinical findings, and symptoms were collected at admission. Telephone interviews at 10 days and 30 months were performed to explore symptom duration, recurrence of SIPE symptoms, need for medical evaluation, and long-term effects of self-assessed general health and physical activity level. Follow-up at 10 days was performed for 132 cases and at 30 months for 152 cases. Most of the patients were women, and their mean age was 48 years. At the 10-day follow-up, symptom duration > 2 days after the swimming race was reported by 38%. The most common symptoms were dyspnea and cough. In patients at 30-month follow-up, recurrence of respiratory symptoms during open-water swimming was reported by 28%. In multivariable logistic regression, asthma was independently associated with both symptom duration > 2 days and recurrence of SIPE symptoms (P =.045 and P =.022, respectively). Most participants reported equal or improved general health (93%) and physical activity level (85%) after experiencing SIPE, but 58% had not swum in open water since the event. The present large cohort study challenges the established hallmark of SIPE symptom duration < 48 h, whereas SIPE recurrence was in the previously reported range. At 30 months, most patients reported unchanged self-assessed general health and physical activity level. These findings add to our understanding of the course of SIPE and can provide evidence-based information to swimmers and health care professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prey species may display anti‐predatory behavior, i.e., flight, increased vigilance, and decreased feeding, in response to the true presence of a predator or to the implied presence of a predator through, e.g., acoustic cues. In this study, we investigated the anti‐predatory reactions of moose (Alces alces) to acoustic stimuli related to hunting, at saltlick stones, a known attractant. In before‐during‐after‐control‐impact experiments, we compared the behavioral responses of individuals to: (i) two hunting‐related acoustic stimuli—hunting dog barking and human speaking; (ii) nonpredatory acoustic stimuli—bird sounds and; and (iii) no acoustic stimulus (control). We asked: (1) How does the probability of moose leaving the site differ depending on the stimulus they are exposed to?; (2) What affect do the acoustic stimuli have on the amount of time moose spend vigilant, feeding, or away from the site?; and (3) What affect do the stimuli have on the time between events at a site? We found that when exposed to the human stimulus, moose left the sites in 75% of the events, which was significantly more often compared to the dog (39%), bird (24%), or silent (11%) events. If moose did not leave the site, they spent more time vigilant, and less time feeding, particularly when exposed to a dog or human stimulus. Furthermore, moose spent the most time away from the site and took the longest to visit the site again after a human stimulus. Moose were also more likely to leave the site when exposed to the bird stimulus than during silent controls. Those that remained spent more time vigilant, but their behaviors returned to baseline after the bird stimulus ended. These findings suggest that acoustic stimuli can be used to modify the behavior of moose; however, reactions towards presumably threatening and nonthreatening stimuli were not as distinct as we had expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Swimming-induced pulmonary edema (SIPE) occasionally occurs during swimming in cold open water. Although optimal treatment for SIPE is unknown, non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) is an option for prehospital treatment.Research Question: Is NPPV a feasible and safe prehospital treatment for SIPE, and which outcome measures reflect recovery after treatment?Study Design and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at Vansbrosimningen, Sweden's largest open water swimming event, from 2017 through 2019. Swimmers with a diagnosis of SIPE and with peripheral oxygen saturation (Spo2) of ≤ 95%, persistent respiratory symptoms, or both were eligible for the study. NPPV was administered on site as CPAP by facial mask or as positive expiratory pressure (PEP) by a PEP device. Discharge criteria were Spo2 of > 95% and clinical recovery. Four outcome measures were evaluated: Spo2, crackles on pulmonary auscultation, pulmonary edema on lung ultrasound (LUS), and patient-reported respiratory symptoms.Results: Of 119 treated individuals, 94 received CPAP, 24 received treatment with a PEP device, and one required tracheal intubation. In total, 108 individuals (91%) were discharged after NPPV for a median of 10 to 20 min and 11 individuals (9%) required hospital transfer. NPPV resulted in increased Spo2 from a median of 91% to 97% (P < .0001) together with improvement of six patient-reported respiratory symptoms (median numerical rating scales, 1-7 to 0-1; P < .0001). No significant decrease in auscultation of crackles (93% vs 87%; P = .508) or pulmonary edema on LUS (100% vs 97%; P = .500) was seen during NPPV treatment.Interpretation: NPPV administered as CPAP or via a PEP device proved feasible and safe as prehospital treatment for SIPE with a vast majority of patients discharged on site. Spo2 and patient-reported respiratory symptoms reflected recovery after treatment, whereas pulmonary auscultation or LUS findings did not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite increasing awareness of swimming-induced pulmonary edema (SIPE), large population-based studies are lacking and the incidence is unknown.Research Question: What is the incidence of SIPE in a mixed group of competitive and recreational swimmers during a large open-water swimming event?Methods: In four consecutive years (2016-2019), a prospective cohort study was conducted during Sweden's largest open-water swimming event, Vansbrosimningen. All swimmers seeking medical care with acute respiratory symptoms were eligible for the study. SIPE diagnosis was based on clinical findings in 2016 and 2017 and pulmonary edema assessed by lung ultrasound in 2018 and 2019. Data on patient characteristics, clinical findings, and information about the race were collected.Results: Based on 47,573 consecutive swimming distances, 322 patients with acute respiratory symptoms (0.68%; CI, 0.61%-0.75%) were treated at the mobile medical unit. Of these, 211 patients (0.44%; CI, 0.39%-0.51%) received a diagnosis of SIPE. The annual incidence of SIPE was 0.34%, 0.47%, 0.41%, and 0.57%, respectively, from 2016 through 2019. Most patients diagnosed with SIPE were women (90%), despite about equal percentages of men and women participating (47% men and 53% women). The incidence of SIPE overall was 0.75% in women and 0.09% in men. The incidence increased with age, from 0.08% in the youngest age group (18-30 years) to 1.1% in the oldest age group (≥ 61 years). Based on multiple logistic regression analysis, the adjusted odds for SIPE occurring was 8.59 times higher for women compared with men and 12.74 times higher for the oldest age group compared with the youngest age group.Interpretation: The incidence of SIPE over 4 years during a large open-water swimming event in Sweden was 0.44%. The incidence was higher in women than in men and increased with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An Olympic Games is a measurable test of a nation's sporting power. Medal counts are the object of intense scrutiny after every Olympiad. Most countries celebrate any medal with national glee, since 60% of competing countries will win none. In 2012, 10% of the competing countries won 75% of all medals. Despite this concentration among a few countries, more countries are winning more medals now than 20 years ago, thanks in part to athlete-support and -development programs arising around the globe. Small strong sporting countries like Norway are typified by fairly large variation in medal results from Olympiad to Olympiad and a high concentration of results in a few sports. These are important factors to consider when evaluating national performance and interpreting the medal count. Medal conversion, podium placements relative to top 8 placements, may provide a measure of the competitiveness of athlete-support programs in this international zero sum game where the cost of winning Olympic gold keeps rising whether measured in dollars or human capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most European ungulate species are increasing in numbers and expanding their range. For the management and monitoring of these species, 64% of European countries rely on indirect proxies of abundance (e.g., hunting bag statistics). With increasing ungulate numbers, data on ungulate-vehicle collisions (UVC) may provide an important and inexpensive, complementary data source. Currently, it is unclear how bag statistics compare with UVC. A direct comparison of these two indices is important because both are used in ungulate management. We evaluated the relationship between UVC and ungulate hunting bags across bioclimatic, regional, and local scales, using five time lags (t−3 to t+1) for the five most common wild ungulate species in Sweden. For all species, hunting bags and UVC correlated positively, but correlation strength and time lags varied across scales and among species. The two indices correlated most strongly at the local management scale. Correlation between both indices was strong for the smaller deer species and wild boar, in particular, but much weaker for moose where we found the best fit using a 2-year time lag. For the other species, indices from the same year correlated best. We argue that the reason for moose data behaving differently is that, in Sweden, moose are formally managed using a 3-year time plan, while the other species are not. Accordingly, moose hunting bags are influenced more strongly by density-independent processes than bags of the other species. Consequently, the mismatch between the two indices may generate conflicting conclusions for management depending on the method applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the increasing popularity of open water swimming worldwide, swimming-induced pulmonary edema (SIPE) is a poorly recognized condition lacking established diagnostic criteria.Research Question: The aim of this study was to identify diagnostic criteria of SIPE during a large open water swimming event.Study Design and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 17,904 individuals swam 1,000, 1,500, or 3,000 m in cold open water during Sweden's largest open water swimming event in 2018 and 2019. Of 166 swimmers seeking medical attention for acute respiratory symptoms, 160 were included in the study. Medical history, symptoms, and clinical findings were collected. On-site lung ultrasound (LUS) was performed to verify pulmonary edema.Results: Pulmonary edema was confirmed by LUS in 102 patients (64%); findings were unilateral in 11 (7%). Peripheral oxygen saturation was identified as a strong independent diagnostic test for pulmonary edema, with ≤ 95% as the suggested cut off based on receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis (area under the curve, 0.893; P < .0001). Crackles on lung auscultation, predominantly over the anterior chest, identified 88% of patients with edema. Peripheral oxygen saturation ≤ 95% or auscultation findings of crackles identified pulmonary edema with a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 86%. A specificity of 98% and a positive predictive value of 99% for LUS-verified pulmonary edema were reached if patients presented with both oxygen saturation ≤ 95% and auscultation of crackles.Interpretation: We suggest a clinical algorithm for diagnosis of SIPE for swimmers with acute respiratory symptoms during swimming in cold open water. Novel features of focally distributed edema in the anterior parts of the lungs, sometimes unilateral, add to this unique dataset of an underreported condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Animal–vehicle collisions are a serious problem for road planners and biologists concerned with traffic safety, species conservation and animal welfare. In Sweden, vehicle collisions with moose (MVC) are an important safety issue. Police records average approximately 4500 incidents year−1, including 10–15 human fatalities. New mitigation policies require improved knowledge of the factors influencing the spatial distribution of MVC.2. Three logistic regression models were developed to predict MVC risks on public roads for use in strategic and project-related impact assessment. The models were based on remotely sensed landscape data, road and traffic statistics and estimations of moose density, quantified at 2000 accident and 2000 non-accident control sites in south-central Sweden. Model predictions were validated on 2600 1-km road sections in the county ofÖrebro, which were classified as either accident or non-accident roads. Model performances were compared using Akaike's information criterion.3. Traffic volume, vehicle speed and the occurrence of fences were dominant factors determining MVC risks, identifying 72·7% of all accident sites. Within a given road category, however, the amount of and distance to forest cover, density of intersections between forest edges, private roads and the main accident road, and moose abundance indexed by harvest statistics, significantly distinguished between accident and control sites. In combination, road–traffic and landscape parameters produced an overall concordance in 83·6% of the predicted sites and identified 76·1% of all test road sections correctly.4. Synthesis and applications. The risk of moose–vehicle collisions in Sweden can be predicted from remotely sensed landscape data in combination with road traffic data. Prediction models suggest that reduced vehicle speed in combination with road fencing and increased roadside clearance may provide effective tools for road planners in counteracting MVC. However, effective mitigation will depend on integrated management of the surrounding landscape and moose population, as well as increased responsibility of individual drivers. Remedying animal–vehicle collisions must involve road authorities as much as landowners and the public.Journal of Applied Ecology(2005)42, 371–382doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2005.01013.x [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assesses the prevalence of symptoms of decompression illness and ischemic brain lesions in Swedish divers with regard to the presence of a patent foramen ovale. Risk for decompression illness in divers with patent foramen ovale versus divers without patent foramen ovale; Frequency of ischemic brain lesions per asymptomatic divers versus nondivers.

Information about the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Europe 19th annual meeting held in Goeteborg, Sweden in 2009 is presented. It notes that the student members of SETAC Europe Student Advisory Council (SAC) were informed on the past and continuing activities of the council. It highlights the election of five new council members for a two-year term.

Wildlife crossing structures can provide safe passage for wildlife across transportation corridors, and can help mitigate the effects of highways and exclusion fencing on wildlife. Due to their costs, wildlife crossing structures are usually installed sparsely and at strategic locations along transportation networks. Alternatively, non-wildlife underpasses (i.e. conventional underpasses for human and domestic animal use) are usually abundant along major infrastructure corridors and could potentially provide safe crossing opportunities for wildlife. To investigate this, we monitored the use of 40 non-wildlife underpasses by roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and moose (Alces alces) in south-central Sweden. We found that roe deer and moose use non-wildlife underpasses, and prefer underpasses that are at least 11.5 m wide and 5 m tall. Furthermore, roe deer used structures that had little human co-use and were in locations where the forest cover differed on both sides of the highway. In most cases, roe deer and moose were detected within 50 m of the underpass more than they were detected crossing under them. This suggests that animals often approach underpasses without crossing under them, however modifications to underpass design may improve non-wildlife underpass use. We recommend non-wildlife underpasses at gravel and minor roads, particularly those with little human co-use and with variable forest cover on both sides of the highway, be built wider than 11.5 m and taller than 5 m. • Non-wildlife underpasses are actively used by roe deer and moose. • Roe deer and moose tend to use underpasses with little human use and variable forest cover on both sides of the road. • Underpasses that are at least 11.5 m wide and 5 m tall are likely used by roe deer and moose. • Non-wildlife underpasses may supplement connectivity provided by wildlife crossing-structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]