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Lateral surface connectivity (LSC), defined here as the surficial component of hydrologic exchange flows perpendicular to longitudinal flow, is vital to biogeochemical, geomorphological, and ecological processes on floodplains. Because rivers throughout much of the world have been subjected to anthropogenic manipulation, LSC has been greatly altered. While qualitative descriptions of LSC exist, only a limited number of studies quantify this process. The objective of this study was to quantify mass and momentum flux as proxies for LSC. This objective was met through the analysis of hydrodynamic model outputs along a 10‐km reach of the Middle Rio Grande near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Mass and momentum fluxes were quantified for two synthetic floods across three spatial scales: geomorphic sub‐units, units, and reaches. In addition, three floodplain surface elevations were defined: inset, restored, and historical. Mass and momentum fluxes displayed distinct hydrodynamic signatures at each floodplain surface elevation. Inset floodplains were subjected to the greatest and most widely distributed flux magnitudes, an indication of the anthropogenic alteration along the reach. Flux heterogeneity on inset surfaces was also greatest, and increased flood magnitude did not result in comparable heterogeneity at higher floodplain elevations. Unsteady results showed that peak flux magnitudes can occur on the rising and falling limbs of a flood hydrograph, providing evidence of hysteresis in channel‐floodplain connections. Ultimately, the results are indicative of complexities associated with LSC processes along geomorphologically altered channel‐floodplain systems. The scalable methods are applicable to a wide variety of river‐floodplain systems and are complementary to empirical flux measurements. Key Points: Geomorphic settings and hydrograph traits affect spatiotemporal complexities of mass and momentum fluxes between a river and floodplainRiver restoration by floodplain excavation is likely to increase mass and momentum exchange to a greater extent than prescribed high flowsEven for a 50‐year return period flood, less than 10% of total mass entered the floodplain compared to what remained in the main channel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early life experiences can affect social behaviour in later life, but opportunities for socio-behavioural development are often overlooked in current husbandry practices. This experiment investigated the effects of rearing piglets in two-stage group lactation (GL) system from 7 or 14 days of age on piglet aggression at weaning. Three lactation housing treatments were applied to a total of 198 piglets from 30 litters of multiparous sows. All dams farrowed in standard farrowing crates (FCs). Group lactation litters were transferred with their dam at 7 (GL7) or 14 days (GL14) postpartum to GL pens (one pen of five sows at 8.4 m2/sow and one pen of seven sows at 8.1 m2/sow, per GL treatment). Farrowing crate litters remained with their dam in a single litter until weaning. At weaning, 10 to 14 piglets from two unfamiliar litters from the same housing treatment were mixed into pens (n =5 pens/treatment) and their behaviour was continuously recorded for 3.5 h. For each pen, the frequency of aggressive bouts (reciprocal and non-reciprocal aggression lasting <5 s), the frequency and duration of fights (reciprocal aggression lasting ⩾5 s) and bullying events (non-reciprocal aggression lasting ⩾5 s) were recorded, along with whether interactions involved familiar or unfamiliar piglets. Aggressive bouts delivered by FC piglets were approximately 1.5 and 3.0 times more frequent than that delivered by GL7 and GL14 piglets, respectively (40.5, 16.7 and 9.9 bouts/pig, respectively; P <0.05). Fighting was more frequent (1.6, 0.3 and 0.4 fights/pig, respectively; P <0.001) and fights were longer (83, 15 and 32 s fight/pig, respectively; P <0.001) between FC piglets than between GL7 or GL14 piglets. Bullying did not differ between housing treatments (P >0.05). GL7 and GL14 piglets engaged in a similar number of fights with unfamiliar as familiar piglets, but FC piglets had almost three times as many fights with unfamiliar than with familiar piglets (P <0.05). This experiment confirms the benefits of GL housing for pig social development. Further investigation is required to determine whether mixing before 14 days postpartum has implications for other indicators of animal welfare and productivity in a two-stage GL housing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loose farrowing pens have been considered as alternatives to crates to enhance sow welfare. A major concern with pen systems is often higher piglet pre-weaning mortality, especially due to crushing by the sow. An optimal management of light and mat surface temperature may promote greater piglet use of the creep, which has been associated with reduced piglet crushing. A total of 108 sows and their piglets were studied in sow welfare and piglet protection pens on a commercial piggery, across two replicates. Sows were randomly assigned to pens arranged within two creep treatments (bright creep: 300 lx v. dark creep: 4 lx), considering mat temperature as a covariate. Twelve sows and their litters in each treatment (24 in total) had their behaviour continuously recorded for 72-h postpartum (pp), and four focal piglets per litter were weighed on the first and third days pp. In situ behaviour observations were performed daily (from 0800 to 1700 h) on all sows and their litters, every 15 min over 72-h pp to record piglet time spent in the creep, latency to enter the creep for the first time, latency for the litter to remain in the creep for at least 10 min, and piglet and sow use of pen areas immediately in front of (A2) and farthest from the creep (A3). Piglets with access to bright creeps spent on average 7.2% more time (P< 0.01) in the creeps than piglets in pens with Dark creeps. In addition, for each degree increase in mat temperature, piglets spent on average 2.1% more time (P <0.01) in the creep. Piglets in pens with bright creeps spent less time in A2 (P =0.04) and the least time in A3 (P =0.01). Light or mat temperature did not affect sow use of pen areas or piglet weight gain. Piglets with bright creeps tended (P =0.06) to take longer to enter the creep for the first time after birth, but the latency for 30.0% of the litter to remain clustered for 10 min tended (P =0.08) to be shorter in bright compared to dark creeps. Overall, piglet use of the creep increased with warm mat temperatures and brightness, which should be further investigated as potential strategies to promote piglet safety and reduce crushing in pen farrowing systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sudden and unprecedented increase in seriously ill patients with COVID-19, coupled with both the lack of core palliative care training and expertise among frontline providers and the specialty-trained palliative care workforce shortage, produced immediate challenges to meet the needs of this novel seriously ill patient population. In this article, we describe the rapid expansion and creation of new specialty palliative care services across a health system to meet demands of the COVID-19 surge in New York City. During April 2020, 1019 patients received inpatient specialty palliative care consultations across the Mount Sinai Health System. This overview demonstrates how palliative care services can be titrated up rapidly to meet the acute increase in hospitalized persons with serious illness due to COVID-19, and how these services tailored to the changing needs across a health system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various baseline characteristics may predict a patient's outcome following a hip fracture. Treatments for hip fracture should affect both mortality and functional outcomes.

Background. Hip fracture patients are at increased risk of confusion or delirium due to the trauma associated with the injury and the rapid progression to hospitalization and surgery, in addition to the pain and loss of function experienced. Hip fracture patients who develop delirium may require longer hospital stays, are more often discharged to longterm care, and have a generally poor prognosis for returning home or regaining function in activities of daily living (ADL). Methods. The present study examines the impact of delirium present on hospital admission in a sample of 682 nondemented, aged hip fracture patients residing in the community at the time of their fracture. In-hospital assessments designed to assess both prefracture and postfracture functioning, as well as follow-up interviews at 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postfracture, were obtained from participants. Results. Analyses indicate that baseline or admission delirium is an important prognostic predictor of poor long-term outcomes in persons without known cognitive impairment, after controlling for age, gender, race, comorbidity, and functional status. Delirium at admission (i.e., prior to surgery) was associated with poorer functioning in physical, cognitive, and affective domains at 6 months postfracture and slower rates of recovery. Impairment and delays in recovery may be further exacerbated by increased depressive symptoms in confused patients over time. Delirium on hospital admission was not a significant predictor of mortality after adjustment for confounding factors. Conclusions. The present findings further emphasize the significance of immediate detection and treatment of delirium in hip fracture patients to ameliorate the short and long-term effects of acute confusion on functional outcomes.

Transgenic overexpression of cardiac [A.sub.1] adenosine receptors mimics ischemic preconditioning. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 279: H1071-H1078, 2000.--The role of [A.sub.1] adenosine receptors ([A.sub.1]AR) in ischemic preconditioning was investigated in isolated crystalloid-perfused wild-type and transgenic mouse hearts with increased [A.sub.1]AR. The effect of preconditioning on postischemic myocardial function, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, and infarct size was examined. Functional recovery was greater in transgenic versus wild-type hearts (44.8 [+ or -] 3.4% baseline vs. 25.6 [+ or -] 1.7%). Preconditioning improved functional recovery in wild-type hearts from 25.6 [+ or -] 1.7% to 37.4 [+ or -] 2.2% but did not change recovery in transgenic hearts (44.8 [+ or -] 3.4% vs. 44.5 [+ or -] 3.9%). In isovolumically contracting hearts, pretreatment with selective [A.sub.1] receptor antagonist 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine attenuated the improved functional recovery in both wild-type preconditioned (74.2 [+ or -] 7.3% baseline rate of pressure development over time untreated vs. 29.7 [+ or -] 7.3% treated) and transgenic hearts (84.1 [+ or -] 12.8% untreated vs. 42.1 [+ or -] 6.8% treated). Preconditioning wild-type hearts reduced LDH release (from 7,012 [+ or -] 1,451 to 1,691 [+ or -] 1,256 U[multiplied by][l.sup.-1] [multiplied by] [g.sup.-1] [multiplied by] [min.sup.-1]) and infarct size (from 62.6 [+ or -] 5.1% to 32.3 [+ or -] 11.5%). Preconditioning did not affect LDH release or infarct size in hearts overexpressing [A.sub.1]AR. Compared with wild-type hearts, [A.sub.1]AR overexpression markedly reduced LDH release (from 7,012 [+ or -] 1,451 to 917 [+ or -] 1,123 U[multiplied by][l.sup.-1] [multiplied by] [g.sup.-1] [multiplied by] [min.sup.1]) and infarct size (from 62.6 [+ or -] 5.1% to 6.5 [+ or -] 2.1%). These data demonstrate that murine preconditioning involves endogenous activation of [A.sub.1]AR. The beneficial effects of preconditioning and [A.sub.1]AR overexpression are not additive. Taken with the observation that [A.sub.1]AR blockade equally eliminates the functional protection resulting from both preconditioning and transgenic [A.sub.1]AR overexpression, we conclude that the two interventions affect cardioprotection via common mechanisms or pathways. mouse; heart; lactose dehydrogenase; infarct size

People with end-stage dementia who develop some other medical condition have a poor prognosis and should probably receive palliative care. Researchers analyzed mortality rates among 97 hospitalized for hip fracture and 119 hospitalized for pneumonia. In both groups, some patients had dementia and some did not. In both groups, half the patients with dementia died, compared to 13% of the patients who did not have dementia.

This editorial comments on the article by Cohen et al. in this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]