193 research outputs found
The influence of immunosuppressive agents on the risk of de novo donor-specific HLA antibody production in solid organ transplant recipients.
No full textProduction of de novo donor-specific antibodies (dnDSA) is a major risk factor for acute and chronic antibody-mediated rejection and graft loss after all solid organ transplantation. In this article, we review the data available on the risk of individual immunosuppressive agents and their ability to prevent dnDSA production. Induction therapy with rabbit antithymocyte globulin may achieve a short-term decrease in dnDSA production in moderately sensitized patients. Rituximab induction may be beneficial in sensitized patients, and in abrogating rebound antibody response in patients undergoing desensitization or treatment for antibody-mediated rejection. Use of bortezomib for induction therapy in at-risk patients is of interest, but the benefits are unproven. In maintenance regimens, nonadherent and previously sensitized patients are not suitable for aggressive weaning protocols, particularly early calcineurin inhibitor withdrawal without lymphocyte-depleting induction. Early conversion to mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor monotherapy has been reported to increase the risk of dnDSA formation, but a combination of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor and reduced-exposure calcineurin inhibitor does not appear to alter the risk. Early steroid therapy withdrawal in standard-risk patients after induction has no known dnDSA penalty. The available data do not demonstrate a consistent effect of mycophenolic acid on dnDSA production. Risk minimization for dnDSA requires monitoring of adherence, appropriate risk stratification, risk-based immunosuppression intensity, and prospective DSA surveillance.J.G.O'L. has acted as a consultant and received speaker’s honoraria from Astellas and Novartis, Gilead, and Abbvie, and has received a grant from One Lambda Fisher Scientific. M.S. is a member of an advisory board for Sanofi, has received a grant and is chair of a data safety monitoring board for Alexion Pharmaceuticals, is a member of an advisory board and has received a grant from Millennium Pharmaceuticals, is a member of an advisory board and has received a grant from Genentech, and has received funding from NIH. M.C.B. has received public funding for research from the Spanish Ministry of Health and speaker's honoraria from Novartis, Astellas and Abbvie. L.P. has received speaker's honoraria from Novartis, Astellas, Biotest and grants from Novartis, Qiagen and Thermofisher. A.Z. has received grants from NIH and CSL Behring and received speaker's honoraria from One Lambda Fisher Scientific and CSL Behring. A.D. has received grants from NIH, BMS and Takeda-Millenium, and is a consultant for BMS and Sanofi. E.C. acted as a consultant for Novartis, Astellas, Alexion Pharmaceuticals and Biotest
Caspian sea-level changes during the last millennium: Historical and geological evidence from the south Caspian Sea
No full textThis article is made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund. Copyright @ Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.Historical literature may constitute a valuable
source of information to reconstruct sea-level changes. Here,
historical documents and geological records have been combined
to reconstruct Caspian sea-level (CSL) changes during
the last millennium. In addition to a comprehensive literature
review, new data from two short sediment cores were
obtained from the south-eastern Caspian coast to identify
coastal change driven by water-level changes and to compare
the results with other geological and historical findings.
The overall results indicate a high-stand during the Little Ice
Age, up to −21m (and extra rises due to manmade river
avulsion), with a −28m low-stand during the Medieval Climate
Anomaly, while presently the CSL stands at −26.5 m.
A comparison of the CSL curve with other lake systems and
proxy records suggests that the main sea-level oscillations
are essentially paced by solar irradiance. Although the major
controller of the long-term CSL changes is driven by climatological
factors, the seismicity of the basin creates local
changes in base level. These local base-level changes should be considered in any CSL reconstruction
Pomegranate. Archaeology, History and Symbolism
No full textn many cultures, pomegranate is prominent in numerous myths about different human lives and aspirations. Zoroastrians have planted this tree in their homes as a blessing. In Greek mythol- ogy, it was an irrevocable symbol of marriage. In Persian mythology, Esfandiar (a King in ancient Persia) ate a pomegranate and became invincible. In Judaism, the number of pomegranate seeds in a conduit is 613, one for each of the 613 Bible commands. Buddhists consider pomegranate to be one of the three blessed fruits. In Chinese ceramics, pomegranate is associated with fertility, abundance, countless and passionate children, and a blessed future. In the Christian and Bedouin tribes, it is asso- ciated with fertility. In Islam, the Qur’an describes a heavenly paradise that contains pomegranates.
From its origin (Persia) in the region now occupied by Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, etc., the pomegranate spread east to India, China, and also west to the Mediterranean countries like Spain, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, and Turkey. The ability of pomegranate trees to adjust to variable cli- matic conditions is reflected in the wide distribution of the wild forms throughout Eurasia to the Himalayas. It is now widely cultivated in subtropical and tropical areas in many variable climatic conditions in different countries, indicating its flexibility and adaptability to a wide range of climate and biogeography
Late Holocene relative sea-level fluctuations and crustal mobility at Bataneh (Najirum) archaeological site, Persian Gulf, Iran
No full textThe impacts of relative sea-level (RSL) variations and crust mobility on the development of ancient harbours in the northern Persian Gulf are poorly understood. Many unanswered questions remain with regard to the main reasons for a shift in the location of the most important ancient harbours in the northern part of the Persian Gulf coastal since 50 BC. Furthermore, some important early Islamic harbours, such as Siraf, have ancient city quarters that are today below the present sea level. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between halokinesis and RSL changes using geophysical models and multidisciplinary geoarchaeological methods at the ancient Sassanid–Islamic site of Bataneh (presently known as Najirum) located at the foothill of an active Darang salt diapir. The results reveal that after the mid-Holocene highstand, RSL regression was not continuous. The studied facies have recorded three RSL oscillations. The oscillations are correlated with the eustatic sea-level position. During the first lowstand, important Sassanid harbours shifted from Rishar to Apologus. The second lowstand is consistent with the transition of maritime trade from Apologus to Siraf, during the Abbasid dynasty. Uplift of the Bataneh coastal zone exposed the city to risks from flooding and fluvial debris flows. With a modification of the local watershed, runoff water originating from the salt anticlinal was controlled and used for the extraction of gypsum in evaporation ponds. The economic expansion of Siraf led to Bataneh being abandoned with a shift in trade to Kish Island
Pollen, grain size, loss-on-ignition, elemental and mineralogical composition, magnetic susceptibility and radiocarbon measurements in Hashilan Wetland sediment core
No full textThe proxy data reported here are measured from a sediment core collected from the Hashilan Wetland (34° 34' 55 N, 46° 53' 13 E, 1310 m a.s.l.) in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran. The core is 315 cm long (from 85 to 400 cm under the wetland surface) and was collected using a peat corer on November 10th, 2016
Figure 7 from: McPartland JM, Small E (2020) A classification of endangered high-THC cannabis (Cannabis sativa subsp. indica) domesticates and their wild relatives. PhytoKeys 144: 81-112. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.144.46700
No full textFigure 7 Distribution of herbarium specimens. Red circles: var. asperrima; green triangles: var. himalayensis. Floristic zones based on Djamali et al. (2012): Red area: Irano-Turanian region; green area: Indian region; lilac area: Saharo-Sindian region. Other floristic regions not demarcated and unlabeled. Background base map by Natural Earth, free open-source map data (https:// www.naturalearthdata.com)
Climatic determinism in phytogeographic regionalization: A test from the Irano-Turanian region, SW and Central Asia
No full textDjamali M, Brewer S, Breckle S-W, Jackson ST. Climatic determinism in phytogeographic regionalization: A test from the Irano-Turanian region, SW and Central Asia. Flora. Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants. 2012;207(4):237-249.This study investigates the role of climate in determining phytogeographic regions, focusing particularly on the lrano-Turanian floristic region in SW and Central Asia. A set of simple climatic variables and bioclimatic indices were used to prepare climate-space scatter plots and climate diagrams. The climate data were also subjected to multivariate analyses (PCA and Regression tree) in order to develop a bioclimatic characterization of the Irano-Turanian region in comparison with the adjacent Mediterranean, Saharo-Sindian, Euro-Siberian, and Central-Asiatic regions. Phytogeographic regions of SW and Central Asia display distinct bioclimatic spaces with small overlaps. The Irano-Turanian region is differentiated from surrounding regions by continentality, winter temperature, and precipitation seasonality. Continentality is the most important bioclimatic factor in differentiating it from the Mediterranean and Saharo-Sindian regions and is responsible for floristic differences among sub-regions of the Irano-Turanian region. In our case study, the Irano-Turanian region is a nearly independent bioclimatic unit, distinct from its surrounding regions. Hence, it is suggested that the term "Irano-Turanian bioclimate" be used to describe the climate of most of the continental Middle East and Central Asia. Among different sub-regions, the west-central part of this floristic region ("IT2 sub-region") is a major center of speciation and endemism. Our case study demonstrates that climate is a primary determinant of phytogeographic regionalization. Although modern climate and topography are strong control parameters on the floristic composition and geographical delimitation of the Irano-Turanian region, the complex paleogeographic and paleoclimatic history of SW Asia has also influenced the Tertiary and Quaternary evolution of the Irano-Turanian flora, with additional impacts by the long-lasting historic and present land-use in this region. Many lrano-Turanian montane species are threatened by global warming, and particular conservation measures are needed to protect the Irano-Turanian flora in all sub-regions. (C) 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved
(Fig. 4D) Bulk oxygen isotopic record of autochthonous precipitated carbonates of sediment core Lake Van, Eastern Anatolian high plateau, Turkey, 110-135 ka BP
No full textInternational audienceA high-resolution multi-proxy record from Lake Van, eastern Anatolia, derived from a lacustrine sequence cored at the 357 m deep Ahlat Ridge (AR), allows a comprehensive view of paleoclimate and environmental history in the continental Near East during the last interglacial (LI). We combined paleovegetation (pollen), stable oxygen isotope (delta O-18(bulk)) and XRF data from the same sedimentary sequence, showing distinct variations during the period from 135 to 110 ka ago leading into and out of full interglacial conditions. The last interglacial plateau, as defined by the presence of thermophilous steppe-forest communities, lasted ca. 13.5 ka, from similar to 129.1-115.6 ka BP. The detailed palynological sequence at Lake Van documents a vegetation succession with several climatic phases: (I) the Pistacia zone (ca. 131.2-129.1 ka BP) indicates summer dryness and mild winter conditions during the initial warming, (II) the Quercus-Ulmus zone (ca. 129.1-1272 ka BP) occurred during warm and humid climate conditions with enhanced evaporation, (III) the Carpinus zone (ca. 1272-124.1 ka BP) suggest increasingly cooler and wetter conditions, and (IV) the expansion of Pinus at similar to 124.1 ka BP marks the onset of a colder/drier environment that extended into the interval of global ice growth. Pollen data suggest migration of thermophilous trees from refugial areas at the beginning of the last interglacial. Analogous to the current interglacial, the migration documents a time lag between the onset of climatic amelioration and the establishment of an oak steppe-forest, spanning 2.1 ka. Hence, the major difference between the last interglacial compared to the current interglacial (Holocene) is the abundance of Pinus as well as the decrease of deciduous broad-leaved trees, indicating higher continentality during the last interglacial. Finally, our results demonstrate intra-interglacial variability in the low mid-latitudes and suggest a close connection with the high-frequency climate variability recorded in Greenland ice cores. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Thermodynamics and Solubility of Electrolytes in Mixed Solvent Systems at High Temperatures
No full textA model
was proposed (J. Phys. Chem.
B2012, 116, 9033−9042, DOI: 10.1021/jp303819e)
for a priori prediction of thermodynamic properties and solubility
for ionic solutes in mixed solvent systems up to high temperatures
and pressures over the whole composition range of the cosolvent. For
input, the proposed model requires only the data at a reference temperature
and available solvent auxiliary data. A comparison of the predicted
solubility with the corresponding literature data indicates good agreement
in all cases to well within the uncertainties of the experimental
data. Also, the stoichioetric activity coefficient values are estimated
up to 473.15 K. These stoichiometric activity coefficients, over the
complete range of mole fraction of the cosolvent, are then extended
to all concentrations (0 ≤ m ≤ msat), and the results are compared with the
available data in the literature. The comparison of results with literature
shows good agreement
A pollen rain-vegetation study along a 3600 m mountain-desert transect in the Irano-Turanian region; implications for the reliability of some pollen ratios as moisture indicators
No full textInternational audienceA set of 42 modern pollen samples has been investigated to determine the relationship between pollen percentages and vegetation composition along a 3600 m elevational mountain-desert transect in central Iran. The studied transect shows three main vegetation groups including a ``high altitude zone'' (embracing subnival, alpine and montane subzones), a ``xerophytic desert steppe zone'', and a ``halophytic zone'', correlated with the groups defined in Correspondence Analysis (CA) of vegetation dataset and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of pollen dataset. The subnival subzone is characterized by high values of Asteraceae, Brassicaceae and Cyperaceae pollen, while alpine and montane subzones are characterized by the highest pollen diversity with a predominance of grass pollen along the whole transect. The halophytic zone is dominated by Chenopodiaceae pollen while xerophytic desert steppe shows a high occurrence of Artemisia pollen. The comparison of pollen percentages with the corresponding vegetation plots shows a high congruency between pollen and vegetation compositions of alpine subzone and undisturbed xerophytic desert steppe but a weak correlation between those of the subnival and montane subzones and human affected xerophytic desert steppe. In addition, pollen representation of frequently encountered or important plant taxa in the Irano-Turanian region is provided. The widely used Chenopodiaceae/Artemisia = C/A pollen ratio, as an aridity index, is shown to be unreliable in the Irano-Turanian steppes. Our results suggest that a combined graph of all four indices (C/A pollen ratio, Poaceae/Artemisia = P/A, Poaceae/Chenopodiaceae = P/C and (A + C)/P ratios) can represent the vegetation and climate relationships more accurately. In conclusion, surface pollen composition can reflect the actual vegetation zones/subzones in Irano-Turanian steppes. Together, P/A and P/C ratios are more confident to differentiate mesic from arid steppes, while C/A and (A + C)/P ratios provide a useful tool to differentiate halophytic desert vegetation developed in endorheic depressions with saline soils from xerophytic desert steppe developed in well-drained soils. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
- …
