245,664 research outputs found
Contact-allergy time
The most commonly used techniques for the in vivo evaluation of the cellular
immune response include intracutaneous testing with microbial recall antigens
or sensitization with neoantigens. The reliability of these tests for the individual
patient usually is low due to the lack of standardization and quantification.
Moreover only the efferent branch of the immune response can be judged.
The dinitrochlorobenzene-contact allergy time (DNCB-CAT) is a quantitative
approach for the assessment of the cellular immune response. 2% DNCBointment
is applied on the upper arm in a 1 cm2 area. On the following days
patch-testing with 0.05% DNCB-ointment is done on the homolateral forearm
in alternating localizations till an allergic contact dermatitis reaction appears.
As assessed in patients with malignant melanoma (MM, n=\\5) and with
lymphoproliferative disorders (LD, η = 25), the DNCB-CAT correlates with
the age of the patients and can be expressed by a formula given by the age
(years) χ factor (MM = 0.16; LD = 0.17) + constant figure (MM = 5.5;
LD = 4.3). There was no significant difference between the two groups or subgroups
investigated.
By DNCB-CAT quantitative analysis of the cellular immune response in
vivo is possible. It is an appropriate model for further investigations of the
cellular immunity under different clinical, histological, prognostic, and therapeutic
aspects
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Tree-Ring Dating and Archaeology in the American Southwest
The relationship between archaeology and tree-ring dating, or dendrochronology, is reviewed. Until the past decade, the applications of tree-ring dating to archaeological problems had not been thoroughly exploited. Now, in addition to providing the most precise dating control in the world, dendrochronology is making contributions to behavioral archaeology and to the reconstruction of past environments.This item is part of the Tree-Ring Research (formerly Tree-Ring Bulletin) archive. It was digitized from a physical copy provided by the Laboratory of Tree-Ring research at The University of Arizona. For more information about this peer-reviewed scholarly journal, please email the Editor of Tree-Ring Research at [email protected]
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Selecting and Characterizing Tree-Ring Chronologies for Dendroclimatic Analysis
A widely spaced grid of tree-ring chronologies most suitable for dendroclimatic analysis of western North America is selected objectively on the basis of 1) numbers in the sample, length in years, and site locations, 2) statistical characteristics of the chronologies, and 3) correlation of chronologies with those on neighboring sites. The chronology statistics are then analyzed to characterize the quality of the selected set. The procedures used in this study are recommended for future climatic analysis to assure objectivity in the selection of quality tree-ring data and to allow comparisons of the statistics for new chronologies to the established data sets.This item is part of the Tree-Ring Research (formerly Tree-Ring Bulletin) archive. It was digitized from a physical copy provided by the Laboratory of Tree-Ring research at The University of Arizona. For more information about this peer-reviewed scholarly journal, please email the Editor of Tree-Ring Research at [email protected]
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A Microcomputer-Based Tree-Ring Measuring System
A brief discussion is presented on a new measuring system based on an APPLE microcomputer. Aspects of both hardware and software are considered, with emphasis on the software that provides operator interaction. The system uses diskettes for data storage and completely eliminates both paper tape and key punch cards from the measuring process.This item is part of the Tree-Ring Research (formerly Tree-Ring Bulletin) archive. It was digitized from a physical copy provided by the Laboratory of Tree-Ring research at The University of Arizona. For more information about this peer-reviewed scholarly journal, please email the Editor of Tree-Ring Research at [email protected]
A survey of low-velocity collisional features in Saturn's F ring
Small (~50km scale), irregular features seen in Cassini images to be emanating from Saturn's F ring have been termed mini-jets by Attree et al. (2012). One particular mini-jet was tracked over half an orbital period, revealing its evolution with time and suggesting a collision with a local moonlet as its origin. In addition to these data we present here a much more detailed analysis of the full catalogue of over 800 F ring mini-jets, examining their distribution, morphology and lifetimes in order to place constraints on the underlying moonlet population. We find mini-jets randomly located in longitude around the ring, with little correlation to the moon Prometheus, and randomly distributed in time, over the full Cassini tour to date. They have a tendency to cluster together, forming complicated `multiple' structures, and have typical lifetimes of ~1d. Repeated observations of some features show significant evolution, including the creation of new mini-jets, implying repeated collisions by the same object. This suggests a population of ≲ 1 km radius objects with some internal strength and orbits spread over ±100 km in semi-major axis relative to the F ring but with the majority within 20 km. These objects likely formed in the ring under, and were subsequently scattered onto differing orbits by, the perturbing action of Prometheus. This reinforces the idea of the F ring as a region with a complex balance between collisions, disruption and accretion.Supplementary information available at http://www.maths.qmul.ac.uk/~attree/mini-jets
Tree-ring-derived precipitation records from inner Mongolia;China;since a.d. 1627
Two Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) tree-ring width chronologies up to 375 years long were used to reconstruct rainfall from February to early July for the Wu Dangzhao region and from February to mid-July for the La Madong region, Inner Mongolia, China. The predictor variables account for 44.3% and 42.7% of the variance in precipitation, respectively. Both historical records and two other tree-ring based precipitation reconstructions from the environmentally sensitive zone (the northern Helan Mountain range and Baiyinaobao) confirm our results. After applying a 10-year moving average, the trends of four tree-ring based precipitation reconstructions vary synchronously. Periods with below-normal precipitation occurred during the 1720s–1730s, 1740s–1750s, 1790s, early 1810s, late 1830s–1860s, 1880s–1910s, late 1920s–1930s and after the late 1960s–early 1970s. Periods with above-normal precipitation occurred in the 1760s to early 1770s, 1820s to early 1830s, 1870s–1880s, early 1920s, 1940s to early 1960s, and 1990s. The late 1920s period was the most severe drought over a broad area in north China in the last 375 years. In contrast, the wettest period was in the late 1990s.This item is part of the Tree-Ring Research (formerly Tree-Ring Bulletin) archive. For more information about this peer-reviewed scholarly journal, please email the Editor of Tree-Ring Research at [email protected]
C-clamp and pelvic packing for control of hemorrhage in patients with pelvic ring disruption
BACKGROUND:
Exsanguinating hemorrhage is the major cause of death in patients with pelvic ring disruption.
AIMS:
The aim of this study was to document outcomes after the stabilization of pelvic ring injuries by a C-clamp and control of hemorrhage by pelvic packing. Physiological parameters were tested as prognostic factors.
SETTING AND DESIGN:
This was a retrospective study at a level I trauma center. The study period was from January 1996 to December 2007.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Fifty patients with pelvic ring disruption and hemorrhagic shock were analyzed. The pelvic rings were fixed by a C-clamp, and patients with ongoing hemorrhage underwent laparotomy and extra- and/or intra-peritoneal pelvic packing. Clinical parameters (heart rate, mean arterial pressure) and physiological parameters (lactate levels, hemoglobin, hematocrit) were documented at admission and at different time points during the initial treatment (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12h after admission).
RESULTS:
Within 12 h of admission, 16 patients died (nonsurvivors) due to hemorrhagic shock (n=13) or head injuries (n=3). In this group, 12 patients underwent laparotomy with pelvic packing. Thirty-four patients survived the first 12 h (early survivors) after fixation by a C-clamp and additional packing in 23 patients. Four of these patients died 12.3±7.1 days later due to multiple organ failure (n=3) or severe head injury (n=1). The blood lactate level at admission was significantly higher in the group of nonsurvivors (7.2±0.8 mmol/L) compared to the early survivors (4.3±0.5 mmol/L, P<0.05). While hemoglobin values improved within the first 2 h in nonsurvivors, lactate levels continued to increase.
CONCLUSION:
Pelvic packing in addition to the C-clamp fixation effectively controls severe hemorrhage in patients with pelvic ring disruption. Early sequential measurements of blood lactate levels can be used to estimate the severity of shock and the response to the shock treatment
The D-ring, Not the A-ring, Rotates in Synechococcus OS-B' Phytochrome
Phytochrome photoreceptors in plants and microorganisms switch photochromically between two states, controlling numerous important biological processes. Although this phototransformation is generally considered to involve rotation of ring D of the tetrapyrrole chromophore, Ulijasz et al. (Ulijasz, A. T., Cornilescu, G., Cornilescu, C. C., Zhang, J., Rivera, M., Markley, J. L., and Vierstra, R. D. (2010) Nature 463, 250–254) proposed that the A-ring rotates instead. Here, we apply magic angle spinning NMR to the two parent states following studies of the 23-kDa GAF (cGMP phosphodiesterase/adenylyl cyclase/FhlA) domain fragment of phytochrome from Synechococcus OS-B′. Major changes occur at the A-ring covalent linkage to the protein as well as at the protein residue contact of ring D. Conserved contacts associated with the A-ring nitrogen rule out an A-ring photoflip, whereas loss of contact of the D-ring nitrogen to the protein implies movement of ring D. Although none of the methine bridges showed a chemical shift change comparable with those characteristic of the D-ring photoflip in canonical phytochromes, denaturation experiments showed conclusively that the same occurs in Synechococcus OS-B′ phytochrome upon photoconversion. The results are consistent with the D-ring being strongly tilted in both states and the C15=C16 double bond undergoing a Z/E isomerization upon light absorption. More subtle changes are associated with the A-ring linkage to the protein. Our findings thus disprove A-ring rotation and are discussed in relation to the position of the D-ring, photoisomerization, and photochromicity in the phytochrome family
Looking at the Wood, Seeing the Trees and More: Australia-New Zealand Tree-Ring Science Conference, January 2025
The Australia-New Zealand Tree-Ring Conference was held January 21–23, 2025, at Waipapa Taumata Rau/University of Auckland, in Aotearoa/New Zealand. It was intended to provide an opportunity for the Australian and New Zealand dendrochronological researchers to meet, present current research, and discuss the challenges and opportunities in working with Southern Hemisphere tree species, but it was open to others outside of Australasia, including some keynote speakers. The meeting brought together many researchers from within and outside academia for the first time since the pandemic, and in addition to providing a look at current interesting and ongoing dendrochronology projects, it promoted camaraderie for this regional tree-ring community
Full waveform tomographic images of the peak ring at the Chicxulub impact crater
17/06/013 PDF version attached, OK to pub.Peak rings are a feature of large impact craters on the terrestrial planets and are generally believed to be formed from deeply buried rocks that are uplifted during crater formation. The precise lithology and kinematics of peak ring formation, however, remains unclear. Previous work has revealed a suite of bright inward-dipping reflectors beneath the peak ring at the Chicxulub impact crater and that the peak ring was formed from rocks with a relatively low seismic velocity. New 2D full-waveform tomographic velocity images show that the uppermost lithology of the peak ring is formed from a thin (~100-200 m thick) layer of low-velocity (~3000-3200 m/s) rocks. This low-velocity layer is most likely to be composed of highly porous, allogenic impact breccias. Our models also show that the change in velocity between lithologies within and outside the peak ring is more abrupt than previously realized and occurs close to the location of the dipping reflectors. Across the peak ring, velocity appears to correlate well with predicted shock pressures from a dynamic model of crater formation, where the rocks that form the peak ring originate from uplifted basement that has been subjected to high shock pressures (10-50 GPa), and lie above downthrown sedimentary rocks that have been subjected to shock pressures of < 5 GPa. These observations suggest that low-velocities within the peak ring may be related to shock effects and that the dipping reflectors underneath the peak ring might represent the boundary between highly-shocked basement and weakly-shocked sediments
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