Current Developments in the Scientific Dating of Wood

The date of a given piece of furniture is often a crucial factor in a full appreciation of the object, and this has traditionally been assessed on the basis of style and patina, along of course with any historical records for the ownership of the item that may be available. Occasionally there may be some doubt over the authenticity of claims for the age of an object, or there may be conflicting stylistic issues that mean that some form of independent dating technique is needed to establish its bona fides. Another factor that may be of interest is the growth area origin of the wood used, and in some instances it may be possible to indicate this to a greater or lesser extent. In the case of wood, a number of techniques may be used to establish age, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages. This article sets out to give a basic introduction to these specialist techniques and some of their limitations. The best available technique is probably dendrochronology, as this can establish the date of a ring sequence with annual resolution, whilst also giving an indication of geographical provenance of the growth area of the tree used. Yet it has many drawbacks, as we shall see below. Radiocarbon dating is an established technique that is evolving rapidly and will be useful for many wood types where dendrochronology is not an option, and isotopic dating is another area that is rapidly becoming a possible third option

ELM Dendrochronology

Elm is generally considered to be unsuitable for dendrochronology, usually having too few rings, or having abrupt growth-rate changes that do not result from the external weather conditions. Samples rarely match each other in the same structure. A further difficulty is that even where it is known that the sequence is complete (the bark is still present), it is often not possible to distinguish sapwood rings by their appearance, even under a microscope. This is a significant problem as elm has been an important structural component of many British vernacular buildings over many centuries, but whereas dendrochronological dating of oak has transformed our understanding of thousands of buildings, by 2015 only four instances of dating elm had been made, two of those involving a single timber. When elm has been encountered, it has generally been dismissed from further dendrochronological study as a result of these known issues, but no systematic study has been undertaken to see whether these prejudices are justified. In order to get some evidence-based information about how elm might behave dendrochronologically, Historic England initiated a study: Developing the dendrochronology of elm in historic buildings, Project 7350, funded through its Heritage Protection Commissions. This resulted in over 70 buildings being looked at, with several being sampled, and the results are discussed here. At some sites an elm site master sequence could be derived, but potential matches with local oak chronologies were generally not strong enough to be considered dated. In one instance good matches with local oak sites were found, but subsequent radiocarbon analysis found these matches to be erroneous. At another site, five trees gave an 89-year ring sequence, but no acceptable matches were found with oak chronologies. Radiocarbon dating and oxygen isotope dating both gave the same dating results at this site, however, showing that these two methods appear to give the best hope of dating elm in the future

Following basal stem rot in young oil palm plantings

The PCR primer GanET has previously been shown to be suitable for the specific amplification of DNA from Ganoderma boninense. A DNA extraction and PCR method has been developed that allows for the amplification of the G. boninense DNA from environmental samples of oil palm tissue. The GanET primer reaction was used in conjunction with a palm-sampling programme to investigate the possible infection of young palms through cut frond base surfaces. Ganoderma DNA was detected in frond base material at a greater frequency than would be expected by comparison with current infection levels. Comparisons are made between the height of the frond base infected, the number of frond bases infected, and subsequent development of basal stem rot. The preliminary results suggest that the development of basal stem rot may be more likely to occur when young lower frond bases are infected

Increasing Awareness of Hereditary Fructose Intolerance: An Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Project

Background: Hereditary Fructose Intolerance (HFI) is an inborn error of metabolism which results in the absence of an effective Aldolase B enzyme. Without this enzyme, ingestion of fructose and metabolic precursors leads to acute illness, multiorgan damage, and possible death. The increased presence of these sugars results in earlier onset of symptoms and more difficulty for those with HFI. Purpose: The project’s aim is to increase awareness of HFI in healthcare providers using a learning module and assessments of knowledge at three different points in time. Methods: The IOWA model for evidence-based practice projects was applied during the development and completion of this project. A learning module was used, and knowledge was assessed before, after, and one month after following completion of the module. Results: Self-reported awareness of HFI increased on a 4-point Likert Scale from 1.6 to 3.06 from preassessment to post-assessment and from 1.5 to 2.8 for awareness of FM. The average amount of symptoms identified as being related to HFI increased from 1.95 to 3.76 (preassessment and post-assessment). Choice of genetic testing increased from 31.3% of participants to 90% in the post-assessment. The selection of dangerous diagnostic tests (IV fructose challenge and hydrogen breath test) decreased from preassessment (24.4% and 35.6%) to post-assessment (23.3% and 16.7%). Discussion:Education focused on HFI had a significant impact on participants’ knowledge base as seen by the pre and post-test responses. As this project was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, significant attrition from the post-evaluation to the follow-up assessment was seen. Therefore, it is unclear whether the knowledge would be sustained over time. Future reiterations of this project should consider the requirements of all completion of the module within a specified timeframe and should include follow-up post-assessment items

Expert patient perspectives on radiotherapy: a phenomenological comparison

AbstractBackgroundPatient involvement in health profession student training is becoming more common and includes clinical case studies, informing curriculum development and active teaching in dedicated patient experience sessions. Despite a growing evidence base supporting patient involvement, there is little published data concerning motivation for involvement. A qualitative study was performed to provide narrative relating to patient experiences in expert patient sessions on an undergraduate radiation therapy course.MethodsA phenomenological approach utilised semi-structured interviews with two expert patients from different backgrounds. A common set of questions were used for each participant. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed before thematic coding.ResultsBoth participants identified areas of similarity as well as key difference in their experiences. Both had different levels of public speaking experience as well as different levels of knowledge relating to radiation therapy treatment. Both found the initial session emotional but ultimately enjoyed the process and found it cathartic.ConclusionThe patients enjoyed this experience and identified clear value of the teaching for themselves and the students. Previous public speaking or clinical experience seemed to have limited impact on patient experience and suggested the vulnerability of the situation. Both had different perspectives of their fellow patients and their role in the healthcare partnership. These findings indicate the value of ensuring students have access to a range of perspectives from different patients.</jats:sec