Climatic significance of the marginalization of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) c. 2500 BC at White Moss, south Cheshire, UK

Subfossil wood from White Moss, south Cheshire, has become the focus of palaeoenvironmental research employing not only conventional coring, pollen analysis, radiocarbon dating and dendrochronology on pine and oak, but also the exhumation of in situ peat areas and dendroecology of the pine ring-width records. Initial dendrochronological research at the site yielded five pine chronologies dating from 3520 to 2462 cal. BC. These and other data indicate three episodes of pine colonization of the mire in the period between 3643 and 1740 cal. BC. Comparison of the pollen and spore records suggest that pine became marginalized at the site c. 2500 cal. BC after successive episodes of increased wetness, and this may represent a staged response to climatic deterioration. Two oak chronologies were dated by reference to the Belfast and to English oak master chronologies to 3228-2898 BC and 2190-1891 BC, respectively, showing the possible co-existence of pine and oak on the mire for part of the time. Further dendrochronological work on subfossil pine at the site resulted in a chronology (WM4) that was cross-matched with pine from elsewhere in England, and subsequently dated absolutely to 2881-2559 BC. Detailed dendroecological information, such as fire episodes and periods of environmental stress indicated in the tree-ring records, have been assigned, precisely and accurately, to calendar years in prehistory. The detailed data show the potential for both dendroecological and wider palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental information that may become available from prehistoric bog-pine chronologies, which might then permit precise correlation and comparisons of proxy-climate data between sites

National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic

Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In a large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors associated with public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing and stricter hygiene) and endorsed public policy interventions (e.g., closing bars and restaurants) during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who reported identifying more strongly with their nation consistently reported greater engagement in public health behaviours and support for public health policies. Results were similar for representative and non-representative national samples. Study 2 (N = 42 countries) conceptually replicated the central finding using aggregate indices of national identity (obtained using the World Values Survey) and a measure of actual behaviour change during the pandemic (obtained from Google mobility reports). Higher levels of national identification prior to the pandemic predicted lower mobility during the early stage of the pandemic (r = −0.40). We discuss the potential implications of links between national identity, leadership, and public health for managing COVID-19 and future pandemics.publishedVersio

Measurement of forward charged hadron flow harmonics in peripheral PbPb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV with the LHCb detector

Flow harmonic coefficients, v n , which are the key to studying the hydrodynamics of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) created in heavy-ion collisions, have been measured in various collision systems and kinematic regions and using various particle species. The study of flow harmonics in a wide pseudorapidity range is particularly valuable to understand the temperature dependence of the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio of the QGP. This paper presents the first LHCb results of the second- and the third-order flow harmonic coefficients of charged hadrons as a function of transverse momentum in the forward region, corresponding to pseudorapidities between 2.0 and 4.9, using the data collected from PbPb collisions in 2018 at a center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV . The coefficients measured using the two-particle angular correlation analysis method are smaller than the central-pseudorapidity measurements at ALICE and ATLAS from the same collision system but share similar features

Factors Associated with Revision Surgery after Internal Fixation of Hip Fractures

Background: Femoral neck fractures are associated with high rates of revision surgery after management with internal fixation. Using data from the Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures (FAITH) trial evaluating methods of internal fixation in patients with femoral neck fractures, we investigated associations between baseline and surgical factors and the need for revision surgery to promote healing, relieve pain, treat infection or improve function over 24 months postsurgery. Additionally, we investigated factors associated with (1) hardware removal and (2) implant exchange from cancellous screws (CS) or sliding hip screw (SHS) to total hip arthroplasty, hemiarthroplasty, or another internal fixation device. Methods: We identified 15 potential factors a priori that may be associated with revision surgery, 7 with hardware removal, and 14 with implant exchange. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses in our investigation. Results: Factors associated with increased risk of revision surgery included: female sex, [hazard ratio (HR) 1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.25-2.50; P = 0.001], higher body mass index (fo

Multiancestry analysis of the HLA locus in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases uncovers a shared adaptive immune response mediated by HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes

Across multiancestry groups, we analyzed Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) associations in over 176,000 individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) versus controls. We demonstrate that the two diseases share the same protective association at the HLA locus. HLA-specific fine-mapping showed that hierarchical protective effects of HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes best accounted for the association, strongest with HLA-DRB1*04:04 and HLA-DRB1*04:07, and intermediary with HLA-DRB1*04:01 and HLA-DRB1*04:03. The same signal was associated with decreased neurofibrillary tangles in postmortem brains and was associated with reduced tau levels in cerebrospinal fluid and to a lower extent with increased Aβ42. Protective HLA-DRB1*04 subtypes strongly bound the aggregation-prone tau PHF6 sequence, however only when acetylated at a lysine (K311), a common posttranslational modification central to tau aggregation. An HLA-DRB1*04-mediated adaptive immune response decreases PD and AD risks, potentially by acting against tau, offering the possibility of therapeutic avenues

Arthroscopic Hip Labral Augmentation Technique With Iliotibial Band Graft

The importance of the acetabular labrum has been well documented for the function and overall health of the hip joint. Several biomechanical studies have shown the sealing effect of the acetabular labrum. In the past decade, labral repair procedures have gained increased attention, with the literature suggesting that the outcomes after hip arthroscopy are directly related to labral preservation. However, a primary labral repair can be challenging in cases of hypoplastic, ossified, or complex and irreparable labral tears in which there is insufficient tissue to perform a primary repair. For these cases, labral reconstruction becomes a viable option with good outcomes at short-term and midterm follow-up. A subset of these patients may show viable remnants of the labral circumferential fibers but, because of the low tissue volume, these remnant fibers are unable to maintain the suction seal. In this situation, a labral augmentation may be a viable alternative to labral reconstruction while preserving as much native labral tissue as possible. The purpose of this Technical Note is to describe an arthroscopic hip labral augmentation technique using iliotibial band autograft or allograft

A Transosseous Bone Bridge Repair for Posterior Horn Meniscal Root Tears During Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Meniscal root tears occur in isolation or concurrently with ligamentous knee injury and cause significantly altered knee mechanics with the loss of normal meniscus hoop stress. This loss of normal meniscus function can result in abnormal knee kinematics and, subsequently, more rapid degenerative changes of the knee articular surface. In the setting of anterior cruciate ligament tear, the posterolateral meniscus root is most commonly damaged. Several techniques exist for meniscus root repair; however, none have been shown to be clearly superior. We present a safe, effective, and reproducible arthroscopic transtibial technique for posterior horn lateral meniscal root tears

Remplissage of the Femoral Head-Neck Junction in Revision Hip Arthroscopy: A Technique to Correct Excessive Cam Resection

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is an increasingly recognized cause of hip pain. This pathology often involves abnormal femoral neck shape (cam-type FAI), acetabular over coverage (pincer-type FAI), or mixed pathology. Surgical treatment of this entity includes labral repair and femoral head-neck osteochondroplasty. A mindful arthroscopic technique is of paramount importance, because maintaining the integrity of the labrum and a corresponding neck volume has been reported to be vital in maintaining the hip suction seal. Arthroscopic resection of the cam deformity must be performed with care to ensure appropriate femoral offset and maintenance of appropriate femoroacetabular contact. Although the most common cause of failure after hip arthroscopy is incomplete resection of a cam lesion, a previously unrecognized complication is excessive cam resection that can also lead to excessive femoral offset and loss of the suction seal. The purpose of this technical note is to describe the technique for arthroscopic recognition of excessive cam decompression leading to loss of the suction seal and a surgical treatment approach using the “remplissage” technique

Endoscopic Trochanteric Bursectomy and Iliotibial Band Release for Persistent Trochanteric Bursitis

Lateral hip pain associated with trochanteric bursitis is a common orthopedic condition, and can be debilitating in chronic or recalcitrant situations. Conservative management is the most common initial treatment and often results in resolution of symptoms and improved patient outcomes. These modalities include rest, activity modification, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication, or corticosteroid injections. However, there is a subset of patients in which symptoms persist despite exhaustive conservative modalities. For these patients, trochanteric bursectomy is a surgical option to address persistent pathology. Previous literature indicates that both open and arthroscopic surgical techniques can be used to address the inflamed bursa and results in good patient outcomes. However, recent advances in hip arthroscopy have allowed for improvements in minimally invasive techniques to address intracapsular and extracapsular pathology of the hip, including recalcitrant trochanteric bursitis. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe our technique for a minimally invasive arthroscopic trochanteric bursectomy

Microsoft Word - nejm v3 final - pdf version.doc

Abstract Background: Time-series analyses have linked contemporary levels of air pollution, particularly particles, to daily mortality counts. These findings have contributed to the rationale for tightening air quality standards, but the validity of these findings has been questioned. We have developed analytic methods to address limitations of prior single-city time-series analyses by combining evidence across multiple locations. Methods: Using a two-stage analytic approach that pools evidence from multiple locations, we have assessed the effects of five major outdoor air pollutants, particulate matter less than 10 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM 10 ), ozone (O 3 ), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), on daily mortality in 20 of the largest cities in the United States, from 1987-1994. Results: We found consistent evidence that PM 10 is associated with total and cardiorespiratory mortality after taking into account potential confounding by other pollutants. For total mortality, the estimated relative rate was approximately a 0.5% increase in mortality per 10 µg/m 3 increase in PM 10 and the effect was not likely to be due to chance. There was weaker evidence that ozone increased mortality during the summer but not the winter months. Other pollutants did not have effects on mortality. Conclusions: The analyses provide evidence that air pollution with particles is still adversely affecting the public's health and strengthen the rationale for limiting concentrations of respirable particles in outdoor air. Air Pollution and Mortality in 20 U.S. Cities