Comprehensive airborne characterization of aerosol from a major bovine source

We report an extensive airborne characterization of aerosol downwind of a massive bovine source in the San Joaquin Valley (California) on two flights during July 2007. The Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS) Twin Otter probed chemical composition, particle size distribution, mixing state, sub- and supersaturated water uptake behavior, light scattering properties, and the interrelationship between these parameters and meteorology. Total PM_(1.0) levels and concentrations of organics. nitrate. and ammonium were enhanced in the plume from the source as compared to the background aerosol. Organics dominated the plume aerosol mass (~56-64%), followed either by sulfate or nitrate. and then ammonium. Particulate amines were detected in the plume aerosol by a particle-into-liquid sampler (PILS) and via mass spectral inarkers in the Aerodvne C-ToF-AMS. Amines were found to be a significant atmospheric base even in the presence of arnmonia; particulate amine concentrations are estimated as at least 14-23% of that of ammonium in the plume. Enhanced sub- and supersaturated water uptake and reduced refractive indices were coincident with lower organic mass fractions, higher nitrate mass fractions, and the detection of amines. The likelihood of suppressed droplet growth owing to kinetic limitations from hydrophobic organic material is explored. After removing effects associated with size distribution and mixing state, the normalized activated fraction of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) increased as a function of the subsaturated hygroscopic growth factor, with the highest activated fractions being consistent with relatively lower organic mass fractions and higher nitrate mass fractions. Subsaturated hygroscopic growth factors for the organic fraction of the aerosol are estimated based on employing the Zdanovskii-Stokes Robinson (ZSR) mixing rule. Representative values for a parameterization treating particle water uptake in both the sub- and supersaturated regimes are reported for incorporation into atmospheric models

Functional rewiring across spinal injuries via biomimetic nanofiber scaffolds

The regrowth of severed axons is fundamental to reestablish motor control after spinal-cord injury (SCI). Ongoing efforts to promote axonal regeneration after SCI have involved multiple strategies that have been only partially successful. Our study introduces an artificial carbon-nanotube based scaffold that, once implanted in SCI rats, improves motor function recovery. Confocal microscopy analysis plus fiber tracking by magnetic resonance imaging and neurotracer labeling of long-distance corticospinal axons suggest that recovery might be partly attributable to successful crossing of the lesion site by regenerating fibers. Since manipulating SCI microenvironment properties, such as mechanical and electrical ones, may promote biological responses, we propose this artificial scaffold as a prototype to exploit the physics governing spinal regenerative plasticity

Properties and units in the clinical laboratory sciences part XXIV. Properties and units in clinical molecular genetics (IUPAC Technical Report)

Molecular Technology and Informatics for Personalised Medicine and Healt

Clinical outcomes after implantation of a sutureless aortic bioprosthesis with concomitant mitral valve surgery: the SURE-AVR registry

Background: Early treatment of aortic valve stenosis is recommended in eligible symptomatic patients with severe aortic valve stenosis who would otherwise have a poor prognosis. The sutureless aortic valve bioprosthesis offers an alternative to standard aortic valve replacement with a sutured valve, but limited data are available in patients who have undergone multiple valve procedures involving the new, sutureless technology. We sought to investigate outcomes in high operative risk patients with previous or concomitant valve surgery who were implanted with a sutureless valve. Methods: SURE-AVR is an ongoing, prospective, multinational registry of patients undergoing aortic valve replacement. In-hospital and post-discharge outcomes up to 5 years were collected. Results: The study population comprised 78 patients (mean \ub1 SD: age 73.6 \ub1 7.6 years, logistic EuroSCORE 18.0 \ub1 17.5) enrolled at 13 sites who presented for concomitant or previous mitral valve repair (n\ua0= 45) or replacement (n\ua0= 33), with or without additional concomitant procedures, and were implanted with a sutureless valve. Mean \ub1 SD overall aortic cross-clamp time was 109 \ub1 41 min and cardiopulmonary bypass time was 152 \ub1 49 min. Mean \ub1 SD aortic pressure gradients decreased from 37.6 \ub1 17.7 mmHg preoperatively to 13.0 \ub1 5.7 mmHg at hospital discharge, and peak aortic pressure gradient from 61.5 \ub1 28.7 to 23.4 \ub1 10.6 mmHg. Early events included 1 death, 1 transient ischaemic attack, and 1 bleed (all 1.3%); a permanent pacemaker implantation was required in 6 patients (7.7%), and 2 reoperations (not valve related) (2.6%) took place. Over a median follow-up of 55.5 months (Q1 13.4, Q3 68.6), 12 patients died (6 cardiovascular and 6 non-cardiovascular, both 2.1% per patient-year). Five-year survival was 81.3%. Late paravalvular leak occurred in 2 patients (0.7% per patient-year) and permanent pacemaker implantation was required in 3 patients (0.1% per patient-year). There was no apparent rise in mean or peak aortic pressure gradient over the study. Conclusions: These results suggest that the sutureless implant is a technically feasible procedure during mitral surgery and is associated with good clinical outcomes

Small Change: Economics and the British coin-tree

This is the accepted manuscript for the following article: Ceri Houlbrook, “Small Change: Economics and the British coin-tree”, Post Medieval Archaeology, Vol. 49(1), June 2015. The final published version can be found at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1179/0079423615Z.00000000074 © Society for Post-Medieval Archaeology 2015Throughout the c.2000 year period coins have been circulated in Britain, they have also been ritually employed, most notably as votive deposits. Focusing specifically on the understudied custom of the British coin-tree, whereby coins are ritually embedded into the barks of trees, this paper considers the coin’s role and applicability as a deposit. It aims to demonstrate that our understanding of the coin’s past, present, and future ritual employment is not only aided by a consideration of economics and the coin’s secular function; it would be utterly incomplete without it.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Stressful conditions reveal decrease in size, modification of shape but relatively stable asymmetry in bumblebee wings

Human activities can generate a wide variety of direct and indirect effects on animals, which can manifest as environmental and genetic stressors. Several phenotypic markers have been proposed as indicators of these stressful conditions but have displayed contrasting results, depending, among others, on the phenotypic trait measured. Knowing the worldwide decline of multiple bumblebee species, it is important to understand these stressors and link them with the drivers of decline. We assessed the impact of several stressors (i.e. natural toxin-, parasite-, thermic- and inbreeding-stress) on both wing shape and size and their variability as well as their directional and fluctuating asymmetries. The total data set includes 650 individuals of Bombus terrestris (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Overall wing size and shape were affected by all the tested stressors. Except for the sinigrin (e.g. glucosinolate) stress, each stress implies a decrease of wing size. Size variance was affected by several stressors, contrary to shape variance that was affected by none of them. Although wing size directional and fluctuating asymmetries were significantly affected by sinigrin, parasites and high temperatures, neither directional nor fluctuating shape asymmetry was significantly affected by any tested stressor. Parasites and high temperatures led to the strongest phenotype modifications. Overall size and shape were the most sensitive morphological traits, which contrasts with the common view that fluctuating asymmetry is the major phenotypic marker of stress

A chemically modified antibody mediates complete eradication of tumours by selective disruption of tumour blood vessels

These results reinforce the concept that vascular shutdown can induce a curative avalanche of tumour cell death. Immuno-photodynamic therapy may be particularly indicated for squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, which we show to be strongly positive for markers of angiogenesis