Reconstructing the Holocene glacial history of northern Troms and western Finnmark, Arctic Norway

\ua9 2024 The Author(s). Boreas published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Boreas Collegium. Here we present the first Lateglacial and Holocene glacial history from Rotsunddalen, northern Troms and western Finnmark county, northern Norway, based on both relative and numerical moraine dating using Schmidt hammer, soil chronosequencing and terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide dating. We combine these chronological data with a regional map of the glacial geomorphology to hypothesize key events in the glacial history from around 14 ka to present. Our reconstruction shows that, following deglaciation of the main ice sheet across central Troms and Finnmark, mountain glaciers were terminating on land, close to the coast, between around 12.1 and 10.6 ka. Continued recession of the main Fennoscandian Ice Sheet margin towards the SE led to the isolation of several large plateau icefields and outlet glaciers that generated moraines at around 10.2–9.2 ka, which we ascribe to the Erdalen Event, and 8.4–8.2 ka, which is broadly contemporaneous with the 8.2 ka cold event. Although the latter corresponds with the Scandinavian Finse Event, very few moraines have been dated to this time and we therefore view it as a tentative hypothesis for future work to test. During the Holocene Thermal Maximum (~6.6 to 6.3 ka) most (if not all) glaciers in the region disappeared, but then regrew during the Neoglaciation and produced large moraines dated to around 4.7 ka that lie a few hundred metres distal to the prominent Little Ice Age moraines (previously dated to AD 1810s–1870s). Given the limitations of our dating approach, the preservation of moraines dated to this period in northern Norway also warrants further investigation. We also highlight that terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide dating of the moraines is not consistent with other dating approaches and the widely established deglaciation history of the region, probably owing to cosmogenic inheritance and insufficient glacial erosion

Future Challenges and Unsolved Problems in Multi-field Visualization

Evaluation, solved and unsolved problems, and future directions are popular themes pervading the visualization community over the last decade. The top unsolved problem in both scientific and information visualization was the subject of an IEEE Visualization Conference panel in 2004. The future of graphics hardware was another important topic of discussion the same year. The subject of how to evaluate visualization returned a few years later. Chris Johnson published a list of 10 top problems in scientific visualization research. This was followed up by report of both past achievements and future challenges in visualization research as well as financial support recommendations to the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institute of Health (NIH). Chen recently published the first list of top unsolved information visualization problems. Future research directions of topology-based visualization was also a major theme of a workshop on topology-based methods. Laramee and Kosara published a list of top future challenges in human-centered visualization

Two-Minute k-Space and Time–accelerated Aortic Four-dimensional Flow MRI: Dual-Center Study of Feasibility and Impact on Velocity and Wall Shear Stress Quantification

PURPOSE: To investigate the two-center feasibility of highly k-space and time (k-t)–accelerated 2-minute aortic four-dimensional (4D) flow MRI and to evaluate its performance for the quantification of velocities and wall shear stress (WSS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study prospectively included 68 participants (center 1, 11 healthy volunteers [mean age ± standard deviation, 61 years ± 15] and 16 patients with aortic disease [mean age, 60 years ± 10]; center 2, 14 healthy volunteers [mean age, 38 years ± 13] and 27 patients with aortic or cardiac disease [mean age, 78 years ± 18]). Each participant underwent highly accelerated 4D flow MRI (k-t acceleration, acceleration factor of 5) of the thoracic aorta. For comparison, conventional 4D flow MRI (acceleration factor of 2) was acquired in the participants at center 1 (n = 27). Regional aortic peak systolic velocities and three-dimensional WSS were quantified. RESULTS: k-t–accelerated scan times (center 1, 2:03 minutes ± 0:29; center 2, 2:06 minutes ± 0:20) were significantly reduced compared with conventional 4D flow MRI (center 1, 12:38 minutes ± 2:25; P < .0001). Overall good agreement was found between the two techniques (absolute differences ≤15%), but proximal aortic WSS was significantly underestimated in patients by using k-t–accelerated 4D flow when compared with conventional 4D flow (P ≤ .03). k-t–accelerated 4D flow MRI was reproducible (intra- and interobserver intraclass correlation coefficient ≥0.98) and identified significantly increased peak velocities and WSS in patients with stenotic (P ≤ .003) or bicuspid (P ≤ .04) aortic valves compared with healthy volunteers. In addition, k-t–accelerated 4D flow MRI–derived velocities and WSS were inversely related to age (r ≥−0.53; P ≤ .03) over all healthy volunteers. CONCLUSION: k-t–accelerated aortic 4D flow MRI providing 2-minute scan times was feasible and reproducible at two centers. Although consistent healthy aging- and disease-related changes in aortic hemodynamics were observed, care should be taken when considering WSS, which can be underestimated in patients

Acute retroperitoneal bleeding due to inferior mesenteric artery aneurysm: Case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Visceral artery aneurysms (VAA), although uncommon, are increasingly being detected. We describe a case of spontaneous retroperitoneal hemorrhage from a ruptured IMA aneurysm associated with stenosis of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and celiac trunk, successfully treated with surgery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A 65-year-old man presented with abdominal pain and hypovolemic shock. Abdominal CT scan showed an aneurysm of the inferior mesenteric artery with retroperitoneal hematoma. In addition, an obstructive disease of the superior mesenteric artery and celiac axis was observed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Upon emergency laparotomy a ruptured inferior mesenteric artery aneurysm was detected. The aneurysm was excised and the artery reconstructed by end-to-end anastomosis.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This report discusses the etiology, presentation, diagnosis and case management of inferior mesenteric artery aneurysms.</p

Genome-wide association study of nevirapine hypersensitivity in a sub-Saharan African HIV-infected population

The initial GWAS was funded by the International Serious Adverse Events Consortium (iSAEC). The iSAEC is a non-profit organization dedicated to identifying and validating DNA variants useful in predicting the risk of drug-related serious adverse events. The Consortium brings together the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory authorities and academic centres to address clinical and scientific issues associated with the genetics of drug-related serious adverse events. The iSAEC’s current funding members include: Abbott, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Takeda and the Wellcome Trust. Mas Chaponda was funded by a 3 year Wellcome Trust training fellowship WT078857MA administered through the University of Liverpool. Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme is funded through a Core Programme Grant award from the Wellcome Trust. Munir Pirmohamed is a National Institute for Health Research Senior Investigator, and also wishes to thank the MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science for support. The DART study was supported by the UK Medical Research Council (grant number G0600344), the UK Department for International Development and the Rockefeller Foundation. Andrew P. Morris is a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow in Basic Biomedical Science (grant number WT098017). Louise Y. Takeshita is funded by a PhD fellowship from CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Brazil). Panos Deloukas’ work forms part of the research themes contributing to the translational research portfolio of Barts Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit which is supported and funded by the National Institute for Health Research

Significantly Longer Envelope V2 Loops Are Characteristic of Heterosexually Transmitted Subtype B HIV-1 in Trinidad

In Trinidad and the wider Caribbean, subtype B Human Immunodeficiency Virus-type 1 (HIV-1B) overwhelmingly accounts for HIV infection among heterosexuals; this contrasts with the association of HIV-1B with homosexual transmission and injecting drug use globally. The HIV envelope contains genetic determinants of cell tropism and evasion from immune attack. In this study we investigate the genetic properties of the env V1-C4 of HIV-1B soon after transmission to Trinidadian heterosexuals. This will reveal distinctive genetic features of the strains that cause the HIV-1B epidemic in Trinidad and generate insights to better understand their properties.Quasispecies sampling was performed on the env V1-C4 of HIV-1B strains soon after transmission to heterosexual Trinidadians in a cohort of seroconverters. Phylogenetic relationships were determined for these quasispecies and the length and number of asparagine (N) linked glycosylation sites (NLGS) in their variable loops compared to that for HIV-1B globally. Signature amino acids within the constant domains of the env V1-C4 were identified for heterosexually transmitted HIV-1B from Trinidad relative to HIV-1B globally. HIV-1B obtained from Trinidadian heterosexuals soon after seroconversion had significantly longer V2 loops with one more glycosylation site, shorter V3 loops and no significant difference in V1 or V4 when compared to HIV-1B obtained soon after seroconversion from infected individuals in the rest of the world. HIV-1B soon after seroconversion and during chronic infection of Trinidadians was not significantly different, suggesting that distinctly long V2 loops are characteristic of HIV-1B in Trinidad. A threonine deletion at position 319 (T319-) along with the substitutions R315K and S440R were found to be distinctly associated with HIV-1B from Trinidad compared to HIV-1B globally.This finding of distinctive genetic features that are characteristic of HIV-1B strains from Trinidad is consistent with the Trinidad epidemic being established by a founder strain or closely related founder strains of HIV-1B

A longitudinal study of stavudine-associated toxicities in a large cohort of South African HIV infected subjects

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There has been major improvement in the survival of HIV-1 infected individuals since the South African Government introduced highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) in the public sector in 2004. This has brought new challenges which include the effects of stavudine-related toxicities.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Prospective analysis of a cohort of 9040 HIV-infected adults who were initiated on HAART at the Themba Lethu Clinic (TLC) in Johannesburg between April 1, 2004 to December 31, 2007, and followed up until June 30, 2008.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Amongst the 9040 study subjects, 8497(94%) were on stavudine based therapy and 5962 (66%) were women. The median baseline CD4 count was 81 cells/mm³(IQR 29-149). Median follow up on HAART was 19 months (IQR: 9.1-31.6). The proportion of HAART-related side effects for stavudine compared to non-stavudine containing regimens were, respectively: peripheral neuropathy,17.1% vs. 11.2% (p < 0.001); symptomatic hyperlactataemia, 5.7% vs. 2.2% (p < 0.0005); lactic acidosis, 2.5 vs. 1.3% (p = 0.072); lipoatrophy, 7.3% vs. 4.6% (p < 0.05). Among those on stavudine-based regimens, incidence rates for peripheral neuropathy were 12.1 cases/100 person-years (95%CI 7.0-19.5), symptomatic hyperlactataemia 3.6 cases/100 person-years (95%CI 1.2-7.5), lactic acidosis 1.6 cases/100 person-years (95%CI 0.4-5.2) and lipoatrophy 4.6 cases/100 person-years (95%CI 2.1-9.6). Females experienced more toxicity when compared to males in terms of symptomatic hyperlactataemia (p < 0.0001), lactic acidosis (p < 0.0001), lipoatrophy (p < 0.0001) and hypertension (p < 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We demonstrate significant morbidity associated with stavudine. These data support the latest WHO guidelines, and provide additional evidence for other resource limited HAART rollout programs considering the implementation of non-stavudine based regimens as first line therapy.</p

Calibration of the charge and energy loss per unit length of the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber using muons and protons

We describe a method used to calibrate the position- and time-dependent response of the MicroBooNE liquid argon time projection chamber anode wires to ionization particle energy loss. The method makes use of crossing cosmic-ray muons to partially correct anode wire signals for multiple effects as a function of time and position, including cross-connected TPC wires, space charge effects, electron attachment to impurities, diffusion, and recombination. The overall energy scale is then determined using fully-contained beam-induced muons originating and stopping in the active region of the detector. Using this method, we obtain an absolute energy scale uncertainty of 2% in data. We use stopping protons to further refine the relation between the measured charge and the energy loss for highly-ionizing particles. This data-driven detector calibration improves both the measurement of total deposited energy and particle identification based on energy loss per unit length as a function of residual range. As an example, the proton selection efficiency is increased by 2% after detector calibration