Extensive elemental mapping unlocks Mg/Ca ratios as climate proxy in seasonal records of Mediterranean limpets.

Elemental analysis of biogeochemical archives is an established technique used to study climate in a range of applications, including ocean circulation, glacial/interglacial climates, and anthropogenic climate change. Data from mollusc archives are especially important because of their global abundance and sub-annual resolution. Despite this potential, they are underrepresented among palaeoclimate studies, due to enigmatic physiological influences skewing the elemental record. Understanding the patterns behind these influences will improve data interpretation and lead to the development of new climate proxies. Here, we show for the first time that extensive spatial mapping of multiple mollusc specimens using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) across a wider region can resolve enigmatic patterns within the elemental record caused by physiological influences. 2D elemental (Mg/Ca) maps of whole limpet shells (Patella caerulea) from across the Mediterranean revealed patterns of variability within individual mollusc records as well as within isochronous parts of specimens. By registering and quantifying these patterns, we established previously uninterpretable correlations with temperature (R2 > 0.8, p < 0.01). This outcome redefines the possibilities of accessing sub-annual climate proxies and presents the means to assess annual temperature ranges using oxygen isotope analysis requiring only 2 samples per shell.

Amputation of a lower extremity after severe trauma.

OBJECTIVE: Serious lower extremity injuries sometimes warrant emergency amputation. The goal of amputation in polytrauma patients is to increase chances of survival, while the goal of amputation in a single limb injury is to prevent further complications, e.g., infection, septic shock. INDICATIONS: Rescue from life-threatening lower extremity bleeding in a critically injured patient. Severe injury of a lower extremity: crushed, burned, frozen, advanced infection. CONTRAINDICATIONS: Patient refusal. SURGICAL TECHNIQUE: Supine position, determination of resection border, skin incision, identification of nerves and blood vessels, osteotomy, vessel ligation, separation of blood vessels and nerves, final removal of tissue with amputation knife, disposal of amputated extremity, skin closure. POSTOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT: Wound care, careful compression wraps beginning on postoperative day 7, early prosthesis fitting, mental health care consultation. RESULTS: From January 2008 until October 2010, 115 lower extremities were amputated at the BG Trauma Clinic in Ludwigshafen, Germany. A total of 42 amputations were posttraumatic and were performed in the clinic for trauma surgery and orthopedics. There were a total of 18 foot and toe amputations, 16 lower leg amputations, 5 knee amputations, and 3 above knee amputations. Comparison of the groups is difficult due to the varying mechanisms of injury and locations of amputation. Therapeutic decisions regarding emergency amputation are made with careful consideration of the patient.

[Total hip replacement for coxarthrosis following acetabular fracture. Significance of age and injury severity]. / Hüftendoprothese bei koxarthrose nach azetabulumfrakturen. Bedeutung von alter und verletzungsschwere.

AIM: this study analyzed factors influencing prosthetic hip function after total hip replacement surgery (THR) including the initial acetabular fracture type, patient age, and the acetabular reconstruction component. MATERIAL AND METHOD: a total of 45 patients with secondary arthritis due to acetabular fracture and THR were prospectively selected from our total hip arthroplasty register between July 1999 and December 2005. The initial acetabular fracture was classified according to the AO system and the statistical analysis of the preoperative and postoperative Harris hip score (HHS) was correlated with age, type of fracture and acetabular reconstruction component. RESULTS: of the fractures 44 could be classified and 39 patients were included in the study. Median follow-up period was 15 months. HHS increased on average from 35 to 91. Only type C fractures showed statistical relevance and age had no influence on the median increase in HHS (53-55). Most important was the preoperative HHS and the restoration of proper hip anatomy and rotational alignment. CONCLUSION: patient age and injury severity influenced the preoperative function and hence the HHS after THR; however, these factors had no influence on the individual increase in the HHS.

Interaction mechanism of some alkyl iodides with femtosecond laser pulses.

The interaction of 1-iodopropane, 2-iodopropane, 1-iodobutane, 2-iodobutane, and 1-iodopentane with (5 x 10(13-)5 x 10(15) W/cm2) femtosecond laser fields is studied by means of a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. It is found that multiphoton ionization (MPI) and field ionization (FI) processes are involved in the molecular ionization. The contribution of these processes can be distinguished using the peak profile of the ions in the mass spectra. Thus, from the mass spectra of 2-iodoropane and 2-iodobutane, it is concluded that MPI processes are taking place even for Keldysh parameter values gamma approximately 0.3. The field ionization process depends on the characteristics of the molecular binding potential well and leads to an asymmetric charge distribution of the transient multiply charged parent ions. In the case of 1-iodobutane, the MPI processes lead to a stable doubly charged parent ion production with a laser intensity threshold higher than that found for I2+ ions. In addition, the isomers studied exhibit distinct differences in their mass spectra and their origin is discussed in detail.