Effect Of Long-distance Transport Research Articles

Successful transport across continents of GMP-manufactured and cryopreserved culture-expanded human fetal liver-derived mesenchymal stem cells for use in a clinical trial

IntroductionCell therapy has been increasingly considered to treat diseases, but it has been proven difficult to manufacture the same product at multiple manufacturing sites. Thus, for a wider implementation an alternative is to have one manufacturing site with a wide distribution to clinical sites. To ensure administration of a good quality cell therapy product with maintained functional characteristics, several obstacles must be overcome, which includes for example transfer of knowledge, protocols and procedures, site assessment, transportation and preparation of the product. MethodsAs the preparatory work for a clinical trial in India using fetal mesenchymal stem cells (fMSCs) developed and manufactured in Sweden, we performed a site assessment of the receiving clinical site, transferred methods, developed procedures and provided training of operators for handling of the cell therapy product. We further developed a Pharmacy Manual to cover the management of the product, from ordering it from the manufacturer, through transport, reconstitution, testing and administration at the clinical site. Lastly, the effect of long-distance transport on survival and function of, as well as the correct handling of the cell therapy product, was evaluated according to the pre-determined and approved Product Specification. ResultsFour batches of cryopreserved human fetal liver-derived fMSCs manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practice and tested according to predetermined release criteria in Sweden, were certified and transported in a dry shipper at −150 °C to the clinical site in India. The transport was temperature monitored and took three–seven days to complete. The thawed and reconstituted cells showed more than 80% viability up to 3 h post-thawing, the cell recovery was more than 94%, the cells displayed the same surface protein expression pattern, differentiated into bone, had stable chromosomes and were sterile, which conformed with the data from the manufacturing site in Sweden. ConclusionsOur study shows the feasibility of transferring necessary knowledge and technology to be able to carry out a clinical trial with a cell therapy product in distant country. It also shows that it is possible to transport a cryopreserved cell therapy product over long distances and borders with retained quality. This extends the use of cryopreserved cell therapy products in the future.

Effects of long-distance transport on O3 and secondary inorganic aerosols formation in Qingdao, China

This work presents a three-year continuous observation of ozone (O3) and fine particle (PM2.5), as well as their precursors in Qingdao, China, from September 2018 to August 2021. The annual concentrations of O3 and PM2.5 were measured as 35.9–44.5 ppbv and 31.6–34.2 μg m−3, respectively. Analysis of the interannual variations of O3 and PM2.5 concentration indicated the effective control measures for PM2.5 and O3 pollution in Qingdao in recent years. Nevertheless, we still observed 85 O3 episodes and 80 PM2.5 episodes during the whole observation. And it was found that the fraction of secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA) in PM2.5 mass significantly increased during PM2.5 episodes. By employing the Lagrangian photochemical trajectory model (LPTM), we investigated the roles of local production and regional transport (i.e., short-distance transport and long-distance transport) that play in the O3 and SIA formation in these episodes. The contribution of local production, short-distance transport, and long-distance transport to O3 concentration was calculated as 36%, 25%, and 39%, respectively. Long-distance transport seemed to play a more significant role in the SIA formation, accounting for 56% of SIA concentration. Moreover, the calculation results of the relative incremental reactivity (RIR) showed that both O3 and SIA formation were mainly affected by NOx and VOCs emissions during the process of long-distance transport. The observed unexpectedly high contribution of long-distance transport to O3 and SIA formation suggests that more extensive regional joint prevention and control policies on NOx and VOCs emissions are warranted to mitigate secondary air pollution.

Size-segregated chemical compositions of particulate matter including PM0.1 in northern Vietnam, a highly polluted area where notable seasonal episodes occur

In October 2017 and June 2018, measurements of size-segregated atmospheric particles containing ultrafine particles (PM0.1) were carried out using a Nanosampler in northern Vietnam (urban, peri-urban and rural areas). This study shows that the variations of PM concentration at the three sites were very similar and that air pollution is widespread in northern Vietnam. However, a concentration difference between cities and a change of composition at high PM concentration were confirmed, and there were some characteristic regional, particle-size, and component trends. From the carbon-fraction distribution, the carbon components of atmospheric particles in Vietnam were affected by vehicles (OC3) and biomass combustion (OC3, EC1), and PM0.1 was affected strongly by vehicles (EC2). The water-soluble ionic component of fine particles in Vietnam is characterized by the highest amount of nitrate next to sulfate. The nitrate formation path is analyzed from the degree of neutralization with ammonium. In coarse and fine particles, particle formation of nitrate due to heterogeneous reaction is dominant, and the contribution of HNO3 adsorption by soil particles and N2O5 hydrolysis is high. For PM0.1, the formation of ammonium nitrate by a homogeneous reaction is the main production path. High-concentration events with increased nitrate were observed in late October, characterized by the effects of long-distance transportation and the promotion of nocturnal N2O5 hydrolysis with increased humidity. In June, when there was an increase in PM concentration derived from biomass combustion, PM0.1 indicated characteristic behavior, suggesting that it is possible to estimate local sources from PM0.1 components and variations.

Multiple pesticides in lentic small water bodies: Exposure, ecotoxicological risk, and contamination origin

Lentic small water bodies (LSWB) are a highly valuable landscape element with important ecosystem services and benefits for humans and the environment. However, data about their pesticide contamination dynamic and the associated ecotoxicological effects are scarce. To overcome these knowledge gaps, five LSWBs located in agricultural fields in Northern Germany were studied during the spring pesticide application period (April to July 2018) and the concentrations of 94 pesticides were measured in weekly intervals. The goals of this study were to observe the trends of pesticide contamination during the application period, assess the ecotoxicity of the contamination, and assign the findings to temporal and spatial origins. Samples contained pesticide concentrations between 0.12 and 4.83 μg L−1 as sums. High detection frequencies (81% of samples) and concentrations (max 1.2 μg L−1) were observed for metazachlor transformation products. Contamination from multiple pesticides was detected with up to 25 compounds per sample and a maximum of 37 compounds per LSWB during the entire sampling period. High toxicities for algae and macrophytes were recorded using toxic units (TU) of −0.2 to −3.5. TUs for invertebrates were generally lower than for algae/macrophytes (−2.7 to −5.2) but were also recorded at levels with ecological impacts. Pesticide detections were separated into four categories to assign them to different temporal and spatial origins. Pesticides from the spring (5–11%) and the previous autumn (0–36%) application periods were detected in the LSWB. Some pesticides could be related to the application of the previous crop on the same field (0–39%), but most of the compounds (44–85%) were not related to the crop management in the last two years on the respective LSWB fields. The relevance of different input pathways is still unknown. Particularly, the effect of long-distance transport needs to be clarified to protect aquatic biota in LSWBs.

Effects of long-distance transportation on blood constituents and composition of the nasal microbiota in healthy donkeys

BackgroundThis study aims to determine the effects of transportation on the nasal microbiota of healthy donkeys using 16S rRNA sequencing.ResultsDeep nasal swabs and blood were sampled from 14 donkeys before and after 21 hours’ long-distance transportation. The values of the plasma hormone (cortisol (Cor), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)), biochemical indicators (total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), creatinine (CREA), lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate transaminase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), blood urea (UREA), plasma glucose (GLU)) and blood routine indices (white blood cell (WBC), lymphocyte (LYM), neutrophil (NEU), red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB)) were measured. 16S rRNA sequencing was used to assess the nasal microbiota, including alpha diversity, beta diversity, and phylogenetic structures. Results showed that levels of Cor, ACTH, and heat-shock protein 90 (HSP90) were significantly increased (p < 0.05) after long-distance transportation. Several biochemical indicators (AST, CK) and blood routine indices (Neu, RBC, and HGB) increased markedly (p < 0.05), but the LYM decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Nine families and eight genera had a mean relative abundance over 1%. The predominant phyla in nasal microbiota after and before transportation were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Transportation stress induced significant changes in terms of nasal microbiota structure compared with those before transportation based on principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) coupled with analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) (p < 0.05). Among these changes, a notably gain in Proteobacteria and loss in Firmicutes at the phylum level was observed.ConclusionsThese results suggest transportation can cause stress to donkeys and change the richness and diversity of nasal microbiota. Further studies are required to understand the potential effect of these microbiota changes on the development of donkey respiratory diseases.

Assessment of transport stress on cattle travelling a long distance (≈648 km), from Jessore (Indian border) to Chittagong, Bangladesh

The effect of long-distance transport on cattle health has not frequently been studied in Bangladesh. The current study investigated the health conditions, and the extent and pattern of cattle injuries,...

Environmental Impact Assessment of a School Building in Iceland Using LCA-Including the Effect of Long Distance Transport of Materials

Buildings are the key components of urban areas and society as a complex system. A life cycle assessment was applied to estimate the environmental impacts of the resources applied in the building envelope, floor slabs, and interior walls of the Vættaskóli-Engi building in Reykjavik, Iceland. The scope of this study included four modules of extraction and transportation of raw material to the manufacturing site, production of the construction materials, and transport to the building site, as described in the standard EN 15804. The total environmental effects of the school building in terms of global warming potential, ozone depletion potential, human toxicity, acidification, and eutrophication were calculated. The total global warming potential impact was equal to 255 kg of CO2 eq/sqm, which was low compared to previous studies and was due to the limited system boundary of the current study. The effect of long-distance overseas transport of materials was noticeable in terms of acidification (25%) and eutrophication (31%) while it was negligible in other impact groups. The results also concluded that producing the cement in Iceland caused less environmental impact in all five impact categories compared to the case in which the cement was imported from Germany. The major contribution of this work is that the environmental impacts of different plans for domestic production or import of construction materials to Iceland can be precisely assessed in order to identify effective measures to move towards a sustainable built environment in Iceland, and also to provide consistent insights for stakeholders.

The Effect of Long-Distance Transportation on the Fitness of Irradiated False Codling Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) for Use in a Sterile Insect Release Program.

The effect of cold immobilization and long-distance transport of irradiated Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) on the flight ability of male (♂) and female (♀) moths, the longevity of male and female moths, and the realized fecundity of mating pairs CIM (chilled irradiated moths) ♀ × CIM♂, CIM♀ × NIP (nonirradiated pupae) ♂, NIP♀ × CIM♂, and NIP♀ × NIP♂ was examined to improve application of the sterile insect technique (SIT). Adult moths treated with 150 Gy of gamma radiation were immobilized with cold temperature between 4 and 6°C inside a polyurethane cooler box and transported for 12 h by road from Citrusdal, Western Cape Province, to Addo, Eastern Cape Province. Nonirradiated moths were transported as pupae inside a cardboard tray and removed by hand after which male and female pupae were separated and placed inside containers for eclosion. Male and female moths were individually placed inside petri dishes to determine longevity or paired with irradiated and nonirradiated counterparts to evaluate realized fecundity before incubation in 100% darkness at 25°C and 75% relative humidity. Flight tests were conducted indoors at 25°C by release of individual moths per hand. A significant decrease in flight ability and longevity of irradiated false codling moth was found after handling, cold immobilization, and transport, although critically, realized fecundity was not affected. Because of the impact of long-distance transport on quality of the released insects as well as the efficacy of SIT, comprehensive protocols for this critical step in the process need to be developed for a pestiferous insect with phytosanitary status such as false codling moth.

Long distance transport of irradiated male Glossina palpalis gambiensis pupae and its impact on sterile male yield.

BackgroundThe application of the sterile insect technique (SIT) requires mass-production of sterile males of good biological quality. The size of the project area will in most cases determine whether it is more cost effective to produce the sterile flies locally (and invest in a mass-rearing facility) or import the sterile flies from a mass-rearing facility that is located in another country. This study aimed at assessing the effect of long distance transport of sterile male Glossina palpalis gambiensis pupae on adult male fly yield.MethodsThe male pupae were produced at the Centre International de Recherche-Développement sur l’Elevage en zone Subhumide (CIRDES), Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, and shipped with a commercial courier service in insulated transport boxes at a temperature of ±10°C to Senegal (±36 h of transport). Upon arrival in the insectary in Dakar, the pupae were transferred to an emergence room and the flies monitored for 3–6 days.ResultsThe results showed that the used system of isothermal boxes that contained phase change material packs (S8) managed to keep the temperature at around 10°C which prevented male fly emergence during transport. The emergence rate was significantly higher for pupae from batch 2 (chilled at 4°C for one day in the source insectary before transport) than those from batch 1 (chilled at 4°C for two days in the source insectary before transport) i.e. an average (±sd) of 76.1 ± 13.2% and 72.2 ± 14.3%, respectively with a small proportion emerging during transport (0.7 ± 1.7% and 0.9 ± 2.9%, respectively). Among the emerged flies, the percentage with deformed (not fully expanded) wings was significantly higher for flies from batch 1 (12.0 ± 6.3%) than from batch 2 (10.7 ± 7.5%). The amount of sterile males available for release as a proportion of the total pupae shipped was 65.8 ± 13.3% and 61.7 ± 14.7% for batch 1 and 2 pupae, respectively.ConclusionsThe results also showed that the temperature inside the parcel must be controlled around 10°C with a maximal deviation of 3°C to maximize the male yield.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-015-0869-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Shrink and mortality of beef cattle during long distance transportation

AbstractThe aims of this study were to determine the effects of long distance transport on shrink and mortality rate in cattle, and to understand the relationships between environmental temperature, bodyweight, shrink and dressing percentage. This survey was conducted on 121 transfers of bulls (Bos taurus) from commercial finishing units in Bugyi, Hungary to a public slaughterhouse in Ankara, Turkey between July and December 2010. A total of 3,874 bulls were transported and the journeys took approximately 30 h, including a 2-h rest period with water and feed available. In order to investigate the effect of thermal stress, the deviation of the average monthly ambient temperature from average six-monthly temperature was determined (d-value). Weight loss during transport and dressing percentage were determined monthly. The effect of month on shrink during transport was significant and average transport shrink was 5.57% during the six months. In general, the highest shrink rate was observed in the summer (August: 8.39%) and winter months (December: 7.27%), both of which are outside the thermoneutral zone for beef cattle. The lowest shrink rate was observed in the autumn months (October: 2.99%, November: 1.77%), which is within the thermoneutral zone. The mortality rate was 0.464% during transportations. Mortality rate was high but the effect of month on mortality rate was not significant. There was a moderate positive correlation between transport shrink and d-value. In conclusion, transportations within thermal comfort zone range and good quality animal handling are recommended in order to prevent the adverse effects of long distance transportation, such as shrink and mortality.

Effects of Long Distance Transportation on Honey Bee Physiology

Despite the requirement of long distance transportation of honey bees used for pollination, we understand little how transportation affects honey bees. Three trials in three different states (CA, GA, and MI) were conducted to study the effects of long distance transportation on honey bee physiology. Newly emerged bees from one colony were split into two groups and introduced into a transported (T) colony or a stationary (S) colony in each trial. Volumes of hypopharyngeal gland acini in T colonies were significantly smaller than S colonies in all three trials. There were no significant differences between S and T colonies in juvenile hormone titers. Protein content in head showed no significant differences between S and T either in 7-day-old or 17-day-old bees of MI trial, but GA trial showed a significant reduction in bees experiencing transportation. Protein content in thorax was only measured in GA trial and was not significantly different between the two groups. Lipid content in abdomen was not significantly different between the S and T colonies in all three trials. This study suggests that bees experiencing transportation have trouble fully developing their food glands and this might affect their ability to nurse the next generation of workers.

Effects of long distance transportation and CO 2 stunning on critical blood values in pigs

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of two stressful stimuli, long transportation and 80% CO 2 stunning on metabolic–physiological variables, hemodynamic and gas exchange in slaughter pigs imported from the U.S. to Mexico City with a journey time of 27 h, with 8 h of lairage at the abattoir. A total of 589 pigs from three genders were monitored. Overall results show that both stimuli caused metabolic and physiological disturbance. Gilts were more efficient in controlling glycemia after a long transport journey (24 h), than castrated males (P < 0.05), whose glucose was increased above the 30 mg/dL basal level. Females on arrival had 23 mg/dL more lactate compared to basal levels (P < 0.05). Stunning caused more physiological effects compared to transportation. Regarding the gender factor, females and entire males were more susceptible to transport stress and stunning compared to the castrated pigs, and entire males showed more complications restoring the gas exchange compared to females and barrows.

Effects of Long Distance Transportation of Specimens on Test Results

Effects of Long Distance Transportation of Specimens on Test Results

The effect transport and space allowance on the physiology of breeding age gilts

Long duration transport of pigs is an important welfare issue world-wide. Current transportation legislation in the United States dictates that animals cannot be transported over 28h without being rested and given food and water; however there is limited information available on the acute physiological effects of long distance transport on pigs. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of a 6, 12, 18, 24, or 30h transport period on the physiology of breeding age gilts. Eight weight matched gilts were allocated to one of 15 treatment groups. Treatments included: Gilts that remained in their home pen for 6, 12, 18, 24, or 30h (CON); Gilts that were transported for 6, 12, 18, 24, or 30h at the transport quality assurance guidelines specified space allowance (TQA); or Gilts that were transported for 6, 12, 18, 24, or 30h at the TQA specified space allowance plus 20% extra space (TQA+). Every 6h, pigs in one pair of compartments (TQA and TQA+) were removed from the trailer (after a 6, 12, 18, 24, or 30h transport period). Blood samples and body weights were collected from gilts and their respective controls before and after transport. The granulocyte to lymphocyte ratio was greater (P<0.005) in TQA and TQA+ gilts transported for 6h compared with controls. The percentage of lymphocyte and granulocytes, platelet counts, hemoglobin, and hematocrit concentrations were affected (P<0.05) by transport and the duration of transport. Total white blood cell and lymphocyte counts were lower (P<0.001) and albumin, glucose, total bilirubin, and total protein concentrations were greater (P<0.05) in TQA and TQA+ compared to controls regardless of transport period. Creatine kinase concentrations were greater (P<0.05) in TQA compared with controls. Percent body weight was decreased (P<0.05) in TQA and TQA+ gilts after a 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30h transport period compared with controls. Physiological measures of acute stress were observed in transported gilts (TQA and TQA+) after a 6h transport period, but then returned to similar levels as non-transported control gilts. Physiological measures of dehydration and muscle breakdown were observed in gilts after transport, regardless of transport duration. Overall, these data indicate that gilts transported for a period of up to 30h experience acute stress and changes in homeostasis probably due to dehydration, food deprivation, and transport.

Physiological and metabolic effects of prophylactic treatment with the osmolytes glycerol and betaine on Bos indicus steers during long duration transportation1

The physiological and metabolic effects of prophylactic treatment with osmolytes were investigated using twenty-four 2.5-yr-old Bos indicus steers. Animals were allocated to 1 of 4 treatment groups: 1) control, feed and water deprived for 48 h (n = 6); 2) transported, transported for 48 h (n = 6); 3) glycerol, dosed with glycerol (2 g/kg of BW) and then transported for 48 h (n = 6); and 4) betaine, dosed with betaine (0.25 g/kg of BW) then transported for 48 h (n = 6). Body water, electrolytes, blood pH and gases, plasma lactate, glucose, albumin, total protein, anion gap, strong ion difference, total weak acids, and BW were determined at the conclusion of 24 and 48 h of transportation. The glycerol group had greater body water volumes than the control (P = 0.05) and transported (P = 0.02) groups. The glycerol, transported, and betaine groups had lower (P = 0.02) plasma Mg concentrations than the control group at 24 h, whereas the glycerol group maintained lower (P = 0.04) plasma concentrations of Ca than the control group. The betaine group had lower (P = 0.04) hematocrit than the control group at 24 and 48 h. Plasma bicarbonate and pCO2 were 13 and 17% greater (P = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively) in the glycerol group at 24 h compared with control and transported groups. However, the ratio of [HCO3]/[CO2] in the glycerol group did not differ from the other groups and thereby maintained pH. The glycerol group maintained a 30% greater (P < 0.001) plasma concentration of glucose than the control group, and 14% greater (P = 0.05) than the transported and betaine groups. In contrast, betaine had little effect on increasing blood glucose compared with glycerol. Glycerol-linked hyperhydration at 24 h may not only help to conserve water loss during long distance transportation, but the increased blood glucose may have an important protein-sparing effect due, in part, to greater insulin concentrations inhibiting the breakdown of muscle proteins, thus, countering the amino-acid mobilizing effect of cortisol after 24 h. Therefore, the osmolyte glycerol shows promise as a prophylactic treatment for attenuating the effects of long distance transportation by maintaining body water, decreasing the energy deficit, and preserving health and muscle quality.

Effect of long distance transport on farm fresh tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes of Avinash-2 variety at pink and breaker stage were transported for distance of 400 km. Three types of packaging mediums namely Plastic crates, Corrugated fibre board boxes and wooden boxes were used. The cushioning materials used were grass, paper and straw. The overall minimum damage was recorded in Tj (Breaker: Plastic crate: Grass) i.e. 3.93% followed by T. (Breaker: Wooden: Paper) i.e. 4.10% and T. (Breaker: Wooden: Straw) i.e. 4.38%. The overall mean damage (%) for wooden box was significantly lesser than plastic crates (9.83%) ·and corrugated fibreboard box (10.98%).

The aerosol at Barrow, Alaska: long-term trends and source locations

Aerosol data consisting of condensation nuclei (CN) counts, black carbon (BC) mass, aerosol light scattering (SC), and aerosol optical depth (AOD) measured at Barrow, Alaska from 1977 to 1994 have been analyzed by three-way positive matrix factorization (PMF3) by pooling all of the different data into one large three-way array. The PMF3 analysis identified four factors that indicate four different combinations of aerosol sources active throughout the year in Alaska. Two of the factors (F1, F2) represent Arctic haze. The first Arctic haze have factor F1 is dominant in January–February while the second factor F2 is dominant in March–April. They appear to be material that is generally ascribed to long-range transported anthropogenic particles. A lower ratio of condensation nuclei to scattering coefficient loadings is obtained for F2 indicating larger particles. Factor F3 is related to condensation nuclei. It has an annual cycle with two maxima, March and July–August indicating some involvement of marine biogenic sources. The fourth factor F4 represents the contribution to the stratospheric aerosol from the eruptions of El Chichon and Mt. Pinatubo. No significant long-term trend for F1 was detected while F2 shows a negative trend over the period from 1982 to 1994 but not over the whole measurement period. A positive trend of F3 over the whole period has been observed. This trend may be related to increased biogenic sulfur production caused by reductions in the sea-ice cover in the Arctic and/or an air temperature increase in the vicinity of Barrow. Potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis showed that in winter and spring during 1989 to 1993 regions in Eurasia and North America are the sources of particles measured at barrow. In contrast to this, large areas in the North Pacific Ocean and the Arctic Ocean was contributed to observed high concentrations of CN in the summer season. Three-way positive matrix factorization was an effective method to extract time-series information contained in the measured quantities. PSCF was useful for the identification possible source areas and the potential pathways for the Barrow aerosol. The effects of long-distance transport, photochemical aerosol production, emissions from biogenic activities in the ocean, volcanic eruptions on the aerosol measurements made at Barrow were extracted using this combined methodology.

Human health and diet in the Arctic

Many Arctic communities rely on local food, in particular marine food, which provides essential nutrients beneficial to health, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and selenium. However, marine food is also the main source of exposure to contaminants. Two main groups are listed as priority contaminants in the ongoing AMAP (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme) project. These are heavy metals (mercury, cadmium and lead) and the organochlorines (PCBs, dioxins/furans, and chlorinated pesticides). The presence of these contaminants in the Arctic is a result of the combined effect of long distance transport from industrialized areas and biomagnification in the oceanic food chains. This results in a human exposure level which in several communities reaches levels in excess of internationally recognized limits for intake. Human exposure to heavy metals and organochlorines is discussed in relation to the potential health risks and health benefits of specific food components in the Arctic diet. Risk management must be based on schemes to reduce the intake in groups with high susceptibility, i.e. pregnant women, through carefully planned recommendations of food intake within the frame of traditional diets.

Pollen and Seed Analysis of the Titusville Section (Mid-Wisconsinan), Titusville, Pennsylvania

Wisconsinan interstadial sediments, consisting mainly of moss peat, peaty silt and sand, are exposed near Titusville in northwestern Pennsylvania. They lie beneath the Titusville Till, south of the margin of the Late Wisconsinan Kent Till. Radiocarbon dates obtained range from 35 000 to 40 000 years BP, indicating that the sediments are of late Port Talbot II age (Mid-Wisconsinan).A pollen diagram from the section is divided into the three informal lower, middle and upper zones. Macrofossils of dwarf birch Betula glandulosa var. glandulosa, the only subarctic taxon recovered, characterize the lower dated peat layer (lower zone). The presence of dwarf birch is indicative of a forest–tundra environment during deposition of this peat. In the upper dated peat layer (upper zone) low numbers of Cyperaceae seeds, along with relatively high percentages of Cyperaceae pollen, imply that at least part of the sedge pollen was derived from plants growing on the uplands in an even more open spruce parkland. These data outweigh the implication that the climate was ameliorating as suggested by the marked rise in Pinus pollen in the upper zone. The pine pollen are attributed to the relatively increased effect of long distance transport as the local tree pollen production decreased.

保存血液の機械的振盪並びに長距離輸送の影響について

Dearth of donors, recently becoming intensified, has led to a tendency for blood collection outside of regularly established blood bank installations, which necessitates transportation of preserved blood after collection. We have investigated the effects of mechanical shaking and long distance transportation on the blood.1) Observations have been made on the possible change during 28 days produced on fresh ACD preserved blood samples by mechanical shaking. No remarkable changes were noted as compared with unmanipulated samples. However, rather remarkable hemolysis was noted during storage when rapid cooling and violent shaking or high temperatures were applied.2) No significant differences were noted in the effect of long distance transportation among blood samples stored at varying periods of time.3) These findings indicate that bloods may safely be collected outside the blood bank installations and that these bloods after long distance transportation can be utilized for transfusion without any danger.