A long-term dataset of topography and nearshore bathymetry at the macrotidal pocket beach of Porsmilin, France.

Long-term datasets documenting the evolution of coastal forms and processes, through the provision of recurring beach as well as shoreface morphological observations and accompanying time-series of environmental controls, remain difficult to collect and are rarely made available. However, they are increasingly needed to further our understanding of coastal change and to improve the models that will help planning what our future coast will be. This data descriptor presents the results of topographic and bathymetric surveys at Porsmilin, a macrotidal embayed beach situated in Brittany, northwest France.

Lack of evidence for allergenic properties of coumarin in a fragrance allergy mouse model.

Background: There is controversy as to whether coumarin, an ingredient in cosmetics and fragrances, is a contact allergen involved in fragrance allergy. We recently showed that the purity of coumarin is a critical parameter for its allergenicity because coumarin preparations containing trace amounts of contaminants induced cell proliferation in the local lymph node (LN) assay whereas pure coumarin did not.

Objective/method: In the present study, we analyzed the sensitizing properties of coumarin (purity > 99.

The skin allergenic properties of chemicals may depend on contaminants--evidence from studies on coumarin.

Background/aims: Positive patch tests are considered representative of a contact allergy to the tested chemical. However, contaminants and derivatives rather than the suspected chemical itself could be responsible for the allergic skin reactions. Here, we tested the importance of contaminants in the sensitizing and allergenic properties of coumarin in mice and humans.

RP 55778, a PAF receptor antagonist, prevents and reverses LPS-induced hemoconcentration and TNF release.

Platelet-activating factor (PAF) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) are present in the plasma of animals injected with endotoxin (LPS). Furthermore, when exogenously administered to animals, PAF and TNF induce similar pathological effects. Thus, in order to explore a possible link between these two factors, the effects of a PAF receptor antagonist, RP 55778, and a glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, were studied on LPS-induced hemoconcentration in rats and on the release of TNF induced by exposing isolated murine macrophages to LPS.