The first polluted river? Repeated copper contamination of fluvial sediments associated with Late Neolithic human activity in southern Jordan.

The roots of pyrometallurgy are obscure. This paper explores one possible precursor, in the Faynan Orefield in southern Jordan. There, at approximately 7000cal.

Functional and morphologic benefits in early detection of neovascular age-related macular degeneration using the preferential hyperacuity perimeter.

Purpose: To estimate the usefulness of preferential hyperacuity perimetry (PHP) in detecting conversion of early to late age-related macular degeneration in the Carotenoids and co-antioxidants in patients with Age-Related Maculopathy, a multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial.

Methods: This was a nested case control study within the Carotenoids and co-antioxidants in patients with Age-Related Maculopathy (CARMA) clinical trial and included all participants enrolled in a single center (n = 200). Data are from participants who progressed to neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nvAMD) during time on study, Group 1 (n = 10) before the use of PHP and Group 2 (n = 10) during use of PHP.

The heavy metal content of skeletons from an ancient metalliferous polluted area in southern Jordan with particular reference to bioaccumulation and human health.

This paper considers pollution/toxicological science in an archaeological context. Copper mining was an important activity in southern Jordan, especially during the Bronze Age, Nabatean, Roman, and Byzantine periods, and the environmental legacy of such intensive mining and smelting activities exists today in the form of massive, ancient spoil and smelting tips. The environment was heavily polluted by copper, lead, and other cations during these early periods and the effects of such pollutants continue into modern times.

The potential risk from 222radon posed to archaeologists and earth scientists: reconnaissance study of radon concentrations, excavations, and archaeological shelters in the Great Cave of Niah, Sarawak, Malaysia.

This reconnaissance study of radon concentrations in the Great Cave of Niah in Sarawak shows that in relatively deep pits and trenches in surficial deposits largely covered by protective shelters with poor ventilation, excavators are working in a micro-environment in which radon concentrations at the ground surface can exceed those of the surrounding area by a factor of > x 2. Although radon concentrations in this famous cave are low by world standards (alpha track-etch results ranging from 100 to 3075 Bq m(-3)), they still may pose a health risk to both excavators (personal dosemeter readings varied from 0.368 to 0.

Identifying the sources and timing of ancient and medieval atmospheric lead pollution in England using a peat profile from Lindow bog, Manchester.

A peat core from Lindow bog near Manchester, England, was precisely cut into 2 cm slices to provide a high-resolution reconstruction of atmospheric Pb deposition. Radiocarbon and (210)Pb age dates show that the peat core represents the period ca. 2000 BC to AD 1800.

'Death ... more desirable than life'? The human skeletal record and toxicological implications of ancient copper mining and smelting in Wadi Faynan, southwestern Jordan.

Skeletal material from 36 people, dating from the early Christian era, who lived by or worked in the notorious Roman copper mines of Phaeno, were analysed to determine their exposure to copper and lead. We demonstrate that many of the bones analysed had a substantially higher concentration of these cations than modern individuals exposed to metals through industrial processes. Health, toxicological and environmental implications of these data are reviewed.

Radon and 'King Solomon's Miners': Faynan Orefield, Jordanian Desert.

Concentrations of 222Rn were measured in ancient copper mines which exploited the Faynan Orefield in the South-Western Jordanian Desert. The concentrations of radon gas detected indicate that the ancient metal workers would have been exposed to a significant health risk and indicate that any future attempt to exploit the copper ores must deal with the hazard identified. Seasonal variations in radon concentrations are noted and these are linked to the ventilation of the mines.

Modern Bedouin exposures to copper contamination: an imperial legacy?

The exposure of a modern Bedouin population living in the deserts and mountains of southwestern Jordan, to metal contamination was assessed via the analysis of sediments, plants, livestock, and foodstuffs. Exposure to copper is demonstrated to be a potential hazard. The Bedouin are shown to be vulnerable to contamination via several pathways, the most serious of which are familiar in the industrialized environments of the developed world.

Geochemical evidence for atmospheric pollution derived from prehistoric copper mining at Copa Hill, Cwmystwyth, mid-Wales, UK.

This paper presents geochemical data from a blanket peat located close to a Bronze Age copper mine on the northern slopes of the Ystwyth valley, Ceredigion, mid-Wales, UK. The research objective was to explore the possibility that the peat contained a geochemical record of the pollution generateD by mining activity. Four peat monoliths were extracted from the blanket peat to reconstruct the pollution history of the prehistoric mine.

Some consequences of ancient mining activities on the health of ancient and modern human populations.

Heavy metal pollutants generated by mining activities in the Jordanian desert c. 2000 years ago will have had detrimental effects on the health of slaves, guards and expert overseers. The pollutants continue to persist and cycle in the modern environment and affect plants, animals and inevitably the humans who are dependent on both.

Evaluation in vitro of adriamycin immunoconjugates synthesized using an acid-sensitive hydrazone linker.

A novel method for linking Adriamycin (ADM) to monoclonal antibodies is described in which the 13-keto position of the anthracycline is used as the attachment site to the linker arm. A new ADM acylhydrazone derivative, Adriamycin 13-[3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionyl]hydrazone hydrochloride, which contains a pyridyl-protected disulfide, was synthesized and used for conjugation to monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that were thiolated with N-succinimidyl 3-(pyridyldithiol)propionate or 2-iminothiolane. This resulted in formation of a linker between MAb and drug that contained a disulfide bond.

Immunohistochemical and biochemical characterization of antisera raised to human tumor nucleoli.

Antinucleolar antisera were raised in rabbits, goats and sheep to nucleoli isolated from three human tumor cell lines. The antisera were shown to cross-react by immunofluorescence with human tumor cell lines originating from different organs and with frozen sections from a wide variety of human malignant and non-malignant tissues. Tumor versus normal tissue discrimination by several antisera was significantly improved by treatment of frozen tissues with a buffered glutaraldehyde/Triton X-100 solution prior to immunofluorescent staining.

Efficacy of performing red-cell antibody elutions in patients with a positive direct antiglobulin test.

Red blood cell antibody elutions are often routinely performed whenever a positive direct antiglobulin test (DAT) is encountered. To evaluate the efficacy of performing routine red-cell elutions we reviewed our antibody elution data. Of 122 eluates, 83 were negative, 35 were warm panagglutinins, 2 were felt to be transfusion-induced alloantibodies, 1 was passively acquired anti-A, and 1 was inconclusive.