Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “BURIAL”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 451 records · Page 25Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Improved pKa calculations through flexibility based sampling of a water-dominated interaction scheme.

Ionizable groups play critical roles in biological processes. Computation of pK(a)s is complicated by model approximations and multiple conformations. Calculated and experimental pK(a)s are compared for relatively inflexible active-site side chains, to develop an empirical model for hydration entropy changes upon charge burial. The modification is found to be generally small, but large for cysteine, consistent with small molecule ionization data and with partial charge distributions in ionized and neutral forms. The hydration model predicts significant entropic contributions for ionizable residue burial, demonstrated for components in the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Conformational relaxation in a pH-titration is estimated with a mean-field assessment of maximal side chain solvent accessibility. All ionizable residues interact within a low protein dielectric finite difference (FD) scheme, and more flexible groups also access water-mediated Debye-Hückel (DH) interactions. The DH method tends to match overall pH-dependent stability, while FD can be more accurate for active-site groups. Tolerance for side chain rotamer packing is varied, defining access to DH interactions, and the best fit with experimental pK(a)s obtained. The new (FD/DH) method provides a fast computational framework for making the distinction between buried and solvent-accessible groups that has been qualitatively apparent from previous work, and pK(a) calculations are significantly improved for a mixed set of ionizable residues. Its effectiveness is also demonstrated with computation of the pH-dependence of electrostatic energy, recovering favorable contributions to folded state stability and, in relation to structural genomics, with substantial improvement (reduction of false positives) in active-site identification by electrostatic strain.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2005

Impact of an easily reducible disulfide bond on the oxidative folding rate of multi-disulfide-containing proteins.

The burial of native disulfide bonds, formed within stable structure in the regeneration of multi-disulfide-containing proteins from their fully reduced states, is a key step in the folding process, as the burial greatly accelerates the oxidative folding rate of the protein by sequestering the native disulfide bonds from thiol-disulfide exchange reactions. Nevertheless, several proteins retain solvent-exposed disulfide bonds in their native structures. Here, we have examined the impact of an easily reducible native disulfide bond on the oxidative folding rate of a protein. Our studies reveal that the susceptibility of the (40-95) disulfide bond of Y92G bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A (RNase A) to reduction results in a reduced rate of oxidative regeneration, compared with wild-type RNase A. In the native state of RNase A, Tyr 92 lies atop its (40-95) disulfide bond, effectively shielding this bond from the reducing agent, thereby promoting protein oxidative regeneration. Our work sheds light on the unique contribution of a local structural element in promoting the oxidative folding of a multi-disulfide-containing protein.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Seawater sulfur isotope fluctuations in the Cretaceous.

The exogenic sulfur cycle is tightly coupled with the carbon and oxygen cycles, and therefore a central component of Earth's biogeochemistry. Here we present a high-resolution record of the sulfur isotopic composition of seawater sulfate for the Cretaceous. The general enrichment of isotopically light sulfur that prevailed during the Cretaceous may have been due to increased volcanic and hydrothermal activity. Two excursions toward isotopically lighter sulfur represent periods of lower rates of pyrite burial, implying a shift in the location of organic carbon burial to terrestrial or open-ocean settings. The concurrent changes in seawater sulfur and inorganic carbon isotopic compositions imply short-term variability in atmospheric oxygen partial pressure.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2006

Late Precambrian oxygenation; inception of the clay mineral factory.

An enigmatic stepwise increase in oxygen in the late Precambrian is widely considered a prerequisite for the expansion of animal life. Accumulation of oxygen requires organic matter burial in sediments, which is largely controlled by the sheltering or preservational effects of detrital clay minerals in modern marine continental margin depocenters. Here, we show mineralogical and geochemical evidence for an increase in clay mineral deposition in the Neoproterozoic that immediately predated the first metazoans. Today most clay minerals originate in biologically active soils, so initial expansion of a primitive land biota would greatly enhance production of pedogenic clay minerals (the "clay mineral factory"), leading to increased marine burial of organic carbon via mineral surface preservation.

Aluminum Silicates↗
PubMed1996

Redox stabilization of the atmosphere and oceans by phosphorus-limited marine productivity

Data from modern and ancient marine sediments demonstrate that burial of the limiting nutrient phosphorus is less efficient when bottom waters are low in oxygen. Mass-balance calculations using a coupled model of the biogeochemical cycles of carbon, phosphorus, oxygen, and iron indicate that the redox dependence of phosphorus burial in the oceans provides a powerful forcing mechanism for balancing production and consumption of atmospheric oxygen over geologic time. The oxygen-phosphorus coupling further guards against runaway ocean anoxia. Phosphorus-mediated redox stabilization of the atmosphere and oceans may have been crucial to the radiation of higher life forms during the Phanerozoic.

Atmosphere↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Muslim customs surrounding death, bereavement, postmortem examinations, and organ transplants.

Muslims are always buried, never cremated. It is a religious requirement that the body be ritually washed and draped before burial, which should be as soon as possible after death. Those carrying out this duty should be immunised against hepatitis B and be aware of the hazards of AIDS. Muslim women never attend burials and it is rare for funeral directors to be involved. Muslim jurists from the Arab world can justify organ transplantation, but those from the Indian subcontinent are against it. They are united in the belief of the sacredness of the human body and thus deplore postmortem examinations.

Attitude to Death↗
PubMedDate not supplied

CT: a new nondestructive method for visualizing and characterizing ancient Roman glass fragments in situ in blocks of soil.

A rare, complete ancient Roman burial site was discovered near the Dutch village of Bocholtz. In addition to many preserved grave offerings, there were countless fragments of deteriorated glass objects still buried in the ground. This glass was in very poor condition, however, and there was no possibility of excavating it directly. Instead, archeologists working at the site decided to dig up blocks of soil containing the glass fragments. High-resolution spiral computed tomography (CT) with multiplanar reformation, shaded-surface-display rendering, and volume rendering was used to obtain detailed information about the position, number, and form of the deteriorated glass fragments. CT-guided removal of the soil made it possible to restore some of the objects excavated from the blocks. In five of the 14 excavated objects, a correct Isings classification could be made based on the CT findings. In addition, CT was very important for the reconstruction of the layout of the burial chamber, the compilation of a list of grave contents, and the positioning of these contents within the chamber.

Archaeology↗
PubMed2005

Succession of methanogenic archaea in rice straw incorporated into a Japanese rice field: estimation by PCR-DGGE and sequence analyses.

The succession and phylogenetic profiles of methanogenic archaeal communities associated with rice straw decomposition in rice-field soil were studied by polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) analysis followed by 16S rDNA sequencing. Nylon bags containing either leaf sheaths or blades were buried in the plowed layer of a Japanese rice field under drained conditions during the off-crop season and under flooded conditions after transplanting. In addition, rice straw samples that had been buried in the rice field under drained conditions during the off-crop season were temporarily removed during spring plowing and then re-buried in the same rice field under flooded conditions at transplanting. Populations of methanogenic archaea were examined by amplification of the 16S rRNA genes in the DNA extracted from the rice straw samples. No PCR product was produced for samples of leaf sheath or blade prior to burial or after burial under drained conditions, indicating that the methanogen population was very small during decomposition of rice straw under oxic conditions. Many common bands were observed in rice straw samples of leaf sheath and blade during decomposition of rice straw under flooded conditions. Cluster analysis based on DGGE patterns divided methanogenic archaeal communities into two groups before and after the mid-season drainage. Sequence analysis of DGGE bands that were commonly present were closely related to Methanomicrobiales and Rice cluster I. Methanomicrobiales, Rice cluster I and Methanosarcinales were major members before the mid-season drainage, whereas the DGGE bands that characterized methanogenic archaeal communities after the mid-season drainage were closely related to Methanomicrobiales. These results indicate that mid-season drainage affected the methanogenic archaeal communities irrespective of their location on rice straw (sheath and blade) and the previous history of decomposition during the off-crop season.

Archaea↗
PubMed1997

Mu-Ghayeb: a culture-specific response to bereavement in Oman.

Studies with normal subjects and patients suggest that in grieving the dead, the bereaved has to go through a progressive course of psychological and social reorganization. The Mu Ghayeb belief in Omani society involves a complete denial of the loss for a relatively long period with the expectation of the return of the dead. This belief persists even after an elaborate ritual of burial and a prescribed period of mourning. The deceased are expected to leave the grave after burial and join their families when the spell placed on them by a sorcerer is broken or counteracted. Although the Mu Ghayeb belief is inconsistent with Muslim religion, it may be explained in terms of sudden and untimely death which used to be rife in the seafaring Omani society.

Attitude to Death↗
PubMed1988

Quantification of free water in human dental enamel.

The amount of free water in 50 samples of air-dried enamel from permanent and deciduous teeth was measured by the Karl Fischer method. Samples included both contemporary and burial specimens. The mean values obtained showed that free water constituted about 1% of enamel mass. However, the range of individual values varied considerably, from 0.56 to 1.48%. The proportion of free water did not seem to depend on the patient's age, the type of tooth, or the relationship between the tooth and its oral environment. On the other hand, the deciduous enamel tested displayed a mean free water content that was three times the mean for the permanent teeth (3.01 vs. 1.00%) and the five burial teeth, a mean content of 1.68%.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Does funeral preference influence clinical necropsy request outcome?

Attitudes towards necropsy have been shown to be more favourable amongst those relatives preferring cremation as a method of disposal compared to those with a preference for burial. In a two-year retrospective study, no significant relationship was found between funeral preferences (burial or cremation) and clinical necropsy request outcome when age, sex and religion were taken into account. Potential religious objections to necropsy were infrequent and cremation was found to have become the most popular method of disposing of the dead during a period when local clinical necropsy rates have continued to decline. Funeral preference is unlikely to have been a significant factor in the decline in clinical necropsy rates.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2005

Rare haplotypes in mtDna: applications in the analysis of biosocial aspects of past human populations.

We report on the use of rare mutations to tackle biosocial questions such as kinship and differential burial practices from past human populations. To do this, we have inferred nucleotide position 73 of HVS-II in individuals classified as belonging to haplogroup H from 76 human dental samples from the necropolis of Aldaieta (Basque Country, Spain, 6th-7th century) by means of PCR and restriction enzyme tests. The same analysis has been performed for 146 extant individuals from the northern Iberian peninsula. A combination of haplotype H and 73G in HVS-II, rare in extant populations (0.5-3%), has been found at a frequency of 20% in the ancient population of Aldaieta. These data can be explained in terms of the existence of different burial practices associated with a variety of factors, mainly social status and kinship. This hypothesis is also supported by archeological data. These results indicate that caution should be taken when making phylogenetic inferences from extinct populations, because an uncharacterized kinship can significantly bias allele frequencies.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed2005

Bend loss effects in diffused, buried waveguides.

Bend loss effects can be a significant concern in the design and performance of diffused, buried waveguide devices. Since diffused, buried waveguides typically do not have analytical mode solutions, the bend mode must be expressed as an expansion of straight waveguide modes. For the case of buried ion-exchanged waveguides, the bend loss is affected by bend radius, the duration of the ion exchange and burial processes, as well as the size of the mask opening used to create the waveguides and applied field during burial. The bend loss effects for each of these variables are explored under typical fabrication conditions.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

GPS signal reception under snow cover: a pilot study establishing the potential usefulness of GPS in avalanche search and rescue operations.

Avalanches are one of the major threats to life in high-mountain terrain and account every year for approximately 150 accidents causing injury or death in the United States alone. Every year avalanches cause significant property damages and a death toll of approximately 15 people in the United States. The specific characteristic of the avalanche accident is the extreme importance of getting to the buried victim as soon as, possible to improve survival. Approximately 40% of all buried victims survive 1 hour, and only about 20% survive 2 hours. Newer studies from Europe indicate that the initial survival probability is 92% at 15 minutes, 30% at 35 minutes, 27% at 90 minutes, and finally drops to 3% at 130 minutes. Unless prompt and efficient search and rescue are ensured, the prospect of buried victims is rather grim. Many tools have been used in the past to aid in retrieving buried victims including the avalanche cord, probing techniques, and in more recent time, the use of electronic beacon devices that allow search teams to locate the buried victim. The advent of satellite navigational aids (GPS, GLONASS) makes it possible to determine one's position with remarkable accuracy. We studied the degree to which the GPS satellite signal could penetrate through snow and be received by a commercially available GPS receiver. This information may lead to the development of an additional tool for precise and quick localization of buried victims in avalanche accidents and thus may substantially improve their survival by shortening the search time at the accident site. In this study we used a Motorola Traxar six-channel GPS receiver with amplifier unit connected to an antenna by means of a shielded coaxial cable. The antenna was buried under incremental covers of compact snow, and the reception of the GPS signal was measured at each burial depth: 5 cm, 15 cm, 25 cm, 35 cm, 45 cm, 55 cm, 1 m, and 1.5 m. The variables that were measured included signal quality, number of satellites received by the receiver, and their respective signal strength. A reference reading was taken from the GPS receiver above the testing site before measurements under snow cover were started. The satellite signals were received with good quality and precise readings up to a burial depth of 1 m. Under 1.5 m of snow the receiver was able to lock on only one satellite, making a positional reading impossible. The reception of the GPS signals under snow cover is possible and warrants further study directed toward the development of a search and rescue device using this technology.

Asphyxia↗
PubMed2004

Infectious disease risks from dead bodies following natural disasters.

OBJECTIVE: To review existing literature to assess the risks of infection from dead bodies after a natural disaster occurs, including who is most at risk, what precautions should be taken, and how to safely dispose of the bodies. METHODS: Disease transmission requires the presence of an infectious agent, exposure to that agent, and a susceptible host. These elements were considered to characterize the infectious disease risk from dead bodies. Using the PubMed on-line databases of the National Library of Medicine of the United States of America, searching was done for relevant literature on the infection risks for public safety workers and funeral workers as well as for guidelines for the management of the dead and prevention of infection. A small but significant literature was also reviewed regarding the disposal of the dead and the contamination of groundwater by cemeteries. RESULTS: Victims of natural disasters usually die from trauma and are unlikely to have acute or "epidemic-causing" infections. This indicates that the risk that dead bodies pose for the public is extremely small. However, persons who are involved in close contact with the dead-such as military personnel, rescue workers, volunteers, and others-may be exposed to chronic infectious hazards, including hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, HIV, enteric pathogens, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Suitable precautions for these persons include training, use of body bags and disposable gloves, good hygiene practice, and vaccination for hepatitis B and tuberculosis. Disposal of bodies should respect local custom and practice where possible. When there are large numbers of victims, burial is likely to be the most appropriate method of disposal. There is little evidence of microbiological contamination of groundwater from burial. CONCLUSIONS: Concern that dead bodies are infectious can be considered a "natural" reaction by persons wanting to protect themselves from disease. However, clear information about the risks is needed so that responsible local authorities ensure that the bodies of disaster victims are handled appropriately and with due respect. This paper provides a source of information for those who are in the unfortunate position of managing those bodies.

Cadaver↗
PubMed2005

Assessment of the risk of introduction of Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in municipal solid waste from the quarantine area of New York City to landfills outside of the quarantine area: a pathway analysis of the risk of spread and establishment.

The risk associated with spread of Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky), from infested areas in New York City to the wide array of landfills across the eastern United States contracted by the city since 1997 was unknown, but of great concern. Landfills, some as far as South Carolina, Virginia, and Ohio, occupied forest types and climates at high risk of Asian longhorned beetle establishment. The city proposed a separate waste wood collection known as the "311 System;" this was estimated to cost federal and state agencies $6.1 to $9.1 million per year, including the cost of processing and disposal of the wood. Pathway analysis was used to quantify the probability that Asian longhorned beetle present in wood waste collected at curbside would survive transport, compaction, and burial to form a mated pair. The study found that in seven alternate management scenarios, risks with most pathways are very low, especially given existing mitigations. Mitigations included chemical control, removal of infested trees, and burial of wood waste in managed landfills that involved multiple-layering, compaction, and capping of dumped waste with a 15-cm soil cover at the end of each day. Although the risk of business-as-usual collection and disposal practices was virtually nil, any changes of policy or practice such as illegal dumping or disposal at a single landfill increased the risk many thousandfold. By rigorously maintaining and monitoring existing mitigations, it was estimated that taxpayers would save $75 to $122 million dollars over the next decade.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Effect of 3,4,3',4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl on the reworking behavior of Lumbriculus variegatus exposed to contaminated sediment.

The reworking response (bioturbation) of the oligochaete Lumbriculus variegatus was measured by following the burial rate and spread of a 137Cs marker layer translating worm activity into a biological burial rate (Wb) and a biological diffusion rate constant (Db) for surficial sediment mixing. Reworking was measured at 10 and 22 degrees C in two sediments: a reference site sediment dosed with 3,4,3',4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (TCBP) and a field-collected sediment from a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated site in Dicks Creek (DCC, Middletown, OH, USA). The body residue associated with response to TCBP also was determined. Reduction in the temperature from 22 to 10 degrees C reduced both Wb and Db by a factor of approximately two. The internal TCBP concentration to reduce the Wb by 50% was 96 nmol/g (95% CI 45-225 nmol/g) and 124 nmol/g (40-547 nmol/g) (28 and 36 microg/g) wet weight at 22 and 10 degrees C, respectively, and was independent of temperature. The Wb for the DCC sediment was lower than observed for the highest TCBP treatment. The internal body residue for total PCB for worms exposed to DCC sediment was 20-fold lower than TCBP in worms exposed to the lowest TCBP treatment on a molar basis. Comparing body residues of total PCB to TCBP assumes that the PCB congeners act additively on a molar basis. The DCC site contained a higher proportion of coarse material and a lower organic carbon concentration. The difference in sediment characteristics was assumed to be responsible for differences in the Wb.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Disinfecting poultry production premises.

Hygiene and sanitation play a major role in any effective disease control programme for poultry production premises. One of the important requirements to facilitate hygiene and sanitation is adoption of the 'all-in/all-out' method (i.e. all the birds within a single establishment should be of the same age group), together with the restriction of each enterprise to a single type or species of bird. Poultry premises and buildings should comply with requirements for isolation from the environment and strict observance of principles of hygiene and disease prevention (e.g. restrictions on movement of staff, equipment and vehicles). A poultry site must be prepared methodically for the entry of each new batch (removal of birds, litter and manure; vector and rodent control; dry and wet cleaning; disinfection; fumigation). Attention should be paid to the terminal sanitation of houses and equipment after depopulation (physical and chemical cleaning, pressure washing, disinfection, fumigation). Particular care should be exercised in the performance of sanitary procedures after a disease outbreak. Immediate disposal of dead and diseased birds is an important and effective tool in preventing the dissemination of any disease. Disposal methods include the use of burial pits, tanks, burial in trenches, burning, rendering and composting. Regular visual inspection, together with routine testing by microbiological monitoring methods, is very effective in checking the efficacy of cleaning and disinfection.

Animal Husbandry↗