Chemical characteristics of wildfire ash across the globe and their environmental and socio-economic implications.

The mobilisation of potentially harmful chemical constituents in wildfire ash can be a major consequence of wildfires, posing widespread societal risks. Knowledge of wildfire ash chemical composition is crucial to anticipate and mitigate these risks. Here we present a comprehensive dataset on the chemical characteristics of a wide range of wildfire ashes (42 types and a total of 148 samples) from wildfires across the globe and examine their potential societal and environmental implications. An extensive review of studies analysing chemical composition in ash was also performed to complement and compare our ash dataset. Most ashes in our dataset had an alkaline reaction (mean pH 8.8, ranging between 6 and 11.2). Important constituents of wildfire ash were organic carbon (mean: 204 g kg-1), calcium, aluminium, and iron (mean: 47.9, 17.9 and 17.1 g kg-1). Mean nitrogen and phosphorus ranged between 1 and 25 g kg-1, and between 0.2 and 9.9 g kg-1, respectively. The largest concentrations of metals of concern for human and ecosystem health were observed for manganese (mean: 1488 mg kg-1; three ecosystems > 1000 mg kg-1), zinc (mean: 181 mg kg-1; two ecosystems > 500 mg kg-1) and lead (mean: 66.9 mg kg-1; two ecosystems > 200 mg kg-1). Burn severity and sampling timing were key factors influencing ash chemical characteristics like pH, carbon and nitrogen concentrations. The highest readily dissolvable fractions (as a % of ash dry weight) in water were observed for sodium (18 %) and magnesium (11.4 %). Although concentrations of elements of concern were very close to, or exceeded international contamination standards in some ashes, the actual effect of ash will depend on factors like ash loads and the dilution into environmental matrices such as water, soil and sediment. Our approach can serve as an initial methodological standardisation of wildfire ash sampling and chemical analysis protocols.

Capacidades y asistencia sanitaria realizada por el ROLE-2 español en la FSB de Herat (Afganistán)desde febrero a julio del 2007 / Capacidades y asistencia sanitaria realizada por el ROLE-2 español en la FSB de Herat (Afganistán) from February to July of 2007

En el presente artículo se pretende describir el despliegue sanitario en Zona de Operaciones (ZO), personal, material, instalaciones, medios de evacuación y asistencia médica realizada en el ROLE-2 español de la Base de Apoyo Avanzado (FSB) de Herat (Afganistán), integrado en la Operación Fuerza Internacional de Asistencia a la Seguridad (ISAF) desde Febrero hasta Julio del 2007. Durante dicho periodo, en este ROLE-2 se atendieron a 54 bajas de combate, se realizaron 1432 consultas a miembros integrantes de ISAF y 1880 consultas a personal civil. Conclusiones: En conflictos de baja intensidad, los escalones sanitarios pueden recibir bajas de combate, tratar enfermedades comunes a personal militar y realizar asistencia médica de carácter humanitario. Por todo ello el ROLE-2 debe ser equipado, abastecido, mantenido, instruido y adiestrado para tratar estas dos categorías de pacientes (AU)

In this article, we try to describe the medical deployment in the Area of Operations, personnel, equipment, facilities, evacuation vehicles and medical care provided by the Spanish ROLE-2 in the Forward Support Base (FSB) Herat (Afghanistan), as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Operation, from February to July 2007. During this period, in this ROLE-2 54 combat casualties were treated, 1432 consultations to ISAF members and 1880 to civilians performed. Conclusions: In low-intensity conflicts, medical facilities can treat combat casualties, common diseases in military personnel and humanitarian cases. For all these reasons, ROLE-2 must be equipped, supplied, manned, and trained to treat these two kinds of patients (AU)

[T and B clonal populations in actinic prurigo, a photodermatosis]. / Poblaciones clonales de células T y B en prurigo actínico, una fotodermatosis.

Actinic prurigo (AP) is a chronic photodermatosis in which genetic and immunological factors has been implicated in the pathogenesis of the disease. This work was designed to investigate the existence of clonal populations of T and B lymphocytes in lesions of the labial mucosa and conjunctiva of patients with actinic prurigo. Genomic DNA of three patients with actinic prurigo and controls were analyzed in Southern blots using DNA molecular probes for the b subunit of the T-cell receptor for antigen (TCR beta) and for the heavy chain of immunoglobulin genes (lg-JH). Clonal rearrangements of T-cell receptor genes were detected in biopsy samples taken from the labial mucosa of two patients and of immunoglobulin genes in DNA extracted from the conjunctiva of a different patient. The presence of distinct clonal T or B lymphocyte populations in patients with actinic prurigo indicates that the immune system may play a relevant role in the pathogenesis of the disease.