BACKGROUND
Toxic endothelial cell destruction (TECD) syndrome after intraocular ophthalmic surgery is rare and can result from exposure to a variety of toxins. During January 8 to 14, 1998, 6 patients developed TECD with corneal edema associated with unreactive or dilated pupils at Hospital A.

METHODS
A case patient was any Hospital A patient with TECD within 24 hours after surgery during January 5 to 14, 1998 (epidemic period). A control was any hospital A ophthalmic surgery patient without TECD during the epidemic period. The medical records of hospital A ophthalmology surgery patients during the pre-epidemic (ie, September 1, 1997-January 4, 1998) and epidemic periods were reviewed. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry was used to detect trace inorganic elements on sterilized surgical instruments. Cannulated surgical instruments and laboratory rinsates were perfused directly to the corneal endothelium of isolated rabbit and human corneas. Corneal endothelial ultrastructure and swelling were assessed.

RESULTS
The rate of TECD at hospital A was higher during the epidemic than pre-epidemic period (6/12 vs 0/118, P<.001). The only change during the periods was the introduction, on November 5, 1997, of a new sterilization method, AbTox Plazlyte, for sterilization of ophthalmic surgery instruments. Findings from spectrometry revealed that copper and zinc residues were higher in instruments sterilized with Plazlyte than in those sterilized with ethylene oxide (median copper value, 7.64 mg/L vs 0.14 mg/L, respectively, P =.02; median zinc value, 5.90 mg/L vs 1.35 mg/L, respectively, P =.2). Corneal endothelial perfusion of Plazlyte sterilized-instrument rinsates or laboratory solution with copper and zinc produced irreversible damage, similar to toxic corneal endothelial destruction, to rabbit and human corneas.

CONCLUSION
A new sterilization method degraded brass to copper and zinc on cannulated surgical instruments resulting in TECD of the cornea. Arch Ophthalmol. 2000;118:1167-1176


The purpose of this study was to assess the Florida Forest Service (FFS) employees' perceptions of the organization's external branding materials through an online survey. Employees had positive perceptions of the mission statement, including it being accurate and differentiating FFS from other organizations. Perceptions of the new change were relatively neutral. Employees believed the public received most its information about FFS from television, workshops, websites, and print articles. Employees believed television, websites, and print articles were the most important communication channels for FFS to communicate to the public in general. Employees believed television, radio, and websites were the most important for emergency information. While employees believed FFS's external communications were important, they did not consider the communications effective or consistent. There are three recommendations for practitioners: use multiple channels of communication to reach the public, understand target demographic groups when selecting communication channels, and consistently represent the brand in external communications. There are three recommendations for research: assess the relationship between employee and public perceptions of which communications channels should be used, compare employees' perceptions of the importance of different communications channels to actual effectiveness of the different communications channels, and continue research into internal perspectives of public organizations' brands.


Many sites connected to the Internet make use of IPv4 addresses that
are not globally unique. Examples are the addresses designated in RFC
1918 for private use within individual sites. Devices in such
environments may occasionally originate Domain Name System (DNS)
queries (so-called "reverse lookups") corresponding to those private-
use addresses. Since the addresses concerned have only local
significance, it is good practice for site administrators to ensure
that such queries are answered locally. However, it is not uncommon
for such queries to follow the normal delegation path in the public
DNS instead of being answered within the site. It is not possible for
public DNS servers to give useful answers to such queries. In
addition, due to the wide deployment of private-use addresses and the
continuing growth of the Internet, the volume of such queries is large
and growing. The AS112 project aims to provide a distributed sink for
such queries in order to reduce the load on the IN-ADDR.ARPA
authoritative servers. The AS112 project is named after the Autonomous
System Number (ASN) that was assigned to it. This document describes
the steps required to install a new AS112 node and offers advice
relating to such a node's operation. This document is not an
Internet Standards Track specification; it is published for
informational purposes.


This work is an experimental study of the modulation which has been found in resonance radiation when the fluorescing vapour is subjected to static and radio-frequency magnetic fields, as in the double resonance experiment of Brossel & Bitter. The particular example chosen for study in this work also was the resonance line λ 2537 Å of mercury. The experimental observations are compared with the predictions of a theoretical treatment which has already been published. The phenomenon was studied under a variety of geometrical configurations. When the polarization of the exciting light allowed excitation to only one excited state (a component of a Zeeman multiplet), the depth of modulation was found to depend on the closeness to resonance of the frequency, ω0, of the radio-frequency field to the Larmor precessional frequency, ω = γH , in the static field H. When the polarization of the exciting light allowed excitation to more than one component of the multiplet, resonance effects were found in the depth of modulation and in the mean intensity of the fluorescent light at fields where the applied frequency was equal, not to the Larmor frequency alone, but to combinations of the Larmor frequency with the nutational frequency. From a quantum-mechanical point of view, these new phenomena are related to the interference effects which are found in resonance fluorescence when there is degeneracy between excited states: in the present case the degeneracy is induced by the radio-frequency field. The ease with which the geometrical conditions could be altered allowed the theory to be tested in considerable detail without quantitative assessment of the resonance line contours: nevertheless, a quantitative study was made of one particular feature. The predictions of the theory were confirmed at all points where they were tested.


Financial crises spread across countries through a variety of channels. A crisis originating in one market may propagate in an alternative form and have different impact in another market. The spread of crises through existing trade and financial linkages may be anticipated; however, during periods of stress, transmission in excess of these linkages is frequently observed. It is this excess transmission, known as financial contagion, which is the focus of this dissertation.
Contagion is one of the important mechanisms by which a financial crisis may become systemic. Consequently it is important for policy makers and market participants alike to identify the channels by which crises transmit and to assess the extent of contagion risk in global markets. Understanding contagion risk helps frame policies to reduce the immediate impact of a crisis and to undertake long-term structural reform policies for financial stability.
This dissertation examines contagion between international equity markets during the global financial crisis (GFC) of 2007-2009. It identifies channels (common factor, idiosyncratic factor, structural shift and volatility spillovers) by which crisis shocks transmit across borders and uses a variety of econometric techniques to test for the existence and extent of contagion during this period. The channels of contagion identified are shown to relate to the probability and severity of banking crises. While existing research largely focuses on tests for contagion at aggregate market level, this thesis compares aggregate results with those for the financial sector, and finds – perhaps surprisingly – that there is somewhat less evidence at the financial sector level.
The empirical evidence in the dissertation shows that both advanced and emerging equity markets are exposed to contagion risk through the idiosyncratic shocks emanating from the crisis originating market (here the US). While emerging markets are as affected as developed markets at aggregate market level, the financial sectors of advanced economies are less exposed to the idiosyncratic shock channel than the emerging markets. Banking sectors across the world are shown to be significantly exposed to contagion. Most have evidence of contagion from some or all four channels. However, contagion associated with the idiosyncratic shock channel has the largest impact – it increases the probability of a banking crisis by 27 percent, suggesting policy makers may wish to design policies aimed at mitigating these effects.
Finally, the dissertation empirically relates the evidence for systematic risk for large US financial firms with existing empirical measures of systemic risk. Using high frequency equity data to separate the responsiveness of these firms to jumps and continuous movements in market prices reveals that firms have higher jump beta than continuous beta. Further, the aggressiveness of the jump beta response of the institutions is positively related to systemic risk measured by capital shortfall and negatively to systemic risk measured by interconnectedness.
The evidence compiled in this thesis confirms the existence and extent of contagion effects across international equity markets, including their banking sectors, focusing on the crisis of 2007-2009. It offers empirical evidence on the relative importance of considering the source and channel of the crisis transmissions as well as the structure of the domestic banking sector in formulating policy and investment portfolio responses to periods of stress.


We consider the problem of computing the set of initial states of a dynamical system such that there exists a control strategy to ensure that the trajectories satisfy a temporal logic specification with probability 1 (almost-surely). We focus on discrete-time, stochastic linear dynamics and specifications given as formulas of the Generalized Reactivity(1) fragment of Linear Temporal Logic over linear predicates in the states of the system. We propose a solution based on iterative abstraction-refinement, and turn-based 2-player probabilistic games. While the theoretical guarantee of our algorithm after any finite number of iterations is only a partial solution, we show that if our algorithm terminates, then the result is the set of satisfying initial states. Moreover, for any (partial) solution our algorithm synthesizes witness control strategies to ensure almost-sure satisfaction of the temporal logic specification. We demonstrate our approach on an illustrative case study.


In Part I, I set out my developmental equality model in three sections. First, I briefly explore the ecological perspective on child development, a broadly accepted developmental model, and its relation to best interests. Second, I consider the limitations of a 'neutral' ecological perspective, using as my example data about the life course of African American boys from birth to age 18. Finally, I suggest how to shift the lens to one of developmental equality, using the theoretical models of Cynthia Garcia Coll and Margaret Beale Spencer. While linked to the experience of children of color in the United States, these models are valid starting points, I would argue, for similar explorations of inequalities among both other groups of subordinated children in the US as well as children in other countries. I conclude with what I suggest could be the benefit of the developmental equality perspective, and what obligations it should trigger for the state.In Part II, I use this lens to evaluate the Compton litigation. In 2015 a landmark lawsuit was filed against the Compton Unified School District alleging the failure of the district, system- wide, to respond to the widespread disabilities of its students based on trauma linked to living in a community with high rates of poverty, violence, and victimization from racism and gender difference. The lawsuit used development science based on research about ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and neuroscience to argue that the district, with knowledge of the circumstances of its students, and aware of its impact on achievement and behavior, nevertheless failed to provide students with appropriate accommodation and to the contrary, retraumatized them by using harsh and exclusionary disciplinary policies as well as denying them educational opportunity to achieve. Through the lens of the developmental equality model I evaluate the Compton litigation, and whether it holds promise as a strategy to accomplish developmental equality.


MAPPING DEEP-SEA FEATURES IN UK WATERS FOR USE IN MARINE PROTECTED AREA NETWORK DESIGN JAIME SELINA DAVIES, B.Sc. (Hons.), MRes. With an increase in demand on deep-sea resources comes a need for appropriate and effective management of this ecosystem. The establishment of a representative network of deep-sea Marine Protected Areas offers one tool with which to address the conservation needs of the deep sea. While a number of deep-sea habitats have been identified as vulnerable to anthropogenic activities (e.g. cold-water coral reefs and sponge aggregations), poor knowledge of the distribution of these habitats hinders conservation efforts and network planning, and thus we need habitat maps. With improvements in acoustic data resolution acquired from the deep sea, and the ability to cover large areas rapidly, the use of acoustic techniques in mapping biological habitats is growing. Multibeam bathymetry and its derived terrain variables can potentially provide important information that can aid in the delineation and characterisation of biological communities. A necessary prelude to mapping is therefore the definition of biological assemblages for use as mapping units. Two megahabitat features (seamount and submarine canyons) were sampled using acoustic and ground-truthing to characterise and map the distribution of benthic assemblages. Species were identified as distinct morpho-types and catalogued, and still images quantitatively analysed. Standard multivariate community analysis was undertaken to define distinct faunal assemblage that may act as mapping units. Those clusters identified by the SIMPROF routine were taken against a set of criteria to reject/accept as robust assemblages that may be used as mapping units. Twenty two benthic assemblages or biotopes were defined from multivariate analysis of quantitative species data, 11 from the SW Approaches and 11 from Anton Dohrn Seamount, and a further one from video observations (SW Approaches). Taken against current definitions, 11 of these were considered as Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VME). Diversity was measured to compliment the comprehensive description of biotopes. The use of multivariate diversity indices proved better for comparing diversity of biotopes as it captures a more than one aspect of diversity of the community. Two biotopes were common to both megahabitat features, cold-water coral reef habitats, and those from Anton Dohrn Seamount were more diverse than from the SW Approaches. Modelling techniques were employed to test the relationship between biotopes and environmental and geophysical parameters, which may be used as surrogates to map VME. Generalised Additive Models of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems revealed multibeam bathymetry and its derived parameters to be significant surrogate for mapping the distribution of some assemblages, particularly those that appear to be influenced by current regime; whilst not so well for those whose distribution is not so strongly current driven e.g. soft sediment communities. In terms of deep-sea mapping, the use of multibeam can prove a useful mapping tool if the resolution of the data is at an appropriate scale that will identify meso-scale geomorphological features, such as cliff-top mounds, that may act as proxies for occurrence of biotopes, but this relationship is still unclear. Surrogates were used to map VME across the seamount and submarine canyons, and full coverage maps were produced for all biotopes occurring on these megahabitat features.


The purpose of this research was to examine the differences in students' learning styles based on age and gender, and the relationships between learning styles and academic performance in a Caribbean tertiary level institution. The paper sought to make a contribution in the literature related to measuring student learning styles, including a focus on the learning styles of millennials and the relationship to factors that affect performance outcomes. The exploratory study incorporated both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, that is, use of both a questionnaire and 3 focus groups. A purposive sample included students from a Caribbean tertiary level institution. 670 useable questionnaires were returned directly to the researcher by the participants for a response rate was 63 percent comprising 163 males (24.3 percent) and 507 females (75.7 percent). millennials comprised the majority of the sample totalling 509 participants (376 females and 133 males). Statistical analyses included t-tests, ANOVA and multivariate regression. The findings suggest that Collaborative learning was the most preferred learning style based on the mean scores of Grasha-Riechman rating norms. The results of t-tests indicated significant Gender differences on dependent, participant, independent, and competitive learning styles. There were significant age differences for participant, collaborative, independent, avoidant and competitive. Independent and Avoidant learning styles were significant predictors of students' academic performance. Students with more predominant Independent learning styles reported higher Grade Point Averages (GPAs), whereas students with more predominant Avoidant learning styles reported lower GPAs. The paper concludes by suggesting that more consideration needs to be given to teaching styles that match students' learning styles, especially the millennials and the need for further research.


Abstract:Regression, weighting and related approaches to estimating a population mean from a sample with nonrandom missing data often rely on the assumption that conditional on covariates, observed samples can be treated as random. Standard methods using this assumption generally will fail to yield consistent estimators when covariates are measured with error. We review approaches to consistent estimation of a population mean of an incompletely observed variable using error-prone covariates, noting difficulties with applying these methods. We consider the application of Simulation-Extrapolation (SIMEX) as a simple and effective alternative. We provide technical conditions under which SIMEX will lead to a consistent estimator of a population mean and argue why it may function well in common settings. We use a simulation study to demonstrate its potential for removing nearly all of the bias in regression, weighting and doubly robust estimators for a population mean while maintaining precision competitive with what would be obtained without measurement error. We also discuss and evaluate options for estimating the standard error of the SIMEX mean estimator. Finally, we present an empirical example of estimating middle school effects on student achievement.


Sexuality is a domain in which gender stereotypes thrive. A cultural standard for the sexual experience and expression of women and men prescribes different gender roles in sexuality. Women�s sexual role is submissive and tender, men�s assertive and dominant. These sexual roles reflect the stereotypical view of women as more communal and men as more agentic. If gender stereotypes and sexual roles are activated by sexuality cues, this may have consequences for subsequent thought and behavior. Specifically, following reminders of sex, men�s and women�s self-perceptions may become more gender-stereotypical, and they may identify more strongly with their respective sexes. Moreover, research on prime-to-behavior effects has shown that priming affects a person�s momentary self-representation (the �active self�), which can lead to corresponding behavioral effects (e.g., Wheeler, DeMarree, & Petty, 2007). Thus, after sex-priming the prescriptive gender stereotypes of sexual submissiveness among women and sexual assertiveness among men may manifest themselves in participants� non-sexual social behavior. In four studies, sexuality was primed using visual (Study 1) and verbal (Study 2 through 4) material. Sex-priming led to a gender-based self-perception, i.e. women�s communal orientation was more pronounced relative to their agency, whereas for men the opposite was true (Study 1 and 4), heightened identification with one�s own gender (Study 2), and prompted greater submissiveness in women (Study 3 and 4) and greater assertiveness in men (Study 3). More specifically, in Study 3 changes in participants� signature size were unobtrusively measured after sex-priming to check for changes in assertiveness. Men�s signatures were larger following sex-priming whereas women�s were not. In Study 4 sex-primed women hesitated longer before interrupting an experimenter chatting on the telephone, thus revealing a more submissive approach to social interaction. In sum, these findings support the hypothesis that following sex-priming, self-perception and social behavior �tune in� to gender stereotypes. The potentially detrimental effects of casual �sex-priming� in everyday life on self-perceptions and mixed-sex social interactions are discussed.


Schistosomiasis is a tropical disease caused by worms in the genus Schistosoma. It remains one of the most prevalent parasitic infections and has significant economic and public health consequences. Despite having an effective chemotherapeutic drug, praziquantel, there is still need for a vaccine since the immediate manifestations in most people are negligible or indeterminate. Several antigens have been tested as vaccine candidates with largely disappointing results. Both rodents and primates exposed to cercariae larvae optimally attenuated with gamma radiation show a highly significant reduction in challenge worm burden. Vaccination of baboons with RA (Radiation attenuated) vaccine gave 54% protection after three exposures and 86% protection after five exposures. Protection due to RA vaccine is both humoral and cellular mediated with the IgG antibody levels thought to mediate the effector response declining over a relatively short period after the last vaccination. This study therefore aimed at evaluating the role of humoral immunity against migrating and or the pre-liver lung stage schistosomulae by passively immunizing mice with either 500 μl of hyper-immune serum or infection serum from baboons. In the first study, mice were immunized on day 7 post challenge and boosted on the 14 th day. In the second study, mice were immunized on the 3 rd day post challenge with no boost. A 24 hour egg count was carried out on the 5 th , 6 th , and 7 th week post challenge using Kato Katz thick smear technique after which perfusion was done seven weeks post challenge. Blood was collected at week 0, 2, and 4 in experiment two from the tail and through heart puncture during perfusion in both experiments for IgG ELISA assays. Sections of preserved livers were processed for histopathology and for eggs recovery. Immunization against the migrating schistosomes on the 3 rd day with the hyper-immune serum gave a 25.8 % protection but there was no protection obtained when pre-liver lung stage schistosomulae was targeted. There was no significant difference between the 24 hour faecal egg number, number of worms, liver eggs and in number and size of granulomas on both experiment. There was thus no significant protection that was conferred in mice against pre-liver-lung stage schistosomulae and or the migrating schistosome larvae by hyper-immune serum from RA vaccinated baboons probably due to the inability of the baboon serum to cooperate with the mouse effector system necessary in killing the schistosomulae. These results suggest that protective mechanism in baboons against schistosome worms could be different from those in mice and that though antibodies could be involved in protection, other factors such as cytokines could also play a major role. There is thus the need to further evaluate the mechanisms of protection in mice and experiment on homologous passive transfer of hyper-immune serum (baboon to baboon) .Other stages of the schistosome lifecycle should also be targeted during passive transfer experiments.


AbstractIn spite of controversial issues, pancreatectomy following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NeoCRT) has been applied in treating advanced pancreatic cancer. Cases of pathological complete remission (pCR) following NeoCRT is rare, and its long-term follow-up data are still lacking.From January 2000 to December 2012, medical records of the patients who underwent pancreatectomy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were retrospectively reviewed. Characteristics of the patients with pCR were summarized and their long-term follow-up data were analyzed.Among 86 patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent radical pancreatectomy following NeoCRT, 10 patients (11.6%) were reported to pCR. Nine out of 10 patients received gemcitabine-based chemoradiation therapy. Median pre-NeoCRT serum CA 19-9 was 313.5 U/ml, and post-NeoCRT serum CA 19-9 was 9.9 U/ml, which was shown to be significant difference between 2 serum CA 19-9 level (P = 0.005). Pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy was done in 8 patients, and the others received distal pancreatosplenectomy. Postoperative chemotherapy was received in 6 patients. Disease-free survival was statistically superior in patients with pCR than patients without pCR (P < 0.05). However, 5 patients experienced cancer recurrence and no clinicopathologic variables including preoperative resectability could not predict the potential recurrence of tumor in patients with pCR (P > 0.05).pCR is rarely reported following NeoCRT, but this condition is not telling the cure of the disease. Early recurrence in the pattern of liver metastasis and peritoneal seeding can be expected. However, long-term survival could be maintained in patients without recurrence. Further investigation is necessary for predicting failure of treatment.


Hailed as one of the most influential and expressive painters of the seventeenth century, Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-ca. 1656) has figured prominently in the art historical discourse of the past two decades. This attention to Artemisia, after many years of scholarly neglect, is partially due to interest in the dramatic details of her early life, including the widely publicized rape trial of her painting tutor, Agostino Tassi, and her admission to Florence's esteemed Accademia del Disegno. While the artist's early paintings have been extensively discussed, her later work has been largely dismissed. This beautifully illustrated and elegantly written book provides a revolutionary look at Artemisia's later career, refuting longstanding assumptions about the artist. The fact that she was semi-illiterate has erroneously led scholars to assume a lack of literary and cultural education on her part. Stressing the importance of orality in Baroque culture and in Artemisia's paintings, Locker argues for her important place in the cultural dialogue of the seventeenth century.


Background: Ochrobactrum anthropi is an emerging opportunistic pathogen classically considered of low virulence. The purpose of this study is to describe the most recent cases of O. anthropi bacteraemia in our hospital, along with a brief review of the literature.
Methods: we have reviewed the cases of O. anthropi registered in the database of our hospital during the last 3 years. Ochrobactrum spp. was identified by the macroscopic appearance and growth characteristics; definitive identification was performed by the commercial system Vitek-2 (Biomerieux, France).
Results: We report 6 cases of bacteraemia secondary to O. anthropi infection, 5 of them occurring in
immunocompromised patients; the last one was considered to be contaminated due to the lack of risk factors andthe clinical improvement without an effective treatment. Two out of 6 patients had catheter-related infection, the most common infection associated to this organism. Another patient had an O. anthropi-related biliary sepsis. Probably the most relevant cases are patients number 1 and patient number 4, suffering from a pneumonia and a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS)-related infection respectively, two uncommon infections caused by this
bacterium. Clinical response was satisfactory in all cases, except in case number 4, probably in relation to the maintenance of the TIPS.
Conclusion: severe immunosuppression and association with an indwelling medical device are the main factors associated with most cases of O. anthropi bacteraemia. The most important point in the treatment is the removal of the infected device, in addition to an appropriate antibiotic treatment.


Understanding and identifying drivers of local population declines are important in mitigating future risks and optimising conservation efforts. The Knysna elephants have, after being afforded protection since the early 1900s, declined to near extinction today. We propose three hypotheses as to why the Knysna elephant population declined. The refugee hypothesis suggests that anthropogenic activities forced the elephants to take refuge in the forest and that the low-quality food acted as the primary driver of decline. The illegal killing hypothesis suggests that the elephants adapted to the forest and its immediate fynbos habitat, with the decline being a consequence of illegal kills. The stochastic founder population hypothesis postulates that the population size and structure left it vulnerable to demographic stochasticity. We critically reviewed available evidence for these hypotheses and found that, although the historical elephant range decline most likely resulted through the refugee hypothesis, the weak demographic and life-history information limits elimination of either of the other hypotheses. We touch on the implications for decision-makers and draw attention to information requirements.

Significance:

• We highlight the knowledge and management challenges which exist for small, threatened populations
of which long-term demographic data are sparse.
• We provide the first unbiased evaluation of multiple drivers that may have caused the decline of the
Knysna elephants.


The ecological success of diatoms is mostly attributed to their ability to adjust biological performances to the variable environmental conditions they experience in the water column. While the efficient photoacclimative and photoprotective mechanisms in diatoms are already reported, the involvement of the antioxidant network in lowering or repairing light stress or damage is poorly understood.
My thesis consists of the concomitant investigation of the photoprotective and antioxidant network functioning in the coastal diatom Skeletonema marinoi, and during an experiment at sea in the Gulf of Naples. The aims of my work are to explore the antioxidant network in diatoms to better understand its activation in coping with light variation, and the functional link between antioxidant molecules synthesis/activity and photoprotection.
Results showed the spectral light dependent activity of antioxidant enzymes such as ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. They act in complementarity of the antioxidant molecules synthesis. A high concentration of ascorbic acid, phenolics compounds and among them flavonoids were found in diatoms. These molecules respond to light variations in terms of spectral composition, photon flux density, daily light dose, light shape distribution and photoperiod duration. Also, in a natural microalgal community, these molecules were found at high concentration following a dynamics that relied on light, nutrient stress and photosynthetic regulation.
The photoprotective xanthophyll cycle, involving the pigments diatoxanthin and diadinoxanthin, is activated by light and modulated in concordance with antioxidant molecules synthesis. Indeed, under different light climates, a link between these two defense processes was found. I also show that the xanthophyll cycle pigments have a high antioxidant activity. This feature explains why they increase together with antioxidant molecules during cell senescence. More generally, the physiological state of the cells modulates the antioxidant and photoprotective network in diatoms.


Background The field of medicine is rapidly becoming digitised, and in the process passively amassing large volumes of healthcare data. Machine learning and data analytics are advancing rapidly, but these have been slow to be taken up in the day-to-day delivery of healthcare. We present an application of machine learning to optimise a laboratory testing programme as an example of benefiting from these tools. Methods Canterbury District Health Board has recently implemented a system for urgent lab sample processing in the community, reducing unnecessary emergency presentations to hospital. Samples are transported from primary care facilities to a central laboratory. To improve the efficiency of this service, our team built a prototype transport scheduling platform using machine learning techniques and simulated the efficiency and cost impact of the platform using historical data. Results Our simulation demonstrated procedural efficiency and potential for annual savings between 5% and 14% from implementing a real-time lab sample transport scheduling platform. Advantages included providing a forward job list to the laboratory, an expected time to result and a streamlined transport request process. Conclusion There are a range of opportunities in healthcare to use large datasets for improved delivery of care. We have described an applied example of using machine learning techniques to improve the efficiency of community patient lab sample processing at scale. This is with a view to demonstrating practical avenues for collaboration between clinicians and machine learning engineers.


This study evaluated the relationship between recalled parental treatment, attachment style, and coping with parental and romantic stressors. A group of 66 undergraduate students completed the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) (Parker, Tupling, & Brown, 1979), a measure of attachment style (Simpson, 1990), general questions regarding the intensity and frequency of parental and romantic stressors, and their typical ways of coping with each type (Vitaliano, Russo, Carr, Maiuro, & Becker, 1985). Data analysis showed that attachment scores were significantly correlated with coping with both kinds of stress. The most significant correlations were found between attachment and coping with romantic stressors. Overall, high or low use of a specific approach to coping was consistent in the face of parental and romantic stressors. Further, exploratory analysis revealed that the habitual intensity of the experienced stressors could act as a moderator of coping techniques.


In Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Supreme Court decided important questions of structural constitutionalism on the assumption, shared by all of the parties, that members of the Securities and Exchange Commission are not removable at will by the President. Four Justices strongly challenged the majority's willingness to accept what amounts to a stipulation by the parties on a controlling issue of law. As a general matter, the American legal system does not allow parties to stipulate to legal conclusions, though it welcomes and encourages stipulations to matters of fact. I argue that one ought to take seriously the idea that stipulations of law should be as integral a part of the adjudicative process as stipulations of fact – or, at the very minimum, that the acceptance of stipulations of law rests on defensible assumptions about the nature of adjudication as a mechanism for resolving disputes rather than as a mechanism for declaring the law or expressing public values. Objections to the wide use of legal stipulations often focus on the potential third-party effects of adjudication, primarily (though not exclusively) through precedent. I suggest that those objections generally assume a contestable theory of precedent that emanates from a law-declaring rather than a dispute-resolving theory of adjudication. It is quite possible to have a theory of precedent that accompanies a dispute-resolution model of adjudication that does not raise (or raise unacceptably) concerns about externalities in accepting legal stipulations. Thus, the legal system should consider extending the degree to which it will enable parties to control the legal issues decided by courts.


correspondence: Boniface Eze Department of Ophthalmology, University of nigeria Teaching hospital (UnTh), PMB 01129, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, Enugu state, nigeria Tel +234-803-3165767 Email firstname.lastname@example.com Objective: To assess the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients discharged against medical advice (DAMA) at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Nigeria. Methods: The UNTH's admission and discharge records between 1997 and 2006 were examined. Patients DAMA were identified; relevant sociodemographic and clinical data were extracted from their recalled clinical charts. Data were analyzed to generate rates, percentages, and proportions, and a level of P , 0.05 (one degree of freedom) was considered statistically significant. Results: Of the 64,856 admissions (45.2% male, 54.8% female), 113 (0.002%; males: 54%, females: 46%) were discharged against medical advice. DAMA rate was highest in Surgery (0.4%), and lowest in Obstetrics and Gynecology (0.1%) and Pediatrics (0.1%). Infections (32.7%), trauma (29.2%), and cancer (16.8%) were the leading diagnoses in patients DAMA. Financial constraints (37.2%), unsatisfactory response to treatment (17.7%), and dissatisfaction with hospital environment (15.0%) were the main reasons for patients choosing to discharge themselves. DAMA was associated with a short admission period (P , 0.05), patients having high levels of formal education (P , 0.05), and those who had not been previously hospitalized (P , 0.05); but not with age (P = 0.398), gender (P = 0.489), or employment (P = 0.091). Conclusion: Comparatively, the rate of DAMA at UNTH is low. The causes of DAMA are preventable; for example, strengthening of the national health insurance scheme, enhancement of doctor-patient communication, and improvement of hospital environment would further reduce DAMA rate.


Abstract Land surface heterogeneity over an area of 71 km × 74 km in the lower Walnut River watershed, Kansas, was investigated using models and measurements from the 1997 Cooperative Atmosphere Surface Exchange Study (CASES-97) field experiment. As an alternative approach for studying heterogeneity, a multiscale atmospheric and surface dataset (1, 5, and 10 km) was developed, which was used to drive three land surface models, in uncoupled 1D mode, to simulate the evolution of surface heat fluxes and soil moisture for approximately a 1-month period (16 April–22 May 1997) during which the natural grassland experienced a rapid greening. Model validation using both surface and aircraft measurements showed that these modeled flux maps have reasonable skill in capturing the observed surface heterogeneity related to land-use cover and soil moisture. The results highlight the significance of rapid greening of grassland in shaping the surface heterogeneity for the area investigated. The treatment of soil hydrauli...


Recent events in India have brought a fresh focus upon the problem of regulation in the field of micro-finance. This paper delineates the three distinct aspects where government needs to play a role. The first is to protect the rights of the micro-borrower, the consumer of micro-financial services. The second is that of prudential oversight of risk-taking by firms operating in micro-finance, since this could have systemic implications. The third is a developmental role, emphasising scale-up of the micro-finance industry where the key issues are diversification of access to funds, innovations in distribution and product structure, and the use of new technologies such as credit bureaus and the UID. Each of these roles need to be placed in an existing or a new regulatory agency. There is a case for creating a new regulatory agency which unifies the consumer protection function across all financial products.


Mutations in MECP2 (methyl-CpG-binding protein 2) are linked to the severe postnatal neurodevelopmental disorder RTT (Rett syndrome). MeCP2 was originally characterized as a transcriptional repressor that preferentially bound methylated DNA; however, recent results indicate MeCP2 is a multifunctional protein. MeCP2 binding is now associated with certain expressed genes and involved in nuclear organization as well, indicating that its gene regulatory function is context-dependent. In addition, MeCP2 is proposed to regulate mRNA splicing and a mouse model for RTT shows aberrant mRNA splicing. To further understand MeCP2 and potential roles in RTT pathogenesis, we have employed a biochemical approach to identify the MeCP2 protein complexes present in the mammalian brain. We show that MeCP2 exists in at least four biochemically distinct pools in the brain and characterize one novel brain-derived MeCP2 complex that contains the splicing factor Prpf3 (pre-mRNA processing factor 3). MeCP2 directly interacts with Prpf3 in vitro and in vivo and many MECP2 RTT truncations disrupt the MeCP2-Prpf3 complex. In addition, MeCP2 and Prpf3 associate in vivo with mRNAs from genes known to be expressed when their promoters are associated with MeCP2. These results support a role for MeCP2 in mRNA biogenesis and suggest an additional mechanism for RTT pathophysiology.


The effect of oak contact on the phenolic composition, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and colour of Pinotage wines was investigated during maturation. Oak maturation included traditional treatments, such as new, second-fill and third-fill barrels, as well as alternative treatments (oak chips, staves, extract and dust) applied in old barrels over a period of 28 weeks. Oak maturation using traditional and alternative treatments improved the objective colour of Pinotage wine by decreasing the L* value. Losses in TAC caused by decreased concentrations of monomeric phenolic compounds (most anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavonols and hydroxycinnamic acids) during oak maturation were negated by increased concentrations of gallic acid and the formation of new oligomeric and polymeric pigments. Wine maturation in stainless steel containers also resulted in a decrease in anthocyanin content. The decrease in phenolic acid content for wines matured in stainless steel was less pronounced, while their flavan-3-ol content remained stable. The new-barrel treatment had the most pronounced effect on all parameters. Oak maturation can be used for the production of Pinotage wine when the retention of TAC is a high priority.


This paper estimates the productivity gains from agglomeration economies for a sample of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States using measures of urban agglomeration based on employment density and employment accessibility. The latter is a more accurate measure of economic proximity and allows testing for the spatial decay of agglomeration effects with increasing travel time. We find that the productivity gains from urban agglomeration are consistent between measures, with elasticity values between 0.07 and 0.10. The large majority of the productivity gains occur within the first 20 minutes, and do not appear to exhibit significant nonlinearities.


Proceedings of the Sixth Congress on Forensic Engineering, held in San Francisco, California, October 31-November 3, 2012. Sponsored by the Technical Council on Forensic Engineering of ASCE. This collection contains 144 peer-reviewed papers presenting findings intended to help forensic engineers develop practices and procedures to reduce the number of failures, disseminate information on failures, and provide guidelines for conducting failure investigations and for ethical conduct. Topics include: bridges; building envelopes; critical infrastructure; design practices; disaster risk management; education; emerging technologies; fires; floods; flooring; geotechnical failures; hurricanes, tornadoes, and extreme winds; investigative methodologies; practices to reduce failures; professional practice; research and testing; residential construction; and structural failures. This will be valuable to engineers, researchers, educators, and students involved in forensic engineering.


This essay is an ethnographic account of the use of post-Soviet military ruins in western Ukraine. I describe an encounter with the founder of a commune for persons released from prison, victims of human trafficking, and asylum seekers established in a former nuclear base in Ukraine's western borderland. The commune is an unusual restoration project that is carried out in the interstices of the postsocialist state and of the changing European border regime. As such, it is a compelling site for rethinking dispossession and the possibility of redemption some 15 years after the USSR ceased to exist. The protagonist of this account redeems ruins left behind by the collapse of an empire he was glad to see go, and reproduces precisely that which has been lost in the process of the unmaking of Soviet life, that is the all-embracing domain of collective work and life.


Nearly 15% of students are disciplined in a given year, with 60% of students being disciplined at-least once between grades 7 through 12. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of school discipline contact on students' risk for grade retention and school dropout using a statewide sample of 7th grade students tracked through their 12th grade year. Results indicate that school discipline is associated with approximately 4,700 grade retentions per year in the state of Texas. The delayed workforce entry related to grade retention has an effect of over $68 million for the state, including $5.6 million in lost tax revenue. Given the higher discipline rate for minorities, these costs disproportionately affect them. Further, the additional year of instruction costs the state nearly $41 million dollars. For each year an individual student is retained the effect on the net social surplus exceeds $23,000. Results also indicate that school discipline relates to a 29% increase in high school dropout. These additional dropouts account for an economic effect of $711 million per year. It is recommended that educational agencies adopt evidenced-based programs that reduce school officials' use of punitive and exclusionary measures to manage student behavior such as Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports. Further, these results underscore the need for school officials to employ secondary and tertiary dropout prevention programs that are targeted at the most academically and behaviorally at-risk students in schools in addition to primary prevention programs.


We address the major surface signatures of chlorophyll a in the Catalan Sea within the context of the dynamics of the north-western Mediterranean basin. Monthly composites from MERIS measurements and CHL products for Case 1 waters were analysed from June 2002 to June 2005. Composite images of variability were used to identify surface dynamics. The results showed that coastal and open sea waters were separated by a belt of low variability, a permanent oligotrophic belt that is noticeable with respect to the bloom conditions of the surrounding areas. The width of this Catalan Oligotrophic Belt (COB) located along the continental slope, varied between 17 and 30 km and became blurred in the southernmost area. The chlorophyll a temporal pattern over the shelf showed an almost steady increase from September to March. A similar behaviour but with lower concentrations was observed in oceanic waters. Both temporal patterns showed a disruption during January and/or February that coincided with the well known deep water formation event in the Gulf of Lions. In 2004, the convection was weaker and the offshore temporal trend was not disrupted; however, the opposite was observed in 2005. The spatial chlorophyll a distribution of oceanic waters presented a clear north-south decreasing trend, while the coastal distribution did not show any latitudinal patterns but rather peaks in the areas enriched by river runoff. The observed seasonality was similar to the one published from SeaWiFS data and slightly different from the seasonality shown by CZCS data. Nevertheless, we did not discard the possibility that some of the observed seasonal differences could be a true temporal shift in chlorophyll a production.


This analysis uses the Input-Output tables from the UK National Accounts for 2011 to simulate the full multiplied impact of a uniform £20 per tonne carbon price on fuels and production costs across all 106 industries that comprise the UK economy, as well as whole economy production costs and final consumer prices. The carbon price is imposed on top of any carbon cost that was already present in 2011. Full cost pass-through is assumed along the value chain. The paper finds that only a small number of industries – including the oil refinement, coal, iron and cement sectors – that account for around 2 per cent of UK GDP, are likely to face production cost increases that put them under pressure from competition abroad. It states that "carbon policies will provide incentives to increase energy efficiency and resource productivity which could afford UK producers a competitive advantage in the long term, in a world where fossil fuel prices could rise and carbon reduction policies are likely to become more widespread and ambitious." The paper concludes that policies are needed to help sectors that emit high levels of greenhouse gases and are exposed the international trade – such as the cement, mining and petroleum refinement industries – adapt to changing economic conditions resulting from a uniform carbon tax.


[extract] Upon the foundation of the colony of New South Wales the inhabitants, as subjects of the Crown, inherited the law of England. Section 24 of the Australian Courts Act 1828 (Imp) later provided that statutes which were in force in England, as at the date of the passing of the Act (ie 25 July 1828) to be applied in the courts of New South Wales and Van Dieman's Land (later Tasmania) where they were applicable in the colony by reason of local conditions, and the administrative and judicial machinery then in existence. Sir Victor Windeyer commented that lawyers often regard the Australian Courts Act as 'the good root of title of our inheritance of the law of England'. However, Sir Victor Windeyer has pointed out that the source of the inheritance is the common law itself. The purpose of the Australian Courts Act was to fix a date, with certainty, up to when Imperial statutes were received.


Background and Aims: Perineural adjuvants when used as a part of multimodal analgesia (MMA) will maximize the quality and duration of analgesia of the nerve blocks. In the present study, we compared the duration of postoperative analgesia and other block characteristics of two groups of MMA comprising either perineural buprenorphine or dexmedetomidine in the upper limb surgeries performed under ultrasound-guided (US-guided) infraclavicular brachial plexus blocks. Material and Methods: A total of 100 adult patients undergoing elective upper limb orthopedic surgery under US-guided infraclavicular brachial plexus block were randomly divided into two groups. Group I received 150 μg buprenorphine and Group II received 50 μg dexmedetomidine, perineurally added to 30 ml of 0.375% bupivacaine. Both groups also received tramadol 50 mg IV, dexamethasone 4 mg IV, and diclofenac 75 mg infusion as part of MMA. Both groups were compared for the duration of postoperative analgesia, block characteristics, and incidence of adverse effects. Results: The duration of postoperative analgesia was significantly prolonged in Group II (937.6 ± 179.1 min vs 1280.4 ± 288.8 min). The onset of sensory and motor blocks was shorter in Group II (P < 0.05). The duration of sensory and motor blocks was significantly prolonged in Group II (P < 0.05). The number of rescue analgesics required in the first 24 hours was less in Group II (1.98 ± 0.62 vs 0.8 ± 0.64). Although heart rate and blood pressure levels were lower in Group II, all patients were hemodynamically stable. Conclusion: For surgeries under brachial plexus block, perineural dexmedetomidine when used as a part of MMA provided a prolonged duration of postoperative analgesia and improved block characteristics than perineural buprenorphine.


From travel in the ancient and classical world to the growth of underwater tourism in the Great Barrier Reef and the influence of the Gulf War on regional tourism, the Atlas of Travel and Tourism Development is a new departure from conventional texts, providing a unique overview of the growth of the tourism industry.
Divided into three sections, the text looks first at the past, examining the influence of global geography on travel patterns, and provides an overview of the history of travel and tourism. It then moves onto the present, using a regional framework to demonstrate how the physical and historical geography of each area is related to tourism development. The final section provides a forecast of future trends for the next two decades.


This paper provides estimates of the economic value created by broadband Internet using measures of new gross domestic product and consumer surplus. The study finds that the economic value created in 30 OECD countries correlates roughly with the overall size of their broadband economies. In addition, price and quality data from the United States suggest that widespread adoption of broadband Internet has occurred without a dramatic decline in prices, which reflects an unobserved increase in broadband quality that conventional government statistics do not capture.


OBJECTIVE Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is recommended for identifying diabetes and prediabetes. Because HbA1c does not fluctuate with recent eating or acute illness, it can be measured in a variety of clinical settings. Although outpatient studies identified HbA1c-screening cutoff values for diabetes and prediabetes, HbA1c-screening thresholds have not been determined for acute-care settings. Using follow-up fasting blood glucose (FBG) and the 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) as the criterion gold standard, we determined optimal HbA1c-screening cutoffs for undiagnosed dysglycemia in the emergency department setting. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a prospective observational study of adults aged ≥18 years with no known history of hyperglycemia presenting to an emergency department with acute illness. Outpatient FBS and 2-h OGTT were performed after recovery from the acute illness, resulting in diagnostic categorizations of prediabetes, diabetes, and dysglycemia (prediabetes or diabetes). Optimal cutoffs were determined and performance data identified for cut points. RESULTS A total of 618 patients were included, with a mean age of 49.7 (±14.9) years and mean HbA1c of 5.68% (±0.86). On the basis of an OGTT, the prevalence of previously undiagnosed prediabetes and diabetes was 31.9 and 10.5%, respectively. The optimal HbA1c-screening cutoff for prediabetes was 5.7% (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.659, sensitivity = 55%, and specificity = 71%), for dysglycemia 5.8% (AUC = 0.717, sensitivity = 57%, and specificity = 79%), and for diabetes 6.0% (AUC = 0.868, sensitivity = 77%, and specificity = 87%). CONCLUSIONS We identified HbA1c cut points to screen for prediabetes and diabetes in an emergency department adult population. The values coincide with published outpatient study findings and suggest that an emergency department visit provides an opportunity for HbA1c-based dysglycemia screening.


This paper investigates whether stock markets react any differently to financial statement restatement information after the events of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. The research in this paper is trying to demonstrate that financial markets reacted negatively to restatement information following the passing of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010, ascertain if markets reacted less negatively to post-financial crisis restatements than post-Sarbanes Oxley restatements, and determine whether markets reacted more negatively to restatements of core earnings following the financial crisis period. Little research surrounding the market effects of the financial crisis exist, and it was necessary to further study the effects of restatement information on financial markets, due to its continued importance and relevance. While the impact of restatement information has been studied over previous time periods, primarily surrounding the implementation of Sarbanes Oxley in 2002, it was important to see if the general public placed any additional emphasis on, or displayed any greater awareness of the implications of, a financial statement restatement after the events of the Financial Crisis of 2008. To investigate this issue, stock price information was collected for a period of time surrounding restatement filing dates for a small sample of companies within two time periods: Post-SOX and Post-Dodd Frank. Analyzing differences in percent changes in stock price between the two samples would allow one to develop conclusions on whether a restatement elicited a stronger or weaker market reaction. A regression model was then used to analyze potential variables within the stock price movement that may have influenced the overall outcome. The primary goal was to determine a degree of correlation between various independent variables and percent changes in stock price surrounding restatement filings for the two samples. The findings presented some expected results, but some less promising outcomes as well. The analysis of cumulative percentage change in stock price showed that markets reacted negatively to restatement filings after the events leading to the Financial Crisis. Additionally, markets reacted more strongly to restatement information in the Post-Dodd Frank sample, which is contrary to the initial hypothesis, but only by a small margin. Aside from the number of days covered within a restatement period, the regression model failed to provide any statistically significant variables, and the model overall did not achieve statistical significance. The variables selected accounted for roughly 39% of the movement in stock price within the 2005-2007 (PostSOX) sample, and only about 8% for the 2011-2013 (Post-Dodd Frank) sample. This lack of correlation can be attributed to a number of potential factors; among them the small sample size, the lack of consideration for other variables, and the use of cumulative changes in a stock's price instead of cumulative abnormal returns, which factors for changes in market prices relative to changes in individual security prices. It's difficult to conclude with certainty what the implications of the research are. While the data collected portrays a stronger market reaction to restatements in the post-financial crisis period, the regression model cannot accurately portray the reasoning behind this movement, and even contradicts conventional sequences of thought at times. In a perfect world, one would like to see financial markets displaying a greater understanding of restatement implications, and a stronger awareness of how such information can be identified. Future researchers expanding on this topic should drastically increase the sample size, take cumulative abnormal returns into account, and to account for more variables in the data.


Ubiquitin-like (UBL) protein conjugations, such as ubiquitination and sumoylation, alter protein fate, localization, function and transcriptional activity. Two UBL protein conjugation systems, the ATG12 and ATG8 systems, are required for macroautophagy. The early steps of autophagosome formation require that these two conjugation systems covalently attach: (1) the UBL ATG12 to the target protein ATG5 (Fig. 1A); and (2) the UBL ATG8 to the lipid phosphotidylethanolamine (PE) (Fig. 1B). Interestingly, since the initial discovery of the ATG12 conjugation system, ATG5 has remained as the only known target of ATG12. Recently, we demonstrated that ATG12 can modify multiple protein targets in mammalian cells, and identified ATG3, the E2-like enzyme that conjugates ATG8 to PE, as a second ATG12 conjugation target.

Figure 1

ATG12 conjugation to ATG3. (A) ATG 12 conjugation system. The E1 enzyme ATG7 activates the C-terminal glycine of ATG12. Subsequently, ATG12 is transferred to the E2 conjugating enzyme ATG10, resulting in the formation of the ATG12-ATG5 complex (top). ...

Although ATG12 and ATG3 have been previously reported to physically interact, to our knowledge, we provide the first evidence for a covalent complex between these two essential components of the autophagy conjugation machineries. Similar to ATG12-ATG5, formation of the ATG12-ATG3 complex requires activation of ATG12 by the E1-like enzyme ATG7. Subsequently, ATG3 autocatalyzes the conjugation of ATG12 onto a single conserved lysine residue (K243) of this E2-like enzyme (Fig. 1A, see gray box). Based on immunoprecipitation studies, both free ATG3 and the ATG12-ATG3 complex are concomitantly detected in mammalian cells; notably, only a fraction of the total pool of endogenous ATG3 is in a complex with ATG12. This contrasts with ATG5, which appears to be completely conjugated to ATG12.

To gain insight into the cellular function of the ATG12-ATG3 complex, we complemented atg3-deficient mouse fibroblasts with either wild-type ATG3 (WTATG3) or a mutant version of ATG3 that is unable to be conjugated to ATG12 due to loss of a single lysine required for isopeptide bond linkage (ATG3KR). Because ATG12, in complex with ATG5, and ATG3 both play critical roles in the biogenesis and elongation of the autophagosomal membrane, we hypothesized that the ATG12-ATG3 complex would likewise regulate the early steps of autophagy. However, upon disrupting ATG12 conjugation to ATG3, we observed no effects on the lipidation of LC3 or other mammalian ATG8 orthologues. We also found no significant changes in nonselective autophagy in response to multiple stresses, including nutrient starvation, rapamycin-mediated mTOR inhibition and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP)-induced mitochondrial depolarization.

Although nonselective autophagy appears intact, our results indicate that the disruption of ATG12 conjugation to ATG3 in cells does have profound effects on mitochondria. ATG3KR cells possess increased mitochondrial mass relative to WTATG3 cells, both at baseline and in response to mitochondrial depolarization with CCCP. Upon mitochondrial depolarization, mitochondria targeting to autophagosomes in ATG3KR cells is significantly reduced relative to WTATG3 cells, suggesting a defect in mitochondrial autophagy or mitophagy. To date, the prevailing view has been that specific adapter molecules target mitochondria for autophagic degradation in mammalian cells. For example, the two related BH3 family proteins, BNIP3 and NIX/BNIP3L, promote mitochondrial clearance during reticulocyte development, whereas the PINK1-Parkin pathway directs mitophagy in response to depolarization. In contrast, the ATGs comprising the conjugation systems have not been previously implicated in the selective targeting of mitochondria; rather, they are proposed to contribute more generally by forming the autophagosome. Our results now broach the hypothesis that this newly identified complex between two conjugation ATGs mediates a unique function for selectively targeting mitochondria for autophagic degradation.

In addition, we discovered that the mitochondrial network of ATG3KR cells is highly fragmented. Mitochondrial fragmentation is similarly present in atg3-deficient cells, whereas cells reconstituted with WTATG3 exhibit tubular mitochondrial networks. Mitochondria undergo extensive remodeling through continuous cycles of mitochondrial fusion and fission; appropriate balance of these two opposing processes is necessary for maintenance of overall mitochondrial structure and function. Mitochondrial fragmentation often indicates an imbalance in mitochondrial fission and fusion; in support of this prediction, cells lacking the ATG12-ATG3 complex display reduced mitochondrial fusion activity. Nonetheless, further studies are required to clarify if ATG12-ATG3 serves as a novel link between autophagy and the mitochondrial fusion machinery. Importantly, one can alternatively hypothesize that the effects of ATG12-ATG3 on mitochondrial fusion are secondary to its effects on mitophagy, since previous work indicates that fragmented mitochondria are preferentially degraded by mitophagy. In other words, due to reduced mitophagy, disruption of ATG12 conjugation to ATG3 results in the build-up of fusion defective mitochondria.

Finally, ATG12 conjugation to ATG3 sensitizes cells to apoptosis mediated by mitochondrial pathways, but has no effect on death-receptor mediated apoptosis. The resistance to intrinsic apoptosis in ATG3KR cells correlates with an increase in the basal protein levels of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 proteins, namely Bcl-xL. Accordingly, specific antagonism of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members with obatoclax, a pharmacological BH3 mimetic, causes equivalent levels of cell death between WTATG3 and ATG3KR cells. An important question for future study is whether these increases in Bcl-XL also contribute functionally to the changes in mitochondrial mass and morphology found in ATG3KR cells.

Dissecting the exact mechanisms through which the ATG12-ATG3 complex mediates these diverse effects on mitochondrial homeostasis, morphology and cell death remains an important topic for future investigation. Since a fraction of total ATG3 is in complex with ATG12, this motivates the hypothesis that ATG12 conjugation to ATG3 promotes the relocation of this complex to mitochondria. Alternatively, ATG12 conjugation may change ATG3 substrate specificity, alter its enzymatic activity, or facilitate new protein-protein interactions. Importantly, our results support the idea that the effects of the ATG12-ATG3 complex on mitochondrial homeostasis and cell death are unique functions that can be completely separated from the established roles of each individual ATG in autophagosome formation. Although this is a novel finding for ATG12 and ATG3, other studies demonstrate that ATGs may control cellular functions distinct from autophagy. For example, during phagocytosis, LC3 becomes recruited to, and incorporated into, the plasma membrane by a macroautophagy-independent mechanism that requires both ATG5 and Beclin 1. Hence, we propose that ATG12, like ubiquitin and SUMO, may serve as a broadbased protein modification that mediates diverse cellular functions in addition to autophagy.


A new approach to fuzzy rule induction from historical data is presented. The implemented system - FRANTIC - is a tested on a simple classification problem against a fuzzy tree induction algorithm, a genetic algorithm, and a numerical method for inducing fuzzy rules based on fuzzy subsethood values. The results obtained by FRANTIC indicate comparable or better classification accuracy, superior comprehensibility, and potentially more flexibility when applied to larger data sets. The impact of the knowledge representation used when generating fuzzy rules is also highlighted.


Phosphatic dermal fragments of Anatolepis, interpreted as a heterostracan fish (class Agnatha), have been discovered in the Deadwood Formation of Late Cambrian age in northeastern Wyoming. This discovery extends back the age of the earliest known vertebrate fossils by approximately 40 million years. Other occurrences of Anatolepis in North America, Greenland, and Spitzbergen show that these fish had a widespread geographic distribution in Late Cambrian and Early Ordovician marine environments.


This paper empirically determines why, during the 1990s, inflation in Canada was consistently more stable than predicted by the fixed-coefficients Phillips curve. A time-varying-coefficient model, where all the parameters adjust simultaneously, shows that the behaviour of expectations was probably a major contributing factor. A decrease in the value of the coefficient on the first difference of the output gap also seems to have influenced the observed pattern of inflation. Finally, pass-through of relative price shocks into domestic prices is shown to have been low since 1983.


Lake Malawi is the third largest lake in Africa and plays an important role in water supply, hydropower generation, agriculture and fisheries in the region. Lake level observations started in the 1890s and anecdotal evidence of variations dates back to the early 1800s. A chronology of lake level and outflow variations is presented together with updated estimates for the net inflow to the lake. The inflow series and selected rainfall records were also analysed using an unobserved component approach and, although there was little evidence of long-term trends, there was some indication of increasing interannual variability in recent decades. A weak quasi-periodic behaviour was also noted with a period of approximately 4–8 years. The results provide useful insights into the severity of drought and flood events in the region since the 1890s and the potential for seasonal forecasting of lake levels and outflows.


Since the 1950s, eminent field biologist George Schaller has roamed through many lands observing wild animals and conducting landmark long-term studies that have deepened our understanding of these creatures. He has reported and reflected on his work in classic, much-acclaimed books, including The Last Panda and National Book Award winner The Serengeti Lion, but much of his best writing has been ephemeral, published in magazines, only to drop out of sight. This collection features 19 short pieces brought together in book form to offer a unique overview of his life in the field. Chapters describe stalking tigers in India and jaguars in Brazil's Pantanal swamps, studying mountain gorillas in Central Africa and predator-prey relations in the Serengeti, tracking newfound species on the wild border of Vietnam and Laos, searching for snow leopards in the Hindu Kush, and Schaller's groundbreaking work with giant pandas in Sichuan. Later accounts broaden the focus from individual creatures to whole ecosystems. "The careless rapture of my early studies has been replaced more and more by efforts to protect animals and their habitats," he writes. New to this book are Schaller's introductions for each chapter, which add and update information, and an overall introduction that looks back on his remarkable career.


Manufacturing engineering in general has experienced an increased demand of process planning in order to optimize processes to reduce costs, environmental impact and increase time efficiency. Resistance spot welding (RSW) is a common and large-scale joining method in several manufacturing industries indicating significant potentials of efficient process planning.The goal of this thesis is to establish new knowledge for updated and improved process planning of RSW in industrial applications. The goal is expressed by two research questions targeting the issues of process variations and potential of numerical methods of the RSW process. The research questions are expressed in terms of weld size, which is the main interest in RSW process planning.As any large-scale manufacturing process, RSW involves variations in results – the weld size is known to vary, both as a result of intentional dependent parameters such as process parameters and as a result of unintentional variations in welding conditions. A series of physical and numerical analysis have been performed in order to gain knowledge of such variations.The unintentional variations, which result in varying weld sizes in apparently identical conditions, were analyzed through both controlled laboratory welding and welding in industrial production environments. The results of the analysis showed the magnitude of standard deviations in both environments and the distribution of weld sizes. The analysis showed that common standard deviations in controlled laboratories and industrial production are approximately 0.3 mm and 0.9 mm, respectively and that weld sizes are distributed showed promising fit to both Normal and Weibull distributions.The intentional variations of weld sizes due to process parameters, which is the most important aspect of RSW process planning, have traditionally been analyzed through physical testing. In the present thesis two numerical methods were evaluated; regression analysis and FE simulations. For the regression analysis several models were generated and showed a standard deviation of residuals between model and physical results of 0.5 mm. For the FE simulations, material models for the RSW were generated and the simulations showed a standard deviation compared to physical testing of 0.68 mm. In conclusion, the present thesis presents results, which help quantify variations in weld sizes and present the capability of numerical methods of the RSW process.


Cloud Computing allows companies to access ICT-based services i.e. computer infrastructure, applications, platforms and business processes, via the internet. Cloud Computing is still at the infancy stage in Africa. Studies have indicated a lack of cloud based awareness, even among big organizations in Africa. Kenya just like any other African market is yet to fully adopt cloud based systems due to trust and security concerns. This study aimed at identifying the extent and characteristics of Cloud Computing adoption in insurance companies in Kenya. The study assessed Cloud Computing uses in terms of productivity applications, business applications (CRM, SaaS), infrastructure on-demand (storage, network, and server), finance applications, core business application, databases and desktop. The adoption of the Cloud Computing services in insurance companies was relatively low. The results obtained would assist in providing a roadmap for the best practices to improve Cloud Computing services in the insurance industry in Kenya.


Regulation of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein attachment protein
receptors (SNARE) mediated exocytosis is dependent upon four key proteins; the
vesicular SNARE synaptobrevin, target SNAREs SNAP-25 and syntaxin and the
Sec1/Munc18 (SM) protein munc18-1. Despite the munc18-1-syntaxin interaction being
central to regulated vesicle exocytosis the spatial and temporal pattern of their molecular
distribution and interaction in neuroendocrine and neuronal cells remains undefined.
Using in vitro and molecular approaches this thesis shows that disruption of the munc18-
1-syntaxin-N-terminal interaction results in significant changes in syntaxin localisation,
membrane-proximal vesicle dynamics and fusion efficiency within neuroendocrine cells.
Using the super-resolution techniques Ground State Depletion-Individual molecule return
(GSDIM) Microscopy and Photoactivation Localisation Microscopy (PALM) this thesis
has demonstrated that the spatial distribution of single munc18-1 molecules is non-random
and that few munc18-1 molecules are required for exocytosis to proceed in
neuroendocrine cells. Furthermore, targeted disruption of the N-terminal interaction
resulted only in a reorganisation of interaction with syntaxin with no change in the
molecular spatial pattern of secretory vesicles, syntaxin or munc18-1. Single molecule
imaging PALM (sptPALM) enabled the investigation of the complex spatio-temporal
behaviours of single munc18-1 molecules in living neuroendocrine cells. Spatially
resolved maps of single munc18-1 molecules demonstrated that munc18-1 exhibits a
caged motion within areas of the plasma membrane and were found to move between
molecular storage depots distinct from vesicle docking sites. To explore the precise
spatial and temporal sequence of interactions between syntaxin and munc18-1 in living
neurons, super-resolution imaging techniques PALM and sptPALM were employed. Two
kinetically and spatially distinct populations of munc18-1 molecules co-exist within a
living neuron and munc18-1 requires syntaxin to traffic efficiently in axons but not for its
retention in nerve terminals. Moreover, Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)
revealed that the majority of munc18-1 molecules do not interact with syntaxin in nerve
terminals and the diffusion rate of syntaxin is significantly slowed down upon neuronal
depolarisation.


Purpose: Short product life cycle and/or mass customization necessitate reconfiguration of operational enablers of supply chain (SC) from time to time in order to harness high levels of performance. The purpose of this paper is to identify the key operational enablers under stochastic environment on which practitioner should focus while reconfiguring a SC network. Design/methodology/approach: The paper used interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach that presents a hierarchy-based model and the mutual relationships among the enablers. The contextual relationship needed for developing structural self-interaction matrix (SSIM) among various enablers is realized by conducting experiments through simulation of a hypothetical SC network. Findings: The research identifies various operational enablers having a high driving power towards assumed performance measures. In this regard, these enablers require maximum attention and of strategic importance while reconfiguring SC. Practical implications: ISM provides a useful tool to the SC managers to strategically adopt and focus on the key enablers which have comparatively greater potential in enhancing the SC performance under given operational settings. Originality/value: The present research realizes the importance of SC flexibility under the premise of reconfiguration of the operational units in order to harness high value of SC performance. Given the resulting digraph through ISM, the decision maker can focus the key enablers for effective reconfiguration. The study is one of the first efforts that develop contextual relations among operational enablers for SSIM matrix through integration of discrete event simulation to ISM. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.


This empirical study uses stochastic coefficients econometric modeling to forecast real exchange rate volatility and examine how expected and unexpected volatility affect bilateral trade flows of certain steel products between Canada, Mexico and the United States using monthly data for the seven-year period 1996-2002. The results of the model indicate that the effects of exchange rate volatility on bilateral trade flows for this sector are relatively minor, where sustained changes in the spot exchange rate, sectoral economic growth, and the price of goods being traded all exert more significant influence on trade levels than exchange rate volatility. However, the model results also tend to indicate that as exchange rate volatility increases, the well-developed U.S.-Canadian forward currency exchange market may present economic agents with profit opportunities through risk-portfolio diversification, resulting in a positive correlation between volatility and trade. For the less-developed U.S.-Mexican forward currency market, the model results indicate that the relationship between trade and volatility, both expected and unexpected, is weak and predominantly negative.


Good hygiene and sanitation are critical for improving family health, but most rural communities in Africa have shown little inclination to change their traditional high risk behaviour patterns, resulting in high infant mortality due to preventable diseases. With the Millennium Development Goals seeking to halve the 2.4 billion people without sanitation by the year 2015, there is an urgent need to find cost-effective health promotion strategies that will actively engage rural householders to improve their hygiene practices. This study demonstrates that health promotion can be an effective entry point into holistic and sustainable development. Through regular training in Community Health Clubs, conventional norms and values are altered, resulting in hygiene behaviour change and a demand for sanitation. As a failed state, Zimbabwe provides a test case in the sustainability of the approach, showing how health clubs, with minimal support, have empowered women to take control of their lives enabling survival in the face of hyperinflation, food shortages, and HIV/AIDS. The Community Health Club Approach is now being replicated in many countries in Africa and Asia. www.africaahead.com


Background: Cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) is one of the most industrially important enzymes used in the commercial production of cyclodextrins (CDs). Alkaliphilic bacteria have attracted much interest in the last few decades because of their ability to produce extracellular enzymes that are active and stable at high pH values. Here, we report the isolation of a new CGTase from alkaliphilic bacteria collected from Egyptian soda lakes and describe the purification and biochemical characterization of this CGTase. Results: Screening for CGTase-producing alkaliphilic bacteria from sediment and water samples collected from Egyptian soda lakes located in the Wadi Natrun valley resulted in the isolation of a potent CGTase-producing alkaliphilic bacterial strain, designated NRC-WN. Strain NRC-WN was belonging to genus Amplibacullus by 16S rDNA sequence analysis (similarity: ca. 98%). Among the tested nitrogen and carbon sources, peptone (0.15%, w/v) and soluble starch (0.4%, w/v) allowed maximal CGTase production by Amphibacillus sp. NRC-WN. CGTase was successfully purified from Amphibacillus sp. NRC-WN up to 159.7-fold through a combination of starch adsorption and anion exchange chromatography, resulting in a yield of 84.7%. SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the enzyme was purified to homogeneity and revealed an estimated molecular mass of 36 kDa, which makes it one of the smallest CGTases reported in the literature. The purified enzyme exhibited maximum activity at 50oC and was stable up to 70oC, retaining 93% of its initial activity after treatment for 1 hr. Furthermore, Ca 2+ ions (10 mM) significantly enhanced the thermal stability of the CGTase. The purified enzyme was active and stable over a wide pH range, showing maximal activity at pH 9.5. The enzyme was significantly stimulated by Zn 2+ , Ca 2+ and Co 2+ but was completely inhibited in the presence of Fe 3+ and mercaptoethanol. The K m and V max values of the purified CGTase were estimated to be 0.0434 mg/ml and 3,333.3 mg β-CD/ml/min, respectively. β-CD was the predominant product of starch degradation by the Amphibacillus sp. NRC-WN CGTase, followed by α-and γ-CDs. Conclusions: A new low molecular mass alkaline CGTase was purified from a newly identified alkaliphilic Amphibacillus sp. NRC-WN isolate from the Egyptian soda lakes. The enzyme showed promising thermal and pH stability and a high affinity toward starch as a natural substrate.


Empirical evidence suggests that online reviews are an important source of consumers information and a relevant determinant of the rms revenues. Little is known, however, about how prices and reviews a ect each other. This paper proposes a dynamic game to investigate this relationship. A long-lived monopoly faces a sequence of short-lived consumers whose only information about the value of an experience good is the one contained in the reviews completed by previous buyers. Neither the monopoly nor the consumers have private information about the value of the good. After buying the good, the consumers observe a quality realisation that is correlated with the actual value of the good and decide whether to complete reviews. The consumers complete reviews according to a social rule that maximises the present value of current and future consumers utility. It is shown that a necessary condition for the existence of reviews is that the firm cannot fully appropriate the surplus generated by this increased information. Furthermore, the reviews induce a mean preserving spread on the posterior beliefs about the value of the good which, combined with the convexity with respect to the prior of the indirect utility and profit functions, implies that reviews are valuable for both the consumers and the firm. Hence, both parties are willing to face some cost in order to increase the information available in the market. The main result of the paper is that, from the firm's perspective, this cost takes the form of a discount in the price o ered to current consumers. JEL classification: L12 ; L15; D42


Much of the literature dealing with the global production network (GPN) of furniture tends to focus on larger transnational corporations especially in Asia. By contrast, research on the GPN of small and medium sized furniture enterprises like those in Brazil has been sparse even through Brazil is an emerging furniture market that doubled production over the past decade. The locational focus of this dissertation is the Brazilian furniture industry and especially several innovative firms in the Santa Catarina region. From 2011 to 2013, the Brazilian furniture industry in Santa Catarina was responsible for 43 percent of Brazilian furniture exports. More specifically, this dissertation explores several specific research questions. First, it will be argued that the furniture industry is spatially concentrated in Brazil, and that one of the most rapidly growing clusters, especially regarding international sales, is the Santa Catarina region with its emphasis on the Sao Bento do Sul furniture cluster. Second, based on a mixed-methods approach, it is hypothesized that Santa Catarina has emerged as an internationally connected furniture cluster because it has developed a global production network grounded in process and product innovation, the utilization of web-based technologies, and the development of a strong value production chain grounded in the local economy. Third, it will be argued that the development of any innovative furniture value chain in Brazil, or elsewhere in the Global South, is inherently constrained by the difficulties of developing a market brand that is well-recognized and trusted in Global North markets, particularly as it relates to distribution networks. Much of this dissertation will embrace a mixed-methods approach based on both an empirically driven analysis of the economic geography of the Brazilian furniture industry, and an interview based approach regarding the competitive strategies of specific firms located in the Santa Catarina region. Such a comprehensive approach will elevate our understanding of how the furniture value chain in Brazil presents both opportunities and challenges regarding global production networks that attempt to link Global South and Global North markets. Particular attention will be focused on the Renar Moveis, Rotta Moveis and Temasa Moveis furniture companies, and the Brazilian Furniture Group located in High Point, NC because they seemed to have birthed furniture companies that have practiced innovative strategies, utilized web-based technologies, and developed various partnerships. It will be argued that these have all been key ingredients in developing a competitive global value chain that has successfully penetrated specific international markets.


Dornyei's recasting of L2 motivation as a process of self-discrepancy has not only generated scores of journal articles and book chapters focusing on the motivational effects of L2 self-guides, but through practitioner-oriented publications (Dornyei & Kubanyiova, 2014; Gregersen & MacIntyre, 2013; Hadfield & Dornyei, 2013) the Ideal L2 Self is beginning to find its way into motivational practices in the classroom. Widely recognised as potentially powerful generators of motivation, ideal L2 selves risk however being conceptualized as static constructs, fixed 'targets' that the individual strives to achieve or live up to. Such a view does not fit easily with the current trend in SLA towards the application of dynamic approaches. For this reason an elaboration of the dynamics of possible selves seems timely. In this chapter I explore two important dynamic processes. First I look at the ways in which ideal L2 selves are upward- and downwardly revised as a result of assessments of the likelihood of their achievement. I then consider processes in which changes in language speaking/using self-guides are triggered as a consequence of interactions with other self-concepts. While the identification of this first type of dynamic stems from the notion that, during a period of learning (long or short), the learner's goalposts are likely to shift, the second is a development of the long-held recognition that motivated behaviours do not take place in relative isolation, but are shaped by the other ongoing activities in which the learner is engaged (Dornyei, 2005; Ushioda, this volume). Before looking at these two processes, I begin by outlining three aspects of complex dynamic systems (CDS) theory of particular importance in developing an understanding of self-guide dynamics. These are, respectively, changes to attractor states, system connectedness and timescales.


Traumatic brain injury (TBI) with associated intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) occurs frequently in trauma. Trauma patients are also at high risk of developing venous thromboembolic (VTE) complications. Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LMWH) is used in trauma patients as prophylaxis to reduce the risk of VTE events. It remains unclear, however, if LMWH is safe to use in trauma patients with ICH for fear of hematoma progression. The "Evidence-based telemedicine: trauma & acute care surgery (EBT-TACS)" Journal Club performed a critical appraisal of 3 recent and most relevant studies on timing to initiate, safety and use of LMWH in trauma patients with ICH. Specifically, we appraised a i) critical literature review on the topic, ii) a multicenter, retrospective cohort study assessing the safety of LMWH in trauma patients with ICH and iii) a randomized, pilot study assessing the feasibility and event rates of ICH progression, laying the groundwork for future randomized controlled trials (RCT) on the topic.  Some results are conflicting, with the highest level of evidence being the pilot RCT demonstrating the safety for early use of LMWH in TBI with ICH. Much of this research, however, was generated by a single center and consequently lacks external validity. Furthermore, clinical recommendations cannot be generated based on pilot studies. Evidence-based guidelines and recommendations could not be made at this time, until the completion of further studies on this challenging topic.


Enterprises are socio-economic entities with bonds to their environment. Their economic health is evaluated by the means of adequate diagnostic methods. When evaluating a processing business as a living organism, these diagnostic methods enable to determine their health condition. These business entities pass through individual stages of their life cycle and, in real time, their momentary condition corresponds with the homeostasis existing between the company's system and its environment. A diagnosis defined by the means of diagnostic methods must help to implement the goals which lead, on the base of business management activities, to the generation of an adequate response to the given momentary situation existing in the diagnosed enterprise. The definition of a proper diagnosis is important especially in those periods when the enterprise passes through its life crisis under the conditions of market recession. This scientific paper presents data for - mulated within the framework of research focused on the analysis of managerial, financial and economic risks and on the methods of their solution within the framework of strategic business management in a new business environment as influ - enced by the phenomena resulting from the integration processes, development of information technologies and factors of globalisation. This diagnostic method was applied when analysing in detail the operation of a company producing bioveteri -


Lincoln Nebraska currently has a recycling diversion rate of only 18.4% lagging far behind the national average of 34% and alarmingly low when compared to San Francisco, California with a rate of 80%. This study was to determine the forces that propelled California and San Francisco to the highest diversions rates in the nation from a policy, waste collection process and management standpoint. Then look at what forces there are in Lincoln, Nebraska and what could be done to improve its diversion successfully. This study was conducted primarily through the literature review process. The results were that California was not a model of recycling perfection as recent as 20 years ago, what propelled them was diversion goals mandated in their modernizing of waste management policies. While Lincoln and Nebraska set no goals with their waste management changes. Lincoln however is still poised to make rapid gains in diversion; successful yard waste organics diversion shows the public is able to divert waste, while an estimated 24% of households are currently paying for private curbside recycling programs, with many companies showing interest in growing and expanding.


In this paper, a speaker-dependent speech enhancement is performed by using the codebooks. For this purpose, making use of the STFT parameters, two codebooks are designed for speech and noise separately. In order to design the speech codebook, an adequate number of sentences of particular speakers are used. Utilizing an estimator based on a perceptually weighted distance function, we start searching within the codebooks to find the true indexes for each noisy frame. After finding the true indexes, we synthesize the enhanced speech by using the selected indexes of the speech codebook. As a modification, we suggest two methods to reduce the search time as follows: firstly, a new method for reduction of the codebook size is described. Secondly, by utilizing the relation between the spectral center-of-gravities of the speech, noise and noisy speech, the search area within the codebooks is effectively reduced. Simulation results show that the proposed method can enhance a noisy speech with low SNR. Moreover, since the proposed method is performed frame by frame and it does not use the previous frames of the noisy speech, therefore this method can enhance the noisy speech contaminated by a highly non-stationary noise.


Abstract The reactivity of ultramafic rocks under hydrothermal conditions controls chemical fluxes at the interface between the internal and external reservoirs of silicate planets. On Earth, hydration of ultramafic rocks is ubiquitous and operates from deep subduction zones to shallow lithospheric environments where it considerably affects the physical and chemical properties of rocks and can interact with the biosphere. This process also has key emerging societal implications, such as the production of hydrogen as a source of carbon-free energy. To date, the chemical model systems used to reproduce olivine hydrothermal alteration lead to the formation of serpentine with sluggish reaction rates. Here, we use in situ diamond-anvil cell experiments and show that the presence of aluminum in hydrothermal fluids increases the rate of olivine serpentinization by one to two orders of magnitude. Aluminum increases the solubility of olivine and enhances the precipitation of aluminous serpentine. After two days, olivine crystals were fully transformed to aluminous serpentine under conditions typical for natural hydrothermal environments, i.e., 200 and 300 °C, 200 MPa. This result motivates a re-evaluation of the natural rates of olivine serpentinization and of olivine hydrolysis in general in a wide range of settings. This discovery also opens the potential of the serpentinization reaction for industrial scale production of hydrogen at economically feasible timescales and temperature.


BACKGROUND:Time-frequency analysis of the laser Doppler flowmetry signal, using wavelet transform, shows periodic oscillations at five characteristic frequencies related to the heart (0.6–2 Hz), respiration (0.15–0.6 Hz), myogenic activity in the vessel wall (0.052–0.15 Hz), sympathetic activity (0.021–0.052 Hz), and very slow oscillations (0.0095–0.021), which can be modulated by the endothelium-dependent vasodilator acetylcholine. We hypothesized that wavelet transform of laser Doppler flowmetry signals could detect changes in the microcirculation induced by general anesthesia, such as alterations in vasomotion and sympathetic activity. METHODS:Eleven patients undergoing faciomaxillary surgery were included. Skin microcirculation was measured on the lower forearm with laser Doppler flowmetry and iontophoresis with acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside before and during general anesthesia with propofol, fentanyl, and midazolam. The laser Doppler flowmetry signals were analyzed using wavelet transform. RESULTS:There were significant reductions in spectral amplitudes in the 0.0095–0.021 (P < 0.01), the 0.021–0.052 (P < 0.001), and the 0.052–0.15 Hz frequency interval (P < 0.01) and a significant increase in the 0.15–0.6 Hz frequency interval. General anesthesia had no effect on the difference between acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside on relative amplitudes in the 0.0095–0.021 Hz frequency interval (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION:General anesthesia reduces the oscillatory components of the perfusion signal related to sympathetic, myogenic activity and the component modulated by the endothelium. However, the iontophoretic data did not reveal a specific effect on the endothelium. The increase in the 0.15–0.6 Hz interval is related to the effect of mechanical ventilation.