Continental shelf sediments are globally important for biogeochemical activity. Quantification of shelf-scale stocks and fluxes of carbon and nutrients requires the extrapolation of observations made ...at limited points in space and time. The procedure for selecting exemplar sites to form the basis of this upscaling is discussed in relation to a UK-funded research programme investigating biogeochemistry in shelf seas. A three-step selection process is proposed in which (1) a target area representative of UK shelf sediment heterogeneity is selected, (2) the target area is assessed for spatial heterogeneity in sediment and habitat type, bed and water column structure and hydrodynamic forcing, and (3) study sites are selected within this target area encompassing the range of spatial heterogeneity required to address key scientific questions regarding shelf scale biogeochemistry, and minimise confounding variables. This led to the selection of four sites within the Celtic Sea that are significantly different in terms of their sediment, bed structure, and macrofaunal, meiofaunal and microbial community structures and diversity, but have minimal variations in water depth, tidal and wave magnitudes and directions, temperature and salinity. They form the basis of a research cruise programme of observation, sampling and experimentation encompassing the spring bloom cycle. Typical variation in key biogeochemical, sediment, biological and hydrodynamic parameters over a pre to post bloom period are presented, with a discussion of anthropogenic influences in the region. This methodology ensures the best likelihood of site-specific work being useful for up-scaling activities, increasing our understanding of benthic biogeochemistry at the UK-shelf scale.
Let
G
be a simple algebraic group over an algebraically closed field of good odd characteristic, and let
θ
be an automorphism of
G
arising from an involution of its Dynkin diagram. We show that the ...spherical
θ
-twisted conjugacy classes are precisely those intersecting only Bruhat cells corresponding to twisted involutions in the Weyl group. We show how the analogue of this statement fails in the triality case. As a byproduct, we obtain a dimension formula for spherical twisted conjugacy classes that was originally obtained by J.-H. Lu in characteristic zero.
We provide an alternative description of the restriction to spherical unipotent conjugacy classes, of Lusztig's map Ψ from the set of unipotent conjugacy classes in a connected reductive algebraic ...group to the set of conjugacy classes of its Weyl group. For irreducible root systems, we analyze the image of this restricted map and we prove that a conjugacy class in a finite Weyl group has a unique maximal length element if and only if it has a maximum.
Curcumin, an extract from the plant Curcuma longa with well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, was tested as protective agent against excitotoxicity in rat retinal cultures. A 24 ...h-treatment with curcumin reduced N-methyl-D: -aspartate (NMDA)-mediated excitotoxic cell damage, estimated as decrease of cell viability and increase in apoptosis. The protection was associated with decrease of NMDA receptor-mediated Ca(2+) rise and reduction in the level of phosphorylated NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor. These results enlighten a new pharmacological action of the plant extract, possibly mediated by a modulation of NMDA receptor activity.
We show that the Brauer group
BM(
k,
H
ν
,
R
s,
β
) of the quasitriangular Hopf algebra (
H
ν
,
R
s,
β
) is a direct product of the additive group of the field
k and the classical Brauer group
B
θ
s
...(k,
Z
2ν)
associated to the bicharacter
θ
s
on
Z
2ν
defined by
θ
s
(
x,
y)=
ω
sxy
, with
ω a 2
νth root of unity.
The 'nduja is one of the most typical and appreciated Calabrian raw seasoned sausages. As well as other Calabrian meat products, the 'nduja contains a high quantity of hot red chilli pepper. The ...'nduja is a seasoned, very savoury but yet spreadable sausage; it is traditionally spread on bread or used as natural flavour enhancer of pasta, pizza and other similar kind of food. 27 samples of 'nduja were sampled, 15 coming from artisanal production and the remaining 12 from industrial production, in order to establish if they were differences between the two kind of production from the hygienic point of view. The samples were stored up to 6 month and analyzed at 1 day of storage and then at 3 and 6 month of storage. Our results show that the 'nduja is a meat product of good hygienic quality; the sausages made in artisanal manner showed a more variable microbial quality as the ones made in industrial factories. The microbial flora of 'nduja is mainly composed by lactobacilli, yeasts and moulds; only in rare cases we have found quite high numbers of micrococci and/od pseudomonads. Total and faecal coliforms are in general very low, in the product ready to eat. No Salmonella enterica nor Listeria monocytogenes nor enterotoxigenic strains of S. aureus or B. cereus were found in the samples analysed.
Curcumin, an extract from the plant Curcuma longa with well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, was tested as protective agent against excitotoxicity in rat retinal cultures. A 24 ...h-treatment with curcumin reduced N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-mediated excitotoxic cell damage, estimated as decrease of cell viability and increase in apoptosis. The protection was associated with decrease of NMDA receptor-mediated Ca2+ rise and reduction in the level of phosphorylated NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor. These results enlighten a new pharmacological action of the plant extract, possibly mediated by a modulation of NMDA receptor activity.
To report the outcomes of a novel microwave heating device (Blepha EyeBag
) used serially for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).
This prospective single center study was conducted at ...University Magna Graecia of Catanzaro. Patients were instructed to apply the compress twice daily for 15 days and once per day every two days, as reported in the package insert. Outcome measures were i) ocular surface disease index (OSDI) score, ii) tear meniscus height (TMH), iii) non-invasive keratograph break-up time (NIKBUT) (first and average), iv) meiboscore, v) bulbar redness. Evaluations were performed at baseline (T0) after 15 days (T1) and after 45 days of therapy (T2).
Overall, 19 patients with MGD (8 males, 11 females; mean age 64.58 ± 9.72 years) were included. The mean value of OSDI score showed a significant decrease from 28.16 ± 17.46 at T0 to 13.69 ± 7.62 at T2 (p=0.008). The mean value of NIKBUT first significantly increased from 6.67 ± 3.51 seconds (s) at T0 to 10.46 ± 4.64 at T2 (p=0.0121); in parallel, the mean value of NIKBUT average increased significantly from 11.09 ± 4.15 s at T0 to 14.95 ± 4.85 at T2 (p=0.0049). No significant differences were detected at each time point for bulbar redness, meiboscore and TMH. Throughout the entire study, no adverse events were recorded.
The microwave-heated eye bag treatment is both safe and effective for treatment of MGD, being able to significantly ameliorate both patient-reported symptoms and tear film stability.
PDF
