Managing mining of the deep seabed Wedding, L M; Reiter, S M; Smith, C R ...
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
07/2015, Letnik:
349, Številka:
6244
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Contracts are being granted, but protections are lagging
Interest in mining the deep seabed is not new; however, recent technological advances and increasing global demand for metals and rare-earth ...elements may make it economically viable in the near future (
1
). Since 2001, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has granted 26 contracts (18 in the last 4 years) to explore for minerals on the deep seabed, encompassing ∼1 million km
2
in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans in areas beyond national jurisdiction (
2
). However, as fragile habitat structures and extremely slow recovery rates leave diverse deep-sea communities vulnerable to physical disturbances such as those caused by mining (
3
), the current regulatory framework could be improved. We offer recommendations to support the application of a precautionary approach when the ISA meets later this July.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common, debilitating neuropsychiatric illness with complex genetic etiology. The International OCD Foundation Genetics Collaborative (IOCDF-GC) is a ...multi-national collaboration established to discover the genetic variation predisposing to OCD. A set of individuals affected with DSM-IV OCD, a subset of their parents, and unselected controls, were genotyped with several different Illumina SNP microarrays. After extensive data cleaning, 1465 cases, 5557 ancestry-matched controls and 400 complete trios remained, with a common set of 469,410 autosomal and 9657 X-chromosome single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Ancestry-stratified case-control association analyses were conducted for three genetically-defined subpopulations and combined in two meta-analyses, with and without the trio-based analysis. In the case-control analysis, the lowest two P-values were located within DLGAP1 (P=2.49 × 10(-6) and P=3.44 × 10(-6)), a member of the neuronal postsynaptic density complex. In the trio analysis, rs6131295, near BTBD3, exceeded the genome-wide significance threshold with a P-value=3.84 × 10(-8). However, when trios were meta-analyzed with the case-control samples, the P-value for this variant was 3.62 × 10(-5), losing genome-wide significance. Although no SNPs were identified to be associated with OCD at a genome-wide significant level in the combined trio-case-control sample, a significant enrichment of methylation QTLs (P<0.001) and frontal lobe expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) (P=0.001) was observed within the top-ranked SNPs (P<0.01) from the trio-case-control analysis, suggesting these top signals may have a broad role in gene expression in the brain, and possibly in the etiology of OCD.
It is critical to balance waitlist mortality against posttransplant mortality.
Our objective was to devise a scoring system that predicts recipient survival at 3 months following liver ...transplantation to complement MELD‐predicted waitlist mortality.
Univariate and multivariate analysis on 21 673 liver transplant recipients identified independent recipient and donor risk factors for posttransplant mortality. A retrospective analysis conducted on 30 321 waitlisted candidates reevaluated the predictive ability of the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score.
We identified 13 recipient factors, 4 donor factors and 2 operative factors (warm and cold ischemia) as significant predictors of recipient mortality following liver transplantation at 3 months. The Survival Outcomes Following Liver Transplant (SOFT) Score utilized 18 risk factors (excluding warm ischemia) to successfully predict 3‐month recipient survival following liver transplantation.
This analysis represents a study of waitlisted candidates and transplant recipients of liver allografts after the MELD score was implemented. Unlike MELD, the SOFT score can accurately predict 3‐month survival following liver transplantation. The most significant risk factors were previous transplantation and life support pretransplant. The SOFT score can help clinicians determine in real time which candidates should be transplanted with which allografts. Combined with MELD, SOFT can better quantify survival benefit for individual transplant procedures.
Unlike MELD, the SOFT score predicts 3‐month survival following liver transplantation, with the most significant factors being previous transplantation and life‐support pre‐transplant. See also editorial by Freeeman in this issue on page 2483.
Summary
Sedentary behaviour has emerged as a unique determinant of health in adults. Studies in children and adolescents have been less consistent. We reviewed the evidence to determine if the total ...volume and patterns (i.e. breaks and bouts) of objectively measured sedentary behaviour were associated with adverse health outcomes in young people, independent of moderate‐intensity to vigorous‐intensity physical activity. Four electronic databases (EMBASE MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, PubMed and Scopus) were searched (up to 12 November 2015) to retrieve studies among 2‐ to 18‐year‐olds, which used cross‐sectional, longitudinal or experimental designs, and examined associations with health outcomes (adiposity, cardio‐metabolic, fitness, respiratory, bone/musculoskeletal, psychosocial, cognition/academic achievement, gross motor development and other outcomes). Based on 88 eligible observational studies, level of evidence grading and quantitative meta‐analyses indicated that there is limited available evidence that the total volume or patterns of sedentary behaviour are associated with health in children and adolescents when accounting for moderate‐intensity to vigorous‐intensity physical activity or focusing on studies with low risk of bias. Quality evidence from studies with robust designs and methods, objective measures of sitting, examining associations for various health outcomes, is needed to better understand if the overall volume or patterns of sedentary behaviour are independent determinants of health in children and adolescents.
To determine the limitations of using light-curable resin-based luting composites (RBLCs) to bond indirect ceramic/resin-composite restorations by measuring light transmittance through indirect ...restorative materials and the resulting degree of conversion (DC) of the luting-composites placed underneath.
Various thicknesses (0–4mm) and shades of LAVA Zirconia and LAVA Ultimate were prepared and used as light curing filters. A commercial, light curable RBLC, RelyX Veneer (control) was compared with four experimental RBLCs of the following composition: TEGDMA/BisGMA (50/50 or 30/70wt%, respectively); camphorquinone/amine (0.2/0.8wt%) or Lucirin-TPO (0.42wt%); microfillers (55wt%) and nanofillers (10wt%). RBLCs covered with the LAVA filter were light-cured for 40s, either with the dual-peak BluephaseG2 or an experimental device emitting either in the blue or violet visible band. The samples were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy to determine DC. Light transmittance through the filters was measured using a common spectroscopy technique.
All the factors studied significantly influenced DC (p<0.05). RBLCs with increased TEGDMA content exhibited higher DC. Only small differences were observed comparing DC without filters and filters ≤1mm (p>0.05). For thicknesses ≥2mm, significant reductions in DC were observed (p<0.05). Transmittance values revealed higher filter absorption at 400nm than 470nm. A minimal threshold of irradiance measured through the filters that maintained optimal DC following 40s irradiation was identified for each RBLC formulation, and ranged between 250–500mW/cm2.
This work confirmed that optimal photopolymerization of RBLCs through indirect restorative materials (≤4mm) and irradiation time of 40s is possible, but only in some specific conditions. The determination of such conditions is likely to be key to clinical success, and all the factors need to be optimized accordingly.
Background Data on overtube-assisted enteroscopy to facilitate ERCP in patients with surgically altered pancreaticobiliary anatomy, or long-limb surgical bypass, is limited. Objective To evaluate and ...compare ERCP success by using single-balloon (SBE), double-balloon (DBE), or rotational overtube enteroscopy. Design Consecutive patients identified retrospectively. Setting Eight U.S. referral centers. Patients Long-limb surgical bypass patients with suspected pancreaticobiliary diseases. Intervention Overtube-assisted enteroscopy ERCP. Main Outcome Measurements Enteroscopy success: visualizing the pancreaticobiliary-enteric anastomosis or papilla. ERCP success: completing the intended pancreaticobiliary intervention. Clinical success: greater than 50% reduction in abdominal pain or level of hepatic enzyme elevations or resolution of jaundice. Results From January 2008 through October 2009, 129 patients had 180 enteroscopy-ERCPs. Anatomy was Roux-en-Y: gastric bypass (n = 63), hepaticojejunostomy (n = 45), postgastrectomy (n = 6), Whipple procedure (n = 10), and other (n = 5). ERCP success was 81 of 129 (63%). Enteroscopy success: 92 of 129 (71%), of whom 81 of 92 (88%) achieved ERCP success. Reasons for ERCP failure (n = 48): afferent limb entered but pancreaticobiliary anastomosis and/or papilla not reached (n = 23), cannulation failure (n = 11), afferent limb angulation (n = 8), and jejunojejunostomy not identified (n = 6). Select interventions: anastomotic stricturoplasty (cautery ± dilation, n = 16), stone removal (n = 21), stent (n = 25), and direct cholangioscopy (n = 11). ERCP success rates were similar between Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and other long-limb surgical bypass and among SBE, DBE, and rotational overtube enteroscopy. Complications were 16 of 129, 12.4%. Limitations Retrospective study. Conclusion (1) ERCP is successful in nearly two-thirds of long-limb surgical bypass patients and in 88% when the papilla or pancreaticobiliary-enteric anastomosis is reached. (2) Enteroscopy success in long-limb surgical bypass is similar among SBE, DBE, and rotational overtube enteroscopy methods. (3) Referral of long-limb surgical bypass patients who require ERCP to high-volume institutions may be considered before more invasive percutaneous or surgical alternatives.
Half of the recovered expanded criteria donor (ECD) kidneys are discarded in the United States. A new kidney allocation system offers kidneys at higher risk of discard, Kidney Donor Profile Index ...(KDPI) > 85%, to a wider geographic area to promote broader sharing and expedite utilization. Dual kidney transplantation (DKT) based on the KDPI is a potential option to streamline allocation of kidneys which otherwise would have been discarded. To assess the clinical utility of the KDPI in kidneys at higher risk of discard, we analyzed the OPTN/UNOS Registry that included the deceased donor kidneys recovered between 2002 and 2012. The primary outcomes were allograft survival, patient survival and discard rate based on different KDPI categories (<80%, 80–90% and >90%). Kidneys with KDPI > 90% were associated with increased odds of discard (OR = 1.99, 95% CI 1.74–2.29) compared to ones with KDPI < 80%. DKTs of KDPI > 90% were associated with lower overall allograft failure (HR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.62–0.89) and better patient survival (HR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.64–0.98) compared to single ECD kidneys with KDPI > 90%. Kidneys at higher risk of discard may be offered in the up‐front allocation system as a DKT. Further modeling and simulation studies are required to determine a reasonable KDPI cutoff percentile.
Dual kidney transplantation based on the Kidney Donor Profile Index is a potential option to streamline allocation of kidneys that otherwise would be discarded.
The pentadentate coordination environment of a 2,6-bis1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)iminoethyl pyridine ligand scaffold was designed to accommodate the larger atomic radius of uranium as the uranyl dioxo ...cation, while fully occupying its equatorial plane. Here, two new uranyl (UO
) complexes utilizing this scaffold have been synthesized from successive condensation reactions and subsequent metal complexation. Surprising Zn fluorescence is also discussed.
Phospholipase A2 associated neurodegeneration (PLAN) is a major phenotype of autosomal recessive Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation (NBIA). We describe the clinical phenotypes, ...neuroimaging features and PLA2G6 mutations in 5 children, of whom 4 presented with infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD). One other patient was diagnosed with the onset of PLAN in childhood, and our report highlights the diagnostic challenges associated with this atypical PLAN subtype. In this series, the neuroradiological relevance of classical PLAN features as well as apparent claval hypertrophy’ is explored. Novel PLA2G6 mutations were identified in all patients. PLAN should be considered not only in patients presenting with a classic INAD phenotype but also in older patients presenting later in childhood with non-specific progressive neurological features including social communication difficulties, gait disturbance, dyspraxia, neuropsychiatric symptoms and extrapyramidal motor features.
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