The Haiti region – bounded by two strike-slip faults
expressed both onshore and offshore – offers a unique opportunity for an
amphibious drilling project. The east–west (EW)-striking, left lateral ...strike-slip Oriente–Septentrional fault zone and Enriquillo–Plantain Garden fault zone
bounding Haiti have similar slip rates and also define the northern and southern
boundaries of the Gonâve Microplate. However, it remains unclear how
these fault systems terminate at the eastern boundary of that microplate.
From a plate tectonic perspective, the Enriquillo–Plantain Garden fault zone
can be expected to act as an inactive fracture zone bounding the Cayman
spreading system, but, surprisingly, this fault has been quite active during
the last 500 years. Overall, little is understood in terms of past and
present seismic and tsunami hazards along the Oriente–Septentrional fault
zone and Enriquillo–Plantain Garden fault zone, their relative ages,
maturity, lithology, and evolution – not even the origin of fluids escaping through the crust is known. Given these unknowns, the Haiti-Drill workshop was held
in May 2019 to further develop an amphibious drilling project in the Haiti
region on the basis of preproposals submitted in 2015 and their reviews.
The workshop aimed to complete the following four tasks: (1) identify significant research
questions; (2) discuss potential drilling scenarios and sites; (3) identify
data, analyses, additional experts, and surveys needed; and (4) produce
timelines for developing a full proposal. Two key scientific goals have been set, namely to understand the nature of young fault zones and the evolution of transpressional boundaries. Given these goals, drilling targets were then
rationalized, creating a focus point for research and/or survey needs prior to
drilling. Our most recent efforts are to find collaborators, analyze
existing data, and to obtain sources of funding for the survey work that is
needed.
SMC1A encodes one of the proteins of the cohesin complex. SMC1A variants are known to cause a phenotype resembling Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS). Exome sequencing has allowed recognizing SMC1A ...variants in individuals with encephalopathy with epilepsy who do not resemble CdLS. We performed an international, interdisciplinary study on 51 individuals with SMC1A variants for physical and behavioral characteristics, and compare results to those in 67 individuals with NIPBL variants. For the Netherlands all known individuals with SMC1A variants were studied, both with and without CdLS phenotype. Individuals with SMC1A variants can resemble CdLS, but manifestations are less marked compared to individuals with NIPBL variants: growth is less disturbed, facial signs are less marked (except for periocular signs and thin upper vermillion), there are no major limb anomalies, and they have a higher level of cognitive and adaptive functioning. Self-injurious behavior is more frequent and more severe in the NIPBL group. In the Dutch group 5 of 13 individuals (all females) had a phenotype that shows a remarkable resemblance to Rett syndrome: epileptic encephalopathy, severe or profound intellectual disability, stereotypic movements, and (in some) regression. Their missense, nonsense, and frameshift mutations are evenly spread over the gene. We conclude that SMC1A variants can result in a phenotype resembling CdLS and a phenotype resembling Rett syndrome. Resemblances between the SMC1A group and the NIPBL group suggest that a disturbed cohesin function contributes to the phenotype, but differences between these groups may also be explained by other underlying mechanisms such as moonlighting of the cohesin genes.
Structural data on silicate, aluminate, and aluminosilicate melts are difficult to measure and understand at high temperature. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) performed in situ at high ...temperature has been used to probe the local environment of low-Z elements (Al, Si, and Ca). For fully tetrahedral network glasses, CaAl2Si2O8 (anorthite) and CaAl2O4, the modifications in the Al K-edge spectra with increasing temperature can be attributed to a structural rearrangement of the network or to an increase of fivefold-coordinated Al. For the Ca3Al2O6 composition, where Al is localized in a depolymerized tetrahedral site associated with non-bridging O atoms, XAS spectra at the Al K-edge are barely affected by temperature. Depending on the composition, Ca K-edge spectra investigated in these experiments allow us to follow changes in the distortion of the Ca sites in melts at high temperature. The structural modifications at both short and intermediate range upon melting are well shown by these XAS measurements.
Lymphedema is a condition of localized protein-rich swelling from damaged or malfunctioning lymphatics. Because the immune system is compromised, there is a high risk of infection. Infection in ...patients with lymphedema may present in a variety of ways.
The goals of this review were to standardize the terminology of skin breakdown in the context of lymphedema, synthesize the available information to create best practice recommendations in support of the American Lymphedema Framework Project update to its Best Practices document, and create recommendations for further research.
Publications on skin care and wounds were retrieved, summarized, and evaluated by a team of investigators and clinical experts.
Terms for lymphedema-associated skin breakdown were compiled and paired with photographs of commonly noted skin changes among patients with lymphedema. A list of standard dermatological terms was created. A more extensive literature search was then conducted by all authors.
Skin disorders associated with lymphedema have been classified into 5 categories. Descriptions, photographs, and recommendations for treatment are presented.
Skin care is an important defense against infection. Because of the lack of research, a consensus of thought and content leaders' opinion should guide the best practices for wound care in lymphedema.
We report herein a means to modify the reactivity of alkenes, and particularly to modify their selectivity toward reactions with nonpolar reactants (e.g., nonpolar free radicals) in supercritical ...carbon dioxide near the critical point. Rate constants for free radical addition of the light hydrogen isotope muonium to ethylene, vinylidene fluoride, and vinylidene chloride in supercritical carbon dioxide are compared over a range of pressures and temperatures. Near carbon dioxide’s critical point, the addition to ethylene exhibits critical speeding up, while the halogenated analogues display critical slowing. This suggests that supercritical carbon dioxide as a solvent may be used to tune alkene chemistry in near-critical conditions.
Summary Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are cationic surfactants used as preservatives and environmental disinfectants. Limited data are available regarding the effect of QACs in the clinical ...setting. We performed a prospective cohort study in 153 patients with Escherichia coli bacteraemia from February to September 2008 at University Hospital in Rennes. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of antibiotics and QACs alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (ADBAC) and didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) were determined by the agar dilution method. The capacity of biofilm production was assayed using the Crystal Violet method, and mutation frequencies by measuring the capacity of strains to generate resistance to rifampicin. Logistic regression analysis showed that one of the significant factors related to low MICs for ADBAC (≤16 mg/L) and DDAC (≤8 mg/L), was cotrimoxazole susceptibility (odds ratio: 3.72; 95% confidence interval: 1.22–11.24; P = 0.02 and OR: 3.61; 95% CI: 1.56–7.56; P < 0.01, respectively). Antibiotic susceptibility to cotrimoxazole was strongly associated with susceptibility to amoxicillin and nalidixic acid ( P < 0.01). Community-acquired or healthcare-associated bacteraemia, severity of bacteraemia, and patient outcome were independent of the MICs of ADBAC and DDAC. Our findings demonstrate an epidemiological relationship between higher MIC values of QACs in clinical E. coli isolates and antibiotic resistance.
AD730™ Ni-based superalloy specimens in solution-treated conditions were linear friction welded. Then, post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), consisting of γ′ sub-solvus solution treatments followed by ...aging, was conducted on the linear friction welded samples. High temperature creep tests were performed on the as-welded and PWHTed joints at two different temperatures: 700°C under 600 and 750MPa stress levels, and 850°C under 100 and 200MPa stresses. The creep resistance of the PWHTed joints was higher than that of the as-welded samples. The PWHTed joints exhibited better ductility than that of the base material at 850°C, while they showed slightly lower creep life at 700°C in comparison to the base metal. Microstructure examination showed that cracks initiated at the interface of oxidized particles at 700°C. The decrease in creep resistance of the AD730™ Ni-based superalloy at 850°C was related to a combination of the formation of precipitate-free zones (PFZ) in the vicinity of the grain boundaries (GBs) and microcracking assisted by oxidation. The Larson-Miller Parameter (LMP) was used to correlate the creep strength, temperature and time to failure for the as-welded and PWHTed samples. LMP values varied between 21.5 × 103 and 24.5 × 103. It was found that in the investigated temperature range, the PWHTed AD730™ has similar creep characteristics as Udimet™720 Li and Inconel 738LC at low values of LMP and better creep properties than those of the Inconel 617 alloy at higher LMP values.
Ribosome biogenesis is an essential cellular process. Its impairment is associated with developmental defects and increased risk of cancer. The in vivo cellular responses to defective ribosome ...biogenesis and the underlying molecular mechanisms are still incompletely understood. In particular, the consequences of impaired ribosome biogenesis within the intestinal epithelium in mammals have not been investigated so far. Here we adopted a genetic approach to investigate the role of Notchless (NLE), an essential actor of ribosome biogenesis, in the adult mouse intestinal lineage. Nle deficiency led to defects in the synthesis of large ribosomal subunit in crypts cells and resulted in the rapid elimination of intestinal stem cells and progenitors through distinct types of cellular responses, including apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and biased differentiation toward the goblet cell lineage. Similar observations were made using the rRNA transcription inhibitor CX-5461 on intestinal organoids culture. Importantly, we found that p53 activation was responsible for most of the cellular responses observed, including differentiation toward the goblet cell lineage. Moreover, we identify the goblet cell-specific marker Muc2 as a direct transcriptional target of p53. Nle-deficient ISCs and progenitors disappearance persisted in the absence of p53, underlying the existence of p53-independent cellular responses following defective ribosome biogenesis. Our data indicate that NLE is a crucial factor for intestinal homeostasis and provide new insights into how perturbations of ribosome biogenesis impact on cell fate decisions within the intestinal epithelium.
ABSTRACT
Aims Achieving abstinence in the treatment of marijuana dependence has been difficult. To date the most successful treatments have included combinations of motivation enhancement treatment ...(MET) plus cognitive–behavioral coping skills training (CBT) and/or contingency management (ContM) approaches. Although these treatment approaches are theoretically based, their mechanisms of action have not been explored fully. The purpose of the present study was to explore mechanisms of behavior change from a marijuana treatment trial in which CBT and ContM were evaluated separately and in combination.
Design A dismantling design was used in the context of a randomized clinical trial.
Setting The setting was an out‐patient treatment research facility located in a university medical center.
Participants Participants were 240 adult marijuana smokers, meeting criteria for cannabis dependence.
Interventions Participants were assigned to one of four 9‐week treatment conditions: a case management control condition, MET/CBT coping skills training, ContM and MET/CBT + ContM.
Measurements Outcome measures were total 90‐day abstinence, recorded every 90 days for 12 months post‐treatment.
Findings Regardless of treatment condition, abstinence in near‐term follow‐ups was predicted most clearly by abstinence during treatment, but long‐term abstinence was predicted by use of coping skills and especially by post‐treatment self‐efficacy for abstinence.
Conclusions It was concluded that the most efficacious treatments for marijuana dependence are likely to be those that increase self‐efficacy.
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