INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE USE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS IN SECURITIES TRADING CREATED BY DEREGULATION OF THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE

Big Bang, the deregulation of the London Stock Exchange in October of 1986, was accompanied by changing industry structure, altered regulatory environment, and new trading practices. In particular, trading was automated, and the floor of the Exchange rapidly was abandoned. Such massive discontinuities have produced opportunities in other industries. Although they may prove temporary, opportunities are arising to seek competitive advantage in London. Given the informationintensive nature of securities trading, and the great differences in resources and experience with technology enjoyed by different firms, many of these advantages will entail use of information technology

Anthropogenically forced change in aquatic ecosystems: Reflections on the use of monitoring, archival and palaeolimnological data to inform conservation

The open collection “Aquatic transitions: Tracking the nature and trajectories of anthropogenically forced change in freshwater and coastal ecosystems” stems from a session of the same name at the ASLO (Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography) Aquatic Sciences Meeting 2017 in Honolulu, Hawai'i. The five papers gathered here reflect the focus of the special session on long-term ecosystem research and monitoring (LTERM), and collectively make use of monitoring data, palaeolimnology, and historical and documentary records to explore the timing, extent, and causes of human-related impacts on aquatic ecosystems. Collectively, they demonstrate that because timescales of ecological change often extend beyond contemporary monitoring, LTERM plays a crucial role in supporting evidence-based conservation. In this introduction, we reflect on the role that LTERM has had in each of the ecosystems studied, and discuss the opportunities for LTERM work to inform future conservation

Adolescent Sleep and Cellular Phone Use: Recent Trends and Implications for Research

Adolescent sleep needs range from 8.5–10 hours per night, with older adolescents requiring less sleep than younger adolescents. On average, however, American adolescents receive between 7.5–8.5 hours of sleep per night, with many sleeping fewer than 6.5 hours on school nights. Cellular phone use is emerging as an important factor that interferes with both sleep quality and quantity, particularly as smartphones become more widely available to teens. This review paper has three objectives. First, we will describe adolescent sleep patterns and the effects of sleep deprivation on adolescent physical and mental health. Second, we will describe current trends in technology use among adolescents, making associations to how technology impacts sleep. Lastly, we will discuss some of the methodological barriers of conducting sleep and technology research with adolescents and young adults and offer suggestions for overcoming those barriers. We will also discuss implications for healthcare providers

Diversity and Function of Capsular Polysaccharide in Acinetobacter baumannii

The Gram-negative opportunistic bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii is a significant cause of hospital-borne infections worldwide. Alarmingly, the rapid development of antimicrobial resistance coupled with the remarkable ability of isolates to persist on surfaces for extended periods of time has led to infiltration of A. baumannii into our healthcare environments. A major virulence determinant of A. baumannii is the presence of a capsule that surrounds the bacterial surface. This capsule is comprised of tightly packed repeating polysaccharide units which forms a barrier around the bacterial cell wall, providing protection from environmental pressures including desiccation and disinfection regimes as well as host immune responses such as serum complement. Additionally, capsule has been shown to confer resistance to a range of clinically relevant antimicrobial compounds. Distressingly, treatment options for A. baumannii infections are becoming increasingly limited, and the urgency to develop effective infection control strategies and therapies to combat infections is apparent. An increased understanding of the contribution of capsule to the pathobiology of A. baumannii is required to determine its feasibility as a target for new strategies to combat drug resistant infections. Significant variation in capsular polysaccharide structures between A. baumannii isolates has been identified, with over 100 distinct capsule types, incorporating a vast variety of sugars. This review examines the studies undertaken to elucidate capsule diversity and advance our understanding of the role of capsule in A. baumannii pathogenesis

Diversity and Keratin Degrading Ability of Fungi Isolated from Canadian Arctic Marine Bird Feathers

We present the first records of fungi associated with feathers from seabirds and sea ducks in the Canadian Arctic and sub-Arctic. Birds sampled in Nunavut and Newfoundland (Canada) included the Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), King Eider (S. spectabilis), Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus), Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle), and Thick-billed Murre (Uria lomvia). In total 19 fungal species were cultured from feathers, identified using ITS rDNA barcoding, and screened for their ability to degrade keratin using a keratin azure assay. Our results indicate that 1) of the 19 isolates, 74% were ascomycetes, while the remaining 26% were basidiomycetes (yeasts); 2) 21% of the ascomycete isolates demonstrated keratinolytic activity (a known pathogenicity factor for fungi that may potentially be harmful to birds); 3) the largest number of fungi were cultured from the sampled Thick-billed Murre; and 4) based on a multiple correspondence analysis, there is some indication that both the King Eider and the Thick-billed Murre collected in the low Arctic had distinct fungal communities that were different from each other and from the other birds sampled. Although our sample sizes were small, initial trends in point (4) do demonstrate that additional study is merited to assess whether the fungal community differences are influenced by variation in the known ecologies of the avian hosts and fungi identified.Nous présentons les premiers enregistrements de champignons se rapportant aux plumes d’oiseaux et de canards de mer dans l’Arctique et la région subarctique du Canada. Parmi les oiseaux échantillonnés au Nunavut et à Terre-Neuve (Canada), notons l’eider à duvet (Somateria mollissima), l’eider à tête grise (S. spectabilis), la mouette tridactyle (Rissa tridactyla), le fulmar boréal (Fulmarus glacialis), le goéland bourgmestre (Larus hyperboreus), le guillemot à miroir (Cepphus grylle) et le guillemot de Brünnich (Uria lomvia). En tout, 19 espèces de champignons ont été prélevées à partir de plumes. Elles ont été identifiées au moyen de codes à barres ITS ADNr et examinées afin de déterminer si elles sont capables de dégrader la kératine, et ce, à l’aide d’une épreuve de dégradation de la kératine au bleu azur. Nos résultats indiquent : 1) que parmi les 19 isolats, 74 % étaient des ascomycètes et que les 26 % restants étaient des basidiomycètes (levures); 2) que 21 % des isolats d’ascomycètes ont affiché une activité kératinolytique (un facteur de pathogénicité pour les champignons, facteur susceptible de nuire aux oiseaux); 3) que le plus grand nombre de cultures de champignons a été prélevé chez le guillemot de Brünnich; et 4) que d’après une analyse de correspondance multiple, il y a une certaine indication que les échantillons de l’eider à tête grise et du guillemot de Brünnich recueillis dans le Bas-Arctique comprenaient des communautés fongiques distinctes qui différaient les unes des autres ainsi que des autres oiseaux échantillonnés. Même si la taille de nos échantillons était petite, les premières tendances ressortant du point (4) démontrent qu’il y a lieu de faire des études plus poussées afin de déterminer si les différences entre les communautés fongiques sont influencées par la variation des écologies connues des hôtes aviaires et des champignons identifiés

Evaluation of Concussion Incidence and Modulating Factors in the 2013-2017 Australian Football League

The increasing awareness and popularization of concussions in the research realm over the last few years have begun to shed more light on the detrimental effects associated with repetitive head trauma. While the majority of the current literature focuses on the National Football League (NFL) and National Hockey League (NHL), several other high-impact sports have been implementing concussion management protocols to protect their players. The Australian Football League (AFL) is a prime example of a major contact sport that has undertaken recent changes to its concussion assessment and management modalities. We recognize the benefit of reporting potential changes in concussion rates over the 2013-2017 AFL seasons. We were interested in some of the factors not yet evaluated before, which may contribute to the overall concussion incidence such as “style-of-play” factors” (home/away, win/loss, points scored, time of season). We hope the results of this analysis shed light on the mechanisms by which concussion rates can be mitigated across major contact sports

A Needs Assessment for Simulation-Based Training of Emergency Medical Providers in Nebraska, USA

Background: Training emergency medical services (EMS) workforce is challenging in rural and remote settings. Moreover, critical access hospitals (CAHs) struggle to ensure continuing medical education for their emergency department (ED) staff. This project collected information from EMS and ED providers across Nebraska to identify gaps in their skills, knowledge, and abilities and thus inform curriculum development for the mobile simulation-based training program. Methods: The needs assessment used a three-step process: (1) four facilitated focus group sessions were conducted in distinct geographical locations across Nebraska to identify participants\u27 perceived training gaps; (2) based on the findings from the focus group, a needs assessment survey was constructed and sent to all EMS and ED staff in Nebraska; and (3) 1395 surveys were completed and analyzed. Results: Thematic areas of training gaps included cardiopulmonary conditions, diabetes management, mass casualty incidents (MCI), maternal health and child delivery, patient assessment, pediatric care (PC), and respiratory emergency care. Gaps in non-clinical skills were related to crisis management such as maintaining effective teamwork. Participants frequently identified cardiopulmonary care, PC, and MCI as highly needed trainings. Other needs included life support-related retaining courses, sessions informing protocol updates, the availability of retraining tailored for rural areas, substance use-related emergencies, and farming-related injuries. Conclusion: EMS and ED staff identified several skill gaps and training needs in the provision of emergency services in rural communities. These results allow for the development of customized training curricula and, with the help of an on-site simulation-based program, can identify gaps in health professionals\u27 skills, knowledge, and abilities and thus help them respond to acute healthcare needs of rural communities

More Rapid Increase in BMI from Age 5–15 is Associated with Elevated Weight Status at Age 24 among Non-Hispanic White Females

Background: A rapidly increasing BMI trajectory throughout childhood is associated with negative health outcomes in adulthood such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The purpose of the current study was to assess whether BMI trajectories from age 5–15 predicted changes in weight and BMI from adolescence to adulthood, and dieting-related behaviors in young adulthood. Methods: Non-Hispanic White female participants from Early Dieting in Girls (n=182), a longitudinal cohort study, were followed from age 5 to 15 and completed a follow-up survey at age 24. Participants were classified by age 5–15 BMI trajectory groups: UPC, accelerated weight gain from age 5–9; DDPC, accelerated weight gain from 5 to 9 followed by a decrease; 60PT, weight tracked along 60th percentile; 50PT, weight tracked along 50th percentile. Data at age 24 included self-reported weight, height, dietary restraint, disinhibition, and dieting. Results: Majority of participants (80.8%) completed the follow-up survey; of these participants, 60% in UPC group had obesity at age 24, compared to\u3c10% in the other 3 groups. Participants in the UPC group had greater increases in BMI since age 15, compared to the 50PT group, and trend-level greater weight increases than those in the DDPC and 60PT groups. Dietary restraint, but not disinhibition, differed across the groups. Conclusions: Children with accelerated weight gain continued to have the greatest weight gain from adolescence to adulthood and the highest prevalence of obesity in adulthood

Managing hybridization of a recovering endangered species: The red wolf \u3ci\u3eCanis rufus\u3c/i\u3e as a case study

Hybridization presents a unique challenge for conservation biologists and managers. While hybridization is an important evolutionary process, hybridization is also a threat formany native species. The endangered species recovery effort for the red wolf Canis rufus is a classic system for understanding and addressing the challenges of hybridization. From 1987‒1993, 63 red wolves were released from captivity in eastern North Carolina, USA, to establish a free-ranging, non-essential experimental population. By 1999, managers recognized hybridization with invasive coyotes Canis latrans was the single greatest threat to successful recovery, and an adaptive management plan was adopted with innovative approaches for managing the threat of hybridization. Here we review the application and results of the adaptive management efforts from 1993 to 2013 by comparing: (1) the numbers of wolves, coyotes, and hybrids captured, (2) the numbers of territorial social groups with presumed breeding capabilities, (3) the number of red wolf and hybrid litters documented each year and (4) the degree of coyote introgression into the wild red wolf gene pool. We documented substantial increases in the number of known red wolves and red wolf social groups from 1987–2004 followed by a plateau and slight decline by 2013.The number of red wolf litters exceeded hybrid litters each year and the proportion of hybrid litters per year averaged 21%. The genetic composition of the wild red wolf population is estimated to include \u3c 4% coyote ancestry from recent introgression since reintroduction. We conclude that the adaptive management plan was effective at reducing the introgression of coyote genes into the red wolf population, but population recovery of red wolves will require continuation of the current management plan, or alternative approaches, for the foreseeable future. More broadly, we discuss the lessons learned from red wolf adaptive management that could assist other endangered species recovery efforts facing the challenge of minimizing hybridizatio

Dendritic cell based PSMA immunotherapy for prostate cancer using a CD40-targeted adenovirus vector

Human prostate tumor vaccine and gene therapy trials using ex vivo methods to prime dendritic cells (DCs) with prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) have been somewhat successful, but to date the lengthy ex vivo manipulation of DCs has limited the widespread clinical utility of this approach. Our goal was to improve upon cancer vaccination with tumor antigens by delivering PSMA via a CD40-targeted adenovirus vector directly to DCs as an efficient means for activation and antigen presentation to T-cells. To test this approach, we developed a mouse model of prostate cancer by generating clonal derivatives of the mouse RM-1 prostate cancer cell line expressing human PSMA (RM-1-PSMA cells). To maximize antigen presentation in target cells, both MHC class I and TAP protein expression was induced in RM-1 cells by transduction with an Ad vector expressing interferon-gamma (Ad5-IFNγ). Administering DCs infected ex vivo with CD40-targeted Ad5-huPSMA, as well as direct intraperitoneal injection of the vector, resulted in high levels of tumor-specific CTL responses against RM-1-PSMA cells pretreated with Ad5-IFNγ as target cells. CD40 targeting significantly improved the therapeutic antitumor efficacy of Ad5-huPSMA encoding PSMA when combined with Ad5-IFNγ in the RM-1-PSMA model. These results suggest that a CD-targeted adenovirus delivering PSMA may be effective clinically for prostate cancer immunotherapy