Syntectonic mobility of supergene nickel ores of New Caledonia (Southwest Pacific). Evidence from faulted regolith and garnierite veins.

International audienceSupergene nickel deposits of New Caledonia that have been formed in the Neogene by weathering of obducted ultramafic rocks are tightly controlled by fracture development. The relationship of tropical weathering and tectonic structures, faults and tension gashes, have been investigated in order to determine whether fractures have play a passive role only, as previously thought; or alternatively, if brittle tectonics was acting together with alteration. From the observation of time-relationship, textures, and mineralogy of various fracture fills and fault gouges, it may be unambiguously established that active faulting has play a prominent role not only in facilitating drainage and providing room for synkinematic crystallisation of supergene nickel silicate, but also in mobilising already formed sparse nickel ore, giving birth to the very high grade ore nicknamed "green gold"

Acquired nasopharyngeal stenosis correction using a modified palatal flaps technique in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients

Background: Acquired nasopharyngeal stenosis is a rare and heterogeneous pathological condition that has different causes, generally resulting as a complication of a pharyngeal surgery, especially in patients affected by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Different approaches have been proposed for the treatment of nasopharyngeal stenosis but a unique and standardized management has not yet been presented. The aim of our paper is to evaluate the efficacy of our surgical technique, describing its steps and results with the aim to consider it as a possible solution for the treatment of this condition. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. Eight patients (mean age 27.25 years old (yo), range 8–67 yo; Male/Female ratio 4/4; mean body mass index (BMI) 26.1) affected by OSA (mean apnea hypopnea index (AHI) before OSA surgery was 22.1) and acquired nasopharyngeal stenosis as a consequence of different pharyngeal surgeries were treated with our modified approach in the Department of Otolaryngology, Morgagni Pierantoni Hospital, Forlì, Italy. Resolution of stenosis and complication rate were the main outcome measures. Results: Complete resolution of the stenosis was achieved in all cases and no complications were recorded at three weeks, six months, and 2 years follow-up. Conclusions: Our technique appears to be a promising method for the management of nasopharyngeal stenosis in OSA patients. However, further studies comparing different techniques and reporting on larger series and longer follow up time are needed to prove the efficacy of the proposed technique

The microtubule regulator stathmin is an endogenous protein agonist for TLR3.

TLR3 recognizes dsRNAs and is considered of key importance to antiviral host-defense responses. TLR3 also triggers neuroprotective responses in astrocytes and controls the growth of axons and neuronal progenitor cells, suggesting additional roles for TLR3-mediated signaling in the CNS. This prompted us to search for alternative, CNS-borne protein agonists for TLR3. A genome-scale functional screening of a transcript library from brain tumors revealed that the microtubule regulator stathmin is an activator of TLR3-dependent signaling in astrocytes, inducing the same set of neuroprotective factors as the known TLR3 agonist polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid. This activity of stathmin crucially depends on a long, negatively charged alpha helix in the protein. Colocalization of stathmin with TLR3 on astrocytes, microglia, and neurons in multiple sclerosis-affected human brain indicates that as an endogenous TLR3 agonist, stathmin may fulfill previously unsuspected regulatory roles during inflammation and repair in the adult CNS. Chemicals/CAS: stathmin, 126880-56-6; RNA, Small Interfering; Stathmin; TLR3 protein, human; Toll-Like Receptor

Which Law and Economics Model? The Case of Class Action

In this paper following a law and economics approach, we will consider which model can be applied to analyze class action, intended as a procedural device for aggregating a number of similar claims in a single judicial proceeding. Main examples are environmental and financial class actions with the objective to recover damages affecting dispersed victims. On one hand, many studies about US jurisprudence and about the problems connected with the role of the law firms characterize the legal literature. On the other hand, in Europe the debate is about possible introduction and the problem of harmonization within the judicial systems of different civil law countries (EU the Directive 98/27/EC). Following an economic approach, class action presents many advantages: class action favors the emergence of efficiency in judicial market, by means of economies of scale; it solves the suboptimal demand of lawsuits by increasing the affordability of legal protection and the possibility of indirect representation; it allocates the risk to the subject in the better positions to manage it because of the utility function because plaintiff are normally risk averse while lawyers are more likely to have a higher risk propensity. Following a law & economics approach, we will consider the application of economic models to analyze legal devices

Managerial Ownership and Corporate Hedging

Using information on 443 UK non-financial companies, this work provides evidence supporting the hypothesis that managerial risk aversion is an incentive to deviate from the optimal hedging position. Conflicts of interest between shareholders and managers are at the centre of the decision about the firm's risk profile but are not relevant as determinants of the decision to hedge. This is rather associated with factors enhancing the firm's expected value (underinvestment, scale economies, tax savings). Copyright 2007 The Authors Journal compilation (c) 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

In Aged Mice, Outgrowth of Intraocular Melanoma Depends on Proangiogenic M2-Type Macrophages

Macrophages are part of the tumor microenvironment and have been associated with poor prognosis in uveal melanoma. We determined the presence of macrophages and their differentiation status in a murine intraocular melanoma model. Inoculation of B16F10 cells into the anterior chamber of the eye resulted in rapid tumor outgrowth. Strikingly, in aged mice, tumor progression depended on the presence of macrophages, as local depletion of these cells prevented tumor outgrowth, indicating that macrophages in old mice had a strong tumor-promoting role. Immunohistochemistry and gene expression analysis revealed that macrophages carried M2-type characteristics, as shown by CD163 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma expression, and that multiple angiogenic genes were heavily overrepresented in tumors of old mice. The M2-type macrophages were also shown to have immunosuppressive features. We conclude that tumor-associated macrophages are directly involved in tumor outgrowth of intraocular melanoma and that macrophages in aged mice have a predisposition for an M2-type profile. The Journal of Immunology, 2010, 185: 3481-3488.Experimental cancer immunology and therap