Oxidative Potential and Composition of Fine Particulate Matter at Two Locations in Mississippi

Air pollution exposure has negative health effects on individuals across the globe. Negative impacts on human health have been documented in studies following both short-term and long-term exposure to air pollution, and these adverse effects have been seen even at the lowest levels of exposure. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has specifically been linked to these negative health effects. These effects come from many sources, but one large contribution to the negative health effects comes from oxidative stress. In this study, samples were collected from Hernando, MS and Gulfport, MS in September 2013 and November 2013. Black carbon (BC) analysis was performed on these samples to determine black carbon concentrations. PM2.5 was extracted from filters in methanol by sonication. The samples were then divided into their methanol soluble and hexanes soluble fractions. The oxidative potential was measured for both fractions using a diothiothreitol (DTT) assay. Statistical analysis was done to measure statistical significance of data collected. There were significant differences observed between sampling dates and soluble fractions for oxidative potential. There were trends observed for PM2.5 concentrations, black carbon concentrations, and oxidative potentials. The results of this study show that sampling date and location should be considered when studying PM2.5

Be still, my beating heart: reading pulselessness from Shakespeare to the artificial heart

Today, heart failure patients can be kept alive by an artificial heart while they await a heart transplant. These modern artificial hearts, or left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), remove the patient’s discernible pulse whilst still maintaining life. This technology contradicts physiological, historical and sociocultural understandings of the pulse as central to human life. In this essay, we consider the ramifications of this contrast between the historical and cultural importance placed on the pulse (especially in relation to our sense of self) and living with a pulseless LVAD. We argue that the pulse’s relationship to individual identity can be rescripted by examining its representation in formative cultural texts like the works of William Shakespeare. Through an integration of historical, literary and biomedical engineering perspectives on the pulse, this paper expands interpretations of pulselessness and advocates for the importance of cultural – as well as biomedical – knowledge to support LVAD patients and those around them. In reconsidering figurative and literal representations of the heartbeat in the context of technology which removes the need for a pulse, this essay argues that narrative and metaphor can be used to reconceptualise the relationship between the heartbeat and identity

The smiling assassin? Reconceptualising redundancy envoys as quasi-dirty workers.

Despite redundancies having far-reaching consequences for organisations, relatively limited attention has been paid to the conflicting experiences of those implementing the redundancy process - the redundancy envoys. By drawing on theories of cognitive dissonance and "dirty work", we explain how individuals implementing redundancies can experience a disconnect between their outward and inner emotions. We reconceptualise redundancy envoys as quasi-dirty workers, as they intermittently perform "dirty work" tasks that may be perceived as morally tainted, whilst recognising their conventional role incorporates tasks perceived as contrary to that of "dirty work". Our study draws on insider research access to redundancy envoys over a five-year period during the implementation of four consecutive redundancy programmes, providing the opportunity to observe decisions and actions in "real time". We offer a contemporary reconceptualisation of the redundancy envoy, which permits a deeper understanding of the negative impact on redundancy envoys and offers opportunities to examine how this can be reduced. In addition, it is anticipated that the results of this study will offer support to HR functions in reducing the stigma of "dirty work" for redundancy envoys with the intention of enhancing the management of redundancy implementation

Host-Parasite Arms Races and Rapid Changes in Bird Egg Appearance

Abstract Coevolutionary arms races are a powerful force driving evolution, adaptation, and diversification. They can generate phenotypic polymorphisms that render it harder for a coevolving parasite or predator to exploit any one individual of a given species. In birds, egg polymorphisms should be an effective defense against mimetic brood parasites and are extreme in the African tawny-flanked prinia (Prinia subflava) and its parasite, the cuckoo finch (Anomalospiza imberbis). Here we use models of avian visual perception to analyze the appearance of prinia and cuckoo finch eggs from the same location over 40 years. We show that the two interacting populations have experienced rapid changes in egg traits. Egg colors of both species have diversified over time, expanding into avian color space as expected under negative frequency-dependent selection. Egg pattern showed signatures of both frequency-dependent and directional selection in different traits, which appeared to be evolving independently of one ano..

Key Considerations for the Development of Internationally Comparable Statistics on Ocean Economic Activity

Alongside several member countries, the OECD is embarking upon the development of a satellite account for ocean economic activity that presents international statistics in a harmonised manner. This work complements other initiatives at national and international levels and will support future comprehensive ocean accounts that include marine environment-economy linkages and ecosystem services. The production of internationally comparable statistics is a complex and time consuming endeavour that requires international cooperation. For ocean economic activities, such difficulties are compounded by the need to break down existing statistical information using secondary source material. A key preparation for internationally comparable statistics on ocean economic activity is for compilers of national data to record and publish metadata that are exhaustive of the statistical data produced. Novel approaches, including those that make sense of high frequency data using machine learning, could offer a potential solution to some of the problems associated with ocean economy measurement

Personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education: A mapping study of the prevalent models of delivery and their effectiveness

In October 2008, then Schools Minister Ji, Knight announced that Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education would become compulsory (for Key Stages 1-4). Following this, In November 2009, Sheffield Hallam University was contracted by DCSF (now DfE) to conduct a mapping exercise of PSHE education in primary and secondary schools in England. This resulted from a recommendation in the Macdonald Review, whcih identified the need for research to establish and report on the prevalent models of delivery for PSHE education and their effectiveness in improving outcomes for children and young people (Macdonald, 2009:8)

Lower jaw modularity in the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) and fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra gigliolii)

Modularity describes the degree to which the components of complex phenotypes vary semi-autonomously due to developmental, genetic and functional correlations. This is a key feature underlying the potential for evolvability, as it can allow individual components to respond to different selective pressures semi-independently. The vertebrate lower jaw has become a model anatomical system for understanding modularity, but to date most of this work has focused on the mandible of mammals and other amniotes. In contrast, modularity in the mandible of lissamphibians has been less well studied. Here, we used geometric morphometrics to quantify the static (intraspecific) modularity patterns in Xenopus laevis and Salamandra salamandra gigliolii. We tested developmental and functional hypotheses of modularity and demonstrate that both species exhibit significant modularity. Functional modularity was supported in both Xenopus and Salamandra. Allometry has a small yet significant impact on lower jaw shape in both taxa and sex has a significant effect on shape in Xenopus. The high lower jaw modularity in both species observed here, combined with the well-established modularity of the amphibian cranium, suggests that modularity is a ubiquitous feature of the tetrapod head