Law on Pollution and Debris from Oil and Gas Drilling and Production Operations Offshore Nova Scotia

This thesis examines international and domestic law relating to pollution from offshore oil and gas operations in the Nova Scotia offshore area. The domestic regulatory regime is not integrated, but is contained in various acts. The three main acts deal respectively with ships, including mobile offshore drilling and production units (the \u27Canada Shipping Act\u27); fisheries protection (the \u27Fisheries Act\u27); and the industrial aspects of offshore oil and gas operations (the federal \u27Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act\u27; there is a corresponding provincial act which is essentially identical). These acts are administered by separate regulatory agencies. This results in inefficiency and uncertainty for industry, duplication of administrative effort and the potential for inconsistencies in regulatory approach. A comprehensive statutory regime is in place with respect to responsibility and compensation for pollution damage. Although there is presently no global conventional law dealing specifically with pollution from offshore oil and gas operations, there are general obligations under international customary law and the 1982 \u27Law of the Sea Convention\u27

Genetic Pathway in Acquisition and Loss of Vancomycin Resistance in a Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Strain of Clonal Type USA300

An isolate of the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clone USA300 with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin (SG-R) (i.e, vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus, VISA) and its susceptible “parental” strain (SG-S) were recovered from a patient at the end and at the beginning of an unsuccessful vancomycin therapy. The VISA phenotype was unstable in vitro generating a susceptible revertant strain (SG-rev). The availability of these 3 isogenic strains allowed us to explore genetic correlates of antibiotic resistance as it emerged in vivo. Compared to the susceptible isolate, both the VISA and revertant strains carried the same point mutations in yycH, vraG, yvqF and lspA genes and a substantial deletion within an intergenic region. The revertant strain carried a single additional frameshift mutation in vraS which is part of two component regulatory system VraSR. VISA isolate SG-R showed complex alterations in phenotype: decreased susceptibility to other antibiotics, slow autolysis, abnormal cell division and increased thickness of cell wall. There was also altered expression of 239 genes including down-regulation of major virulence determinants. All phenotypic properties and gene expression profile returned to parental levels in the revertant strain. Introduction of wild type yvqF on a multicopy plasmid into the VISA strain caused loss of resistance along with loss of all the associated phenotypic changes. Introduction of the wild type vraSR into the revertant strain caused recovery of VISA type resistance. The yvqF/vraSR operon seems to function as an on/off switch: mutation in yvqF in strain SG-R turns on the vraSR system, which leads to increase in vancomycin resistance and down-regulation of virulence determinants. Mutation in vraS in the revertant strain turns off this regulatory system accompanied by loss of resistance and normal expression of virulence genes. Down-regulation of virulence genes may provide VISA strains with a “stealth” strategy to evade detection by the host immune system

Human transformations of the Wadden Sea ecosystem through time: a synthesis

Todayrsquos Wadden Sea is a heavily human-altered ecosystem. Shaped by natural forces since its origin 7,500 years ago, humans gradually gained dominance in influencing ecosystem structure and functioning. Here, we reconstruct the timeline of human impacts and the history of ecological changes in the Wadden Sea. We then discuss the ecosystem and societal consequences of observed changes, and conclude with management implications. Human influences have intensified and multiplied over time. Large-scale habitat transformation over the last 1,000 years has eliminated diverse terrestrial, freshwater, brackish and marine habitats. Intensive exploitation of everything from oysters to whales has depleted most large predators and habitat-building species since medieval times. In the twentieth century, pollution, eutrophication, species invasions and, presumably, climate change have had marked impacts on the Wadden Sea flora and fauna. Yet habitat loss and overexploitation were the two main causes for the extinction or severe depletion of 144 species (~20% of total macrobiota). The loss of biodiversity, large predators, special habitats, filter and storage capacity, and degradation in water quality have led to a simplification and homogenisation of the food web structure and ecosystem functioning that has affected the Wadden Sea ecosystem and coastal societies alike. Recent conservation efforts have reversed some negative trends by enabling some birds and mammals to recover and by creating new economic options for society. The Wadden Sea history provides a unique long-term perspective on ecological change, new objectives for conservation, restoration and management, and an ecological baseline that allows us to envision a rich, productive and diverse Wadden Sea ecosystem and coastal society

Ten golden rules for optimal antibiotic use in hospital settings: the WARNING call to action

Antibiotics are recognized widely for their benefits when used appropriately. However, they are often used inappropriately despite the importance of responsible use within good clinical practice. Effective antibiotic treatment is an essential component of universal healthcare, and it is a global responsibility to ensure appropriate use. Currently, pharmaceutical companies have little incentive to develop new antibiotics due to scientific, regulatory, and financial barriers, further emphasizing the importance of appropriate antibiotic use. To address this issue, the Global Alliance for Infections in Surgery established an international multidisciplinary task force of 295 experts from 115 countries with different backgrounds. The task force developed a position statement called WARNING (Worldwide Antimicrobial Resistance National/International Network Group) aimed at raising awareness of antimicrobial resistance and improving antibiotic prescribing practices worldwide. The statement outlined is 10 axioms, or “golden rules,” for the appropriate use of antibiotics that all healthcare workers should consistently adhere in clinical practice

Law on Pollution and Debris from Oil and Gas Drilling and Production Operations Offshore Nova Scotia

This thesis examines international and domestic law relating to pollution from offshore oil and gas operations in the Nova Scotia offshore area. The domestic regulatory regime is not integrated, but is contained in various acts. The three main acts deal respectively with ships, including mobile offshore drilling and production units (the \u27Canada Shipping Act\u27); fisheries protection (the \u27Fisheries Act\u27); and the industrial aspects of offshore oil and gas operations (the federal \u27Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act\u27; there is a corresponding provincial act which is essentially identical). These acts are administered by separate regulatory agencies. This results in inefficiency and uncertainty for industry, duplication of administrative effort and the potential for inconsistencies in regulatory approach. A comprehensive statutory regime is in place with respect to responsibility and compensation for pollution damage. Although there is presently no global conventional law dealing specifically with pollution from offshore oil and gas operations, there are general obligations under international customary law and the 1982 \u27Law of the Sea Convention\u27

Quality and performance of validated prognostic models for survival after resection of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the performance of prognostic survival models for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) when validated in an external dataset. Furthermore, it sought to identify common prognostic factors across models, and assess methodological quality of the studies in which the models were developed. Methods: The PRISMA guidelines were followed. External validation studies of prognostic models for patients with iCCA were searched in 5 databases. Model performance was assessed by discrimination and calibration. Results: Thirteen external validation studies were identified, validating 18 different prognostic models. The Wang model was the sole model with good performance (C-index above 0.70) for overall survival. This model incorporated tumor size and number, lymph node metastasis, direct invasion into surrounding tissue, vascular invasion, Carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Methodological quality was poor in 11/12 statistical models. The Wang model had the highest score with 13 out of 17 points. Conclusion: The Wang model for prognosis after resection of iCCA has good quality and good performance at external validation, while most prognostic models for iCCA have been developed with poor methodological quality and show poor performance at external validation