Gas hydrate measurements at Hydrate Ridge using Raman spectroscopy

Author Posting. © Elsevier B.V., 2007. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 71: 2947-2959, doi:10.1016/j.gca.2007.03.032.Oceanic gas hydrates have been measured near the seafloor for the first time using a seagoing Raman spectrometer at Hydrate Ridge, Oregon, where extensive layers of hydrates have been found to occur near the seafloor. All of the hydrates analyzed were liberated from the upper meter of the sediment column near active gas venting sites in water depths of 770-780 m. Hydrate properties, such as structure and composition, were measured with significantly less disturbance to the sample than would be realized with core recovery. The natural hydrates measured were sI, with methane as the predominant guest component, and minor/trace amounts of hydrogen sulfide present in three of the twelve samples measured. Methane large-to-small cage occupancy ratios of the hydrates varied from 1.01 to 1.30, in good agreement with measurements of laboratory synthesized and recovered natural hydrates. Although the samples visually appeared to be solid, varying quantities of free methane gas were detected, indicating the presence of occluded gas a hydrate bubble fabric and/or partial hydrate dissociation in the under-saturated seawater.This work was supported through National Undersea Research Program grant UAF03-0098. DORISS and PUP development was funded by a grant to MBARI from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Interaction of pregnancy-specific glycoprotein 1 with integrin Α5β1 is a modulator of extravillous trophoblast functions

Human pregnancy-specific glycoproteins (PSGs) serve immunomodulatory and pro-angiogenic functions during pregnancy and are mainly expressed by syncytiotrophoblast cells. While PSG mRNA expression in extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) was reported, the proteins were not previously detected. By immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting, we show that PSGs are expressed by invasive EVTs and co-localize with integrin α5. In addition, we determined that native and recombinant PSG1, the most highly expressed member of the family, binds to α5β1 and induces the formation of focal adhesion structures resulting in adhesion of primary EVTs and EVT-like cell lines under 21% oxygen and 1% oxygen conditions. Furthermore, we found that PSG1 can simultaneously bind to heparan sulfate in the extracellular matrix and to α5β1 on the cell membrane. Wound healing assays and single-cell movement tracking showed that immobilized PSG1 enhances EVT migration. Although PSG1 did not affect EVT invasion in the in vitro assays employed, we found that the serum PSG1 concentration is lower in African-American women diagnosed with early-onset and late-onset preeclampsia, a pregnancy pathology characterized by shallow trophoblast invasion, than in their respective healthy controls only when the fetus was a male; therefore, the reduced expression of this molecule should be considered in the context of preeclampsia as a potential therapy

Low carbon futures: assessing the status of decarbonisation efforts at universities within a 2050 perspective

https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/id/publication/21924 © The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.Background The implementation of sustainability at universities means that they can also play a key role in the transition to a low carbon economy, and in assisting global efforts towards decarbonisation. Yet, not all of them have so far fully engaged in this area. This paper reviews the state of the art on trends in decarbonisation, and outlines the need for decarbonisation efforts at universities. It also reports on a survey aimed at ascertaining the extent to which universities in a sample of 40 countries across the various geographical regions are engaged in carbon reduction efforts, identifying the challenges faced. Results The study has shown that the literature on the topic has been evolving over time and that increasing a given university’s energy supply from renewable energy sources has been the cornerstone of university-based climate action plans. The study also indicates that even though several universities are concerned with their carbon footprint and actively seeking ways to reduce it, there are some institutional obstacles that need to be overcome. Conclusions A first conclusion which can be drawn is that efforts on decarbonisation are becoming more popular, with a special focus being placed on the use of renewable energy. Also, the study has shown that, from the range of efforts being made towards decarbonisation, many universities are setting up a team with carbon management responsibilities, have Carbon Management Policy Statements, and review them. The paper points towards some measures which may be deployed, so as to allow universities to take better advantage of the many opportunities an engagement in decarbonisation initiatives offers to them.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of assistive technology and telecare for independent living in dementia: a randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVES: The use of assistive technology and telecare (ATT) has been promoted to manage risks associated with independent living in people with dementia but with little evidence for effectiveness. METHODS: Participants were randomly assigned to receive an ATT assessment followed by installation of all appropriate ATT devices or limited control of appropriate ATT. The primary outcomes were time to institutionalisation and cost-effectiveness. Key secondary outcomes were number of incidents involving risks to safety, burden and stress in family caregivers and quality of life. RESULTS: Participants were assigned to receive full ATT (248 participants) or the limited control (247 participants). After adjusting for baseline imbalance of activities of daily living score, HR for median pre-institutionalisation survival was 0.84; 95% CI, 0.63 to 1.12; P = 0.20. There were no significant differences between arms in health and social care (mean -£909; 95% CI, -£5,336 to £3,345, P = 0.678) and societal costs (mean -£3,545; 95% CI, -£13,914 to £6,581, P = 0.499). ATT group members had reduced participant-rated quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) at 104 weeks (mean - 0.105; 95% CI, -0.204 to -0.007, P = 0.037) but did not differ in QALYs derived from proxy-reported EQ-5D. DISCUSSION: Fidelity of the intervention was low in terms of matching ATT assessment, recommendations and installation. This, however, reflects current practice within adult social care in England. CONCLUSIONS: Time living independently outside a care home was not significantly longer in participants who received full ATT and ATT was not cost-effective. Participants with full ATT attained fewer QALYs based on participant-reported EQ-5D than controls at 104 weeks

The impact of assistive technology on burden and psychological well-being in informal caregivers of people with dementia (ATTILA Study)

INTRODUCTION: Assistive technology and telecare (ATT) may alleviate psychological burden in informal caregivers of people with dementia. This study assessed the impact of ATT on informal caregivers’ burden and psychological well‐being. METHODS: Individuals with dementia and their informal caregivers were recruited to a randomized‐controlled trial assessing effectiveness of ATT. Caregivers were allocated to two groups according to their cared‐for person's randomization to a full or basic package of ATT and were assessed on caregiver burden, state anxiety, and depression. Caregivers’ data from three assessments over 6 months of the trial were analyzed. RESULTS: No significant between‐ or within‐group differences at any time point on caregivers’ burden, anxiety, and depression levels were found. DISCUSSION: Full ATT for people with dementia did not impact caregivers’ psychological outcomes compared to basic ATT. The length of follow up was restricted to 6 months

Three dimensional evaluation of posture in standing with the PosturePrint: an intra- and inter-examiner reliability study

Abstract Background Few digitizers can measure the complexity of upright human postural displacements in six degrees of freedom of the head, rib cage, and pelvis. Methods In a University laboratory, three examiners performed delayed repeated postural measurements on forty subjects over two days. Three digital photographs (left lateral, AP, right lateral) of each of 40 volunteer participants were obtained, twice, by three examiners. Examiners placed 13 markers on the subjects before photography and chose 16 points on the photographic images. Using the PosturePrint® internet computer system, head, rib cage, and pelvic postures were calculated as rotations (Rx, Ry, Rz) in degrees and translations (Tx, Tz) in millimeters. For reliability, two different types (liberal = ICC3,1 & conservative = ICC2,1) of inter- and intra-examiner correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated. Standard error of measurements (SEM) and mean absolute differences within and between observers' measurements were also determined. Results All of the "liberal" ICCs were in the excellent range (> 0.84). For the more "conservative" type ICCs, four Inter-examiner ICCs were in the interval (0.5–0.6), 10 ICCs were in the interval (0.61–0.74), and the remainder were greater than 0.75. SEMs were 2.7° or less for all rotations and 5.9 mm or less for all translations. Mean absolute differences within examiners and between examiners were 3.5° or less for all rotations and 8.4 mm or less for all translations. Conclusion For the PosturePrint® system, the combined inter-examiner and intra-examiner correlation coefficients were in the good (14/44) and excellent (30/44) ranges. SEMs and mean absolute differences within and between examiners' measurements were small. Thus, this posture digitizer is reliable for clinical use

Place-Based Learning Communities on a Rural Campus: Turning Challenges into Assets

At Humboldt State University (HSU), location is everything. Students are as drawn to our spectacular natural setting as they are to the unique majors in the natural resource sciences that the university has to offer. However, the isolation that nurtures the pristine natural beauty of the area presents a difficult reality for students who are accustomed to more densely populated environments. With the large majority of our incoming students coming from distant cities, we set out to cultivate a “home away from home” by connecting first-year students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to the communities and local environment of Humboldt County. To achieve this, we designed first-year place-based learning communities (PBLCs) that integrate unique aspects and interdisciplinary themes of our location throughout multiple high impact practices, including a summer experience, blocked-enrolled courses, and a first-year experience course entitled Science 100: Becoming a STEM Professional in the 21st Century. Native American culture, traditional ways of knowing, and contemporary issues faced by tribal communities are central features of our place-based curriculum because HSU is located on the ancestral land of the Wiyot people and the university services nine federally recognized American Indian tribes. Our intention is that by providing a cross-cultural, validating environment, students will: feel and be better supported in their academic pursuits; cultivate values of personal, professional and social responsibility; and increase the likelihood that they will complete their HSU degree. As we complete the fourth year of implementation, we aim to harness our experience and reflection to improve our programming and enable promising early results to be sustained

In situ Raman analyses of deep-sea hydrothermal and cold seep systems (Gorda Ridge and Hydrate Ridge)

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2006. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems 7 (2006): Q05023, doi:10.1029/2005GC001204.The Deep Ocean Raman In Situ Spectrometer (DORISS) instrument was deployed at the Sea Cliff Hydrothermal Field and Hydrate Ridge in July 2004. The first in situ Raman spectra of hydrothermal minerals, fluids, and bacterial mats were obtained. These spectra were analyzed and compared to laboratory Raman measurements of standards and samples collected from the site. Spectra of vent fluid (∼294°C at the orifice) at ∼2700 m depth were collected with noncontact and immersion sampling optics. Compared to spectra of ambient (∼2°C) seawater, the vent fluid spectra show changes in the intensity and positions of the water O-H stretch bands due to the elevated temperature. The sulfate band observed in seawater spectra is reduced in vent fluid spectra as sulfate is removed from vent fluid in the subseafloor. Additional components of hydrothermal fluid are present in concentrations too low to be detected with the current Raman system. A precision underwater positioner (PUP) was used to focus the laser spot on opaque samples such as minerals and bacterial mats. Spectra were obtained of anhydrite from actively venting chimneys, and of barite deposits in hydrothermal crusts. Laboratory analysis of rock samples collected in the vent field also detected the presence of gypsum. Spectra of bacterial mats revealed the presence of elemental sulfur (S8) and the carotenoid beta-carotene. Challenges encountered include strong fluorescence from minerals and organics and insufficient sensitivity of the instrument. The next generation DORISS instrument addresses some of these challenges and holds great potential for use in deep-sea vent environments.Funding was provided by the David & Lucile Packard Foundation