Partitioning and Mobility of Chromium in Iron-Rich Laterites from an Optimized Sequential Extraction Procedure

Chromium (Cr) leached from iron (Fe) (oxyhydr)oxide-rich tropical laterites can substantially impact downstream groundwater, ecosystems, and human health. However, its partitioning into mineral hosts, its binding, oxidation state, and potential release are poorly defined. This is in part due to the current lack of well-designed and validated Cr-specific sequential extraction procedures (SEPs) for laterites. To fill this gap, we have (i) first optimized a Cr SEP for Fe (oxyhydr)oxide-rich laterites using synthetic and natural Cr-bearing minerals and laterite references, (ii) used a complementary suite of techniques and critically evaluated existing non-laterite and non-Cr-optimized SEPs, compared to our optimized SEP, and (iii) confirmed the efficiency of our new SEP through analyses of laterites from the Philippines. Our results show that other SEPs inadequately leach Cr host phases and underestimate the Cr fractions. Our SEP recovered up to seven times higher Cr contents because it (a) more efficiently dissolves metal-substituted Fe phases, (b) quantitatively extracts adsorbed Cr, and (c) prevents overestimation of organic Cr in laterites. With this new SEP, we can estimate the mineral-specific Cr fractionation in Fe-rich tropical soils more quantitatively and thus improve our knowledge of the potential environmental impacts of Cr from lateritic areas

A Stochastic Approach To Reconstruct Gamma Ray Burst Lightcurves

Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), being observed at high redshift (z = 9.4), vital to cosmological studies and investigating Population III stars. To tackle these studies, we need correlations among relevant GRB variables with the requirement of small uncertainties on their variables. Thus, we must have good coverage of GRB light curves (LCs). However, gaps in the LC hinder the precise determination of GRB properties and are often unavoidable. Therefore, extensive categorization of GRB LCs remains a hurdle. We address LC gaps using a 'stochastic reconstruction,' wherein we fit two pre-existing models (Willingale 2007; W07 and Broken Power Law; BPL) to the observed LC, then use the distribution of flux residuals from the original data to generate data to fill in the temporal gaps. We also demonstrate a model-independent LC reconstruction via Gaussian Processes. At 10% noise, the uncertainty of the end time of the plateau, its correspondent flux, and the temporal decay index after the plateau decreases, on average, by 33.3% 35.03%, and 43.32%, respectively for the W07, and by 33.3%, 30.78%, 43.9% for the BPL. The slope of the plateau decreases by 14.76% in the BPL. After using the Gaussian Process technique, we see similar trends of a decrease in uncertainty for all model parameters for both the W07 and BPL models. These improvements are essential for the application of GRBs as standard candles in cosmology, for the investigation of theoretical models and for inferring the redshift of GRBs with future machine learning analysis.Comment: 20 pages, 6 tables, 11 figure

AB0360 EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF THE PROSTAGLANDIN EP4 RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST CR6086 ADDED TO METHOTREXATE IN DMARD-NAÏVE EARLY RA PATIENTS: A PHASE 2 RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Background:MTX is the first line treatment in early RA. There is robust evidence from cohort studies, but less from RCTs, that a "window of opportunity" exists over 12-16 weeks symptom duration. CR6086 is a selective prostaglandin EP4 receptor antagonist, with an immunomodulatory profile.Objectives:To test efficacy and safety of CR6086 added to MTX in early RA, DMARD-naïve patients.Methods:Patients with RA (ACR/EULAR 2010 criteria), 6 months disease duration. This generated the hypothesis that addition of CR6086 90mg bid may benefit in RA patients initiating MTX after the window of opportunity, to be tested in further studies.Table 1.Patient characteristics & pregnancy outcomesSymptom onset <12 months(principal analysis)Symptom onset 6-12 months(post-hoc analysis)*Placebo+MTX(N=62)CR6086 90mg+MTX(N=60)Placebo+MTX(N=37)CR6086 90mg+MTX(N=38)ACR20, %59.7%70.0%48.6%68.4%ACR50, %33.9%38.3%29.7%39.5%ACR70, %17.7%23.3%10.8%28.9%DAS28 (CRP) <2.6, %12.9%20.0%8.1%18.4%CDAI ≤2.8, %8.1%11.7%5.4%15.8%SDAI ≤3.3, %6.5%10.0%2.7%15.8%Boolean-based remission, %6.5%6.7%2.7%10.5%*In patients with symptom onset <6 months, MTX monotherapy exerted a large 76% ACR20 response, and correspondingly high secondary efficacy parameters, precluding potentiation in this subsetFigure 1.Change in MRI (DEMRIQ-ME#) after 13 weeksDisclosure of Interests:Karel Pavelka Consultant of: Abbvie, MSD, BMS, Egis, Roche, UCB, Medac, Pfizer, Biogen, Speakers bureau: Abbvie, MSD, BMS, Egis, Roche, UCB, Medac, Pfizer, Biogen, Ivanova Delina2 Delina: None declared, Minodora Mazur: None declared, Massimo D'Amato Employee of: Rottapharm Biotech, GIAMPAOLO GIACOVELLI Employee of: Rottapharm Biotech, Federica Girolami Employee of: Rottapharm Biotech, Marek Krogulec: None declared, René Østgård: None declared, Asger Reinstrup Bihlet Shareholder of: Nordic Bioscience A/S., Olga Kubassova Shareholder of: IAG, Image Analysis Group, Consultant of: Novartis, Takeda, Lilly, Employee of: IAG, Image Analysis Group, Lucio Rovati Shareholder of: Rottapharm Biotech, Employee of: Rottapharm Biotech, Peter C. Taylor Grant/research support from: Celgene, Eli Lilly and Company, Galapagos, and Gilead, Consultant of: AbbVie, Biogen, Eli Lilly and Company, Fresenius, Galapagos, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, Nordic Pharma, Pfizer Roche, and UC

Nesting biology of the bee Caupolicana yarrowi.

20 pages : illustrations (some color), color maps ; 26 cm. Appendix: Use of nectar by the desert bee Caupolicana yarrowi (Colletidae) in cell construction / James H. Cane and Jerome G. Rozen, Jr.The first part of this publication, written by a group of participants in Bee Course 2018, results from the discovery of three nests of Caupolicana yarrowi (Cresson, 1875) at the base of the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona. The nests are deep with branching laterals that usually connect to large vertical brood cells by an upward turn before curving downward and attaching to the top of the chambers. This loop of the lateral thus seems to serve as a "sink trap," excluding rainwater from reaching open cells during provisioning. Although mature larvae had not yet developed, an egg of C. yarrowi was discovered floating on the provisions allowing an SEM examination of its chorion, the first such study for any egg of the Diphaglossinae. Larval food for this species at this site came from Solanum elaeagnifolium Cav. (Solanaceae). Nests were parasitized by Triepeolus grandis (Friese, 1917) (Epeolini), which previously was known to attack only Ptiloglossa (Diphaglossinae: Caupolicanini). The subterranean nest cells of the desert bee Caupolicana yarrowi (Colletidae), which are enveloped by a casing of hardened soil that easily separates from the surrounding matrix, are discussed in a separate appendix. Chemical analysis revealed the casing to be rich in reducing sugars, indicating that the mother bee had regurgitated floral nectar onto the rough interior walls of the cell cavity before smoothing and waterproofing them. This novel use of nectar in nest construction is compared with that of other bee species that bring water to a nest site to soften soil for excavation

The role of war in deep transitions: exploring mechanisms, imprints and rules in sociotechnical systems

This paper explores in what ways the two world wars influenced the development of sociotechnical systems underpinning the culmination of the first deep transition. The role of war is an underexplored aspect in both the Techno-Economic Paradigms (TEP) approach and the Multi-level perspective (MLP) which form the two key conceptual building blocks of the Deep Transitions (DT) framework. Thus, we develop a conceptual approach tailored to this particular topic which integrates accounts of total war and mechanisms of war from historical studies and imprinting from organisational studies with the DT framework’s attention towards rules and meta-rules. We explore in what ways the three sociotechnical systems of energy, food, and transport were affected by the emergence of new demand pressures and logistical challenges during conditions of total war; how war impacted the directionality of sociotechnical systems; the extent to which new national and international policy capacities emerged during wartime in the energy, food, and transport systems; and the extent to which these systems were influenced by cooperation and shared sacrifice under wartime conditions. We then explore what lasting changes were influenced by the two wars in the energy, food, and transport systems across the transatlantic zone. This paper seeks to open up a hitherto neglected area in analysis on sociotechnical transitions and we discuss the importance of further research that is attentive towards entanglements of warfare and the military particularly in the field of sustainability transitions

Transformative capacity and local action for urban sustainability.

There is a consensus about the strategic importance of cities and urban areas for achieving a global transformation towards sustainability. While there is mounting interest in the types of qualities that increase the capacity of urban systems to attain deep transformations, empirical evidence about the extent to which existing institutional and material systems exhibit transformative capacity is lacking. This paper thereby seeks to determine the extent to which sustainability initiatives led by local governments and their partners reflect the various components that the literature claims can influence the emergence of transformative capacity as a systemic property of urban settings. Using an evaluative framework consisting of ten components of transformative capacity and associated indicators, the specific objective is to identify patterns in these initiatives regarding the presence of individual components of transformative capacity and their interrelations with other components. The analysis of 400 sustainability initiatives reveals thin evidence of transformative capacity. When detected, evidence of transformative capacity tended to emerge in relation to wider processes of institutional- and social-learning and initiatives that linked outcomes to a city-wide vision of planning and development. However, instances of such initiatives were rare. This widespread lack of evidence for transformative capacity raises concerns that this set of attributes normalised in the literature is in fact rarely found in sustainability action on the ground

Economic Impact of Transport Infrastructure in Ethiopia: The Role of Foreign Direct Investment

This article examines the relevant relationship between transport infrastructure and foreign direct investment (FDI) in explaining economic growth from the road and air transport perspectives in Ethiopia over the period 1981 to 2017. To determine the economic effect of transport infrastructure, first, we assess the co-integration between transport infrastructure and economic growth using the autoregressive distributed lag bound test model. Once co-integration is established, the elasticity of economic growth is estimated using Ordinary Least Square estimation techniques. Second, we perform the hierarchical multiple regression to estimate the mediation impact of FDI in the association between transport infrastructure and economic growth. Initially, we have standardized all variables. Then, we estimate the mediating effect of FDI. To validate the consistency of our method, we check the robustness of our model. The obtained result shows that transport infrastructure has a significant long-term economic effect, and the short-run dynamics show the speed of adjustment is corrected by 81% each year toward the long-run path, and thereby transport infrastructure attracts FDI in Ethiopia. Moreover, FDI plays a significant mediating role, thereby increasing the economic growth performance of the country in Ethiopia. The study extends previous research and increases the validity of the findings by investigating the economic impact of transport infrastructure in the Ethiopian context. Moreover, this study is the first research study that explores the mediating role of FDI in the relationship between transport infrastructure and economic growth in Ethiopia

A critical appraisal of existing concepts for the grouping of nanomaterials

AbstractThe grouping of substances serves to streamline testing for regulatory purposes. General grouping approaches for chemicals have been implemented in, e.g., the EU chemicals regulation. While specific regulatory frameworks for the grouping of nanomaterials are unavailable, this topic is addressed in different publications, and preliminary guidance is provided in the context of substance-related legislation or the occupational setting. The European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals Task Force on the Grouping of Nanomaterials reviewed available concepts for the grouping of nanomaterials for human health risk assessment. In their broad conceptual design, the evaluated approaches are consistent or complement each other. All go beyond the determination of mere structure–activity relationships and are founded on different aspects of the nanomaterial life cycle. These include the NM’s material properties and biophysical interactions, specific types of use and exposure, uptake and kinetics, and possible early and apical biological effects. None of the evaluated grouping concepts fully take into account all of these aspects. Subsequent work of the Task Force will aim at combining the available concepts into a comprehensive ‘multiple perspective’ framework for the grouping of nanomaterials that will address all of the mentioned aspects of their life cycles