Two kinematically distinct old globular cluster populations in the Large Magellanic Cloud

We report results of proper motions of 15 known Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) oldglobular clusters (GCs) derived from the Gaia DR2 data sets. When these mean propermotions are gathered with existent radial velocity measurements to compose the GCs´ velocity vectors, we found that the projection of the velocity vectors onto the LMC plane and those perpendicular to it tell us about two distinct kinematic GCpopulations. Such a distinction becomes clear if the GCs are split at a perpendicularvelocity of 10 km/s (absolute value). The two different kinematic groups also exhibitdifferent spatial distributions. Those with smaller vertical velocities are part of theLMC disc, while those with larger values are closely distributed like a sphericalcomponent. Since GCs in both kinematic-structural components share similar ages andmetallicities, we speculate with the possibility that their origins could have occurredthrough a fast collapse that formed halo and disc concurrently.Fil: Piatti, Andres Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Alfaro Navarro, Emilio Javier. Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía; EspañaFil: Cantat-Gaudin, Tristan. Universidad de Barcelona; Españ

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Sampling diverse characters improves phylogenies:craniodental and postcranial characters of vertebrates often imply different trees

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/evo.12884Morphological cladograms of vertebrates are often inferred from greater numbers of characters describing the skull and teeth than from postcranial characters. This is either because the skull is believed to yield characters with a stronger phylogenetic signal (i.e., contain less homoplasy), because morphological variation therein is more readily atomized, or because craniodental material is more widely available (particularly in the palaeontological case). An analysis of 85 vertebrate datasets published between 2000 and 2013 confirms that craniodental characters are significantly more numerous than postcranial characters, but finds no evidence that levels of homoplasy differ in the two partitions. However, a new partition test, based on tree-to-tree distances (as measured by the Robinson Foulds metric) rather than tree length, reveals that relationships inferred from the partitions are significantly different about one time in three, much more often than expected. Such differences may reflect divergent selective pressures in different body regions, resulting in different localized patterns of homoplasy. Most systematists attempt to sample characters broadly across body regions, but this is not always possible. We conclude that trees inferred largely from either craniodental or postcranial characters in isolation may differ significantly from those that would result from a more holistic approach. We urge the latter.This work was supported by a University of Bath URS award to RCPM, Leverhulme Trust Grant F/00351/Z and BBSRC grant BB/K015702/1 to MAW, JTF Grant 43915 to Mark Wilkinson and MAW, and NERC fellowship NE/I020253/1 to RSS

President Evo Morales Insists that Lithium Reserves Benefit Bolivians

Historians agree that the pillaging of Bolivia\u27s enormous mineral riches, since the 15th century Spanish colonial period, has been the determinant factor in the country\u27s poverty and dependency. Bolivian President Evo Morales agrees with those assessments and says that what happened during the past five centuries with silver, gold, tin, antimony, bismuth, tungsten, copper, lead, zinc, gas, and iron, among other natural resources, will not happen this time with lithium. We want to send a clear message to the industrialized countries and their businesses: all investments are welcome, but they should understand that we have learned from history and we will not repeat our old mistakes. Our raw materials will no longer be exported to be industrialized abroad, providing foreign jobs and taking jobs from Bolivians, said Morales. Bolivians believe that lithium is providing the last opportunity to stage the economic takeoff postponed for 500 years. The country has the world\u27s largest proven lithium reserves—-between 50% and 70%, depending on the source of the information—-which experts consider vitally important for humanity\u27s future because, besides having medicinal uses and being the raw material for manufacturing batteries and power cells that have a huge capacity to store energy, it could radically reduce dependence on increasingly limited fossil fuels

PARAGUAY: ITAIPU DISPUTE COULD GO TO INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

After four rounds of negotiations aimed at reaching an agreement on economic and political differences regarding their joint operation of the world's largest hydroelectric dam, the governments of Paraguay and Brazil have not found common ground, and the situation could lead to the least desirable of all options--submitting the matter to international arbitration. "We are looking at a huge paradox. Before Presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva [Brazil] and Fernando Lugo [Paraguay] were in office, both agreed that the 1973 treaty initiating the huge Itaipu project needed revising because it established unequal treatment that was obviously damaging to Paraguay. Now, however, while Lugo steadfastly maintains the demands of his country, with its weak economy and fragile democracy, Lula heads a regional giant and vindicates the one-sided treaty signed without the peoples' knowledge by two of the region's bloodiest dictatorships," political analyst Jose Nicolas Morinigo, a professor at the Universidad Catolica de Asuncion who advises the government on sociopolitical matters, told Radio Nederland

Packing material formulation for odorous emission biofiltration

International audienceIn biological gas treatment, like biofiltration of volatile organic compounds or odorous substances, the microbial nutritional needs could be a key factor of the process. The aim of this work is to propose a new packing material able to provide the lacking nutrients. In the first part of this study, two kinds of material composed of calcium carbonate, an organic binder and two different nitrogen sources, 3 ammonium phosphate and urea phosphate (UP), were compared. The new supports present bulk densities between 0.88 and 1.15 g cm(-3) moisture retention capacities close to 50% and 70%, and water cohesion capacities greater than six months for the material with 20% binder. In the second part, oxygen consumption measurements in liquid experiments show that these packing materials could enhance bacterial growth compared to pine bark or pozzolan and have no inhibitory effect. The biodegradation of different substrates (sodium sulfide and ammonia) and the support colonization by the biomass were evaluated. Finally, UP 20 was chosen and tested in a hydrogen sulfide or ammoniac biofiltration process. This showed that, for H2S concentrations greater than 100 mg m(-3), UP 20 has a real advantage over pine bark or pozzolan. (C) 2067 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Formulation et application d'un garnissage réactif dans un biofiltre utilisé en traitement d'air

NANTES-BU Sciences (441092104) / SudocNANTES-Ecole Centrale (441092306) / SudocNANTES-ENS Mines (441092314) / SudocSudocFranceF

Formulation of biofiltration packing materials: essential nutriment release for the biological treatment of odorous emissions

European Symposium on Environmental Biotechnology, Oostende, BELGIUM, APR 25-28, 2004International audienceBiofiltration is a current biological gas treatment technology extensively used for the treatment of polluted air. The advantages of this cleaning technique are high - superficial area best-suited for poor water solubility compounds treatment, ease of operation and low operating costs. It involves a filter bed serving both as carrier for the microorganisms and as nutrient supplier. In this study, two types of material were formulated with an organic binder to compare two different nitrogen sources: ammonium phosphate or urea phosphate. The obtained supports were tested in terms of cohesion capacities in water, bulk density moisture retention capacity, dissolving rate of the mineral elements (carbonate, phosphorus, calcium, nitrogen) and for the pH regulation. The results show that the binder gives important cohesion capacities to the material even in drastic conditions (material submerged in water) and allows a low diffused release for different elements. Therefore, formulated packing materials present interesting properties for biofiltration processes

Evaluation of a new packing material for H2S removed by biofiltration

International audienceThis study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using a new packing material (UP20) in treating H2S. Three identical laboratory-scale biofilters, filled with, respectively, UP20 alone, pine bark, and a configuration made of two layers of pozzolan/UP20 (80/20, v/v), were used for critical comparison. Various concentrations of H2S (up to 100 ppmv) were used to determine the optimum biofilter performances. The superficial velocity of the polluted gas on each biofilter was 65 m h(-1) (0.018 m s(-1); gas flow rate 0.5 N m(3) h(-1)) corresponding to an empty bed residence time of 57s. Changes in elimination capacity, removal efficiency, moisture content, temperature and pH were tracked during 95 days. The pressure drops along each biofilter were also measured by varying the gas flow rate from 0.5 to 4N m(3) h(-1). After 63 days of operation, the loading rate was significantly increased to 10 g m(-3) h(-1) and the UP20 biofilter retained a removal efficiency of more than 93%, indicating a strong ability to stimulate microbial activity (compared to 69% for the pine bark biofilter and 74% for the biofilter filled with a configuration of two layers of pozzolan/UP20). A Michaelis-Menten type equation was applied and the maximum removal rate (V-m) and saturation constant stant (K-s) were calculated. V-m was evaluated at 35g H2S m(biofilter)(-3) h(-1) for UP20 (14 and 15g H2S m(biofilter)(-3) h(-1) for pine bark and pozzolan/UP20, respectively). The saturation constant K-s was 70 ppmv for UP20 (18 ppmv for pine bark and 20 ppmv for pozzolan/UP20) indicating that the new packing material will be effective in treating large pollutant concentrations. At low concentrations of pollutant, the results suggest that a biofilter with a configuration of two layers of pozzolan/UP20 is the most suitable choice for treating H2S

Le projet POLESUR (2008-2011) : Recherche fédérative multi-disciplinaire sur la POLlution des Eaux et des Sols en milieu URbain en région des Pays de la Loire

-Trois objectifs scientifiques ont été définis dans le projet POLESUR. Le premier objectif concerne les spécificités des sols urbains et leur influence sur les transferts de polluants. Il s'agit d'étudier comment les pollutions multiples (inorganique et organique) modifient les propriétés des sols et quelle est l'incidence sur le transfert de ces polluants en terme hydrodynamique, chimique et microbiologique. Le deuxième objectif de ce projet est d'améliorer les modèles de description des transferts de polluants pour tenir compte des spécificités physiques et chimiques (hétérogénéité, variabilité) des sols urbains. De nombreux modèles ont été développés depuis une trentaine d'années pour décrire des mobilisations de polluants miscibles ou immiscibles mais la description des polluants à spéciation complexe tels que ceux des sols urbains, présents par exemple en solution mais également en association avec des particules très fines (de l'ordre du micromètre) nécessite encore de nombreux efforts de recherche. Il s'agit également d'évaluer l'effet des hétérogénéités structurales et hydriques sur le transfert. Enfin un troisième objectif plus appliqué a été défini et correspond à l'étude des procédés d'infiltration des eaux de ruissellement. Les résultats acquis devraient permettre d'adapter les outils d'évaluation des risques pour les appliquer au contexte urbain