The Main Central thrust and the South Tibetan detachment in the Dadeldhura klippe (West Nepal): New insights for the evolution of the Himalayan metamorphic core

Abstract HKT-ISTP 2013 A

The Shu complex is a conserved regulator of Rad51 filament formation

The budding yeast Shu complex, a heterotetramer of Shu1, Shu2, Csm2, and Psy3, is important for homologous recombination (HR)-mediated chromosome damage repair and was first characterized a decade ago as promoting Rad51-dependent HR in response to replicative stress, but its mechanistic function and conservation in eukaryotes has remained unknown. Here we provide evidence that the Shu complex is evolutionarily conserved throughout eukaryotes, where it is comprised of a clear Shu2 orthologue physically associating with Rad51 paralogues. The Shu complex itself physically interacts with the rest of the HR machinery during DNA damage repair. Finally, we uncover that the mechanistic function of the Shu complex as a stimulatory co-factor of Rad51 filament formation in vitro, likely explaining the in vivo function of the eukaryotic Shu complex in suppressing error-prone repair. Moving forward, our findings provide a framework for studying the function of the human Shu complex, which will have broad importance in our understanding of DNA damage repair

Influence of topography on tide propagation and amplification in semi-enclosed basins

An idealized model for tide propagation and amplification in semi-enclosed rectangular basins is presented, accounting for depth differences by a combination of longitudinal and lateral topographic steps. The basin geometry is formed by several adjacent compartments of identical width, each having either a uniform depth or two depths separated by a transverse topographic step. The problem is forced by an incoming Kelvin wave at the open end, while allowing waves to radiate outward. The solution in each compartment is written as the superposition of (semi)-analytical wave solutions in an infinite channel, individually satisfying the depth-averaged linear shallow water equations on the f plane, including bottom friction. A collocation technique is employed to satisfy continuity of elevation and flux across the longitudinal topographic steps between the compartments. The model results show that the tidal wave in shallow parts displays slower propagation, enhanced dissipation and amplified amplitudes. This reveals a resonance mechanism, occurring when\ud the length of the shallow end is roughly an odd multiple of the quarter Kelvin wavelength. Alternatively, for sufficiently wide basins, also Poincaré waves may become resonant. A transverse step implies different wavelengths of the incoming and reflected Kelvin wave, leading to increased amplitudes in shallow regions and a shift of amphidromic points in the direction of the deeper part. Including the shallow parts near the basin’s closed end (thus capturing the Kelvin resonance mechanism) is essential to reproduce semi-diurnal and diurnal\ud tide observations in the Gulf of California, the Adriatic Sea and the Persian Gulf

An Incremental Learning Method to Support the Annotation of Workflows with Data-to-Data Relations

Workflow formalisations are often focused on the representation of a process with the primary objective to support execution. However, there are scenarios where what needs to be represented is the effect of the process on the data artefacts involved, for example when reasoning over the corresponding data policies. This can be achieved by annotating the workflow with the semantic relations that occur between these data artefacts. However, manually producing such annotations is difficult and time consuming. In this paper we introduce a method based on recommendations to support users in this task. Our approach is centred on an incremental rule association mining technique that allows to compensate the cold start problem due to the lack of a training set of annotated workflows. We discuss the implementation of a tool relying on this approach and how its application on an existing repository of workflows effectively enable the generation of such annotations

Effects of study design and allocation on participant behaviour-ESDA: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: What study participants think about the nature of a study has been hypothesised to affect subsequent behaviour and to potentially bias study findings. In this trial we examine the impact of awareness of study design and allocation on participant drinking behaviour. Methods/Design: A three-arm parallel group randomised controlled trial design will be used. All recruitment, screening, randomisation, and follow-up will be conducted on-line among university students. Participants who indicate a hazardous level of alcohol consumption will be randomly assigned to one of three groups. Group A will be informed their drinking will be assessed at baseline and again in one month (as in a cohort study design). Group B will be told the study is an intervention trial and they are in the control group. Group C will be told the study is an intervention trial and they are in the intervention group. All will receive exactly the same brief educational material to read. After one month, alcohol intake for the past 4 weeks will be assessed. Discussion: The experimental manipulations address subtle and previously unexplored ways in which participant behaviour may be unwittingly influenced by standard practice in trials. Given the necessity of relying on self-reported outcome, it will not be possible to distinguish true behaviour change from reporting artefact. This does not matter in the present study, as any effects of awareness of study design or allocation involve bias that is not well understood. There has been little research on awareness effects, and our outcomes will provide an indication of the possible value of further studies of this type and inform hypothesis generation

Impact of aerobic and resistance exercise combination on physical self-perceptions and self-esteem in women with obesity with one-year follow-up

The effectiveness of an exercise intervention including both aerobics and resistance training components in improving physical self-perceptions and global self-esteem (GSE) in women with obesity was examined. An experimental design with a one-year follow-up was used. Women with obesity (n = 72) participated in a structured exercise programme for 12 weeks after being randomised into a control and an exercise group. Exercise self-efficacy, body attractiveness, physical strength, sport competence, physical condition, physical self-worth, and GSE were measured at pre-intervention, early intervention, mid-intervention, immediately after the intervention, and five times following programme termination at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively. Analyses of covariance revealed exercise effects for all of the dependent variables except for body attractiveness. Generally, exercise effects lasted between 6 and 12 months. A 12-week physical exercise programme including aerobic and resistance training components has the potential to improve physical self-perceptions and self-esteem in women with obesity

Selected plasma fatty acid levels in subsistence fed sled dogs along the Yukon River: a pilot study for biomonitoring

The introduction of the ‘western diet' marked a decline in omega-3 fatty acids rich foods and a concurrent increase in saturated and omega-6 fatty acids that persists today. Historically, circumpolar people have had a low incidence of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease and this has been largely attributed to polyphenolic compounds and omega-3 fatty acids offered from subsistence foods. In this report, we studied sled dogs as an Arctic sentinel species for monitoring the effect of a changing diet on lipid profiles along the Yukon River. Subsistence fed village sled dogs along the Yukon River, maintained largely on salmon were compared with a control kennel maintained on commercial food. Profiles showed higher levels for long chain omega-3 fatty acids in village subsistence fed dogs compared to control dogs and an opposite trend for omega-6 fatty acids, establishing baseline levels for follow up studies. A comparison with data for previously published mercury levels from the same cohort of dogs revealed a positive correlation with alpha-linolenic fatty acid and a negative correlation with linoleic fatty acid. Food and nutritional security is a concern in the Arctic as the impacts of climate change and transport of contaminants become obvious. This study supports not only the nutritional value of a subsistence diet but also the utility of sled dogs as a sentinel for human dietary chang

Analyse de l’implantation de la sélection communautaire à large échelle des indigents en Afrique Sub-saharienne: cas du Burkina Faso

Indigent do not have access to health care, and selecting them from a predominantly poor population poses enormous challenges. Little evidence exists on the selection of indigents in relation to the performance of health services. The objective of this study is to analyse the implementation of indigent selection conducted in Burkina Faso, with a view to informing decisions for scaling up with universal health insurance. This is a research on implementation based on a multiple case study coupled with a reflective approach. The cases were the subject of reasoned choice according to the indigent’s selection. A conceptual model adapted from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research is used, considering the implementation of community-based selection of indigents as the result of the influence and interaction of the selection process, the steps, the actors, the organisation and the context, and the data collection tools. Data is collected through interviews and document review. Three coordination structures and two implementation structures are set up for the selection. Socio-political unrest and vaccination and drug administration campaigns disrupted the selection process. The selection process was subject to adaptations and power struggles between stakeholders. The desired proportion of indigents is not achieved. Selection is confronted with contextual realities and interactions between actors. A dynamic and adaptive selection process, supported by social communication, should be used in future selection process.Les indigents n’ont pas accès aux soins de santé, et les sélectionner parmi une population majoritairement pauvre pose d’énormes défis. Peu d’évidences existent sur la selection des indigents associés à la performance des services de santé. L’objectif de cette étude est d’analyser l’implantation de la sélection des indigents conduite au Burkina Faso, en vue d’éclairer les décisions pour un passage à l’échelle avec l’assurance maladie universelle. Il s’agit d’une recherche sur l’implantation basée sur une étude de cas multiples couplée à une approche réflexive. Les cas ont fait l’objet de choix raisonné en fonction de l’intervention de la sélection. Un cadre conceptuel adapté du Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research est utilisé en considérant l’implantation de la sélection communautaire des indigents comme le résultat de l’influence et de l’interaction du processus de sélection, des étapes, des acteurs, de l’organisation et du contexte, des outils de collecte de données. Les données sont collectées à travers des entretiens et la revue documentaire. Trois structures de coordination et de deux structures d’exécution sont mises en place pour la sélection. Les troubles socio-politiques et les campagnes de vaccination et d’administration de medicaments ont perturbé le processus de sélection. La sélection a subi des adaptations et des exercices de pouvoir entre parties prenantes. La proportion d’indigents recherchée n’est pas atteinte. La sélection est confrontée aux réalités contextuelles et aux interactions entre acteurs. Il convient d’avoir recours à un processus dynamique et adaptatif de sélection, soutenu par une communication sociale lors des interventions à veni

Analyse de l’implantation de la sélection communautaire à large échelle des indigents en Afrique Sub-saharienne: cas du Burkina Faso

Indigent do not have access to health care, and selecting them from a predominantly poor population poses enormous challenges. Little evidence exists on the selection of indigents in relation to the performance of health services. The objective of this study is to analyse the implementation of indigent selection conducted in Burkina Faso, with a view to informing decisions for scaling up with universal health insurance. This is a research on implementation based on a multiple case study coupled with a reflective approach. The cases were the subject of reasoned choice according to the indigent’s selection. A conceptual model adapted from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research is used, considering the implementation of community-based selection of indigents as the result of the influence and interaction of the selection process, the steps, the actors, the organisation and the context, and the data collection tools. Data is collected through interviews and document review. Three coordination structures and two implementation structures are set up for the selection. Socio-political unrest and vaccination and drug administration campaigns disrupted the selection process. The selection process was subject to adaptations and power struggles between stakeholders. The desired proportion of indigents is not achieved. Selection is confronted with contextual realities and interactions between actors. A dynamic and adaptive selection process, supported by social communication, should be used in future selection process.Les indigents n’ont pas accès aux soins de santé, et les sélectionner parmi une population majoritairement pauvre pose d’énormes défis. Peu d’évidences existent sur la selection des indigents associés à la performance des services de santé. L’objectif de cette étude est d’analyser l’implantation de la sélection des indigents conduite au Burkina Faso, en vue d’éclairer les décisions pour un passage à l’échelle avec l’assurance maladie universelle. Il s’agit d’une recherche sur l’implantation basée sur une étude de cas multiples couplée à une approche réflexive. Les cas ont fait l’objet de choix raisonné en fonction de l’intervention de la sélection. Un cadre conceptuel adapté du Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research est utilisé en considérant l’implantation de la sélection communautaire des indigents comme le résultat de l’influence et de l’interaction du processus de sélection, des étapes, des acteurs, de l’organisation et du contexte, des outils de collecte de données. Les données sont collectées à travers des entretiens et la revue documentaire. Trois structures de coordination et de deux structures d’exécution sont mises en place pour la sélection. Les troubles socio-politiques et les campagnes de vaccination et d’administration de medicaments ont perturbé le processus de sélection. La sélection a subi des adaptations et des exercices de pouvoir entre parties prenantes. La proportion d’indigents recherchée n’est pas atteinte. La sélection est confrontée aux réalités contextuelles et aux interactions entre acteurs. Il convient d’avoir recours à un processus dynamique et adaptatif de sélection, soutenu par une communication sociale lors des interventions à veni

Dating of the oldest continental sediments from the Himalayan foreland basin

A detailed knowledge of Himalayan development is important for our wider understanding of several global processes, ranging from models of plateau uplift to changes in oceanic chemistry and climate(1-4). Continental sediments 55 Myr old found in a foreland basin in Pakistan(5) are, by more than 20 Myr, the oldest deposits thought to have been eroded from the Himalayan metamorphic mountain belt. This constraint on when erosion began has influenced models of the timing and diachrony of the India-Eurasia collision(6-8), timing and mechanisms of exhumation(9,10) and uplift(11), as well as our general understanding of foreland basin dynamics(12). But the depositional age of these basin sediments was based on biostratigraphy from four intercalated marl units(5). Here we present dates of 257 detrital grains of white mica from this succession, using the Ar-40-(39) Ar method, and find that the largest concentration of ages are at 36-40 Myr. These dates are incompatible with the biostratigraphy unless the mineral ages have been reset, a possibility that we reject on the basis of a number of lines of evidence. A more detailed mapping of this formation suggests that the marl units are structurally intercalated with the continental sediments and accordingly that biostratigraphy cannot be used to date the clastic succession. The oldest continental foreland basin sediments containing metamorphic detritus eroded from the Himalaya orogeny therefore seem to be at least 15-20 Myr younger than previously believed, and models based on the older age must be re-evaluated