May essential provisions of a contract be determined by one of the parties alone

When the Supreme Court of Appeal raises a question but does not answer it, what it says can be interpreted as an invitation to all those interested in the topic to discuss it. This note is a response to such an invitation in NBS Boland Bank v One Berg River Drive CC, Deeb v ABSA Bank Ltd, Friedman v Standard Bank of South Africa Ltd 1999 (4) SA 928 (SCA);[1999] 4 All SA 183, hereinafter referred to as the NBS Boland Bank case

Simulations of the Mg II k and Ca II 8542 lines from an AlfvÉn Wave-heated Flare Chromosphere

We use radiation hydrodynamic simulations to examine two models of solar flare chromospheric heating: Alfven wave dissipation and electron beam collisional losses. Both mechanisms are capable of strong chro- ´ mospheric heating, and we show that the distinctive atmospheric evolution in the mid-to-upper chromosphere results in Mg ii k-line emission that should be observably different between wave-heated and beam-heated simulations. We also present Ca ii 8542Å profiles which are formed slightly deeper in the chromosphere. The Mg ii k-line profiles from our wave-heated simulation are quite different from those from a beam-heated model and are more consistent with IRIS observations. The predicted differences between the Ca ii 8542Å in the two models are small. We conclude that careful observational and theoretical study of lines formed in the mid-toupper chromosphere holds genuine promise for distinguishing between competing models for chromospheric heating in flares

May essential provisions of a contract be determined by one of the parties alone

When the Supreme Court of Appeal raises a question but does not answer it, what it says can be interpreted as an invitation to all those interested in the topic to discuss it. This note is a response to such an invitation in NBS Boland Bank v One Berg River Drive CC, Deeb v ABSA Bank Ltd, Friedman v Standard Bank of South Africa Ltd 1999 (4) SA 928 (SCA);[1999] 4 All SA 183, hereinafter referred to as the NBS Boland Bank case

The Palaeoproterozoic global carbon cycle : insights from the Loch Maree Group, NW Scotland

Fieldwork was supported by the Edinburgh Geological Society Clough & Mykura Fund, the Carnegie Undergraduate Scholarship and a stipend provided by the Irvine Bequest through the University of St Andrews to G.B.K. Laboratory work, and isotope and geochronology analyses were financed by NERC grant NE/G00398X/1 to A.R.P., A.E.F., D.J.Condon and A.P.M. Thanks go to T. Donnelly, J. Dougans, A. Calder, D. Herd, B. Pooley and A. Mackie for laboratory assistance.Peer reviewedPostprin

A novel determination of the local dark matter density

We present a novel study on the problem of constructing mass models for the Milky Way, concentrating on features regarding the dark matter halo component. We have considered a variegated sample of dynamical observables for the Galaxy, including several results which have appeared recently, and studied a 7- or 8-dimensional parameter space - defining the Galaxy model - by implementing a Bayesian approach to the parameter estimation based on a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. The main result of this analysis is a novel determination of the local dark matter halo density which, assuming spherical symmetry and either an Einasto or an NFW density profile is found to be around 0.39 GeV cm$^{-3}$ with a 1-$\sigma$ error bar of about 7%; more precisely we find a $\rho_{DM}(R_0) = 0.385 \pm 0.027 \rm GeV cm^{-3}$ for the Einasto profile and $\rho_{DM}(R_0) = 0.389 \pm 0.025 \rm GeV cm^{-3}$ for the NFW. This is in contrast to the standard assumption that $\rho_{DM}(R_0)$ is about 0.3 GeV cm$^{-3}$ with an uncertainty of a factor of 2 to 3. A very precise determination of the local halo density is very important for interpreting direct dark matter detection experiments. Indeed the results we produced, together with the recent accurate determination of the local circular velocity, should be very useful to considerably narrow astrophysical uncertainties on direct dark matter detection.Comment: 31 pages,11 figures; minor changes in the text; two figures adde

Associations between cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity and clustered cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents: the HAPPY study

Clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors can occur during childhood and predisposes individuals to cardiometabolic disease. This study calculated clustered cardiometabolic risk in 100 children and adolescents aged 10-14 years (59 girls) and explored differences according to cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) levels and time spent at different physical activity (PA) intensities. CRF was determined using a maximal cycle ergometer test, and PA was assessed using accelerometry. A cardiometabolic risk score was computed as the sum of the standardised scores for waist circumference, blood pressure, total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein ratio, triglycerides and glucose. Differences in clustered cardiometabolic risk between fit and unfit participants, according to previously proposed health-related threshold values, and between tertiles for PA subcomponents were assessed using ANCOVA. Clustered risk was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in the fit group (mean 1.21 ± 3.42) compared to the unfit group (mean -0.74 ± 2.22), while no differences existed between tertiles for any subcomponent of PA. Conclusion These findings suggest that CRF may have an important cardioprotective role in children and adolescents and highlights the importance of promoting CRF in youth

No evidence for association of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated gene T2119C and C3161G amino acid substitution variants with risk of breast cancer

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that certain mutations in the double-strand break repair pathway ataxia-telangiectasia mutated gene act in a dominant-negative manner to increase the risk of breast cancer. There are also some reports to suggest that the amino acid substitution variants T2119C Ser707Pro and C3161G Pro1054Arg may be associated with breast cancer risk. We investigate the breast cancer risk associated with these two nonconservative amino acid substitution variants using a large Australian population-based case–control study. METHODS: The polymorphisms were genotyped in more than 1300 cases and 600 controls using 5' exonuclease assays. Case–control analyses and genotype distributions were compared by logistic regression. RESULTS: The 2119C variant was rare, occurring at frequencies of 1.4 and 1.3% in cases and controls, respectively (P = 0.8). There was no difference in genotype distribution between cases and controls (P = 0.8), and the TC genotype was not associated with increased risk of breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 1.08, 95% confidence interval = 0.59–1.97, P = 0.8). Similarly, the 3161G variant was no more common in cases than in controls (2.9% versus 2.2%, P = 0.2), there was no difference in genotype distribution between cases and controls (P = 0.1), and the CG genotype was not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio = 1.30, 95% confidence interval = 0.85–1.98, P = 0.2). This lack of evidence for an association persisted within groups defined by the family history of breast cancer or by age. CONCLUSION: The 2119C and 3161G amino acid substitution variants are not associated with moderate or high risks of breast cancer in Australian women

Hafnium isotopic variations in volcanic rocks from the Caribbean Large Igneous Province and Galápagos hotspot tracks

[1] We report Hf isotope compositions of 79 lavas that record the early (∼5–95 Ma) history of the Galápagos plume volcanism. These include lavas from the Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP; ∼95–70 Ma), the accreted Galápagos paleo-hot spot track terranes (54–65 Ma) of Costa Rica (Quepos, Osa and Burica igneous complexes), and the Galápagos hot spot tracks (<20 Ma) located on the Pacific seafloor (Cocos, Carnegie, Malpelo, and Coiba Ridges and associated seamounts). These samples have previously been well characterized in terms of major and trace elements, Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes and Ar/Ar ages. As a result of the relative immobility of the high field strength and rare earth elements during syn- and post-emplacement hydrothermal activity and low-temperature alteration, combined Lu-Hf and Sm-Nd isotope systematics, when used in conjunction with Pb isotopes, provide a particular powerful tool, for evaluating the source compositions of ancient and submarine lavas. The combined Nd-Hf isotope data suggest that three of the isotopically distinct source components found today in the Galápagos Islands (the Floreana-like southern component, the Fernandina-like central component, and the depleted Genovesa-like eastern component) were present in the CLIP already by 95–70 Ma. The fourth Pinta-like northern component is first recorded at about 83–85 Ma by volcanism taking place during the transition from the plume head/CLIP to plume tail stage and has then been present in the hot spot track continuously thereafter. The identification of the unique northern and southern Galápagos Plume Hf-Nd-Pb isotope source signatures within the CLIP and the oldest hot spot track lavas provides direct evidence that the CLIP represents the plume head stage of the Galápagos hot spot. Hafnium isotopes are consistent with the possibility that two types of sediment components may have contributed to the Hf, Nd and Pb isotope compositions of the Galápagos plume lavas. One component, characterized by Δ207Pb/204Pb ≈ 0 and high positive ΔεHf has an isotope signature indicative of relatively recently recycled pelagic sediment, a signature typical of the southern Galápagos island Floreana. The other component has an EM like isotopic composition resembling modern seafloor sediments with positive Δ207Pb/204Pb and lower ΔεHf, a signature typical of the northern Galápagos island Pinta