Fuel cells for power generation and organic waste treatment on the island of Mull

In-situ use of biomass and organic waste streams have the potential to provide the key to energy self sustainability for islands and remote communities. Traditionally biogas fuels have been used in combustion engines for electric power generation. However, fuel cells offer the prospect of achieving higher generating efficiencies, and additionally, important environmental benefits can be achieved by way of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, whilst providing a carbon sink. This paper presents the design details of a biogas gas plant and fuel cell installation that will provide a practical solution on an island (and be applicable in other remote and rural areas) where connection to the grid can be expensive, and where biofuels can be produced on site at no significant extra cost

In silico design of context-responsive mammalian promoters with user-defined functionality

Comprehensive de novo-design of complex mammalian promoters is restricted by unpredictable combinatorial interactions between constituent transcription factor regulatory elements (TFREs). In this study, we show that modular binding sites that do not function cooperatively can be identified by analyzing host cell transcription factor expression profiles, and subsequently testing cognate TFRE activities in varying homotypic and heterotypic promoter architectures. TFREs that displayed position-insensitive, additive function within a specific expression context could be rationally combined together in silico to create promoters with highly predictable activities. As TFRE order and spacing did not affect the performance of these TFRE-combinations, compositions could be specifically arranged to preclude the formation of undesirable sequence features. This facilitated simple in silico-design of promoters with context-required, user-defined functionalities. To demonstrate this, we de novo-created promoters for biopharmaceutical production in CHO cells that exhibited precisely designed activity dynamics and long-term expression-stability, without causing observable retroactive effects on cellular performance. The design process described can be utilized for applications requiring context-responsive, customizable promoter function, particularly where co-expression of synthetic TFs is not suitable. Although the synthetic promoter structure utilized does not closely resemble native mammalian architectures, our findings also provide additional support for a flexible billboard model of promoter regulation

Bank Funds Management: Interest-Margin Measures and Relative Profitability*

John A. Haslem is Professor of Finance in the College of Business and Management at the University of Maryland. James P. Bedingfield is an Associate Professor of Accounting in the College of Business and Management at the University of Maryland. A.J. Stagliano is Sutula Professor of Accounting at St. Joseph\u27s University

An Analysis of Capital Measures and Relative Bank Profitability

John A. Haslem is Professor of Finance in the College of Business and Management at the University of Maryland . James P. Bedingfield is an Associate Professor of Accounting in the College of Business and Management at the University of Maryland. A.J. Stagliano is the Edward G. Sutula Professor of Accounting at Saint Joseph\u27s University in Philadelphia

An Analysis of Overhead-Expense Measures and Relative Bank Profitability*

John A. Haslem is Professor of Finance and James P. Bedingfield is an Associate Professor of Accounting at the University of Maryland. A. J. Stagliano is an Associate Professor of Accounting at George Mason University

Human Telomeres Are Tethered to the Nuclear Envelope during Postmitotic Nuclear Assembly

SummaryTelomeres are essential for nuclear organization in yeast and during meiosis in mice. Exploring telomere dynamics in living human cells by advanced time-lapse confocal microscopy allowed us to evaluate the spatial distribution of telomeres within the nuclear volume. We discovered an unambiguous enrichment of telomeres at the nuclear periphery during postmitotic nuclear assembly, whereas telomeres were localized more internally during the rest of the cell cycle. Telomere enrichment at the nuclear rim was mediated by physical tethering of telomeres to the nuclear envelope, most likely via specific interactions between the shelterin subunit RAP1 and the nuclear envelope protein Sun1. Genetic interference revealed a critical role in cell-cycle progression for Sun1 but no effect on telomere positioning for RAP1. Our results shed light on the dynamic relocalization of human telomeres during the cell cycle and suggest redundant pathways for tethering telomeres to the nuclear envelope

The zinc finger transcription factor PLAGL2 enhances stem cell fate and activates expression of ASCL2 in intestinal epithelial cells

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The “Corporation Revolution” and the Professional Ethics of Giving Advice on Executive Protection Issues

In today\u27s law enforcement environment, business entities facing criminal investigations and possible indictment have little practical choice but to cooperate with authorities. Cooperation offers the opportunity to avoid a costly trial and attendant adverse reputational, financial, and morale impacts. Resolution of potential criminal charges, however, almost always requires entities to cooperate with law enforcement efforts to impose criminal liability on individual business executives. While businesses and their executives once generally perceived their interests as closely aligned, the “Cooperation Revolution” of the last few decades has forced corporate boards and business executives to reassess their individual obligations and risks. In so doing, they often turn to corporate lawyers, particularly general counsel, for assistance in evaluating and enhancing executive protection plans encompassing exculpation, indemnification, and fee advancement. These questions raise complex substantive issues and--because corporate counsel owe their fiduciary obligations to the entity itself--the evaluation and design of plans created to protect individuals often raises challenging ethical dilemmas. Legal advice provided on a “clear day” when the possibility of involvement in a criminal investigation seems remote may be perceived very differently on a “stormy day” when law enforcement officials are at the door. The purpose of this article is to explore the evolution and ongoing impacts of the “Cooperation Revolution” on business entities and their directors, officers, and lawyers with a particular focus on how corporate counsel can advise governing bodies on executive protection plans in ways that offer the best possible assistance to their clients while appropriately protecting themselves

Acquisition of prescribing skill by medical students in a problem-based learning curriculum: preclerkship to clerkship phase transition

Background: Medical school training for students in pharmacotherapy is sub-optimal and junior doctors are not confident to prescribe drugs. This study was conducted to assess the prescribing competency of students in preclerkship and clerkship phases at a medical school that implements problem-based learning curriculum.Methods: Objective structured practical examination was used to assess prescribing competency of students in both phases. The prescribing performance was empirically categorized into poor, moderate and good competency.Results: The prescription writing skills achieved by the clerkship students did not significantly differ from that attained by students in preclerkship phase. Good prescribing competency was attained by approximately 20% of the students at the end of both phases. Preclerkship students performed better on therapeutic reasoning than those in clerkship phase. Cognitive skill that involves choosing the superior drug(s) among several alternatives as achieved less satisfactorily by majority of students from both phases of the program.Conclusions: Acquisition and further development of the prescribing competency during the clerkship phase was sub-optimal. The continuation of pharmacotherapeutic context-learning program during clerkship phase is recommended