The detection and discrimination of sunless self-tanners containing dihydroxyacetone on clothing using instrumental techniques

The awareness of health risks associated with sun exposure, primarily ultra violet (UV) radiation, have played a large role in the introduction of sunless self-tanning products. These products, produced by cosmetic companies, are intended to provide the user with a sun-tanned appearance without exposing the skin to harmful UV radiation. While the manufacturers of these products claim that the products are transfer-free, several reports of the tanner depositing onto the wearers clothing have been documented1. As this is a highly undesirable characteristic for the consumer, the product's ability to transfer onto clothing makes sunless self-tanners a potentially valuable piece of forensic evidence in cases where an altercation between two individuals has occurred, specifically in sexual assaults, beatings, and homicides. The presence of self-tanner on an individual's clothing could help corroborate a story and provide an additional piece of evidence and/or leads to an investigation. The purpose of this study was to determine if sunless self-tanners transfer from skin to clothing. Given that a transfer occurs, this research was also intended to both identify and evaluate the differences seen between self-tanning products using instrumental techniques that would typically be used in forensic labs. Sixteen sunless self-tanning products were added to the skin as directed by the manufacturer. After an assigned time interval since application (15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours, or 12 hours) was reached, a white cotton swatch was used to wipe a portion of the sunless self-tanner off of the skin in attempt to simulate a realistic scenario of an altercation between individuals who may be wearing the product. Observations of the cotton swatches were document. Transferred material on the cotton swatches was analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Analysis of the products prepared directly from the packaging as well as two samples containing transferred material were analyzed using Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). All of the sixteen samples tested transferred from the skin onto the cotton swatch when forcibly wiped at each time interval. FTIR analysis was unable to discriminate between the commercial products but was able to separate the samples into six groups based on similarities seen between the spectra. Analysis using this instrumental technique was useful in identifying the samples as sunless self-tanning products, but was unable to differentiate further. Analysis of the sunless self-tanners prepared directly from their packaging/bottle using GC-MS was able to differentiate between the products, providing a combination of chemical ingredients that were unique to each product. Analysis of the transferred material on the cotton swatches did not identify all of the chemical components that were earlier considered unique to that sample, however, peaks were observed in the chromatogram that were also present in the samples when prepared directly from their packaging. These transferred samples were able to be identified when a known sample was available for comparison. The instrumental techniques used in this study are useful in analyzing and identifying suspected sunless self-tanner stains on clothing in a crime laboratory setting. The results obtained from this analysis can provide probative information in an investigation

The Deployment of Difference: The Space of Possibility and Garifuna Resistance to Dispossession in Honduras

This dissertation focusses on Garifuna struggles against dispossession from their territories in Honduras. My work focusses on two organizations and their affiliates in the present and is based on an ethnographic analysis of their activities in two locations in Honduras. The Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (OFRANEH) supports a growing Garifuna land defense movement that engages tactics of land occupation or recuperation in the Bay of Trujillo. The Ethnic Community Development Organization (ODECO) focuses on Garifuna inclusion in the nation state in order to re-claim Garifuna place in the Honduran city of La Ceiba. I analyze these organizations and sites to argue that Garifuna attempts to make and defend place in Honduras are rooted in opposition to ideas and practices underpinning racial capitalism since Conquest. Garifuna claims to place in Honduras depend upon a (re)making of a discursive space between races, which I name the space of possibility. The Garifuna exist across numerous national borders and increasingly traverse multiple shifting discourses of racial formation. Garifuna organizations navigate these complex and overlapping social contexts in a multitude of ways, so as to advance their struggle for land and place in Honduras. In the case of OFRANEH, Garifuna migration to the United States (U.S.) and return to Honduras has allowed for a number of points of solidarity. This signals to the possibility of challenging the racialized dynamics of dispossession in Honduras, along the lines of Indigeneity. In the case of ODECO, Garifuna migration to urban centers in Honduras and the U.S. has fostered the organizations links to regional activist networks centered on Afro-descent. This supports Garifuna claims to place in the Honduran city of La Ceiba. While these two organizations and their affiliates engage divergent routings of the space of possibility in their defenses of rural and urban Garifuna place, I conclude this dissertation by arguing that this twin-pronged approach is essential to maintaining the discursive space between races that the Garinagu so skilfully occupy

A conceptual framework for understanding ecosystem trade-offs and synergies, in communal rangeland systems.

Communal rangelands are a global resource of significant benefit to society through the provision of critical ecosystem goods and services such as carbon sequestration, water and livestock forage. The relative importance of the ecosystem goods and services provided by communal rangelands is driven by the social and environmental priorities of a range of different stakeholders at the local, regional and national level. Understanding the potential ecosystem service trade-offs (and synergies) is vital for making informed and inclusive decisions as part of the process of stakeholder engagement, both in goal setting as well as evaluating the appropriateness of outcomes in rangelands. However, application of trade-offs approaches to communal rangelands, has frequently been limited by a lack of adequate stakeholder engagement to help define important factors such as the diverse objectives of end users and the broader institutional and policy environments that frame them. To help address this, we propose a framework that conceptualises the links between different actors and trade-offs at three key levels, using communal rangelands in South Africa as a case study. Firstly, we explore environment trade-offs between key ecosystem services, largely determined through public sector engagement in the formulation of environmental policy. Secondly, we examine the potential for environmental policies to create community-environment trade-offs between the needs of local communities and those of society more broadly. Thirdly, we consider community trade-offs reflecting the many different social and economic priorities of people living in communal systems. We suggest that the framework will find greatest application in the initial process of determining potential ecosystem service trade-offs and associated land use scenarios with key stakeholders, and then subsequently in connecting the trade-offs back to these stakeholders, following analysis, as part of a ‘discussion support’ process. We also discuss the broader applicability of this approach to rangelands systems outside of South Africa

Colour meaning and context

This study compares semantic ratings of colour samples (chips) with those of the same colours applied to a variety of objects. In total, 25 participants took part in the colour-meaning experiment, and assessed 54 images using five semantic scales. In Experiment 1, simplified images (coloured silhouettes) were used whereas in Experiment 2 real images were used. In this article, the terms “chip meaning” and “context meaning” are used for convenience. Chip meaning refers to the associated meanings when only isolated colour chips were evaluated while context meaning refers to colour meanings evaluated when colours were applied to a variety of product categories. Analyses were performed on the data for the two experiments individually. The results of Experiment 1 show relatively few significant differences (28%) between chip meaning and context meaning. However, differences were found for a number of colours, objects, and semantic scales i.e., red and black; hand wash and medicine; and masculine-feminine and elegant-vulgar. The results of Experiment 2 show more significant differences (43%) between chip meaning and context meaning. In summary, the context sometimes affects the colour meaning; however, the degree to which colour meanings are invariant to context is perhaps slightly surprising

The common p.R114W <i>HNF4A </i>mutation causes a distinct clinical subtype of monogenic diabetes

HNF4A mutations cause increased birth weight, transient neonatal hypoglycaemia and maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY). The most frequently reported HNF4A mutation is p.R114W (previously p.R127W) but functional studies have shown inconsistent results, there is lack of co-segregation in some pedigrees and an unexpectedly high frequency in public variant databases. We confirm that p.R114W is a pathogenic mutation with an odds ratio of 30.4 (95% CI: 9.79 - 125, P=2x10(-21)) for diabetes in our MODY cohort compared to controls. p.R114W heterozygotes do not have the increased birth weight of patients with other HNF4A mutations (3476g vs. 4147g, P=0.0004) and fewer patients responded to sulfonylurea treatment (48% vs. 73%, P=0.038). p.R114W has reduced penetrance; only 54% of heterozygotes developed diabetes by age 30 compared to 71% for other HNF4A mutations. We re-define p.R114W as a pathogenic mutation causing a distinct clinical subtype of HNF4A MODY with reduced penetrance, reduced sensitivity to sulfonylurea treatment and no effect on birth weight. This has implications for diabetes treatment, management of pregnancy and predictive testing of at-risk relatives. The increasing availability of large-scale sequence data is likely to reveal similar examples of rare, low-penetrance MODY mutations.</p

Wilder rangelands as a natural climate opportunity: Linking climate action to biodiversity conservation and social transformation

Rangelands face threats from climate and land-use change, including inappropriate climate change mitigation initiatives such as tree planting in grassy ecosystems. The marginalization and impoverishment of rangeland communities and their indigenous knowledge systems, and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services, are additional major challenges. To address these issues, we propose the wilder rangelands integrated framework, co-developed by South African and European scientists from diverse disciplines, as an opportunity to address the climate, livelihood, and biodiversity challenges in the world’s rangelands. More specifically, we present a Theory of Change to guide the design, monitoring, and evaluation of wilder rangelands. Through this, we aim to promote rangeland restoration, where local communities collaborate with regional and international actors to co-create new rangeland use models that simultaneously mitigate the impacts of climate change, restore biodiversity, and improve both ecosystem functioning and livelihoods

Tropical forcing of increased Southern Ocean climate variability revealed by a 140-year subantarctic temperate reconstruction

Occupying 14% of the world’s surface, the Southern Ocean plays a fundamental role in global climate, ocean circulation, carbon cycling and Antarctic ice-sheet stability. Unfortunately, high interannual variability and a dearth of instrumental observations before the 1950s limits our understanding of how marine-atmosphere-ice domains interact on multi-decadal timescales and the impact of anthropogenic forcing. Here we integrate climate-sensitive tree growth with ocean and atmospheric observations on southwest Pacific subantarctic islands that lie at the boundary of polar and subtropical climates (52–54˚S). Our annually-resolved temperature reconstruction captures regional change since the 1870s and demonstrates a significant increase in variability from the mid-twentieth century, a phenomenon predating the observational record. Climate reanalysis and modelling shows a parallel change in tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures that generate an atmospheric Rossby wave train which propagates across a large part of the Southern Hemisphere during the austral spring and summer

Colour meaning and consumer expectations

Deciding a colour for a product is a significant task for designers to attract consumer attention and communicate brand messages. It requires an initial analysis that explores consumer expectations within the sector, and this information is then used to inform development of a product design. This article discusses the application of the product colour development process during the initial phase of product design. Using a case study approach, one particular product category—a dishwashing liquid product was selected based on the suggestion from a leading U.K. consumer goods manufacturing company that colour is a major design factor for this product category. In the first phase of the study, interviews and an online survey were carried out with consumers (to explore what elements are important when they purchase a washing-up liquid product). In the second phase of the study, a colour meaning experiment was conducted to explore possible colours for dishwashing liquid packaging using a semantic differential method. The results show that yellowish and bluish green colours evoke positive responses while saturated and dark green colours are perceived more negatively

Transition from children's to adult services for adolescents/young adults with life-limiting conditions : developing realist programme theory through an international comparison

Abstract Background Managing transition of adolescents/young adults with life-limiting conditions from children’s to adult services has become a global health and social care issue. Suboptimal transitions from children’s to adult services can lead to measurable adverse outcomes. Interventions are emerging but there is little theory to guide service developments aimed at improving transition. The Transition to Adult Services for Young Adults with Life-limiting conditions (TAYSL study) included development of the TASYL Transition Theory, which describes eight interventions which can help prepare services and adolescents/young adults with life-limiting conditions for a successful transition. We aimed to assess the usefulness of the TASYL Transition Theory in a Canadian context to identify interventions, mechanisms and contextual factors associated with a successful transition from children’s to adult services for adolescents/young adults; and to discover new theoretical elements that might modify the TASYL Theory. Methods A cross-sectional survey focused on organisational approaches to transition was distributed to three organisations providing services to adolescents with life-limiting conditions in Toronto, Canada. This data was mapped to the TASYL Transition Theory to identify corresponding and new theoretical elements. Results Invitations were sent to 411 potentially eligible health care professionals with 56 responses from across the three participating sites. The results validated three of the eight interventions: early start to the transition process; developing adolescent/young adult autonomy; and the role of parents/carers; with partial support for the remaining five. One new intervention was identified: effective communication between healthcare professionals and the adolescent/young adult and their parents/carers. There was also support for contextual factors including those related to staff knowledge and attitudes, and a lack of time to provide transition services centred on the adolescent/young adult. Some mechanisms were supported, including the adolescent/young adult gaining confidence in relationships with service providers and in decision-making. Conclusions The Transition Theory travelled well between Ireland and Toronto, indicating its potential to guide both service development and research in different contexts. Future research could include studies with adult service providers; qualitative work to further explicate mechanisms and contextual factors; and use the theory prospectively to develop and test new or modified interventions to improve transition

Association Testing of Previously Reported Variants in a Large Case-Control Meta-analysis of Diabetic Nephropathy

We formed the GEnetics of Nephropathy–an International Effort (GENIE) consortium to examine previously reported genetic associations with diabetic nephropathy (DN) in type 1 diabetes. GENIE consists of 6,366 similarly ascertained participants of European ancestry with type 1 diabetes, with and without DN, from the All Ireland-Warren 3-Genetics of Kidneys in Diabetes U.K. and Republic of Ireland (U.K.-R.O.I.) collection and the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study (FinnDiane), combined with reanalyzed data from the Genetics of Kidneys in Diabetes U.S. Study (U.S. GoKinD). We found little evidence for the association of the EPO promoter polymorphism, rs161740, with the combined phenotype of proliferative retinopathy and end-stage renal disease in U.K.-R.O.I. (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, P = 0.19) or FinnDiane (OR 1.06, P = 0.60). However, a fixed-effects meta-analysis that included the previously reported cohorts retained a genome-wide significant association with that phenotype (OR 1.31, P = 2 × 10−9). An expanded investigation of the ELMO1 locus and genetic regions reported to be associated with DN in the U.S. GoKinD yielded only nominal statistical significance for these loci. Finally, top candidates identified in a recent meta-analysis failed to reach genome-wide significance. In conclusion, we were unable to replicate most of the previously reported genetic associations for DN, and significance for the EPO promoter association was attenuated