A study of the relationships between the mechanical response of the tympanic membrane and the electrophysiological indicators of hearing in the bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Mechanical response of frog membrane to stimulating frequencies and electrophysiologically determined hearing area

Characterizing groundwater CH4 and 222Rn in relation to hydraulic fracturing and other environmental processes in Letcher County, KY

Hydraulic fracturing of shale deposits has greatly increased the productivity of the natural gas industry by allowing it to exploit previously inaccessible reservoirs. However, previous research has demonstrated that this practice can contaminate shallow aquifers with CH4 [methane] from deeper formations. This study compares concentrations and isotope compositions of CH4 sampled from domestic groundwater wells in Letcher County, Kentucky in order to characterize its occurrence and origins in relation to neighboring hydraulically fractured natural gas wells. Additionally, this study tests the reliability of 222Rn [radon] as an alternative tracer to CH4 in identifying processes of gas migration from Devonian shale. Other chemical and isotopic tracers – including isotope compositions of H2O [water] and dissolved SO4 [sulfate], as well as concentrations of major dissolved ions – were also compared in order to characterize groundwater in relation to other environmental processes. Approximately half of the 59 households sampled in Letcher County showed elevated CH4 concentrations (\u3e 1 mg/L). CH4 concentrations measured in groundwater ranged from \u3c 0.05 mg/L to 10 mg/L (mean: 4.92 mg/L). δ13C [delta-13 of carbon] values of CH4 ranged from -66 ‰ [per mil] to -16 ‰ (mean: -46 ‰), and δ2H [deuterium] values ranged from -286 ‰ to -86 ‰ (mean -204 ‰). The isotope composition of observed CH4 was characteristic of an immature thermogenic or mixed biogenic/thermogenic origin, similar to that of coalbed CH4 sampled from shallower, Pennsylvanian deposits. The occurrence of 222Rn was rare, and determined not to be linked to the occurrence of CH4. CH4 and 222Rn occurrences were not correlated with proximity to hydraulically fractured natural gas wells. Instead, CH4 occurrence corresponded with groundwater abundant in Na+ [sodium], Cl- [chloride], and HCO3- [bicarbonate], and CH4 concentrations were best predicted by the oxidation/reduction potential of the aquifer sampled. These results suggest that hydraulic fracturing has had a negligible impact on processes of stray gas migration in Letcher County. Furthermore, CH4 found in shallow groundwater likely originated from shallower depositional and/or microbial processes unrelated to gas migration from Devonian shale

La bière et la terre : l'attachement au lieu à travers les microbrasseries québécoises

Les trente dernières années ont vu la naissance et le développement exponentiel d'une industrie qui s'inscrit dans un plus large contexte de renouvellement d'intérêt pour l'achat local au Québec: les microbrasseries. En plus d'une production limitée, d'une distribution locale et d'une ample variété dans l'offre, beaucoup partagent une philosophie d'utilisation de référents locaux dans la promotion de leurs produits. Cette recherche a pour objectif principal d'analyser les motivations des brasseurs et des propriétaires derrière l'usage d'un tel lexique ainsi que les impacts sur la perception des bières et brasseries du point de vue des consommateurs. Parallèlement, ce mémoire vise à peindre un portrait fidèle de l'industrie microbrassicole au Québec en 2016-2017 sous une loupe anthropologique, en traitant de manière scientifique les témoignages de nombreux acteurs importants dans le milieu de la bière. La collecte de données s'est produite dans le cadre d'une ethnographie de plus de deux mois dans trente microbrasseries réparties dans plusieurs régions administratives. Des entrevues semi-structurées d'une heure avec une douzaine de consommateurs et producteurs furent entrecoupées par des périodes d'observation participante dans des usines de production, des brouepubs, des festivals et des détaillants spécialisés en bières artisanales. À travers l'enquête de terrain, de nombreux sujets furent abordés, mais deux éléments en particulier ont été retenus pour représenter avec justesse le milieu des microbrasseries québécoises du point de vue des consommateurs et des producteurs: la difficulté à définir la microbrasserie en tant que telle et la solidarité qui s'observe dans le domaine des brasseries artisanales.The last thirty years have seen the birth and exponential growth of an industry that is situated in a broader context of renewed interest in local trade in Quebec: microbreweries. In addition to a limited volume of production, local distribution and a wide variety of offerings, many microbreweries share a philosophy in which the use of local references plays an important role in the promotion of their products. The main objective of this research is to analyze the brewers' and owners' motivations behind the use of such a vocabulary as well as the impact on consumers' perception of breweries and their beers. At the same time, this paper aims to paint an accurate picture of the contemporary craft beer industry in Quebec from an anthropological point of view. It will examine the data gathered through in-depth discussions with numerous actors in the world of craft beer. The data was gathered during ethnographic research that spanned over two months and thirty microbreweries located in different regions of Quebec. A dozen semi-structured interviews of approximately one hour with consumers, brewers and business owners were interspersed with periods of participant observation in factories, brewpubs, festivals and stores specializing in local craft beer. During this fieldwork, many subjects were discussed, although only two were kept to justly represent the craft beer market from the point of view of both consumers and producers: the difficulty of what constitutes an authentic microbrewery and the omnipresent solidarity between brewers

Engineering of Papaya Mosaic Virus (PapMV) Nanoparticles through Fusion of the HA11 Peptide to Several Putative Surface-Exposed Sites

Papaya mosaic virus has been shown to be an efficient adjuvant and vaccine platform in the design and improvement of innovative flu vaccines. So far, all fusions based on the PapMV platform have been located at the C-terminus of the PapMV coat protein. Considering that some epitopes might interfere with the self-assembly of PapMV CP when fused at the C-terminus, we evaluated other possible sites of fusion using the influenza HA11 peptide antigen. Two out of the six new fusion sites tested led to the production of recombinant proteins capable of self assembly into PapMV nanoparticles; the two functional sites are located after amino acids 12 and 187. Immunoprecipitation of each of the successful fusions demonstrated that the HA11 epitope was located at the surface of the nanoparticles. The stability and immunogenicity of the PapMV-HA11 nanoparticles were evaluated, and we could show that there is a direct correlation between the stability of the nanoparticles at 37°C (mammalian body temperature) and the ability of the nanoparticles to trigger an efficient immune response directed towards the HA11 epitope. This strong correlation between nanoparticle stability and immunogenicity in animals suggests that the stability of any nanoparticle harbouring the fusion of a new peptide should be an important criterion in the design of a new vaccine

L'application des principes de PRD aux conflits reliés à la sélection des équipes sportives nationales

Résumé: Les athlètes amateurs de haute performance impressionnent, inspirent et divertissent. Pourtant, la route est longue avant les Jeux olympiques et les Championnats mondiaux. Comment s'effectue la sélection des équipes canadiennes? Qui prévoit les critères de sélection et comment sont-ils appliqués? Cet essai vise à comprendre cette réalité et à proposer des pistes de solutions concernant les conflits relatifs aux sélections d'équipes nationales en utilisant les principes de prévention et de règlement des différends, tels que la responsabilisation et la collaboration.||Abstract: High performance amateur athletes impress, inspire and entertain. However, it is a long process to follow before participating to the Olympic Games and the World Championships. What are the selection rules? Who writes the selection criterias and how are they applied in real life? This essay seeks to understand that process and to offer possible solutions in regard of conflicts related to team selection by using alternative dispute resolution principles such as empowerment and collaboration

LiSET: A framework for early-stage life cycle screening of emerging technologies

While life cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool often used to evaluate the environmental impacts of products and technologies, the amount of data required to perform such studies make the evaluation of emerging technologies using the conventional LCA approach challenging. The development paradox is such that the inputs from a comprehensive environmental assessment has the greatest effect early in the development phase, and yet the data required to perform such an assessment are generally lacking until it is too late. Previous attempts to formalize strategies for performing streamlined or screening LCAs were made in the late 1990s and early 2000s, mostly to rapidly compare the environmental performance of product design candidates. These strategies lack the transparency and consistency required for the environmental screening of large numbers of early‐development candidates, for which data are even sparser. We propose the Lifecycle Screening of Emerging Technologies method (LiSET). LiSET is an adaptable screening‐to‐LCA method that uses the available data to systematically and transparently evaluate the environmental performance of technologies at low readiness levels. Iterations follow technological development and allow a progression to a full LCA if desired. In early iterations, LiSET presents results in a matrix structure combined with a “traffic light” color grading system. This format inherently communicates the high uncertainty of analysis at this stage and presents numerous environmental aspects assessed. LiSET takes advantage of a decomposition analysis and data not traditionally used in LCAs to gain insight to the life cycle impacts and ensure that the most environmentally sustainable technologies are adopted

On the financial balance of input–output constructs: revisiting an axiomatic evaluation

Financial balance is fundamental to input–output (IO) analysis, and consequently the respect of this balance is one of the dominant criteria in evaluating IO constructs. Kop Jansen, and ten Raa [(1990) The Choice of Model in the Construction of Input–Output Coefficients Matrices. International Economic Review 31, 213] proved that the byproduct-technology construct (BTC) and the industry-technology construct (ITC) do not generally conserve financial balance. In contrast, Majeau-Bettez et al. [(2016) When do Allocations and Constructs Respect Material, Energy, Financial, and Production Balances in LCA and EEIO? Journal of Industrial Ecology 20, 67–84] demonstrated that the BTC necessarily respects financial balance and that the ITC is always financially balanced when applied to data recorded in monetary units. The present article resolves this paradox

Three-Dimensional Atmospheric Circulation Models of HD 189733b and HD 209458b with Consistent Magnetic Drag and Ohmic Dissipation

We present the first three-dimensional circulation models for extrasolar gas giant atmospheres with geometrically and energetically consistent treatments of magnetic drag and ohmic dissipation. Atmospheric resistivities are continuously updated and calculated directly from the flow structure, strongly coupling the magnetic effects with the circulation pattern. We model the hot Jupiters HD 189733b (Teq \approx 1200 K) and HD 209458b (Teq \approx 1500 K) and test planetary magnetic field strengths from 0 to 30 G. We find that even at B = 3 G the atmospheric structure and circulation of HD 209458b are strongly influenced by magnetic effects, while the cooler HD 189733b remains largely unaffected, even in the case of B = 30 G and super-solar metallicities. Our models of HD 209458b indicate that magnetic effects can substantially slow down atmospheric winds, change circulation and temperature patterns, and alter observable properties. These models establish that longitudinal and latitudinal hot spot offsets, day-night flux contrasts, and planetary radius inflation are interrelated diagnostics of the magnetic induction process occurring in the atmospheres of hot Jupiters and other similarly forced exoplanets. Most of the ohmic heating occurs high in the atmosphere and on the day side of the planet, while the heating at depth is strongly dependent on the internal heat flux assumed for the planet, with more heating when the deep atmosphere is hot. We compare the ohmic power at depth in our models, and estimates of the ohmic dissipation in the bulk interior (from general scaling laws), to evolutionary models that constrain the amount of heating necessary to explain the inflated radius of HD 209458b. Our results suggest that deep ohmic heating can successfully inflate the radius of HD 209458b for planetary magnetic field strengths of B \geq 3 - 10 G.Comment: 35 pages, 12 figures, minimal revisions due to referee's comments, ApJ accepte