Death is not a success: reflections on business exit

This article is a critical evaluation of claims that business exits should not be seen as failures, on the grounds that may constitute voluntary liquidation, or because they are learning opportunities. This can be seen as further evidence of bias affecting entrepreneurship research, where failures are repackaged as successes. This article reiterates that the majority of business exits are unsuccessful. Drawing on ideas from the organisational life course, it is suggested that business ‘death’ is a suitable term for describing business closure. Even cases of voluntary ‘harvest liquidation’ such as retirement can be meaningfully described as business deaths

IL-1 receptor signaling in the basolateral amygdala modulates binge-like ethanol consumption in male C57BL/6J mice

Proinflammatory cytokines have been implicated in alcohol-induced neurodegeneration, but the role of the neuroimmune system in alcohol related behaviors has only recently come to the forefront. Herein, the effects of binge-like drinking on IL-1β mRNA and immunoreactivity within the amygdala were measured following the “drinking in the dark” (DID) paradigm, a model of binge-like ethanol drinking in C57BL/6J mice. Moreover, the role of IL-1 receptor signaling in the amygdala on ethanol consumption was assessed. Results indicated that a history of binge-like ethanol drinking promoted a significant increase of IL-1β mRNA expression within the amygdala, and immunohistochemistry analyses revealed that the basolateral amygdala (BLA), but not central amygdala (CeA), exhibited significantly increased IL-1β immunoreactivity. Fluoro-Jade® C labeling indicated that multiple cycles of the DID paradigm were not sufficient to elicit neuronal death. Bilateral infusions of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) reduced ethanol consumption when infused into the BLA but not the CeA. These observations were specific to ethanol drinking as the IL-1Ra did not alter either sucrose drinking or open-field locomotor activity. The current findings highlight a specific role for IL-1 receptor signaling in modulating binge-like ethanol consumption and indicate that proinflammatory cytokines can be induced prior to dependence or any evidence of neuronal cell death. These findings provide a framework in which to understand how neuroimmune adaptations may alter ethanol consumption and therein contributing to alcohol abuse

Characterization of an electron conduit between bacteria and the extracellular environment

A number of species of Gram-negative bacteria can use insoluble minerals of Fe(III) and Mn(IV) as extracellular respiratory electron acceptors. In some species of Shewanella, deca-heme electron transfer proteins lie at the extracellular face of the outer membrane (OM), where they can interact with insoluble substrates. To reduce extracellular substrates, these redox proteins must be charged by the inner membrane/periplasmic electron transfer system. Here, we present a spectro-potentiometric characterization of a trans-OM icosa-heme complex, MtrCAB, and demonstrate its capacity to move electrons across a lipid bilayer after incorporation into proteoliposomes. We also show that a stable MtrAB subcomplex can assemble in the absence of MtrC; an MtrBC subcomplex is not assembled in the absence of MtrA; and MtrA is only associated to the membrane in cells when MtrB is present. We propose a model for the modular organization of the MtrCAB complex in which MtrC is an extracellular element that mediates electron transfer to extracellular substrates and MtrB is a trans-OM spanning ß-barrel protein that serves as a sheath, within which MtrA and MtrC exchange electrons. We have identified the MtrAB module in a range of bacterial phyla, suggesting that it is widely used in electron exchange with the extracellular environment

Biogeochemical Mechanisms Controlling Reduced Radionuclide Particle Properties and Stability

Uranium and Technetium are the major risk-driving contaminants at Hanford and other DOE sites. These radionuclides have been shown to be reduced by dissimilatory metal reducing bacteria (DMRB) under anoxic conditions. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that reduction results in the formation of poorly soluble hydrous oxides, UO2(s) and TcO2n?H2O(s), that are believed to limit mobility in the environment. The mechanisms of microbial reduction of U and Tc have been the focus of considerable research in the Environmental Remediation Sciences Program (ERSP). In spite of equal or greater importance in terms of controlling the environmental fate of the contaminants relatively little is known regarding the precipitation mechanism(s), reactivity, persistence, and transport of biogenic UO2(s) and TcO2(s)

Characteristics of Correlated Photon Pairs Generated in Ultra-compact Silicon Slow-light Photonic Crystal Waveguides

We report the characterization of correlated photon pairs generated in dispersion-engineered silicon slow-light photonic crystal waveguides pumped by picosecond pulses. We found that taking advantage of the 15 nm flat-band slow-light window (vg ~ c/30) the bandwidth for correlated photon-pair generation in 96 and 196 \mum long waveguides was at least 11.2 nm; while a 396 \mum long waveguide reduced the bandwidth to 8 nm (only half of the slow-light bandwidth due to the increased impact of phase matching in a longer waveguide). The key metrics for a photon-pair source: coincidence to accidental ratio (CAR) and pair brightness were measured to be a maximum 33 at a pair generation rate of 0.004 pair per pulse in a 196 \mum long waveguide. Within the measurement errors the maximum CAR achieved in 96, 196 and 396 \mum long waveguides is constant. The noise analysis shows that detector dark counts, leaked pump light, linear and nonlinear losses, multiple pair generation and detector jitter are the limiting factors to the CAR performance of the sources.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Ethnic inequalities in older adults bowel cancer awareness: findings from a community survey conducted in an ethnically diverse region in England

Background To date, research exploring the public’s awareness of bowel cancer has taken place with predominantly white populations. To enhance our understanding of how bowel cancer awareness varies between ethnic groups, and inform the development of targeted interventions, we conducted a questionnaire study across three ethnically diverse regions in Greater London, England. Methods Data were collected using an adapted version of the bowel cancer awareness measure. Eligible adults were individuals, aged 60+ years, who were eligible for screening. Participants were recruited and surveyed, verbally, by staff working at 40 community pharmacies in Northwest London, the Harrow Somali association, and St. Mark’s Bowel Cancer Screening Centre. Associations between risk factor, symptom and screening awareness scores and ethnicity were assessed using multivariate regression. Results 1013 adults, aged 60+ years, completed the questionnaire; half were of a Black, Asian or Minority ethnic group background (n = 507; 50.0%). Participants recognised a mean average of 4.27 of 9 symptoms and 3.99 of 10 risk factors. Symptom awareness was significantly lower among all ethnic minority groups (all p’s less than 0.05), while risk factor awareness was lower for Afro-Caribbean and Somali adults, specifically (both p's less than 0.05). One in three adults (n = 722; 29.7%) did not know there is a Bowel Cancer Screening Programme. Bowel screening awareness was particularly low among Afro-Caribbean and Somali adults (both p's less than 0.05). CONCLUSION: Awareness of bowel cancer symptoms, risk factors and screening varies by ethnicity. Interventions should be targeted towards specific groups for whom awareness of screening and risk factors is low

Extracellular Hsp72 concentration relates to a minimum endogenous criteria during acute exercise-heat exposure

Extracellular heat-shock protein 72 (eHsp72) concentration increases during exercise-heat stress when conditions elicit physiological strain. Differences in severity of environmental and exercise stimuli have elicited varied response to stress. The present study aimed to quantify the extent of increased eHsp72 with increased exogenous heat stress, and determine related endogenous markers of strain in an exercise-heat model. Ten males cycled for 90 min at 50% O2peak in three conditions (TEMP, 20°C/63% RH; HOT, 30.2°C/51%RH; VHOT, 40.0°C/37%RH). Plasma was analysed for eHsp72 pre, immediately post and 24-h post each trial utilising a commercially available ELISA. Increased eHsp72 concentration was observed post VHOT trial (+172.4%) (P<0.05), but not TEMP (-1.9%) or HOT (+25.7%) conditions. eHsp72 returned to baseline values within 24hrs in all conditions. Changes were observed in rectal temperature (Trec), rate of Trec increase, area under the curve for Trec of 38.5°C and 39.0°C, duration Trec ≥ 38.5°C and ≥ 39.0°C, and change in muscle temperature, between VHOT, and TEMP and HOT, but not between TEMP and HOT. Each condition also elicited significantly increasing physiological strain, described by sweat rate, heart rate, physiological strain index, rating of perceived exertion and thermal sensation. Stepwise multiple regression reported rate of Trec increase and change in Trec to be predictors of increased eHsp72 concentration. Data suggests eHsp72 concentration increases once systemic temperature and sympathetic activity exceeds a minimum endogenous criteria elicited during VHOT conditions and is likely to be modulated by large, rapid changes in core temperature

Report of the Topical Group on Dark Energy and Cosmic Acceleration: Complementarity of Probes and New Facilities for Snowmass 2021

The mechanism(s) driving the early- and late-time accelerated expansion of the Universe represent one of the most compelling mysteries in fundamental physics today. The path to understanding the causes of early- and late-time acceleration depends on fully leveraging ongoing surveys, developing and demonstrating new technologies, and constructing and operating new instruments. This report presents a multi-faceted vision for the cosmic survey program in the 2030s and beyond that derives from these considerations. Cosmic surveys address a wide range of fundamental physics questions, and are thus a unique and powerful component of the HEP experimental portfolio.Comment: Submitted to the Proceedings of the US Community Study on the Future of Particle Physics (Snowmass 2021); Topical Group Report for CF06 (Cosmic Frontier Topical Group on Dark Energy and Cosmic Acceleration: Complementarity of Probes and New Facilitie

Detailed Abundances in the Ultra-faint Magellanic Satellites Carina II and III

We present the first detailed elemental abundances in the ultra-faint Magellanic satellite galaxies Carina II (Car II) and Carina III (Car III). With high-resolution Magellan/MIKE spectroscopy, we determined abundances of nine stars in Car II including the first abundances of an RR Lyrae star in an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy; and two stars in Car III. The chemical abundances demonstrate that both systems are clearly galaxies and not globular clusters. The stars in these galaxies mostly display abundance trends matching those of other similarly faint dwarf galaxies: enhanced but declining [alpha/Fe] ratios, iron-peak elements matching the stellar halo, and unusually low neutron-capture element abundances. One star displays a low outlying [Sc/Fe] = -1.0. We detect a large Ba scatter in Car II, likely due to inhomogeneous enrichment by low-mass AGB star winds. The most striking abundance trend is for [Mg/Ca] in Car II, which decreases from +0.4 to -0.4 and indicates clear variation in the initial progenitor masses of enriching core-collapse supernovae. So far, the only ultra-faint dwarf galaxies displaying a similar [Mg/Ca] trend are likely satellites of the Large Magellanic Cloud. We find two stars with [Fe/H] < -3.5, whose abundances likely trace the first generation of metal-free Population III stars and are well-fit by Population III core-collapse supernova yields. An appendix describes our new abundance uncertainty analysis that propagates line-by-line stellar parameter uncertainties.Comment: 21 pages + appendix, 9 figures, 6 tables, accepted to Ap