Does commonality in illiquidity matter to investors?

This paper investigates whether investors are compensated for taking on commonality risk in equity portfolios. A large literature documents the existence and the causes of commonality in illiquidity, but the implications for investors are less well understood. In a more than fifty year long sample of NYSE stocks, we find that commonality risk carries a return premium of around 2.6 per cent annually. The commonality risk premium is statistically and economically significant, and substantially higher than what is found in previous studies. It is robust when controlling for illiquidity level effects, different investment horizons, as well as variations in illiquidity measurement and systematic illiquidity estimation

Repetitive DNA is associated with centromeric domains in Trypanosoma brucei but not Trypanosoma cruzi

Centromeres in Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma brucei can be localised to regions between directional gene clusters that contain degenerate retroelements, and in the case of T. brucei, repetitive DNA

Microbial communities mediating net methylmercury formation along a trophic gradient in a peatland chronosequence

Peatlands are generally important sources of methylmercury (MeHg) to adjacent aquatic ecosystems, increasing the risk of human and wildlife exposure to this highly toxic compound. While microorganisms play important roles in mercury (Hg) geochemical cycles where they directly and indirectly affect MeHg formation in peatlands, potential linkages between net MeHg formation and microbial communities involving these microorganisms remain unclear. To address this gap, microbial community composition and specific marker gene transcripts were investigated along a trophic gradient in a geographically constrained peatland chronosequence. Our results showed a clear spatial pattern in microbial community composition along the gradient that was highly driven by peat soil properties and significantly associated with net MeHg formation as approximated by MeHg concentration and %MeHg of total Hg concentration. Known fermentative, syntrophic, methanogenic and iron-reducing metabolic guilds had the strong positive correlations to net MeHg formation, while methanotrophic and methylotrophic microorganisms were negatively correlated. Our results indicated that sulfate reducers did not have a key role in net MeHg formation. Microbial activity as interpreted from 16S rRNA sequences was significantly correlated with MeHg and %MeHg. Our findings shed new light on the role of microbial community in net MeHg formation of peatlands that undergo ontogenetic change

BioFACTS : biomarkers of rhabdomyolysis in the diagnosis of acute compartment syndrome - protocol for a prospective multinational, multicentre study involving patients with tibial fractures

Introduction The ischaemic pain of acute compartment syndrome (ACS) can be difficult to discriminate from the pain linked to an associated fracture. Lacking objective measures, the decision to perform fasciotomy is based on clinical findings and performed at a low level of suspicion. Biomarkers of muscle cell damage may help to identify and monitor patients at risk, similar to current routines for patients with acute myocardial infarction. This study will test the hypothesis that biomarkers of muscle cell damage can predict ACS in patients with tibial fractures. Methods and analysis Patients aged 15-65 years who have suffered a tibial fracture will be included. Plasma (P)-myoglobin and P-creatine phosphokinase will be analysed at 6-hourly intervals after admission to the hospital (for 48 hours) and-if applicable-after surgical fixation or fasciotomy (for 24 hours). In addition, if ACS is suspected at any other point in time, blood samples will be collected at 6-hourly intervals. An independent expert panel will assess the study data and will classify those patients who had undergone fasciotomy into those with ACS and those without ACS. All primary comparisons will be perforated between fracture patients with and without ACS. The area under the receiver operator characteristics curves will be used to identify the success of the biomarkers in discriminating between fracture patients who develop ACS and those who do not. Logistic regression analyses will be used to assess the discriminative abilities of the biomarkers to predict ACS corrected for prespecified covariates. Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the Regional Ethical Review Boards in Linkoping (2017/514-31) and Helsinki/Uusimaa (HUS/2500/2000). The BioFACTS study will be reported in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology recommendations.Peer reviewe

Opposing spatial trends in methylmercury and total mercury along a peatland chronosequence trophic gradient

Peatlands are abundant elements of boreal landscapes where inorganic mercury (IHg) can be transformed into bioaccumulating and highly toxic methylmercury (MeHg). We studied fifteen peatlands divided into three age lasses (young, intermediate and old) along a geographically constrained chronosequence to determine the role of biogeochemical factors and nutrient availability in controlling the formation of MeHg. In the 10 cm soil layer just below the average annual growing season water table, concentrations of MeHg and %MeHg (of total Hg) were higher in younger, more mesotrophic peatlands than in older, more oligotrophic peatlands. In contrast, total mercury (THg) concentrations were higher in the older peatlands. Partial least squares (PLS) analysis indicates that the net MeHg production was positively correlated to trophic demands of vegetation and an increased availability of potential electron acceptors and donors for Hg methylating microorganisms. An important question for further studies will be to elucidate why there is less THg in the younger peatlands compared to the older peatlands, even though the age of the superficial peat itself is similar for all sites. We hypothesize that ecosystem features which enhance microbial processes involved in Hg methylation also promote Hg reduction that makes previously deposited Hg more available for evasion back to the atmosphere. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Relationship Between Ljungan Virus Antibodies, HLA-DQ8, and Insulin Autoantibodies in Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes Children

Environmental factors, including viral infections, may explain an increasing and fluctuating incidence of childhood type 1 diabetes (T1D). Ljungan virus (LV) isolated from bank voles have been implicated, but it is unclear whether LV contributes to islet autoimmunity, progression to clinical onset, or both, of T1D. The aim was to test whether LV antibodies (LVAb) were related to HLA-DQ and islet autoantibodies in newly diagnosed T1D patients (n = 676) and controls (n = 309). Patients, 0-18 years of age, diagnosed with T1D in 1996-2005 were analyzed for LVAb, HLA-DQ genotypes, and all seven known islet autoantibodies (GADA, IA-2A, IAA, ICA, ZnT8RA, ZnT8WA, and ZnT8QA). LVAb at 75th percentile, defined as cut off, was 90 (range 6-3936) U/mL and 4th quartile LVAb were found in 25% (170/676) of which 64% were < 10 (n = 108, p < 0.0001), and 27% were < 5 (n = 45; p < 0.0001) years old. The 4th quartile LVAb in children < 10 years of age correlated to HLA DQ2/8, 8/8, and 8/X (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, in the group with 4th quartile LVAb, 55% were IAA positive (p = 0.01) and correlation was found between 4th quartile LVAb and IAA in children < 10 years of age (p = 0.035). It is concluded that 1) LVAb were common among the young T1D patients and LVAb levels were higher in the younger age groups; 2) 4th quartile LVAb correlated with IAA; and 3) there was a correlation between 4th quartile LVAb and HLA-DQ8, particularly in the young patients. The presence of LVAb supports the notion that prior exposure to LV may be associated with T1D

Test methodologies for determining high temperature material properties of thin walled tubes

This report presents briefly the test methods used, within the in the EERA JPNM Pilot Project TASTE, for defining the tensile and creep material properties relevant to the integrity of nuclear fuel claddings. These properties are challenging to extract from thin walled tubes since the standard test methods use test specimen that require minimum material thicknesses in the order of 10 mm or more. In consequence the thin walled material properties are acquired through a number of testing techniques and evaluation methodologies suitable for the thin walled product form. In this report the different test methods and their data assessment requirements are briefly described. The test methods evaluated here comprises of sub-size (curved specimen) tensile testing (ST) of the cladding tube, micro specimen (dog-bone) tensile testing (MT), Small Punch testing (SP), Segmented Expanding Cone Mandrel tests (SCM), the ring tension (RT) and ring compression (RC) tests and internal pressure testing (IP).JRC.G.I.4-Nuclear Reactor Safety and Emergency Preparednes

Shifts in mercury methylation across a peatland chronosequence: From sulfate reduction to methanogenesis and syntrophy

Peatlands are globally important ecosystems where inorganic mercury is converted to bioaccumulating and highly toxic methylmercury, resulting in high risks of methylmercury exposure in adjacent aquatic ecosystems. Although biological mercury methylation has been known for decades, there is still a lack of knowledge about the organisms involved in mercury methylation and the drivers controlling their methylating capacity. In order to investigate the metabolisms responsible for mercury methylation and methylmercury degradation as well as the controls of both processes, we studied a chronosequence of boreal peatlands covering fundamentally different biogeochemical conditions. Potential mercury methylation rates decreased with peatland age, being up to 53 times higher in the youngest peatland compared to the oldest. Methylation in young mires was driven by sulfate reduction, while methanogenic and syntrophic metabolisms became more important in older systems. Demethylation rates were also highest in young wetlands, with a gradual shift from biotic to abiotic methylmercury degradation along the chronosequence. Our findings reveal how metabolic shifts drive mercury methylation and its ratio to demethylation as peatlands age

PSB33 protein sustains photosystem II in plant chloroplasts under UV-A light

Plants can quickly and dynamically respond to spectral and intensity variations of the incident light. These responses include activation of developmental processes, morphological changes, and photosynthetic acclimation that ensure optimal energy conversion and minimal photoinhibition. Plant adaptation and acclimation to environmental changes have been extensively studied, but many details surrounding these processes remain elusive. The photosystem II (PSII)-associated protein PSB33 plays a fundamental role in sustaining PSII as well as in the regulation of the light antenna in fluctuating light. We investigated how PSB33 knock-out Arabidopsis plants perform under different light qualities. psb33 plants displayed a reduction of 88% of total fresh weight compared to wild type plants when cultivated at the boundary of UV-A and blue light. The sensitivity towards UV-A light was associated with a lower abundance of PSII proteins, which reduces psb33 plants\u27 capacity for photosynthesis. The UV-A phenotype was found to be linked to altered phytohormone status and changed thylakoid ultrastructure. Our results collectively show that PSB33 is involved in a UV-A light-mediated mechanism to maintain a functional PSII pool in the chloroplast