Diamonds in the Bohemian Massif – evidence for ultrahigh-pressure

Diamond and coesite were discovered in high-pressure granulites of the north Bohemian crystalline basement in the Eger Crystalline Complex and České středohoří Mts. Diamonds, confirmed by micro-Raman spectroscopy, occur as 5–10 μm-sized inclusions in kyanite and garnet as well as in accessory zircon. Coesite was identified within kyanite enclosed in garnet. Diamond and coesite form at pressures above 4 and 3 GPa, respectively, and the presence of these two minerals in the continental crust indicates ultrahighpressure metamorphic conditions reached only during a continental subduction deep into the mantle. Preservation of coesite in felsic-intermediate crustal rocks is a rather unique phenomenon due to its very limited metastable survival within exhumed terranes. Importantly, the north Bohemian crystalline basement represents only the fifth accepted location worldwide where diamond has been documented in situ in the continental crust rather than in mantle rocks such as peridotites. Our discovery also strongly supports the previously questioned Bohemian provenance of macroscopic diamonds, found in the České středohoří Mts. area in the 19th and 20th century

A Response to the Draft National Mitigation Plan. Teagasc submission to the Department of Communications, Climate Action & theEnvironment

Teagasc SubmissionThis submission details the mitigation potential of agriculture to shortly be published as an update to the Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (MACC) for Agriculture and and describes how the MACC mitigation strategies relate to the measures in the National Mitigation Plan

An Analysis of Abatement Potential of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Irish Agriculture 2021-2030

Teagasc SubmissionThis report has been prepared by the Teagasc Working Group on GHG Emissions, which brings together and integrates the extensive and diverse range of organisational expertise on agricultural greenhouse gases. The previous Teagasc GHG MACC was published in 2012 in response to both the EU Climate and Energy Package and related Effort Sharing Decision and in the context of the establishment of the Food Harvest 2020 production targets

Different Reactive Oxygen Species Lead to Distinct Changes of Cellular Metal Ions in the Eukaryotic Model Organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Elemental uptake and export of the cell are tightly regulated thereby maintaining the ionomic homeostasis. This equilibrium can be disrupted upon exposure to exogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to reduction or elevation of the intracellular metal ions. In this study, the ionomic composition in the eukaryotic model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae was profiled using the inductively-coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) following the treatment with individual ROS, including hydrogen peroxide, cumen hydroperoxide, linoleic acid hydroperoxide (LAH), the superoxide-generating agent menadione, the thiol-oxidising agent diamide [diazine-dicarboxylic acid-bis(dimethylamide)], dimedone and peroxynitrite. The findings demonstrated that different ROS resulted in distinct changes in cellular metal ions. Aluminium (Al3+) level rose up to 50-fold after the diamide treatment. Cellular potassium (K+) in LAH-treated cells was 26-fold less compared to the non-treated controls. The diamide-induced Al3+ accumulation was further validated by the enhanced Al3+ uptake along the time course and diamide doses. Pre-incubation of yeast with individual elements including iron, copper, manganese and magnesium failed to block diamide-induced Al3+ uptake, suggesting Al3+-specific transporters could be involved in Al3+ uptake. Furthermore, LAH-induced potassium depletion was validated by a rescue experiment in which addition of potassium increased yeast growth in LAH-containing media by 26% compared to LAH alone. Taken together, the data, for the first time, demonstrated the linkage between ionomic profiles and individual oxidative conditions

Effectiveness of the internet-based Unified Protocol transdiagnostic intervention for the treatment of depression, anxiety and related disorders in a primary care setting: a randomized controlled trial

Background Research has shown that internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) can be a very promising solution to increase access to and the dissemination of evidence-based treatments to all of the population in need. However, iCBT is still underutilized in clinical contexts, such as primary care. In order to achieve the effective implementation of these protocols, more studies in ecological settings are needed. The Unified Protocol (UP) is a transdiagnostic CBT protocol for the treatment of emotional disorders, which includes depression, anxiety and related disorders, that has shown its efficacy across different contexts and populations. An internet-based UP (iUP) programme has recently been developed as an emerging internet-based treatment for emotional disorders. However, the internet-delivered version of the UP (iUP) has not yet been examined empirically. The current project seeks to analyse the effectiveness of the iUP as a treatment for depression, anxiety and related emotional disorders in a primary care public health setting. Methods The current study will employ a parallel-group, randomized controlled trial design. Participants will be randomly assigned to (a) the internet-based Unified Protocol (iUP), or (b) enhanced waiting list control (eWLC). Randomization will follow a 2:1 allocation ratio, with sample size calculations suggesting a required sample of 120 (iUP=80; eWLC=40). The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) will be used for assessing potential participants. The Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS) and the Overall Depression Severity and Impairment Scale (ODSIS) as well as other standardized questionnaires will be used for assessments at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks from baseline and for the iUP condition during the follow-up. Discussion Combining the advantages of a transdiagnostic treatment with an online delivery format may have the potential to significantly lower the burden of emotional disorders in public health primary care setting. Anxiety and depression, often comorbid, are the most prevalent psychological disorders in primary care. Because the iUP allows for the treatment of different disorders and comorbidity, this treatment could represent an adequate choice for patients that demand mental health care in a primary care setting

The role and function of IκKα/β in monocyte impairment

Following major trauma, sepsis or surgery, some patients exhibit an impaired monocyte inflammatory response that is characterized by a decreased response to a subsequent bacterial challenge. To investigate this poorly understood phenomenon, we adopted an in-vitro model of endotoxin tolerance utilising primary human CD14 + monocytes to focus on the effect of impairment on IκKα/β, a critical part of the NFκB pathway. Impaired monocytes had decreased IκKα mRNA and protein expression and decreased phosphorylation of the IκKα/β complex. The impaired monocyte secretome demonstrated a distinct cytokine/chemokine footprint from the naïve monocyte, and that TNF-α was the most sensitive cytokine or chemokine in this setting of impairment. Inhibition of IκKα/β with a novel selective inhibitor reproduced the impaired monocyte phenotype with decreased production of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-12p70, IL-10, GM-CSF, VEGF, MIP-1β, TNF-β, IFN-α2 and IL-7 in response to an LPS challenge. Surgical patients with infection also exhibited an impaired monocyte phenotype and had decreased SITPEC, TAK1 and MEKK gene expression, which are important for IκKα/β activation. Our results emphasize that impaired monocyte function is, at least in part, related to dysregulated IκKα/β activation, and that IκKα/β is likely involved in mounting a sufficient monocyte inflammatory response. Future studies may wish to focus on adjuvant therapies that augment IκKα/β function to restore monocyte function in this clinically important problem

Tangible Data Souvenirs as a Bridge between a Physical Museum Visit and Online Digital Experience

This paper presents the design, implementation, use and evaluation of a tangible data souvenir for an interactive museum exhibition. We define a data souvenir as the materialisation of the personal visiting experience: a data souvenir is dynamically created on the basis of data recorded throughout the visit and therefore captures and represents the experience as lived. The souvenir provides visitors with a memento of their visit and acts as a gateway to further online content. A step further is to enable visitors to contribute, in other words the data souvenir can become a means to collect visitor-generated content. We discuss the rationale behind the use of a data souvenir, the design process and resulting artefacts, and the implementation of both the data souvenir and online content system. Finally we examine the installation of the data souvenirs as part of a long-lasting exhibition: the use of this souvenir by visitors has been logged over seven months and issues around the gathering of user-generated content in such a way are discussed. Keywords: Tangible interaction; data souvenir; museums; user-generated content