Productivity in the mining industry: measurement and interpretation

The measurement and interpretation of productivity frequently presents significantchallenges, especially when conducted at the industry level. In this regard themining industry is no exception. This report identifies measurement andinterpretation issues of relevance to productivity estimates for the mining industryin Australia. Quantitative evidence is presented regarding the effect on miningindustry productivity growth of two important factors: systematic changes in theunderlying quality of natural resource inputs used in mining; and production lags inresponse to increases in capital investment

Interleukin-3 greatly expands non-adherent endothelial forming cells with pro-angiogenic properties

Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) provide revascularisation for cardiovascular disease and the expansion of these cells opens up the possibility of their use as a cell therapy. Herein we show that interleukin-3 (IL3) strongly expands a population of human non-adherent endothelial forming cells (EXnaEFCs) with low immunogenicity as well as pro-angiogenic capabilities in vivo, making their therapeutic utilisation a realistic option. Non-adherent CD133⁺ EFCs isolated from human umbilical cord blood and cultured under different conditions were maximally expanded by day 12 in the presence of IL3 at which time a 350-fold increase in cell number was obtained. Cell surfacemarker phenotyping confirmed expression of the hematopoietic progenitor cellmarkers CD133, CD117 and CD34, vascular cell markers VEGFR2 and CD31, dim expression of CD45 and absence of myeloid markers CD14 and CD11b. Functional experiments revealed that EXnaEFCs exhibited classical properties of endothelial cells (ECs), namely binding of Ulex europaeus lectin, up-take of acetylated-low density lipoprotein and contribution to EC tube formation in vitro. These EXnaEFCs demonstrated a pro-angiogenic phenotype within two independent in vivo rodent models. Firstly, a Matrigel plug assay showed increased vascularisation in mice. Secondly, a rat model of acute myocardial infarction demonstrated reduced heart damage as determined by lower levels of serum creatinine and a modest increase in heart functionality. Taken together, these studies show IL3 as a potent growth factor for human CD133⁺ cell expansion with clear pro-angiogenic properties (in vitro and in vivo) and thusmay provide clinical utility for humans in the future.Lachlan M. Moldenhauer, Michaelia P. Cockshell, Lachlan Frost, Kate A. Parham, Denis Tvorogov, Lih Y. Tan, Lisa M. Ebert, Katie Tooley, Stephen Worthley, Angel F. Lopez, Claudine S. Bonde

Tactile Interactions with a Humanoid Robot : Novel Play Scenario Implementations with Children with Autism

Acknowledgments: This work has been partially supported by the European Commission under contract number FP7-231500-ROBOSKIN. Open Access: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits any use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the source are credited.The work presented in this paper was part of our investigation in the ROBOSKIN project. The project has developed new robot capabilities based on the tactile feedback provided by novel robotic skin, with the aim to provide cognitive mechanisms to improve human-robot interaction capabilities. This article presents two novel tactile play scenarios developed for robot-assisted play for children with autism. The play scenarios were developed against specific educational and therapeutic objectives that were discussed with teachers and therapists. These objectives were classified with reference to the ICF-CY, the International Classification of Functioning – version for Children and Youth. The article presents a detailed description of the play scenarios, and case study examples of their implementation in HRI studies with children with autism and the humanoid robot KASPAR.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Clathrin light chains' role in selective endocytosis influences antibody isotype switching

Clathrin, a cytosolic protein composed of heavy and light chain subunits, assembles into a vesicle coat, controlling receptor-mediated endocytosis. To establish clathrin light chain (CLC) function in vivo, we engineered mice lacking CLCa, the major CLC isoform in B lymphocytes, generating animals with CLC-deficient B cells. In CLCa-null mice, the germinal centers have fewer B cells, and they are enriched for IgA-producing cells. This enhanced switch to IgA production in the absence of CLCa was attributable to increased transforming growth factor β receptor 2 (TGFβR2) signaling resulting from defective endocytosis. Internalization of C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), but not CXCR5, was affected in CLCa-null B cells, and CLC depletion from cell lines affected endocytosis of the δ-opioid receptor, but not the β2-adrenergic receptor, defining a role for CLCs in the uptake of a subset of signaling receptors. This instance of clathrin subunit deletion in vertebrates demonstrates that CLCs contribute to clathrin’s role in vivo by influencing cargo selectivity, a function previously assigned exclusively to adaptor molecules

Posttranscriptional regulation of colonic epithelial repair by RNA binding protein IMP1/IGF2BP1

RNA binding proteins, including IMP1/IGF2BP1, are essential regulators of intestinal development and cancer. Imp1 hypomorphic mice exhibit gastrointestinal growth defects, yet the specific role for IMP1 in colon epithelial repair is unclear. Our prior work revealed that intestinal epithelial cell-specific Imp1 deletion (Imp1ΔIEC) was associated with better regeneration in mice after irradiation. Here, we report increased IMP1 expression in patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. We demonstrate that Imp1ΔIEC mice exhibit enhanced recovery following dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-mediated colonic injury. Imp1ΔIEC mice exhibit Paneth cell granule changes, increased autophagy flux, and upregulation of Atg5. In silico and biochemical analyses revealed direct binding of IMP1 to MAP1LC3B, ATG3, and ATG5 transcripts. Genetic deletion of essential autophagy gene Atg7 in Imp1ΔIEC mice revealed increased sensitivity of double-mutant mice to colonic injury compared to control or Atg7 single mutant mice, suggesting a compensatory relationship between Imp1 and the autophagy pathway. The present study defines a novel interplay between IMP1 and autophagy, where IMP1 may be transiently induced during damage to modulate colonic epithelial cell responses to damage

The Fossil Calibration Database—A New Resource for Divergence Dating

Fossils provide the principal basis for temporal calibrations, which are critical to the accuracy of divergence dating analyses. Translating fossil data into minimum and maximum bounds for calibrations is the most important—often least appreciated—step of divergence dating. Properly justified calibrations require the synthesis of phylogenetic, paleontological, and geological evidence and can be difficult for nonspecialists to formulate. The dynamic nature of the fossil record (e.g., new discoveries, taxonomic revisions, updates of global or local stratigraphy) requires that calibration data be updated continually lest they become obsolete. Here, we announce the Fossil Calibration Database (http://fossilcalibrations.org), a new open-access resource providing vetted fossil calibrations to the scientific community. Calibrations accessioned into this database are based on individual fossil specimens and follow best practices for phylogenetic justification and geochronological constraint. The associated Fossil Calibration Series, a calibration-themed publication series at Palaeontologia Electronica, will serve as a key pipeline for peer-reviewed calibrations to enter the databas