Risk management for drinking water safety in low and middle income countries: cultural influences on water safety plan (WSP) implementation in urban water utilities

We investigated cultural influences on the implementation of water safety plans (WSPs) using case studies from WSP pilots in India, Uganda and Jamaica. A comprehensive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews (n = 150 utility customers, n = 32 WSP ‘implementers’ and n = 9 WSP ‘promoters’), field observations and related documents revealed 12 cultural themes, offered as ‘enabling’, ‘limiting’, or ‘neutral’, that influence WSP implementation in urban water utilities to varying extents. Aspects such as a ‘deliver first, safety later’ mind set; supply system knowledge management and storage practices; and non-compliance are deemed influential. Emergent themes of cultural influence (ET1 to ET12) are discussed by reference to the risk management, development studies and institutional culture literatures; by reference to their positive, negative or neutral influence on WSP implementation. The results have implications for the utility endorsement of WSPs, for the impact of organisational cultures on WSP implementation; for the scale-up of pilot studies; and they support repeated calls from practitioner communities for cultural attentiveness during WSP design. Findings on organisational cultures mirror those from utilities in higher income nations implementing WSPs – leadership, advocacy among promoters and customers (not just implementers) and purposeful knowledge management are critical to WSP success

Stimulatory Current at the Edge of an Inactive Conductor in an Electric Field: Role of Nonlinear Interfacial Current–Voltage Relationship

Cardiac electric field stimulation is critical for the mechanism of defibrillation. The presence of certain inactive epicardial conductors in the field during defibrillation can decrease the defibrillation threshold. We hypothesized this decrease is due to stimulatory effects of current across the interface between the inactive conductor and the heart during field stimulation. To examine this current and its possible stimulatory effects, we imaged transmittance of indium-tin-oxide (ITO) conductors, tested for indium with x-ray diffraction, created a computer model containing realistic ITO interfacial properties, and optically mapped excitation of rabbit heart during electric field stimulation in the presence of an ITO conductor. Reduction of ITO to indium decreased transmittance at the edge facing the anodal shock electrode when trans-interfacial voltage exceeded standard reduction potential. The interfacial current-voltage relationship was nonlinear, producing larger conductances at higher currents. This nonlinearity concentrated the interfacial current near edges in images and in a computer model. The edge current was stimulatory, producing early postshock excitation of rabbit ventricles. Thus, darkening of ITO indicates interfacial current by indium reduction. Interfacial nonlinearity concentrates current near the edge where it can excite the heart. Stimulatory current at edges may account for the reported decrease in defibrillation threshold by inactive conductors

Flooding-erosion interactions: implications for coastal risk management

As routinely experienced coastal hazards, flooding and erosion are key considerations within coastal management plans and policy. Flooding and erosion hazards are often analysed separately, without due attention to their interaction. Low lying barrier islands exemplify coastal environments particularly affected by erosion-flooding interactions. Such environments often support substantial human populations, critical infrastructure, and diverse ecosystems. This study undertakes a high resolution, multidecadal shoreline change analysis at Blakeney Point, a mixed sand-gravel spit on the UK’s North Norfolk coast. The analysis spans two distinct management regimes: the ‘first era’ (1992-2005) where the eastern section of the barrier was periodically artificially reprofiled into a steep-sided trapezoid with a narrow crest; and the ‘second era’ (2006-2016) of no active intervention along the entire barrier. We find that over the past 130 years, Blakeney Point has retreated landward at a mean rate of 0.60 m a-1. Along the eastern section of Blakeney Point, we observe an increase in shoreline retreat rate between the two eras of 3 to 30 times depending on the choice of shoreline proxy (High Water Line, ridge line, or vegetation line). The lower shoreline retreat rates during the first era suggest that reprofiling fixed the shoreline position of the eastern barrier. Termination of the reprofiling regime, in combination with storm surge events in 2007 and 2013, resulted in accelerated retreat along the eastern section towards a more landward position. This has had implications for the western section of the spit which appears to have benefited from alongshore westward transport of sediment during the noninterventionist era, resulting in slowed landward retreat rates during this period. The importance of storm surge events should not be understated. During 2013-2014, overwashing along the eastern section of the barrier resulted in vegetation line retreat of up to 127 m. This retreat behaviour was not matched at lower elevations on the subaerial beach, suggesting lateral spreading of the barrier, a behaviour which has been shown elsewhere to involve increased landward retreat and barrier disintegration. Our findings suggest a change in the morphological character of the barrier under the non-interventionist management regime, with clear implications for erosion, flooding and their interactio

Erosion-flooding interaction on a UK barrier

This paper presents a multi-temporal (centennial, decadal, event-based) analysis of Blakeney Spit, a mixed sand-gravel barrier located on the UK’s east coast. Since 2006, Blakeney Spit has experienced a less interventionist management approach that contrasts with the earlier regime of periodically bulldozing parts of the barrier to maintain a steeper cross-shore profile. Given recent endorsements of coastal management schemes that work with, rather than against, nature this case study provides a valuable opportunity to quantify the impact of management regime change on shoreline erosion rates, overwash processes and associated flood hazard

On the orbital and physical parameters of the HDE 226868/Cygnus X-1 binary system

In this paper we explore the consequences of the recent determination of the mass m=(8.7 +/- 0.8)M_Sun of Cygnus X-1, obtained from the Quasi-Periodic Oscillation (QPO)-photon index correlation scaling, on the orbital and physical properties of the binary system HDE 226868/Cygnus X-1. By using such a result and the latest spectroscopic optical data of the HDE 226868 supergiant star we get M=(24 +/- 5)M_Sun for its mass. It turns out that deviations from the third Kepler law significant at more than 1-sigma level would occur if the inclination i of the system's orbital plane to the plane of the sky falls outside the range 41-56 deg: such deviations cannot be due to the first post-Newtonian (1PN) correction to the orbital period because of its smallness; interpreted in the framework of the Newtonian theory of gravitation as due to the stellar quadrupole mass moment Q, they are unphysical because Q would take unreasonably large values. By conservatively assuming that the third Kepler law is an adequate model for the orbital period we obtain i=(48 +/- 7) deg which yields for the relative semimajor axis a=(42 +/- 9)R_Sun. Our estimate for the Roche's lobe of HDE 226868 is r_M = (21 +/- 6)R_Sun.Comment: Latex2e, 7 pages, 1 table, 4 figures. To appear in ApSS (Astrophysics and Space Science

Coronin Promotes the Rapid Assembly and Cross-linking of Actin Filaments and May Link the Actin and Microtubule Cytoskeletons in Yeast

Coronin is a highly conserved actin-associated protein that until now has had unknown biochemical activities. Using microtubule affinity chromatography, we coisolated actin and a homologue of coronin, Crn1p, from Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell extracts. Crn1p is an abundant component of the cortical actin cytoskeleton and binds to F-actin with high affinity (Kd 6 × 10−9 M). Crn1p promotes the rapid barbed-end assembly of actin filaments and cross-links filaments into bundles and more complex networks, but does not stabilize them. Genetic analyses with a crn1Δ deletion mutation also are consistent with Crn1p regulating filament assembly rather than stability. Filament cross-linking depends on the coiled coil domain of Crn1p, suggesting a requirement for Crn1p dimerization. Assembly-promoting activity is independent of cross-linking and could be due to nucleation and/or accelerated polymerization. Crn1p also binds to microtubules in vitro, and microtubule binding is enhanced by the presence of actin filaments. Microtubule binding is mediated by a region of Crn1p that contains sequences (not found in other coronins) homologous to the microtubule binding region of MAP1B. These activities, considered with microtubule defects observed in crn1Δ cells and in cells overexpressing Crn1p, suggest that Crn1p may provide a functional link between the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons in yeast

Phase II randomized study of Plitidepsin (Aplidin), alone or in association with L-carnitine, in patients with unresectable advanced renal cell carcinoma

This randomized phase II study evaluated two schedules of the marine compound Plitidepsin with or without co-administration of L-carnitine in patients with renal cell carcinoma. Patients had adequate performance status and organ function. The primary endpoint was the rate of disease control ( no progression) at 12 weeks (RECIST). Other endpoints included the response rate and time dependent efficacy measures. The trial also assessed the efficacy of L-carnitine to prevent Plitidepsin-related toxicity. The two regimes given as 24 hour infusion every two weeks showed hints of antitumoral activity. Disease control at 12 weeks was 15.8% in Arm A (5mg/m2, no L-carnitine) and 11,1% in Arm B (7mg/m2 with L-carnitine). Two partial responses were observed in Arm A ( 19 patients), none in Arm B ( 20 patients). Both schedules had the same progression-free interval (2.1 months). The median overall survival was 7.0 and 7.6 months. The safety profile was similar in both arms of the trial and adverse events were mainly mild to moderate (NCI CTC version 2.0). Increasing the dose to 7mg/m2 did not increase the treatment efficacy but the incidence of transaminase and CPK elevations and serious AEs. Coadministration of L-carnitine did not prevent muscular toxicity or CPK-elevation associated with Plitidepsin

Estimating the frequency of volcanic ash clouds over northern Europe

Fine ash produced during explosive volcanic eruptions can be dispersed over a vast area, where it poses a threat to aviation, human health and infrastructure. Here, we focus on northern Europe, which lies in the principal transport direction for volcanic ash from Iceland, one of the most active volcanic regions in the world. We interrogate existing and newly produced geological and written records of past ash fallout over northern Europe in the last 1000 years and estimate the mean return (repose) interval of a volcanic ash cloud over the region to be 44 ± 7 years. We compare tephra records from mainland northern Europe, Great Britain, Ireland and the Faroe Islands, with records of proximal Icelandic volcanism and suggest that an Icelandic eruption with a Volcanic Explosivity Index rating (VEI) ≥ 4 and a silicic magma composition presents the greatest risk of producing volcanic ash that can reach northern Europe. None of the ash clouds in the European record which have a known source eruption are linked to a source eruption with VEI < 4. Our results suggest that ash clouds are more common over northern Europe than previously proposed and indicate the continued threat of ash deposition across northern Europe from eruptions of both Icelandic and North American volcanoes

Le magmatisme de la région de Kwyjibo, Province\ud du Grenville (Canada) : intérêt pour les\ud minéralisations de type fer-oxydes associées

The granitic plutons located north of the Kwyjibo property in Quebec’s Grenville Province are of\ud Mesoproterozoic age and belong to the granitic Canatiche Complex . The rocks in these plutons are calc-alkalic, K-rich,\ud and meta- to peraluminous. They belong to the magnetite series and their trace element characteristics link them to\ud intraplate granites. They were emplaced in an anorogenic, subvolcanic environment, but they subsequently underwent\ud significant ductile deformation. The magnetite, copper, and fluorite showings on the Kwyjibo property are polyphased\ud and premetamorphic; their formation began with the emplacement of hydraulic, magnetite-bearing breccias, followed by\ud impregnations and veins of chalcopyrite, pyrite, and fluorite, and ended with a late phase of mineralization, during\ud which uraninite, rare earths, and hematite were emplaced along brittle structures. The plutons belong to two families:\ud biotite-amphibole granites and leucogranites. The biotite-amphibole granites are rich in iron and represent a potential\ud heat and metal source for the first, iron oxide phase of mineralization. The leucogranites show a primary enrichment in\ud REE (rare-earth elements), F, and U, carried mainly in Y-, U-, and REE-bearing niobotitanates. They are metamict and\ud underwent a postmagmatic alteration that remobilized the uranium and the rare earths. The leucogranites could also be\ud a source of rare earths and uranium for the latest mineralizing events