Caretaker Government and the Evolution of Caretaker Conventions in New Zealand

Since the financial crisis immediately following the 1984 general election, various efforts have been made to clarify the role and responsibilities of caretaker governments in New Zealand. The need to do so was given added urgency as a result of the referendum in 1993 in favour of proportional representation. This article examines the recent evolution of New Zealand's caretaker conventions and assesses their application following the first MMP election in late 1996. The article begins with a brief description of caretaker conventions in other parliamentary democracies. It then considers the operation of the caretaker conventions in New Zealand under the previous first-past-the-post electoral system, and discusses the measures taken in the early-to-mid 1990s to clarify these conventions in preparation for MMP. Having evaluated the conduct of government during the lengthy interregnum in late 1996, the article concludes with an analysis of some of the continuing policy issues generated by caretaker governments and outlines possible ways of reducing the frequency and duration of caretaker periods

Preparing potential teachers for the transition from employment to teacher training: an evaluative case study of a Maths Enhancement Course

In response to a UK government drive to improve maths teaching in schools, the South West London Maths Enhancement Course (MEC) has been set up though collaboration between three Higher Education institutions (HEIs) to provide an efficient route for non maths graduates in employment to upgrade their subject knowledge and give a smooth transition into teacher training (PGCE). An evaluation of the scheme, measured against Teacher Development Agency (TDA) objectives and success criteria agreed by university staff, involved thematic analysis of focus group discussions and interviews with students and staff during both the MEC and PGCE courses. This has revealed a high level of satisfaction and success related to a number of underlying issues, particularly around student recruitment, curriculum design, peer support and staff collaboration. The model offers an example of practice transferable to a range of programmes aimed at supporting students in the transition between levels and institutions

Using U-Th-Pb petrochronology to determine rates of ductile thrusting: time windows into the Main Central Thrust, Sikkim Himalaya

Quantitative constraints on the rates of tectonic processes underpin our understanding of the mechanisms that form mountains. In the Sikkim Himalaya, late structural doming has revealed time-transgressive evidence of metamorphism and thrusting that permit calculation of the minimum rate of movement on a major ductile fault zone, the Main Central Thrust (MCT), by a novel methodology. U-Th-Pb monazite ages, compositions, and metamorphic pressure-temperature determinations from rocks directly beneath the MCT reveal that samples from ~50 km along the transport direction of the thrust experienced similar prograde, peak, and retrograde metamorphic conditions at different times. In the southern, frontal edge of the thrust zone, the rocks were buried to conditions of ~550°C and 0.8 GPa between ~21 and 18 Ma along the prograde path. Peak metamorphic conditions of ~650°C and 0.8–1.0 GPa were subsequently reached as this footwall material was underplated to the hanging wall at ~17–14 Ma. This same process occurred at analogous metamorphic conditions between ~18–16 Ma and 14.5–13 Ma in the midsection of the thrust zone and between ~13 Ma and 12 Ma in the northern, rear edge of the thrust zone. Northward younging muscovite 40Ar/39Ar ages are consistently ~4 Ma younger than the youngest monazite ages for equivalent samples. By combining the geochronological data with the >50 km minimum distance separating samples along the transport axis, a minimum average thrusting rate of 10 ± 3 mm yr−1 can be calculated. This provides a minimum constraint on the amount of Miocene India-Asia convergence that was accommodated along the MCT

The effect of terminal globular domains on the response of recombinant mini-spidroins to fiber spinning triggers

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2020-02-04, accepted 2020-06-11, registration 2020-06-15, pub-electronic 2020-06-30, online 2020-06-30, collection 2020-12Publication status: PublishedFunder: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100010418; Grant(s): DSTLX1000101893, DSTLX1000101893, DSTLX1000101893, DSTLX1000101893, DSTLX1000101893Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000266; Grant(s): EP/L014904/1Funder: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000268; Grant(s): BB/M017702/1, BB/M017702/1, BB/M017702/1Abstract: Spider silk spidroins consist of long repetitive protein strands, flanked by globular terminal domains. The globular domains are often omitted in recombinant spidroins, but are thought to be essential for the spiders’ natural spinning process. Mimicking this spinning process could be an essential step towards producing strong synthetic spider silk. Here we describe the production of a range of mini-spidroins with both terminal domains, and characterize their response to a number of biomimetic spinning triggers. Our results suggest that mini-spidroins which are able to form protein micelles due to the addition of both terminal domains exhibit shear-thinning, a property which native spidroins also show. Furthermore, our data also suggest that a pH drop alone is insufficient to trigger assembly in a wet-spinning process, and must be combined with salting-out for effective fiber formation. With these insights, we applied these assembly triggers for relatively biomimetic wet spinning. This work adds to the foundation of literature for developing improved biomimetic spinning techniques, which ought to result in synthetic silk that more closely approximates the unique properties of native spider silk

Discrete bands of petroleum hydrocarbons and molecular organic markers identified within massive coral skeletons

The tissues of corals deposit an aragonite exoskeleton beneath their outer living film at a rate dependent on growth and hence on environmental conditions. This typically results in annual (seasonal) bands being formed within colonies. By analysing molecular organic markers within these bands, our research suggests that coral skeletons record contamination from oil and potentially could be used to investigate other anthropogenic and biogenic organic inputs. Our analyses of sections from within corals (Porites lutea) sampled from the Gulf coasts of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia demonstrate discrete bands of oil contamination which, using selected terpenoid biomarkers, can be source-indexed to specific oil fields (i.e. Kuwait, Iranian or Arabian crude oils). Together with dating using microscopic and X-ray inspection, this offers the potential to investigate contamination during recent years. Further research is, however, necessary to elucidate degradation mechanisms during, and following, the occlusion process of organics within coral skeletons

Design and fabrication of recombinant reflectin-based multilayer reflectors: bio-design engineering and photoisomerism induced wavelength modulation

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2020-10-03, accepted 2021-06-18, registration 2021-07-07, pub-electronic 2021-07-16, online 2021-07-16, collection 2021-12Publication status: PublishedFunder: Defence Science and Technology Laboratory; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100010418Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000266; Grant(s): EP/S01778X/1, EP/S01778X/1, EP/S01778X/1Abstract: The remarkable camouflage capabilities of cephalopods have inspired many to develop dynamic optical materials which exploit certain design principles and/or material properties from cephalopod dermal cells. Here, the angle-dependent optical properties of various single-layer reflectin thin-films on Si wafers are characterized within the UV–Vis–NIR regions. Following this, initial efforts to design, fabricate, and optically characterize a bio-inspired reflectin-based multilayer reflector is described, which was found to conserve the optical properties of single layer films but exhibit reduced angle-dependent visible reflectivity. Finally, we report the integration of phytochrome visible light-induced isomerism into reflectin-based films, which was found to subtly modulate reflectin thin-film reflectivity

Lipid phosphate phosphatase-1 regulates lysophosphatidic acid- and platelet-derived-growth-factor-induced cell migration

LPPs (lipid phosphate phosphatases) are members of a family of enzymes that catalyse the dephosphorylation of lipid phosphates. The only known form of regulation of this family of enzymes is via de novo expression of LPP isoforms in response to growth factors. In this respect, we evaluated the effect of moderate increases in the expression of recombinant LPP1 on signal transduction by both G-protein-coupled receptors and receptor tyrosine kinases. We present evidence for a novel role of LPP1 in reducing PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor)- and lysophosphatidic acid-induced migration of embryonic fibroblasts. We demonstrate that the overexpression of LPP1 inhibits cell migration by reducing the PDGF-induced activation of p42/p44 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase). This appears to occur via a mechanism that involves the LPP1-induced down-regulation of typical PKC (protein kinase C) isoform(s), which are normally required for PDGF-induced activation of p42/p44 MAPK and migration. In this regard, DAG (diacylglycerol) levels are high and sustained in cells overexpressing LPP1, suggesting a dynamic interconversion of phosphatidic acid into DAG by LPP1. This may account for the effects of LPP1 on cell migration, as sustained DAG is known to down-regulate PKC isoforms in cells. Therefore the physiological changes in the expression levels of LPP1 might represent a heterologous desensitization mechanism for attenuating PKC-mediated signalling and regulation of cell migration

Prediction of Small for Gestational Age Infants in Healthy Nulliparous Women Using Clinical and Ultrasound Risk Factors Combined with Early Pregnancy Biomarkers

Objective Most small for gestational age pregnancies are unrecognised before birth, resulting in substantial avoidable perinatal mortality and morbidity. Our objective was to develop multivariable prediction models for small for gestational age combining clinical risk factors and biomarkers at 15±1 weeks’ with ultrasound parameters at 20±1 weeks’ gestation. Methods Data from 5606 participants in the Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints (SCOPE) cohort study were divided into Training (n = 3735) and Validation datasets (n = 1871). The primary outcomes were All-SGA (small for gestational age with birthweight <10th customised centile), Normotensive-SGA (small for gestational age with a normotensive mother) and Hypertensive-SGA (small for gestational age with an hypertensive mother). The comparison group comprised women without the respective small for gestational age phenotype. Multivariable analysis was performed using stepwise logistic regression beginning with clinical variables, and subsequent additions of biomarker and then ultrasound (biometry and Doppler) variables. Model performance was assessed in Training and Validation datasets by calculating area under the curve. Results 633 (11.2%) infants were All-SGA, 465(8.2%) Normotensive-SGA and 168 (3%) Hypertensive-SGA. Area under the curve (95% Confidence Intervals) for All-SGA using 15±1 weeks’ clinical variables, 15±1 weeks’ clinical+ biomarker variables and clinical + biomarkers + biometry /Doppler at 20±1 weeks’ were: 0.63 (0.59–0.67), 0.64 (0.60–0.68) and 0.69 (0.66–0.73) respectively in the Validation dataset; Normotensive-SGA results were similar: 0.61 (0.57–0.66), 0.61 (0.56–0.66) and 0.68 (0.64–0.73) with small increases in performance in the Training datasets. Area under the curve (95% Confidence Intervals) for Hypertensive-SGA were: 0.76 (0.70–0.82), 0.80 (0.75–0.86) and 0.84 (0.78–0.89) with minimal change in the Training datasets. Conclusion Models for prediction of small for gestational age, which combine biomarkers, clinical and ultrasound data from a cohort of low-risk nulliparous women achieved modest performance. Incorporation of biomarkers into the models resulted in no improvement in performance of prediction of All-SGA and Normotensive-SGA but a small improvement in prediction of Hypertensive-SGA. Our models currently have insufficient reliability for application in clinical practice however, they have potential utility in two-staged screening tests which include third trimester biomarkers and or fetal biometry

The Renormalization Group and Singular Perturbations: Multiple-Scales, Boundary Layers and Reductive Perturbation Theory

Perturbative renormalization group theory is developed as a unified tool for global asymptotic analysis. With numerous examples, we illustrate its application to ordinary differential equation problems involving multiple scales, boundary layers with technically difficult asymptotic matching, and WKB analysis. In contrast to conventional methods, the renormalization group approach requires neither {\it ad hoc\/} assumptions about the structure of perturbation series nor the use of asymptotic matching. Our renormalization group approach provides approximate solutions which are practically superior to those obtained conventionally, although the latter can be reproduced, if desired, by appropriate expansion of the renormalization group approximant. We show that the renormalization group equation may be interpreted as an amplitude equation, and from this point of view develop reductive perturbation theory for partial differential equations describing spatially-extended systems near bifurcation points, deriving both amplitude equations and the center manifold.Comment: 44 pages, 2 Postscript figures, macro \uiucmac.tex available at macro archives or at ftp://gijoe.mrl.uiuc.edu/pu

Impaired expression of metallothioneins contributes to allergen-induced inflammation in patients with atopic dermatitis

Regulation of cutaneous immunity is severely compromised in inflammatory skin disease. To investigate the molecular crosstalk underpinning tolerance versus inflammation in atopic dermatitis, we utilise a human in vivo allergen challenge study, exposing atopic dermatitis patients to house dust mite. Here we analyse transcriptional programmes at the population and single cell levels in parallel with immunophenotyping of cutaneous immunocytes revealed a distinct dichotomy in atopic dermatitis patient responsiveness to house dust mite challenge. Our study shows that reactivity to house dust mite was associated with high basal levels of TNF-expressing cutaneous Th17 T cells, and documents the presence of hub structures where Langerhans cells and T cells co-localised. Mechanistically, we identify expression of metallothioneins and transcriptional programmes encoding antioxidant defences across all skin cell types, that appear to protect against allergen-induced inflammation. Furthermore, single nucleotide polymorphisms in the MTIX gene are associated with patients who did not react to house dust mite, opening up possibilities for therapeutic interventions modulating metallothionein expression in atopic dermatitis