International Regulation of Marine Pollution from Land-Based Sources

Most of the waste products of human society end up in the oceans and the number and quantities of pollutants entering the oceans have been increasing at exponential rates. Recognition of these trends has resulted in expansion of international environmental attention to include sources of marine pollution other than vessels. Source, in this sense, refers to the pathway through which pollutants reach the sea. Land-based sources accounts for the vast bulk of the pollutants reaching the oceans. Effective protection of the marine environment, therefore, must include regulation of land-based sources of marine pollution

The Role of Occult Amyloid in the Elderly with Aortic Stenosis

Aortic stenosis (AS) is common in the elderly. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is increasingly being used to treat patients with symptomatic, severe AS. Another disease that is common in the elderly is cardiac amyloidosis, which can now be diagnosed non-invasively using bone scintigraphy. Cardiac computed tomography (CT) can also detect elevations in myocardial extracellular volume (ECV) associated with amyloid deposition. The prevalence and clinical impact of dual AS-amyloid pathology in the elderly TAVI population is not yet known. I aimed to confirm the prevalence of occult cardiac amyloidosis in patients referred for TAVI and the clinical impact it may have (procedural complications, symptom response and mortality). I also sought to explore the role of ECV quantification by CT (ECVCT), as well as quantification techniques for 99mTc-labelled-3,3-diphosphono1,2-propanodicarboxylic acid (DPD) scintigraphy. AS-amyloid was present in 1 in 8 elderly patients referred for TAVI. It was not associated with a higher periprocedural complication rate or mortality, although further larger studies are needed to verify these findings. Patients with AS-amyloid derived significant mortality benefit from TAVI compared to medical therapy, so patients should not be declined TAVI on the basis of dual pathology alone. ASamyloid is different from lone AS, however may also be distinct from isolated cardiac amyloidosis. Furthermore, there may be an interaction between the AS-primed myocardium and amyloid, which needs further exploration. ECVCT can be used to detect AS-amyloid and may offer a simple screening tool for co-existent cardiac amyloidosis in patients already undergoing CT. Importantly, this parameter also tracks mortality in patients with lone AS, which is the first time this has been demonstrated. Finally, I validated single photon emission tomography (SPECT)/CT quantification of bone scintigraphy as a means of quantifying amyloid burden and of improving diagnostic accuracy. For centres not performing SPECT/CT, heart/contralateral lung planar quantification is a viable alternative. These techniques may provide a means of monitoring response to novel amyloid-specific therapies

Recommendations for management and research on the fishery of Lake Victoria

This report is based on our experience with the Lake Victoria fishery from 1973 to 1975 while working at the E.A.F.F.R.O. substations in Kisumu and Mwanza. We shall first present management recommendations on three major topics: the on-going inshore artisanal fishery, the proposed offshore trawl fishery, and the possibility of cage culture. These will be followed by specific recommendations for research

The public legitimacy of the National Assembly for Wales

This article examines the public legitimacy of the National Assembly for Wales. Both the Assembly and the broader system of devolved government for Wales initially enjoyed very limited public support. It is shown that support for devolution in general has risen substantially, while some elements of public attitudes towards the Assembly itself now appear distinctly positive. However, it is also demonstrated that public legitimacy, defined as ‘diffuse support’ for the Assembly, remains limited. The article then examines what factors explain levels of diffuse support for the National Assembly. It is found that variation in such support is best accounted for by factors associated with ‘non-material consequentialism’: perceptions of the impact of the Assembly on the process of government. The conclusion assesses the implications of the findings for the National Assembly, as well as for the study of devolutio

Structural Analysis of the Female Reptile Reproductive System by Micro-Computed Tomography and Optical Coherence Tomography†

Volumetric data provide unprecedented structural insight to the reproductive tract and add vital anatomical context to the relationships between organs. The morphology of the female reproductive tract in non-avian reptiles varies between species, corresponding to a broad range of reproductive modes and providing valuable insight to comparative investigations of reproductive anatomy. However, reproductive studies in reptilian models, such as the brown anole studied here, have historically relied on histological methods to understand the anatomy. While these methods are highly effective for characterizing the cell types present in each organ, histological methods lose the 3D relationships between images and leave the architecture of the organ system poorly understood. We present the first comprehensive volumetric analyses of the female brown anole reproductive tract using two non-invasive, non-destructive imaging modalities: micro-computed tomography (microCT) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Both are specialized imaging technologies that facilitate high-throughput imaging and preserve three-dimensional information. This study represents the first time that microCT has been used to study all reproductive organs in this species and the very first time that OCT has been applied to this species. We show how the non-destructive volumetric imaging provided by each modality reveals anatomical context including orientation and relationships between reproductive organs of the anole lizard. In addition to broad patterns of morphology, both imaging modalities provide the high resolution necessary to capture details and key anatomical features of each organ. We demonstrate that classic histological features can be appreciated within whole-organ architecture in volumetric imaging using microCT and OCT, providing the complementary information necessary to understand the relationships between tissues and organs in the reproductive system. This side-by-side imaging analysis using microCT and OCT allows us to evaluate the specific advantages and limitations of these two methods for the female reptile reproductive system

NASA-UVA Light Aerospace Alloy and Structures Technology Program: LA(2)ST

The NASA-UVA Light Aerospace Alloy and Structures Technology (LA(2)ST) Program continues a high level of activity, with projects being conducted by graduate students and faculty advisors in the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering, Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia. This work is funded by the NASA-Langley Research Center under Grant NAG-1-745. We report on progress achieved between July 1 and December 31, 1992. The objective of the LA(2)ST Program is to conduct interdisciplinary graduate student research on the performance of next generation, light weight aerospace alloys, composites and thermal gradient structures in collaboration with NASA-Langley researchers. Specific technical objectives are presented for each research project. We generally aim to produce relevant data and basic understanding of material mechanical response, corrosion behavior, and microstructure; new monolithic and composite alloys; advanced processing methods; new solid and fluid mechanics analyses; measurement advances; and critically, a pool of educated graduate students for aerospace technologies

Brexit is on: Britain votes to leave the EU – experts respond

First paragraph: The United Kingdom has voted in a referendum to leave the European Union. It is a result which will have dramatic implications for the future of the global economy, international relations and the European continent. The UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, has given notice of his intention to resign. Here, leading experts offering explanations and opinions on what is an unprecedented geopolitical and economic situation. This article will update through the day. Access this article on The Conversation website: https://theconversation.com/brexit-is-on-britain-votes-to-leave-the-eu-experts-respond-6157