THE ISOTOPIC SIGNATURE OF THE MINERALIZING FLUID OF THE LAVRION CARBONATE-REPLACEMENT PB-ZN-AG DISTRICT

The Pb-Zn-Ag carbonate-replacement deposits in the Lavrion district are genetically related to a 7- 10 Ma-old granodiorite, felsic dikes and sills. These deposits are hosted in the Upper and Lower marble and schists of the Cyclades Blueschist unit and occur along the major Legraina detachment fault. Carbonate-replacement orebodies occur as “mantos” and veins, dominated by base metal sulfides and Ag, Bi, Sn, Sb, As, and Pb sulfosalts. Calculated carbon and oxygen isotope compositions of the hydrothermal fluid range from δ13CCO2 of -13.7 to 0.8 per mil and δ18OH2O of 4.2 to 27.4 per mil, at 400º, 350º, 320º, 300º, 250º and 200ºC. These isotopic compositions reveal water-torock ratios ranging from 4.8 to 52.6%, which reflect intense interaction of the ore fluid with the host rock in a water-dominated, transitional closed to open hydrothermal system. The range of δ34SH2S for sulfides in the deposits were from -8.5 to 6.8 per mil, for similar temperatures, whereas for barite-fluorite veins from δ34SH2S of -43.6 to -16.4 per mil, at 200º, 150º and 100ºC. This range implies that there was contribution from a magmatic sulfur component exsolved from the Plaka pluton, as well as contribution from a metasedimentary component. Based on the isotopic signature of sulfur for barite, the ranges from -6.7 to -7.6, comprising an increase in the fluid influx. Isotopic temperatures based on pyrite-galena and sphalerite-pyrite pairs revealed at least three major events of carbonate-replacement ore deposition, (i) at ~ 360º, (ii) 320º-280ºand (iii) 260º-200ºC

Values congruence on CSR and its impact on corporate reputation

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is increasingly accepted by decision makers and implemented in businesses, because it is beneficial to an organization’s profit and influence and also the perceptions and commitment of its stakeholders. Therefore, doing CSR is largely related to building a good reputation. Although the individual values of managers is more and more regarded as a driver CSR, and as the congruence between corporate values and employee values is known to impact CSR activities, the link between individual values and Corporate Reputation (CR) is an understudied topic. The purpose of this article is to propose how to investigate this issue in a higher education context. Exploring, a) to what extent university top managers and middle managers values concur in respect of CSR, and b) how this might impact on the CR which is perceived by other stakeholders are its chief focus. The proposed study is to be based on two case study universities, one in the UK and one in China. Both semi-structured interviews and surveys are proposed, representing a mixed methods approach to a complex problem. This study will benefit university top management in its CSR decision making

Mechanical suppression of osteolytic bone metastases in advanced breast cancer patients: A randomised controlled study protocol evaluating safety, feasibility and preliminary efficacy of exercise as a targeted medicine

Background: Skeletal metastases present a major challenge for clinicians, representing an advanced and typically incurable stage of cancer. Bone is also the most common location for metastatic breast carcinoma, with skeletal lesions identified in over 80% of patients with advanced breast cancer. Preclinical models have demonstrated the ability of mechanical stimulation to suppress tumour formation and promote skeletal preservation at bone sites with osteolytic lesions, generating modulatory interference of tumour-driven bone remodelling. Preclinical studies have also demonstrated anti-cancer effects through exercise by minimising tumour hypoxia, normalising tumour vasculature and increasing tumoural blood perfusion. This study proposes to explore the promising role of targeted exercise to suppress tumour growth while concomitantly delivering broader health benefits in patients with advanced breast cancer with osteolytic bone metastases. Methods: This single-blinded, two-armed, randomised and controlled pilot study aims to establish the safety, feasibility and efficacy of an individually tailored, modular multi-modal exercise programme incorporating spinal isometric training (targeted muscle contraction) in 40 women with advanced breast cancer and stable osteolytic spinal metastases. Participants will be randomly assigned to exercise or usual medical care. The intervention arm will receive a 3-month clinically supervised exercise programme, which if proven to be safe and efficacious will be offered to the control-arm patients following study completion. Primary endpoints (programme feasibility, safety, tolerance and adherence) and secondary endpoints (tumour morphology, serum tumour biomarkers, bone metabolism, inflammation, anthropometry, body composition, bone pain, physical function and patient-reported outcomes) will be measured at baseline and following the intervention. Discussion: Exercise medicine may positively alter tumour biology through numerous mechanical and nonmechanical mechanisms. This randomised controlled pilot trial will explore the preliminary effects of targeted exercise on tumour morphology and circulating metastatic tumour biomarkers using an osteolytic skeletal metastases model in patients with breast cancer. The study is principally aimed at establishing feasibility and safety. If proven to be safe and feasible, results from this study could have important implications for the delivery of this exercise programme to patients with advanced cancer and sclerotic skeletal metastases or with skeletal lesions present in haematological cancers (such as osteolytic lesions in multiple myeloma), for which future research is recommended. Trial registration: anzctr.org.au, ACTRN-12616001368426. Registered on 4 October 2016

New technologies of representation, collaborative autoethnographies and ‘taking it public’: An example from ‘Facilitating Communication on Sexual Topics in Education’

New technologies for representing and communicating autoethnographies make it possible to be publically visible in new and interesting ways that weren’t possible prior to the digital revolution. An important ingredient in this process is the internet platforms that can make the digitisation of performances accessible across the world, even for short, modest creations from less experienced digital storytellers and film makers. As an illustration of the potential applications of digital technologies for ‘taking’ autoethnographic research to the ‘public,’ and making our research accessible to a wider audience we share ‘Reverberations,’ a collaborative autoethnography exploring bullying, homophobia, and other types of sexual harassment and associated feelings of shame, embarrassment and fear which often surround these topics

Does exercise impact gut microbiota composition in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer? A single-blinded, two-armed randomised controlled trial

Introduction: A potential link exists between prostate cancer (PCa) disease and treatment and increased inflammatory levels from gut dysbiosis. This study aims to examine if exercise favourably alters gut microbiota in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for PCa. Specifically, this study will explore whether: (1) exercise improves the composition of gut microbiota and increases the abundance of bacteria associated with health promotion and (2) whether gut health correlates with favourable inflammatory status, bowel function, continence and nausea among patients participating in the exercise intervention. Methods and analysis: A single-blinded, two-armed, randomised controlled trial will explore the influence of a 3-month exercise programme (3 days/week) for men with high-risk localised PCa receiving ADT. Sixty patients will be randomly assigned to either exercise intervention or usual care. The primary endpoint (gut health and function assessed via feacal samples) and secondary endpoints (self-reported quality of life via standardised questionnaires, blood biomarkers, body composition and physical fitness) will be measured at baseline and following the intervention. A variety of statistical methods will be used to understand the covariance between microbial diversity and metabolomics profile across time and intervention. An intention-to-treat approach will be utilised for the analyses with multiple imputations followed by a secondary sensitivity analysis to ensure data robustness using a complete cases approach. Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committee of Edith Cowan University (ID: 19827 NEWTON). Findings will be reported in peer-reviewed publications and scientific conferences in addition to working with national support groups to translate findings for the broader community. If exercise is shown to result in favourable changes in gut microbial diversity, composition and metabolic profile, and reduce gastrointestinal complications in PCa patients receiving ADT, this study will form the basis of a future phase III trial. Trial registration number: ANZCTR12618000280202

Effect of paper quality on the response rate to a postal survey: A randomised controlled trial. [ISRCTN32032031]

BACKGROUND: Response rates to surveys are declining and this threatens the validity and generalisability of their findings. We wanted to determine whether paper quality influences the response rate to postal surveys METHODS: A postal questionnaire was sent to all members of the British Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE). Recipients were randomised to receiving the questionnaire printed on standard quality paper or high quality paper. RESULTS: The response rate for the recipients of high quality paper was 43/195 (22%) and 57/194 (29%) for standard quality paper (relative rate of response 0.75, 95% CI 0.33–1.05, p = 0.1 CONCLUSION: The use of high quality paper did not increase response rates to a questionnaire survey of gynaecologists affiliated to an endoscopic society

Exercise Preserves Physical Function in Prostate Cancer Patients with Bone Metastases

The presence of bone metastases has excluded participation of cancer patients in exercise interventions and is a relative contraindication to supervised exercise in the community setting due to concerns of fragility fracture. We examined the efficacy and safety of a modular multi-modal exercise program in prostate cancer patients with bone metastases.Between 2012 and 2015, 57 prostate cancer patients (70.0±8.4 years; BMI 28.7±4.0 kg/m) with bone metastases (pelvis 75.4%, femur 40.4%, rib/thoracic spine 66.7%, lumbar spine 43.9%, humerus 24.6%, other sites 70.2%) were randomised to multi-modal supervised aerobic, resistance and flexibility exercises undertaken thrice weekly (EX, n=28) or usual care (CON, n=29) for 3 months. Physical function subscale of the SF-36 was the primary endpoint as an indicator of patient-rated physical functioning. Secondary endpoints included objective measures of physical function, lower body muscle strength, body composition and fatigue. Safety was assessed by recording the incidence and severity of any adverse events, skeletal complications, and bone pain throughout the intervention.There was a significant difference between groups for self-reported physical functioning (3.2 points, 95% CI 0.4-6.0 points; p=0.028) and lower body muscle strength (6.6 kg, 95% CI 0.6-12.7; p =0.033) at 3 months favouring EX. However, there was no difference between groups for lean mass (p=0.584), fat mass (p=0.598), or fatigue (p=0.964). There were no exercise-related adverse events or skeletal fractures and no differences in bone pain between EX and CON (p=0.507).Multi-modal modular exercise in prostate cancer patients with bone metastases led to self-reported improvements in physical function and objectively measured lower body muscle strength with no skeletal complications or increased bone pain.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal

Recent Results from Epitaxial Growth on Step Free 4H-SiC Mesas

This paper updates recent progress made in growth, characterization, and understanding of high quality homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial films grown on step-free 4H-SiC mesas. First, we report initial achievement of step-free 4H-SiC surfaces with carbon-face surface polarity. Next, we will describe further observations of how step-free 4H-SiC thin lateral cantilever evolution is significantly impacted by crystal faceting behavior that imposes non-uniform film thickness on cantilever undersides. Finally, recent investigations of in-plane lattice constant mismatch strain relief mechanisms observed for heteroepitaxial growth of 3C-SiC as well as 2H-AlN/GaN heterofilms on step-free 4H-SiC mesas will be reviewed. In both cases, the complete elimination of atomic heterointerface steps on the mesa structure enables uniquely well-ordered misfit dislocation arrays to form near the heterointerfaces with remarkable lack of dislocations threading vertically into the heteroepilayers. In the case of 3C-SiC heterofilms, it has been proposed that dislocation half-loops nucleate at mesa edges and glide laterally along the step-free 3C/4H interfaces. In contrast, 3C-SiC and 2H-AlN/GaN heterofilms grown on 4H-SiC mesas with steps exhibit highly disordered interface misfit dislocation structure coupled with 100X greater density of dislocations threading through the thickness of the heteroepilayers. These results indicate that the presence of steps at the heteroepitaxial interface (i.e., on the initial heteroepitaxial nucleation surface) plays a highly important role in the defect structure, quality, and relaxation mechanisms of single-crystal heteroepitaxial films