Sculpted Bedrock Forms along the Niagara Escarpment, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario

Assemblages of subglacial sculpted bedrock forms (p-forms; Dahl, 1965) are identified on resistant units of the Niagara Escarpment in the Niagara Peninsula, and on the Onondaga Escarpment. The scale of the features is much larger than previously recorded for bedrock glacial features in the Peninsula (Feenstra, 1981) and we suggest that there is a continuous spectrum of forms from small obstacle marks with dimensions of a few centimetres, through ridges and furrows measured in tens of metres, to promontories on the order of kilometres. Such assemblages comprise fluted surfaces with a consistent orientation between N40E and N45E, and which show very little variation within a site. Mapping the features has increased our awareness of their extent, and of the problems they pose for mechanisms proposed to explain them. The morphometry of the forms is similar to that described elsewhere, and the irregular edge of the Niagara Escarpment to oncoming flows is thought to be responsible for the prominent features described. The apparent removal of substantial bedrock blocks implies flow velocity well in excess of 3 m/s. Therefore the sculpting of the forms is attributed to fast flowing subglacial meltwater which may have had a discharge of the magnitude of 2.1 x 106 cumecs.On a identifié des ensembles de formes sous-glaciaires sculptées dans la roche en place (p-forms) dans des unités de roches résistantes de l'escarpement du Niagara et de l'escarpement d'Onondaga. L'échelle de ces formes est beaucoup plus grande que ce qu'on a déjà rapporté sur les formes glaciaires dans la roche en place de l'escarpement (Feenstra, 1981); nous croyons que ces formes existent dans toutes les tailles, à partir des simples marques de quelques centimètres en passant par des crêtes et des entailles décamétriques, jusqu'aux promontoires de l'ordre du kilomètre. De tels ensembles comprennent des surfaces cannelées dont l'orientation préférentielle se situe entre N40E et N45E et qui montre très peu de variation à l'intérieur d'un même site. La cartographie de ces formes a permis de se rendre compte de leur grande étendue et des difficultés de comprendre les mécanismes qui en sont à l'origine. La morphométrie des formes est semblable à ce que l'on a déjà décrit; on croit que la forme irrégulière du rebord qu'oppose l'escarpement du Niagara aux écoulements est responsable pour les formes remarquables décrites. L'enlèvement apparent de gros blocs de roche en place suppose des vitesses d'écoulement de plus de 3 m/s. Conséquemment, la sculpture des formes est attribuée à une eau de fusion sousglaciaire très rapide qui a pu avoir un débit de l'ordre de 2,1 x 10em3/s

Developing a Raman spectroscopy-based tool to stratify patient response to pre-operative radiotherapy in rectal cancer

Rectal cancer patients frequently receive pre-operative radiotherapy (RT), prior to surgical resection. However, colorectal cancer is heterogeneous and the degree of tumour response to pre-operative RT is highly variable. There are currently no clinically approved methods of predicting response to RT, and a significant proportion of patients will show no clinical benefit, despite enduring the side-effects. We evaluated the use of Raman spectroscopy (RS), a non-destructive technique able to provide the unique chemical fingerprint of tissues, as a potential tool to stratify patient response to pre-operative RT. Raman measurements were obtained from the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) pre-treatment biopsy specimens of 20 rectal cancer patients who received pre-operative RT. A principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis algorithm was able to classify patient response to pre-operative RT as good or poor, with an accuracy of 86.04 ± 0.14% (standard error). Patients with a good response to RT showed greater contributions from protein-associated peaks, whereas patients who responded poorly showed greater lipid contributions. These results demonstrate that RS is able to reliably classify tumour response to pre-operative RT from FFPE biopsies and highlights its potential to guide personalised cancer patient treatment

Sex as a strategy against rapidly evolving parasites

Why is sex ubiquitous when asexual reproduction is much less costly? Sex disrupts coadapted gene complexes; it also causes costs associated with mate finding and the production of males who do not themselves bear offspring. Theory predicts parasites select for host sex because genetically variable offspring can escape infection from parasites adapted to infect the previous generations. We examine this using a facultative sexual crustacean, Daphnia magna, and its sterilising bacterial parasite, Pasteuria ramosa. We obtained sexually and asexually produced offspring from wild-caught hosts and exposed them to contemporary parasites or parasites isolated from the same population one year later. We found rapid parasite adaptation to replicate within asexual but not sexual offspring. Moreover, sexually produced offspring were twice as resistant to infection as asexuals when exposed to parasites that had coevolved alongside their parents (i.e., the year 2 parasite). This fulfils the requirement that the benefits of sex must be both large and rapid for sex to be favoured by selection

Recruitment, augmentation and apoptosis of rat osteoclasts in 1,25-(OH)2D3 response to short-term treatment with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3in vivo

Background Although much is known about the regulation of osteoclast (OC) formation and activity, little is known about OC senescence. In particular, the fate of of OC seen after 1,25-(OH)2D3 administration in vivo is unclear. There is evidence that the normal fate of OC is to undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death). We have investigated the effect of short-term application of high dose 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) on OC apoptosis in an experimental rat model. Methods OC recruitment, augmentation and apoptosis was visualised and quantitated by staining histochemically for tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), double staining for TRAP/ED1 or TRAP/DAPI, in situ DNA fragmentation end labelling and histomorphometric analysis. Results Short-term treatment with high-dose 1,25-(OH)2D3 increased the recruitment of OC precursors in the bone marrow resulting in a short-lived increase in OC numbers. This was rapidly followed by an increase in the number of apoptotic OC and their subsequent removal. The response of OC to 1,25-(OH)2D3 treatment was dose and site dependent; higher doses producing stronger, more rapid responses and the response in the tibiae being consistently stronger and more rapid than in the vertebrae. Conclusions This study demonstrates that (1) after recruitment, OC are removed from the resorption site by apoptosis (2) the combined use of TRAP and ED1 can be used to identify OC and their precursors in vivo (3) double staining for TRAP and DAPI or in situ DNA fragmentation end labelling can be used to identify apoptotic OC in vivo

Does employees’ subjective well-being affect workplace performance?

This paper uses linked employer-employee data to investigate the relationship between employees’ subjective well-being and workplace performance in Britain. The analyses show a clear, positive and statistically-significant relationship between the average level of job satisfaction at the workplace and workplace performance. The relationship is present in both cross-sectional and panel analyses and is robust to various estimation methods and model specifications. In contrast, we find no association between levels of job-related affect and workplace performance. Ours is the first study of its kind for Britain to use nationally-representative data and it provides novel findings regarding the importance of worker job satisfaction in explaining workplace performance. The findings suggest that there is a prima facie case for employers to maintain and raise levels of job satisfaction among their employees. They also indicate that initiatives to raise aggregate job satisfaction should feature in policy discussions around how to improve levels of productivity and growth

Constructing Memories of Holmfirth through 'Last of the Summer Wine'

Last of the Summer Wine (BBC, 1973-2010) was filmed in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, UK for 37 years. Its presence in the town has affected collective memories of the space and place of the region. In examining Summer Wine’s continued presence in Holmfirth even after it has ceased production, we investigate how the series as a text, institution and brand serves to spatially inform Holmfirth and construct, embed and inform cultural memory