Pseudomonas as Causative Agents of Fluorescence in Anguispira kochi (Pfeiffer) Mucus

The mucus from land snail specimens of Anguispira kochi collected from Coles and Edgar counties, Illinois, emits a blue fluorescence when exposed to ultra-violet light. Pseudomonas, a genus of bacteria which produces fluorescent pigments, has been isolated from the mucus of these snails. The object of the study was to compare the fluorescence of the mucus from individuals of A. kochi with the fluorescence of the pigments produced on a synthetic medium by pseudomonads isolated from the mucus of these snails. An effort was made to establish that Pseudomonas is the causative agent of fluorescence in the mucus of A. kochi by comparing the physical character and the spectrophotometric records of the two substances. The pigment produced by these bacteria and the fluorescent substance in the mucus were identical in regard to dialysis, withstanding high temperatures, and solubility in the 18 solvents used. Differences in fluorescent color were explained experimentally. The absorption curve of the bacterial pigment (maxima at about 265 and 400 nm) was similar to that of the A. kochi mucus (maxima at about 265 and 385 nm). The results from the study indicate that Pseudomonas is the causative agent of the fluorescence in the mucus of A. kochi. It is plausible that the mucus of these snails contains the appropriate nutritional requirements which allow the bacterial to produce diffusible pigments that fluoresce under ultra-violet light

Artificial photosynthesis: semiconductor photocatalytic fixation of CO_2 to afford higher organic compounds

Carbon dioxide is an appealing renewable feedstock for industrial chemical processes. This does not mean, however, that all chemical processes using CO_2 are environmentally-friendly. Perspectives on the sustainability of CO_2 utilization and artificial photosynthesis are provided. The discussions focus on the photocatalytic production of C_x (x ≥ 2) compounds, where all the carbon in the products is derived from CO_2. This area of research, while promising, has received far less attention than analogous systems leading to C_1 products

Health promotion in Australian multi-disciplinary primary health care services: case studies from South Australia and the Northern Territory

This paper reports on the health promotion and disease prevention conducted at Australian multi-disciplinary primary health care (PHC) services and considers the ways in which the organizational environment affects the extent and type of health promotion and disease prevention activity. The study involves five PHC services in Adelaide and one in Alice Springs. Four are managed by a state health department and two by boards of governance. The study is based on an audit of activities and on 68 interviews conducted with staff. All the sites undertake health promotion and recognize its importance but all report that this activity is under constant pressure resulting from the need to provide services to people who have health problems. We also found an increased focus on chronic disease management and prevention which prioritized individuals and behavioural change strategies rather than addressing social determinants affecting whole communities. There was little health promotion work that reflected a salutogenic approach to the creation of health. Most activity falls under three types: parenting and child development, chronic disease prevention and mental health. Only the non-government organizations reported advocacy on broader policy issues. Health reform and consequent reorganizations were seen to reduce the ability of some services to undertake health promotion. The paper concludes that PHC in Australia plays an important role in disease prevention, but that there is considerable scope to increase the amount of community-based health promotion which focuses on a salutogenic view of health and which engages in community partnerships.This work was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (grant number 535041), an Australian Research Council Federation Fellowship (to F.B.) and the Canada Research Chair program (to R.L.)

Search for a Solution of the Pioneer Anomaly

In 1972 and 1973 the Pioneer 10 and 11 missions were launched. They were the first to explore the outer solar system and achieved stunning breakthroughs in deep-space exploration. But beginning in about 1980 an unmodeled force of \sim 8 \times 10^{-8} cm/s^2, directed approximately towards the Sun, appeared in the tracking data. It later was unambiguously verified as being in the data and not an artifact. The cause remains unknown (although radiant heat remains a likely origin). With time more and more effort has gone into understanding this anomaly (and also possibly related effects). We review the situation and describe ongoing programs to resolve the issue.Comment: 24 pages 8 figure

Reading Across Cultures: Global Narratives, Hotels and Railway Stations

This is the final version of the article. Available from Springer Verlag via the DOI in this record.This article takes its cue from the English critic, novelist and painter John Berger. He argues that what we know determines what we see. Hotels and railway stations, though they differ in size, design and appearance, are places of temporary national and international congress that are recognized by everyone. They become visible or even iconic once their history or their role is turned into at least part of a wider narrative—in literature, film or in other arts. This provides a representative focus by which we may read a city’s or a nation’s past. In exemplifying such connections I focus first on the long-term history of Friedrichstraße station and some of the surrounding hotels in the context of the history of Berlin, situating them within the national and, by implication, also the international context. Secondly, I will consider the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 as an event in which the role of railway stations generated both personal and collective memories across cultures and over several decades

Parsimony versus reductionism: how can crowd psychology be introduced into computer simulation?

Computer simulations are increasingly being used to predict the behaviour of crowds. However, the models used are mainly based on video observations, not an understanding of human decision making. Theories of crowd psychology can elucidate the factors underpinning collective behaviour in human crowds. Yet, in contrast to psychology, computer science must rely upon mathematical formulations in order to implement algorithms and keep models manageable. Here we address the problems and possible solutions encountered when incorporating social psychological theories of collective behaviour in computer modelling. We identify that one primary issue is retaining parsimony in a model whilst avoiding reductionism by excluding necessary aspects of crowd psychology, such as the behaviour of groups. We propose cognitive heuristics as a potential avenue to create a parsimonious model that incorporates core concepts of collective behaviour derived from empirical research in crowd psychology

First Sample of Hα\alpha+[O III] λ\lambda5007 Line Emitters at z>6z > 6 through JWST/NIRCam Slitless Spectroscopy: Physical Properties and Line Luminosity Functions

We present a sample of four emission-line galaxies at $z=6.11-6.35$ that were serendipitously discovered using the commissioning data for the JWST/NIRCam wide-field slitless spectroscopy (WFSS) mode. One of them (at $z=6.11$) has been reported previously while the others are new discoveries. These sources are selected by the secure detections of both [O III] $\lambda$5007 and H$\alpha$ lines with other fainter lines tentatively detected in some cases (e.g., [O II] $\lambda$3727, [O III] $\lambda$4959 and [N II] $\lambda$6583). In the [O III]/H$\beta$ - [N II]/H$\alpha$ Baldwin-Phillips-Terlevich diagram, these galaxies occupy the same parameter space as that of $z\sim2$ star-forming galaxies, indicating that they have been enriched rapidly to sub-solar metallicities ($\sim$0.6 $Z_{\odot}$), similar to galaxies with comparable stellar masses at much lower redshifts. The detection of strong H$\alpha$ lines suggests a higher ionizing photon production efficiency within galaxies in the early Universe. We find brightening of the [O III] $\lambda$5007 line luminosity function (LF) from $z=3$ to 6, and no or weak redshift evolution of the H$\alpha$ line LF from $z=2$ to 6. Both LFs are under-predicted at $z\sim6$ by a factor of $\sim$10 in certain cosmological simulations. This further indicates a global Ly$\alpha$ photon escape fraction of 5-7% at $z\sim6$, much lower than previous estimates through the comparison of the UV-derived star-formation rate density and Ly$\alpha$ luminosity density. Our sample recovers $88^{+164}_{-57}$% of $z=6.0-6.6$ galaxies in the survey volume with stellar masses greater than $5\times10^8$ $M_{\odot}$, suggesting the ubiquity of strong H$\alpha$ and [O III] line emitters in the Epoch of Reionization, which will be further uncovered in the era of JWST.Comment: 25 pages, 11 figures, submitted to Ap

Effect of natalizumab on disease progression in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (ASCEND). a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with an open-label extension

Background: Although several disease-modifying treatments are available for relapsing multiple sclerosis, treatment effects have been more modest in progressive multiple sclerosis and have been observed particularly in actively relapsing subgroups or those with lesion activity on imaging. We sought to assess whether natalizumab slows disease progression in secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, independent of relapses. Methods: ASCEND was a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (part 1) with an optional 2 year open-label extension (part 2). Enrolled patients aged 18–58 years were natalizumab-naive and had secondary progressive multiple sclerosis for 2 years or more, disability progression unrelated to relapses in the previous year, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores of 3·0–6·5. In part 1, patients from 163 sites in 17 countries were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 300 mg intravenous natalizumab or placebo every 4 weeks for 2 years. Patients were stratified by site and by EDSS score (3·0–5·5 vs 6·0–6·5). Patients completing part 1 could enrol in part 2, in which all patients received natalizumab every 4 weeks until the end of the study. Throughout both parts, patients and staff were masked to the treatment received in part 1. The primary outcome in part 1 was the proportion of patients with sustained disability progression, assessed by one or more of three measures: the EDSS, Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW), and 9-Hole Peg Test (9HPT). The primary outcome in part 2 was the incidence of adverse events and serious adverse events. Efficacy and safety analyses were done in the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01416181. Findings: Between Sept 13, 2011, and July 16, 2015, 889 patients were randomly assigned (n=440 to the natalizumab group, n=449 to the placebo group). In part 1, 195 (44%) of 439 natalizumab-treated patients and 214 (48%) of 448 placebo-treated patients had confirmed disability progression (odds ratio [OR] 0·86; 95% CI 0·66–1·13; p=0·287). No treatment effect was observed on the EDSS (OR 1·06, 95% CI 0·74–1·53; nominal p=0·753) or the T25FW (0·98, 0·74–1·30; nominal p=0·914) components of the primary outcome. However, natalizumab treatment reduced 9HPT progression (OR 0·56, 95% CI 0·40–0·80; nominal p=0·001). In part 1, 100 (22%) placebo-treated and 90 (20%) natalizumab-treated patients had serious adverse events. In part 2, 291 natalizumab-continuing patients and 274 natalizumab-naive patients received natalizumab (median follow-up 160 weeks [range 108–221]). Serious adverse events occurred in 39 (13%) patients continuing natalizumab and in 24 (9%) patients initiating natalizumab. Two deaths occurred in part 1, neither of which was considered related to study treatment. No progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy occurred. Interpretation: Natalizumab treatment for secondary progressive multiple sclerosis did not reduce progression on the primary multicomponent disability endpoint in part 1, but it did reduce progression on its upper-limb component. Longer-term trials are needed to assess whether treatment of secondary progressive multiple sclerosis might produce benefits on additional disability components. Funding: Biogen