The role of the corporate mega-firm

Published in December 2016This article discusses the role of the corporate mega-firm in shaping the dreams, aspirations, and ambitions of Australian law students. In sum, I argue that students begin law school with clear social and moral convictions and leave as apolitical, passive enforcers of the law, unable to question the legal rules and principles they have been taught. Instead of pursuing careers in social justice and other areas of public advocacy, students are taught to believe that corporate law and corporate work are the only models of success. In the face of an onslaught of corporate messaging, advertising and media, it is difficult for students to retain a sense of their own moral compass. By the end of their degrees, law students often begin to rationalise a newly market-centric outlook on life, resulting in the loss of a new generation of public advocates to corporate positions.Joshua Kroo

Us vs Them: A Case For Social Empathy

Often we do not test this message as we grow older. Instead we live side by side with strangers, and remain firmly as ever, psychologically miles apart. In this book I attempt to address this problem.Joshua Kroo

Astrophysical thermonuclear functions

As theoretical knowledge and experimental verification of nuclear cross sections increases it becomes possible to refine analytic representations for nuclear reaction rates. In this paper mathematical/statistical techniques for deriving closed-form representations of thermonuclear functions are summarized and numerical results for them are given.The purpose of the paper is also to compare numerical results for approximate and closed-form representations of thermonuclear functions.Comment: 17 pages in LaTeX, 8 figures available on request from [email protected]

Recovery technologies for materials in landfills

Europe hosts more than 500,000 landfills of which 90% are non-sanitary and around 80% essentially contain Urban Solid Waste (https://www.eurelco.org/infographic). Urban landfills (UL) and extractive (mining and metallurgical) industry residues (EIR) are potential sources of materials that, if recovered, can contribute to the circularity of economy. Among other factors, technology plays one essential role in the viability of landfill mining projects (Krook, et al, 2012). The methods for mapping landfills, sampling and characterizing waste, the readiness of technologies, the optimization of technologies and their combination in treatment and recovery schemes, their applicability, costs and environmental impacts effect the valorization of waste from landfills. This report addresses Deliverable 1.1 “Recovery technologies for materials in landfills” developed by Working Group 2 of COST Action “Mining the European Anthroposphere” (MINEA). MINEA aims to quantify and assess the material resources and reserves in the Anthroposphere and consolidate existing knowledge related to the exploration, evaluation, classification and recovery of materials in anthropogenic deposits and waste flows. This report integrates the activities of the MINEA WG2 in the 1st Grant Period (May 2016 to April 2017). The following documents were developed: (1) Literature Review Report on practices and technologies for waste valorization from landfills (Calvo, 2016) and (2) MINEA WG2 Workshop on technologies in the landfill-mining sector, which resulted in an overview on landfill mining projects and on state-of-the-art as well as enhanced recovery technologies (Workshop on “Technologies for material recovery from landfills and mining residues”, Book of abstracts, 2016). This report also profits from the non published report on “Science and technology in enhanced landfill mining” (EURELCO, 2016), which has been developed by the Working Group II of the European Enhanced Landfill Mining Consortium (EURELCO). Both activities examine current practices, knowledge transfer and recovery technologies across European countries, research fields and disciplines. This information is essential to assess the availability of secondary material from landfills and the viability of landfill mining projects in the context of circular economy

Metabolic cycles in primary metabolism of cell suspensions of Daucus carota L. analysed by C-NMR

In the work described in this thesis, uptake and conversion of sugar by cells of batch-grown suspensions of Daucus carota L. were studied. Invasive techniques (measurements of enzyme activities and sugar and starch levels) and non-invasive techniques ( 13C-NMR) were used to follow the pathway of sugar molecules and of certain atoms within these molecules to analyze "futile" cycles between hexoses and sucrose, between hexoses and pentoses using the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP) and between triose and hexose phosphates.The activities of the various metabolic cycles were analyzed in logarithmic phase cells in relation to sugar uptake and storage of carbohydrates and in stationary phase cells in relation to consumption of stored carbohydrates. Plant cell metabolism appeared to excel both in metabolic cycling and in substrate conversions by parallel enzymes catalyzing similar reactions like PP i - and ATP-dependent fructose-6-phosphate phosphotransferase (PFP/PFK) and invertase/sucrose synthase (SUSY).In the logarithmic growth phase sugar metabolism starts with uptake of hexoses, since high levels of cell wall-bound invertase hydrolyse all the external sucrose. It was concluded that at the start of the logarithmic growth phase sugars are present in excess resulting in a fully active glycolytic, respiratory and oxidative pentose phosphate pathway. More ATP and building blocks than necessary for maintenance of the cells give rise to synthesis of new enzymes and precursors necessary for growth. After a few days cells start dividing and enter the logarithmic growth phase. Production of biomass and synthesis of sucrose and starch are coupled processes.Fructose-6-phosphate is synthesized in the cytosol by soluble fructokinase activity, and acts as a substrate for the invertase-mediated sucrose cycle and the triose-hexose phosphate cycle in the cytosol. Via glucose-6-phosphate, a substantial part of the fructose is substrate for synthesis of UDP-glucose necessary for sucrose and cellulose synthesis in the cytosol and apoplast, respectively. Furthermore, glucose-6-phosphate is used in the OPPP-cycle in the cytosol and in the plastids, and for starch synthesis in the plastids. Glucose will be phosphorylated by the mitochondrial-associated hexokinases and supply substrates to the respiratory pathway. Exchange between glucose-6-phosphate in the respiratory "compartment" and structural component "compartment" also occurs, although limited.Due to the high hexose phosphorylating activity, the levels of hexoses are relatively low and the levels of hexose phosphates and UDPG are relatively high in the cytosol; as a result sucrose is synthesized and the sucrose cycle mediated by invertase is active, while the sucrose cycle mediated by SUSY is inactive. Excess sucrose will be taken up into the vacuole, where it is protected from hydrolysis as long as the levels of hexoses are high enough to inhibit acid invertase activity. Cycling of carbon between triose and hexose phosphates was observed by the occurrence of [6- 13C]-labelled sucrose and hexoses after feeding [1- 13C]-glucose or fructose.In the logarithmic growth phase high activity of the OPPP was observed, even when respiration was increased 4-fold by dilution of the cells. Therefore, it is concluded that OPPP activity was not subject to extensive metabolic regulation. It is suggested, that OPPP activity takes place in the cytosol during the whole culture period; the OPPP in the plastids probably was only active in the logarithmic growth phase.As soon as the external supply of carbon is exhausted, cytosolic carbohydrates and, via respiratory control, the resulting ATP decrease. Reverse reactions with respect to stored sucrose and starch occur. In the stationary growth phase, hexose units released from stored sucrose and starch are used in glycolysis to fulfil the demand of substrates for cell maintenance. Both the OPPP activity and the growth rate decline in this period because of the lack of carbon for the production of new cells.If external hexoses are supplied to these cells, low OPPP cycling and high sucrose cycling are observed, indicating that the OPPP activity is down-regulated by coarse control of its enzymes rather than by availability of sugar. Furthermore, (cytosolic) triose-hexose phosphate cycling was observed, which was related to the level of PP i -dependent fructose-6-phosphate phosphotransferase (PFP) which catalyzes the gluconeogenetic reaction from fructose-1,6-bisphosphate into fructose-6-phosphate. Hydrolysis of sucrose by invertase and SUSY in the cytosol and by acid invertase in the vacuole takes place in the stationary growth phase and result in activity of the "cytosolic" and the "vacuolar" sucrose cycles.The above described phenomena imply that plants have multiple ways to control carbon metabolism and carbon partitioning in cells and tissues. "Environmental" conditions in batch cultured cells with respect to humidity and temperature will be rather constant, and changes in availability of nutrients and oxygen will only occur gradually. The meaning of the described high activities of metabolic cycles might thus be redundant under the controlled conditions in the laboratory. However, in field-grown plants these properties might be essential to survive adverse environmental conditions.</p

Obesity-induced insulin resistance in human skeletal muscle is characterised by defective activation of p42/p44 MAP kinase

Insulin resistance (IR), an impaired cellular, tissue and whole body response to insulin, is a major pathophysiological defect of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although IR is closely associated with obesity, the identity of the molecular defect(s) underlying obesity-induced IR in skeletal muscle remains controversial; reduced post-receptor signalling of the insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) adaptor protein and downstream effectors such as protein kinase B (PKB) have previously been implicated. We examined expression and/or activation of a number of components of the insulin-signalling cascade in skeletal muscle of 22 healthy young men (with body mass index (BMI) range, 20–37 kg/m2). Whole body insulin sensitivity (M value) and body composition was determined by the hyperinsulinaemic (40 mU. min−1.m−2.), euglycaemic clamp and by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) respectively. Skeletal muscle (vastus lateralis) biopsies were taken before and after one hour of hyperinsulinaemia and the muscle insulin signalling proteins examined by western blot and immunoprecipitation assay. There was a strong inverse relationship between M-value and BMI. The most striking abnormality was significantly reduced insulin-induced activation of p42/44 MAP kinase, measured by specific assay, in the volunteers with poor insulin sensitivity. However, there was no relationship between individuals' BMI or M-value and protein expression/phosphorylation of IRS1, PKB, or p42/44 MAP kinase protein, under basal or hyperinsulinaemic conditions. In the few individuals with poor insulin sensitivity but preserved p42/44 MAP kinase activation, other signalling defects were evident. These findings implicate defective p42/44 MAP kinase signalling as a potential contributor to obesity-related IR in a non-diabetic population, although clearly multiple signalling defects underlie obesity associated IR

A massive urban symbiosis:A preliminary review of the Urban Mining Pilot Bases Programme in China

Waste recycling helps to establish a circular loop of resource flow between production and consumption, achieving a certain symbiosis between the industrial and urban sector. Since more and more resources are accumulated in the urban sector, urban mining as form of waste recycling in a massive way becomes an outstanding way to achieve industrial and urban symbiosis. In 2010 China initiated a national urban mining pilot base (UMPB) programme with the objective of developing the recycling industry and relieving environmental and resource constrains. This study aims to provide policy review of the programme. We find that the UMPB programme was developed from past circular economy policies and attains legacy assurance from current laws and national plans. But this did not formulate a perfect governance context for its implementation. A multi-ministerial cross-management network led to policy conflicts, and recycling-oriented legislation remained absent. These became the main barriers for the good implementation of those urban mining pilots. Comparing with the eco-town programme in Japan, it shows that both programmes share some similarities of partial policy objectives but also show variety in the scope of urban symbiosis due to the different problems they focus on and the slightly different policy objectives under the different economic and social development phases

Combined prompt gamma activation and neutron diffraction analyses of historic metal objects and limestone samples

Two non-destructive neutron techniques have been used for the analysis of archaeological objects, among them English monumental brass plates, Dutch tin-lead spoons, a Roman leaded bronze fibula and several limestone samples. Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA) is a non-destructive method for determination of the major and trace element compositions of various archaeological materials. Time-Of-Flight Neutron Diffraction (TOF-ND), on the other hand, is a non-invasive diagnostic tool for obtaining structural information from ceramic and metal objects. The element information (PGAA) holds the key information for addressing questions of provenance and authentication, whereas the structure information (TOF-ND) addresses questions of ancient materials and making techniques. Here we present data from those two complementary neutron methods, applied to different types of materials and artefacts, in order to highlight commonalities and differences

Acute Exercise Remodels Promoter Methylation in Human Skeletal Muscle

SummaryDNA methylation is a covalent biochemical modification controlling chromatin structure and gene expression. Exercise elicits gene expression changes that trigger structural and metabolic adaptations in skeletal muscle. We determined whether DNA methylation plays a role in exercise-induced gene expression. Whole genome methylation was decreased in skeletal muscle biopsies obtained from healthy sedentary men and women after acute exercise. Exercise induced a dose-dependent expression of PGC-1α, PDK4, and PPAR-δ, together with a marked hypomethylation on each respective promoter. Similarly, promoter methylation of PGC-1α, PDK4, and PPAR-δ was markedly decreased in mouse soleus muscles 45 min after ex vivo contraction. In L6 myotubes, caffeine exposure induced gene hypomethylation in parallel with an increase in the respective mRNA content. Collectively, our results provide evidence that acute gene activation is associated with a dynamic change in DNA methylation in skeletal muscle and suggest that DNA hypomethylation is an early event in contraction-induced gene activation