Regulating the disclosure of chemical additives in the hydraulic fracturing process: a comparative analysis between Canadian and South African Law

Broadly defined, hydraulic fracturing is a stimulation technique used in the oil and gas industry to create additional permeability through creating fractures in an unconventional gas reservoir. Desktop estimates predict that shale deposits beneath the semi-desert Karoo region in South Africa could hold a reserve of up to 450 trillion cubic feet. After initially imposing a moratorium on fracturing throughout South Africa, the South African government has recently changed track and is now intent on pursuing hydraulic fracturing and shale gas extraction in the Karoo. Arguably one of the main concerns with regards to hydraulic fracturing in the water scarce Karoo is that the fluids used to fracture rock formations can contain chemical additives that could contaminate scarce water resources and pose a risk to human health. In order to be in a better position to protect the environment and their health, members of the public need access to information on what chemical additives are used in fracturing operations. South Africa's access to information regime is primarily regulated in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 which gives effect to the right to access to information in section 32 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. There is no guarantee that information on chemical additives will be disclosed or withheld as the Act allows companies to withhold information for a number of reasons, including that the information may constitute a trade secret or confidential commercial or technical information. In June 2015 South Africa adopted the Final Regulations for petroleum exploration and exploitation in terms of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002. The Final Regulations include specific provisions on disclosure on chemical additives. However, the Final Regulations are riddled with uncertainty and loopholes that may seriously impede their ability to protect water resources from the chemical additives contained in fracturing fluids. As currently framed it is unclear whether or not information on chemical additives must be publically disclosed. Some lessons can be learned from regulatory experience in Canada in Alberta and British Columbia, for example the public disclosure of chemical additives on the website www.fracfocus.ca. However, a number of loopholes have undermined the effectiveness of regulation in Canada. The most prominent loophole is the fact that companies frequently withhold information on the chemicals they use on the basis that this information is a trade secret. The dissertation concludes that it cannot be said that South Africa's laws that regulate the disclosure of chemical additives will guarantee that fracturing will occur in a manner that is constituent with the right to an environment that is not detrimental to a person's health and wellbeing

Tuberculosis diagnosis cascade in Blantyre, Malawi : a prospective cohort study

Wellcome Trust. PM is funded by Wellcome (206575/Z/17/Z). ELC is funded by Wellcome (200901/Z/16/Z). ELW received salary funding from the UK Medical Research Council (grant number MR/K012126/1), this award is jointly funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID) under the MRC/DFID Concordat agreement and is also part of the EDCTP2 programme supported by the European Union.Background Tuberculosis (TB) control relies on early diagnosis and treatment. International guidelines recommend systematic TB screening at health facilities, but implementation is challenging. We investigated completion of recommended TB screening steps in Blantyre, Malawi. Methods A prospective cohort recruited adult outpatients attending Bangwe primary clinic. Entry interviews were linked to exit interviews. The proportion of participants progressing through each step of the diagnostic pathway were estimated. Factors associated with request for sputum were investigated using multivariable logistic regression. Results Of 5442 clinic attendances 2397 (44%) had exit interviews. In clinically indicated participants (n = 445) 256 (57.5%) were asked about cough, 36 (8.1%) were asked for sputum, 21 (4.7%) gave sputum and 1 (0.2%) received same-day results. Significant associations with request for sputum were: any TB symptom (aOR:3.20, 95%CI:2.02–5.06), increasing age (aOR:1.02, 95%CI:1.01–1.04 per year) and for HIV-negative participants only, a history of previous TB (aOR:3.37, 95%CI:1.45–7.81). Numbers requiring sputum tests (26/day) outnumbered diagnostic capacity (8–12/day). Conclusions Patients were lost at every stage of the TB care cascade, with same day sputum submission following all steps of the diagnosis cascade achieved in only 4.7% if clinically indicated. Infection control strategies should be implemented, with reporting on early steps of the TB care cascade formalised. High-throughput screening interventions, such as digital CXR, that can achieve same-day TB diagnosis are urgently needed to meet WHO End TB goals.Peer reviewe

The effectiveness of early lens extraction with intraocular lens implantation for the treatment of primary angle-closure glaucoma (EAGLE) : study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

A metabolite-derived protein modification integrates glycolysis with KEAP1-NRF2 signalling.

Mechanisms that integrate the metabolic state of a cell with regulatory pathways are necessary to maintain cellular homeostasis. Endogenous, intrinsically reactive metabolites can form functional, covalent modifications on proteins without the aid of enzymes1,2, and regulate cellular functions such as metabolism3-5 and transcription6. An important 'sensor' protein that captures specific metabolic information and transforms it into an appropriate response is KEAP1, which contains reactive cysteine residues that collectively act as an electrophile sensor tuned to respond to reactive species resulting from endogenous and xenobiotic molecules. Covalent modification of KEAP1 results in reduced ubiquitination and the accumulation of NRF27,8, which then initiates the transcription of cytoprotective genes at antioxidant-response element loci. Here we identify a small-molecule inhibitor of the glycolytic enzyme PGK1, and reveal a direct link between glycolysis and NRF2 signalling. Inhibition of PGK1 results in accumulation of the reactive metabolite methylglyoxal, which selectively modifies KEAP1 to form a methylimidazole crosslink between proximal cysteine and arginine residues (MICA). This posttranslational modification results in the dimerization of KEAP1, the accumulation of NRF2 and activation of the NRF2 transcriptional program. These results demonstrate the existence of direct inter-pathway communication between glycolysis and the KEAP1-NRF2 transcriptional axis, provide insight into the metabolic regulation of the cellular stress response, and suggest a therapeutic strategy for controlling the cytoprotective antioxidant response in several human diseases

Sustainability in CALL Learning Environments: A Systemic Functional Grammar Approach

[EN] This research aims to define a sustainable resource in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL). In order for a CALL resource to be sustainable it must work within existing educational curricula. This feature is a necessary prerequisite of sustainability because, despite the potential for educational change that digitalization has offered since the nineteen nineties, curricula in traditional educational institutions have not fundamentally changed, even as we move from a pre-digital society towards a digital society. Curricula have failed to incorporate CALL resources because no agreed-upon pedagogical language enables teachers to discuss CALL classroom practices. Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) can help to provide this language and bridge the gap between the needs of the curriculum and the potentiality of CALL-based resources. This paper will outline how SFG principles can be used to create a pedagogical language for CALL and it will give practical examples of how this language can be used to create sustainable resources in classroom contexts.Mcdonald, P. (2014). Sustainability in CALL Learning Environments: A Systemic Functional Grammar Approach. The EuroCALL Review. 22(2):3-18. doi:10.4995/eurocall.2014.3631.SWORD318222Collins, A. & Halverson, R. (2009). Rethinking education in the age of technology. Columbia: Teachers College.Cuban, L. (2001). Oversold and underused: computers in the classroom. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.DeVoss, D.N., Eidman-Aadahl, E., & Hicks, T. (2010). Because Digital Writing Matters. CA: John Wiley & Sons.Fries, P.H. (1994). On Theme Rheme and Discourse Goals. In M. Coulthard (ed.). Advances in Written Text Analysis. (pp. 229- 249). New York: Routledge.Gee, Paul, (2011). Reflections On Empirical Evidence On Games and Learning. In T.Sigmund & J.D. Flechter (Eds.), Computer Games and Instruction. (pp. 223-232). Charlotte NC: Information Age PublishingHagood, M. (2008). Intersections of Popular Culture, Identities, and New Literacies. In J. Coiro et al (eds). Handbook of Research into New Literacies. (pp. 377-407). New York: Erlbaum.Halliday, M.A.K. & Matthiessen, C.M.I.M. (2004). An Introduction to Functional Grammar. London: Hodder and Arnold.Hoey, M. (2001). Textual Interaction. Oxon: Routledge.Kennedy, C. (2013). Models Of Change and Innovation. In K. Hyland & C. Wong (Eds.), Innovation and Change In English Language Education. (pp. 13-27). Oxen:Routledge.Kress, G. (2003). LITERACY IN THE NEW MEDIA AGE. doi:10.4324/9780203164754Kress, G. & Van Leeuwen, T. (2006). Reading Images. London: Routledge.Liu, J. (2004). Effects of Comic Strips on L2 Learners’ Reading Comprehension. TESOL Quarterly, 38(2), 225. doi:10.2307/3588379Luke, C. (2001). Connectivity, Multimodality and Interdisciplinarity. In Reading Research Quarterly, Vol.38, No.3, 397-403.Tim Marchand. (2013). Speech in written form? A corpus analysis of computer-mediated communication. Linguistic Research, 30(2), 217-242. doi:10.17250/khisli.30.2.201308.004McCloud. S. (1994). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. New York: Harper Collins.Mc Donald, J. Haward, J. Dobbin, N. Erskine, G. (2008). Macbeth: The Graphic Novel. Bristol: Classical Comics Ltd.Miller, C.H. (2004). Digital Storytelling. Oxford: Elsevier.Unsworth, L. (2008). Multiliteracies and Metalanguage: Describing Image Text Relations as a Resource for Negotiating Multimodal Texts. In J. Coiro et al. (eds). Handbook of Research into New Literacies. (pp. 377-407). New York: Erlbaum.Royce, T. (2002). Multimodality in the TESOL Classroom: Exploring Visual-Verbal Synergy. TESOL Quarterly, 36(2), 191. doi:10.2307/3588330Rutherford, W. E. (1987). Second Language Grammar and Teaching. New York: Pearson Education.Stempleski, S. (2013). World Link: Developing English Fluency. Singapore: CengageStenglin, M. and Iedema, R. (2001). How to Analyse Visual Images: A Guide for TESOL Teachers. In A. Burns. & C. Coffin. Analyzing English in a Global Context. (pp.194-208) London: Routledge.Selfe, C.L. (2007). Multi-Modal Composition. NJ: Hampton Press

Multiplex Detection and SNP Genotyping in a Single Fluorescence Channel

Probe-based PCR is widely used for SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) genotyping and pathogen nucleic acid detection due to its simplicity, sensitivity and cost-effectiveness. However, the multiplex capability of hydrolysis probe-based PCR is normally limited to one target (pathogen or allele) per fluorescence channel. Current fluorescence PCR machines typically have 4–6 channels. We present a strategy permitting the multiplex detection of multiple targets in a single detection channel. The technique is named Multiplex Probe Amplification (MPA). Polymorphisms of the CYP2C9 gene (cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily C, polypeptide 9, CYP2C9*2) and human papillomavirus sequences HPV16, 18, 31, 52 and 59 were chosen as model targets for testing MPA. The allele status of the CYP2C9*2 determined by MPA was entirely concordant with the reference TaqMan® SNP Genotyping Assays. The four HPV strain sequences could be independently detected in a single fluorescence detection channel. The results validate the multiplex capacity, the simplicity and accuracy of MPA for SNP genotyping and multiplex detection using different probes labeled with the same fluorophore. The technique offers a new way to multiplex in a single detection channel of a closed-tube PCR

Microbial Activities and Dissolved Organic Matter Dynamics in Oil-Contaminated Surface Seawater from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Site

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill triggered a complex cascade of microbial responses that reshaped the dynamics of heterotrophic carbon degradation and the turnover of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in oil contaminated waters. Our results from 21-day laboratory incubations in rotating glass bottles (roller bottles) demonstrate that microbial dynamics and carbon flux in oil-contaminated surface water sampled near the spill site two weeks after the onset of the blowout were greatly affected by activities of microbes associated with macroscopic oil aggregates. Roller bottles with oil-amended water showed rapid formation of oil aggregates that were similar in size and appearance compared to oil aggregates observed in surface waters near the spill site. Oil aggregates that formed in roller bottles were densely colonized by heterotrophic bacteria, exhibiting high rates of enzymatic activity (lipase hydrolysis) indicative of oil degradation. Ambient waters surrounding aggregates also showed enhanced microbial activities not directly associated with primary oil-degradation (β-glucosidase; peptidase), as well as a twofold increase in DOC. Concurrent changes in fluorescence properties of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) suggest an increase in oil-derived, aromatic hydrocarbons in the DOC pool. Thus our data indicate that oil aggregates mediate, by two distinct mechanisms, the transfer of hydrocarbons to the deep sea: a microbially-derived flux of oil-derived DOC from sinking oil aggregates into the ambient water column, and rapid sedimentation of the oil aggregates themselves, serving as vehicles for oily particulate matter as well as oil aggregate-associated microbial communities

Measurement of serum total and free prostate-specific antigen in women with colorectal carcinoma

We investigated the diagnostic value and the relationship with clinicopathological features of total and free prostate-specific antigen by measuring the concentrations of these markers in the sera of 75 women with colorectal carcinoma and in 30 healthy women. Measurements were performed by immunoradiometric assay which utilizes monoclonal and polyclonal anti-prostate-specific antigen antibodies; the lowest detection level for both markers was 0.01 ng ml−1. Free prostate-specific antigen levels were significantly higher in women with colorectal carcinoma than healthy women (P=0.006). The percentage of free prostate-specific antigen predominant (free prostate-specific antigen/total prostate-specific antigen >50%) subjects was 20% in colorectal carcinoma patients and 3.3% in healthy women (P=0.035). Cut-off values were 0.34 ng ml−1 for total prostate-specific antigen and 0.01 ng ml−1 for free prostate-specific antigen. In women with colorectal carcinoma, total prostate-specific antigen positivity was 20% and free prostate-specific antigen positivity was 34.6%. When compared to negatives, total prostate-specific antigen positive patients had a lower percentage of well-differentiated (P=0.056) and early stage (stages I and II) tumours (P=0.070). However, patients with predominant free prostate-specific antigen, had a higher percentage of well-differentiated (P=0.014) and early stage tumours (P=0.090) than patients with predominant bound prostate-specific antigen. In conclusion, although the sensitivity of free prostate-specific antigen predominancy is low (20%), in distinguishing women with colorectal carcinoma than healthy women, its specificity is high (96.7%). Free prostate-specific antigen predominancy tends to be present in less aggressive tumours. These findings may indicate clinical significance of preoperative measurement of serum total and free prostate-specific antigen in women with colorectal carcinoma