Pseudo-endothelial dystrophy associated with emulsified silicone oil

Purpose. To describe endothelial changes associated with emulsified silicone oil. Methods. Report of a case. Results. A 77-year-old man had multiple and diffuse clear vesicles on the endothelium of his left eye (LE). The cornea was clear and thin. He had undergone pars plana vitrectomy and intraocular silicone oil injection 5 years before presentation. Specular microscopy revealed numerous small bubbles of emulsified silicone oil and a mild degree of endothelial damage. Conclusion. Emulsified silicone oil can adhere to the endothelium and induce an apparent droplet-like endotheliopathy.

Phase I and II biotransformation enzymes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis, Lamarck, 1819) collected in front of an oil refinery

The aim of the present study was to investigate the responses of phase I and II biotransformation enzymes and levels of PAHs in the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis, Lamarck, 1819) collected from three sites at different distance from an oil refinery. Phase I enzyme activities as NAD(P)H-cyt c red, NADH ferry red, B(a)PMO and phase II as UDPGT. GST were measured in digestive gland while 16 PAHs (US-EPA) in whole soft tissue. An added value to the data obtained in the present study rely on the RDA analysis which showed close correlations between PAHs levels and phase I enzyme activities in mussels collected in front of the refinery. And again a significant spatial correlation between B(a)P levels and NADPH-cyt c red activities was observed using linear models. No differences among sites for B(a) PMO and phase II GST activities were observed, while the application of UDPGT as biomarkers requires further investigation. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Photosynthetic pigments in soils from northern Victoria Land (continental Antarctica) as proxies for soil algal community structure and function

Although soil algae are among the main primary producers in most terrestrial ecosystems of continental Antarctica, there are very few quantitative studies on their relative proportion in the main algal groups and on how their distribution is affected by biotic and abiotic factors. Such knowledge is essential for understanding the functioning of Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems. We therefore analyzed biological soil crusts from northern Victoria Land to determine their pH, electrical conductivity (EC) water content (W), total and organic C (TC and TOC) and total N (TN) contents, and the presence and abundance of photosynthetic pigments. In particular, the latter were tested as proxies for biomass and coarse-resolution community structure. Soil samples were collected from five sites with known soil algal communities and the distribution of pigments was shown to reflect differences in the relative proportions of Chlorophyta, Cyanophyta and Bacillariophyta in these sites. Multivariate and univariate models strongly indicated that almost all soil variables (EC, W, TOC and TN) were important environmental correlates of pigment distribution. However, a significant amount of variation is independent of these soil variables and may be ascribed to local variability such as changes in microclimate at varying spatial and temporal scales. There are at least five possible sources of local variation: pigment preservation, temporal variations in water availability, temporal and spatial interactions among environmental and biological components, the local-scale patchiness of organism distribution, and biotic interactions. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Removal of naphthenic acids from crude oil using amino acid ionic liquids

A number of tetraalkylammonium and tetraalkylphosphonium amino acid based ionic liquids (AAILs) have been successfully used and recycled for the reactive extraction of naphthenic acids from crude oil and crude oil distillates. Spectral studies show that the mechanism by which this occurs is through the formation of a zwitterionic complex. Therein, the amino acid anion plays a key role in the formation of this complex. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human resource management practices in the multinational company: A test of system, societal, and dominance effects

Does the use of HRM practices by multinational companies (MNCs) reflect their national origins or are practices similar regardless of context? To the extent that practices are similar, is there any evidence of global best standards? The authors use the system, societal, and dominance framework to address these questions through analysis of 1,100 MNC subsidiaries in Canada, Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. They argue that this framework offers a richer account than alternatives such as varieties of capitalism. The study moves beyond previous research by differentiating between system effects at the global level and dominance effects arising from the diffusion of practices from a dominant economy. It shows that both effects are present, as are some differences at the societal level. Results suggest that MNCs configure their HRM practices in response to all three forces rather than to some uniform global best practices or to their national institutional contexts.

Early Implementation of Building Information Modeling into a Cold-Formed Steel Company: Providing Novel Project Management Techniques and Solutions to Industry

The ability of building information modeling (BIM) to positively impact projects in the AEC through greater collaboration and integration is widely acknowledged. This paper aims to examine the development of BIM and how it can contribute to the cold-formed steel (CFS) building industry. This is achieved through the adoption of a qualitative methodology encompassing a literature review, exploratory interviews with industry experts, culminating in the development of e-learning material for the sector. In doing so, the research team have collaborated with one of the United Kingdom’s largest cold-formed steel designer/fabricators. By demonstrating the capabilities of BIM software and providing technical and informative videos in its creation, this project has found two key outcomes. Firstly, to provide invaluable assistance in the transition from traditional processes to a fully collaborative 3D BIM as required by the UK Government under the “Government Construction Strategy” by 2016 in all public sector projects. Secondly, to demonstrate BIM’s potential not only within CFS companies, but also within the AEC sector as a whole. As the flexibility, adaptability and interoperability of BIM software is alluded to, the results indicate that the introduction and development of BIM and the underlying ethos suggests that it is a key tool in the development of the industry as a whole.

Flexibility of Continental Navigation and Migration in European Mallards

The ontogeny of continent-wide navigation mechanisms of the individual organism, despite being crucial for the understanding of animal movement and migration, is still poorly understood. Several previous studies, mainly conducted on passerines, indicate that inexperienced, juvenile birds may not generally correct for displacement during fall migration. Waterbirds such as the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos, Linnaeus 1758) are more flexible in their migration behavior than most migratory songbirds, but previous experiments with waterbirds have not yet allowed clear conclusions about their navigation abilities. Here we tested whether immature mallard ducks correct for latitudinal displacement during fall migration within Europe. During two consecutive fall migration periods, we caught immature females on a stopover site in southeast Sweden, and translocated a group of them ca. 1,000 km to southern Germany. We followed the movements of the ducks via satellite GPS-tracking and observed their migration decisions during the fall and consecutive spring migration. The control animals released in Ottenby behaved as expected from banding recoveries: they continued migration during the winter and in spring returned to the population's breeding grounds in the Baltics and Northwest Russia. Contrary to the control animals, the translocated mallards did not continue migration and stayed at Lake Constance. In spring, three types of movement tactics could be observed: 61.5% of the ducks (16 of 26) stayed around Lake Constance, 27% (7 of 26) migrated in a northerly direction towards Sweden and 11.5% of the individuals (3 of 26) headed east for ca. 1,000 km and then north. We suggest that young female mallards flexibly adjust their migration tactics and develop a navigational map that allows them to return to their natal breeding area.

Evaluation of methodologies to determine vegetable oil species present in oil mixtures: Proposition of an approach to meet the EU legislation demands for correct vegetable oils labelling

Refined vegetable oils are widely used in the food industry as ingredients or components in many processed food products in the form of oil blends. To date, the generic term 'vegetable oil' has been used in the labelling of food containing oil blends. With the introduction of new EU Regulation for Food Information (1169/2011) due to take effect in 2014, the oil species used must be clearly identified on the package and there is a need for development of fit for purpose methodology for industry and regulators alike to verify the oil species present in a product. The available methodologies that may be employed to authenticate the botanical origin of a vegetable oil admixture were reviewed and evaluated. The majority of the sources however, described techniques applied to crude vegetable oils such as olive oil due to the lack of refined vegetable oil focused studies. Nevertheless, DNA based typing methods and stable isotopes procedures were found not suitable for this particular purpose due to several issues. Only a small number of specific chromatographic and spectroscopic fingerprinting methods in either targeted or untargeted mode were found to be applicable in potentially providing a solution to this complex authenticity problem. Applied as a single method in isolation, these techniques would be able to give limited information on the oils identity as signals obtained for various oil types may well be overlapping. Therefore, more complex and combined approaches are likely to be needed to identify the oil species present in oil blends employing a stepwise approach in combination with advanced chemometrics. Options to provide such a methodology are outlined in the current study.

Identification of oil mixtures in extracted and refined vegetable oils

Identification of adulteration in mechanically extracted oils or the botanical origin of refined vegetable oil blends can be effectively achieved through the combination of spectroscopic methods and chemometric techniques. Chromatographic methods remain highly relevant but suffer from various limitations which derive from natural compositional variation. Modern multivariate techniques have demonstrated that it is possible to identify patterns and effectively classify unknown samples in both cases. Development of robust analytical methodologies requires however vigorous validation. Spectroscopic methods combined with chemometric techniques lack established validation protocols and this might hinder their use by law enforcement authorities. 

Dissolved uranium, radium and radon evolution in the Continental Intercalaire aquifer, Algeria and Tunisia

Natural, dissolved 238U-series radionuclides (U, 226Ra, 222Rn) and activity ratios (A.R.s: 234U/238U; 228Ra/226Ra) in Continental Intercalaire (CI) groundwaters and limited samples from the overlying Complexe Terminal (CT) aquifers of Algeria and Tunisia are discussed alongside core measurements for U/Th (and K) in the contexts of radiological water quality, geochemical controls in the aquifer, and water residence times. A redox barrier is characterised downgradient in the Algerian CI for which a trend of increasing 234U/238U A.R.s with decreasing U-contents due to recoil-dominated 234U solution under reducing conditions allows residence time modelling ∼500 ka for the highest enhanced A.R. = 3.17. Geochemical modelling therefore identifies waters towards the centre of the Grand Erg Oriental basin as palaeowaters in line with reported 14C and 36Cl ages. A similar 234U/238U trend is evidenced in a few of the Tunisian CI waters. The paleoage status of these waters is affirmed by both noble gas recharge temperatures and simple modelling of dissolved, radiogenic 4He-contents both for sampled Algerian and Tunisian CI and CT waters. For the regions studied these waters therefore should be regarded as “fossil” waters and treated effectively as a non-renewable resource.