The implications of projected climate change for freshwater resources and their management

A review of the implications of climate change for freshwater resources, based on Chapter 4 of Working Group 2, IPCC.

A cross-calibration of chlorine isotopic measurements and suitability of seawater as the international reference material

A collection of 24 seawaters from various worldwide locations and differing depth was culled to measure their chlorine isotopic composition (delta(37)Cl). These samples cover all the oceans and large seas: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian and Antarctic oceans, Mediterranean and Red seas. This collection includes nine seawaters from three depth profiles down to 4560 mbsl. The standard deviation (2sigma) of the delta(37)Cl of this collection is +/-0.08 parts per thousand, which is in fact as large as our precision of measurement ( +/- 0.10 parts per thousand). Thus, within error, oceanic waters seem to be an homogeneous reservoir. According to our results, any seawater could be representative of Standard Mean Ocean Chloride (SMOC) and could be used as a reference standard. An extended international cross-calibration over a large range of delta(37)Cl has been completed. For this purpose, geological fluid samples of various chemical compositions and a manufactured CH3Cl gas sample, with delta(37)Cl from about -6 parts per thousand to +6 parts per thousand have been compared. Data were collected by gas source isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) at the Paris, Reading and Utrecht laboratories and by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) at the Leeds laboratory. Comparison of IRMS values over the range -5.3 parts per thousand to +1.4 parts per thousand plots on the Y=X line, showing a very good agreement between the three laboratories. On 11 samples, the trend line between Paris and Reading Universities is: delta(37)Cl(Reading)= (1.007 +/- 0.009)delta(37)Cl(Paris) - (0.040 +/- 0.025), with a correlation coefficient: R-2 = 0.999. TIMS values from Leeds University have been compared to IRMS values from Paris University over the range -3.0 parts per thousand to +6.0 parts per thousand. On six samples, the agreement between these two laboratories, using different techniques is good: delta(37)Cl(Leeds)=(1.052 +/- 0.038)delta(37)Cl(Paris) + (0.058 +/- 0.099), with a correlation coefficient: R-2 = 0.995. The present study completes a previous cross-calibration between the Leeds and Reading laboratories to compare TIMS and IRMS results (Anal. Chem. 72 (2000) 2261). Both studies allow a comparison of IRMS and TIMS techniques between delta(37)Cl values from -4.4 parts per thousand to +6.0 parts per thousand and show a good agreement: delta(37)Cl(TIMS)=(1.039 +/- 0.023)delta(37)Cl(IRMS)+(0.059 +/- 0.056), with a correlation coefficient: R-2 = 0.996. Our study shows that, for fluid samples, if chlorine isotopic compositions are near 0 parts per thousand, their measurements either by IRMS or TIMS will give comparable results within less than +/- 0.10 parts per thousand, while for delta(37)Cl values as far as 10 parts per thousand (either positive or negative) from SMOC, both techniques will agree within less than +/- 0.30 parts per thousand. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bibliotheca Latina Graecaque: on the possible division of Roman libraries by language

An article challenging the frequent assumption that Roman public libraries consisted of architecturally separated spaces divided by language (Latin and Greek). While the evidence for such a division is reasonably strong in some cases, in others it is convention rather than evidence that prompts the labelling of buildings as 'Latin' and 'Greek' libraries. The article is based on a paper given at a major international conference in Paris

Strategic use of private standards to enhance international competitiveness: Vegetable exports from Kenya and elsewhere

The paper examines how European retailers are using private standards for food safety and,quality as risk management and competitive tools and the strategic responses of leading Kenyan and other developing country supplier/exporters to such standards. Despite measures to harmonize a 'single market', the European fresh produce market is very diverse in terms of consumer preferences, structural dynamics and attention to and enforcement of food safety and other standards. Leading Kenyan fresh produce suppliers have re-positioned themselves at the high end, including 'high care', segments of the market - precisely those that are most demanding in terms of quality assurance and food safety systems. An array of factors have influenced this strategic positioning, including relatively high international freight costs, the emergence of more effective competition in mainstream product lines, relatively low labor costs for produce preparation, and strong market relationships with selected retail chains. To succeed in this demanding market segment, the industry has had to invest substantially in improved production and procurement systems, upgraded pack house facilities, and quality assurance/food safety management systems. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Action following the discovery of a global association between the whole genome and adverse event risk in a clinical drug-development programme

Observation of adverse drug reactions during drug development can cause closure of the whole programme. However, if association between the genotype and the risk of an adverse event is discovered, then it might suffice to exclude patients of certain genotypes from future recruitment. Various sequential and non-sequential procedures are available to identify an association between the whole genome, or at least a portion of it, and the incidence of adverse events. In this paper we start with a suspected association between the genotype and the risk of an adverse event and suppose that the genetic subgroups with elevated risk can be identified. Our focus is determination of whether the patients identified as being at risk should be excluded from further studies of the drug. We propose using a utility function to? determine the appropriate action, taking into account the relative costs of suffering an adverse reaction and of failing to alleviate the patient's disease. Two illustrative examples are presented, one comparing patients who suffer from an adverse event with contemporary patients who do not, and the other making use of a reference control group. We also illustrate two classification methods, LASSO and CART, for identifying patients at risk, but we stress that any appropriate classification method could be used in conjunction with the proposed utility function. Our emphasis is on determining the action to take rather than on providing definitive evidence of an association. Copyright (C) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The effects of alpha-lactalbumin and glycomacropeptide on the association of CaCo-2 cells by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Shigella flexneri

Two milk components, alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-La) and glycomacropeptide (GMP) may inhibit intestinal infection/intoxification. (3)[H] thymidine-labeled enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC 6994) or Shigella flexneri (ATCC 9199) were introduced to CaCo-2 cultures and their association with CaCo-2 cells was assessed. Undigested, pepsin-digested and pepsin- and pancreatin-digested alpha-lactalbumin and glycomacropeptide inhibited association. Thus, milk supplemented with alpha-lactalbumin and glycomacropeptide might be effective in inhibiting associations of the pathogens EPEC, Salmonella typhimurium, and Shigella flexneri to intestinal cells.

Proceedings of the 6th international conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technologies (ICDVRAT 2006)

The proceedings of the conference

Proceedings of the 5th international conference on disability, virtual reality and associated technologies (ICDVRAT 2004)

The proceedings of the conference