Geographical differences in first acquisition of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis

RATIONALE: Risk of infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in cystic fibrosis (CF) may be associated with environmental factors.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether residential location is associated with risk of first acquisition of P. aeruginosa.

METHODS: We performed bronchoalveolar lavage and upper airway cultures in children newly diagnosed with CF to identify infection with P. aeruginosa during infancy and early childhood. Children were assessed according to their residence in a regional or metropolitan area. Multilocus sequence typing was used to determine P. aeruginosa genotype. An environmental questionnaire was also administered.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: A total of 105 of 120 (87.5%) infants diagnosed with CF were included in this study. Diagnosis in 65 infants (61.9%) followed newborn screening at mean age of 4.6 weeks. Sixty subjects (57.1%) were homozygous ΔF508, and 47 (44.8%) were female. Fifty-five (52.3%) infants were regional, of whom 26 (47.3%), compared with 9 of 50 (18.0%) metropolitan children, acquired infection with P. aeruginosa (odds ratio, 4.084; 95% confidence interval, 1.55-11.30). Age at acquisition was similar (regional: median, 2.31 yr; range, 0.27-5.96 yr; metropolitan: median, 3.10 yr, range, 0.89-3.70 yr). Strain typing identified P. aeruginosa genotypes often encountered in different ecological settings and little evidence of cross-infection. Ninety questionnaires (85.7%) were completed. Those who acquired P. aeruginosa were more likely to be living in a household that used water sprinkler systems (P = 0.032), but no differences were identified to explain increased risk of acquisition of P. aeruginosa in regional children.

CONCLUSIONS: Geographical difference in residence of children with CF was associated with increased risk of first acquisition of P. aeruginosa, usually with strains associated with the environment rather than with cross-infection.

Biological control of the fish louse in a rainbow trout fishery

Novel egg-laying boards were found to be effective in the biological control of the freshwater fish louse Argulus foliaceus in a 12.9 ha rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss fishery which had a high prevalence and intensity of infection of juvenile parasites in the early spring of 1999. Approximately 228 000d during an extensive 14 week period of egg laying which peaked in June 1999. In contrast, only 1566 clutches were harvested in 2000, when egg laying activity showed a bi-modal distribution, peaking in May and again in July and August. iaceus on rainbow trout in consecutive years was 2.9 : 1 and 2.1 : 1. Estimates of the size of the female A. foliaceus population based on egg-laying activity in 1999 exceeded that derived from measurements of prevalence and intensity of infection, whereas in 2000, this was more in balance. A minimum temperature of 10 degree C was identified for egg laying, which occurred continuously from May to October in a broadly synchronous manner.. Copyright 2002 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

The 'Ordinariness of the EU's Foreign Policy Power: The Use of WTO Litigation as a Means to Export EU Norms, Values and Interests

The EU has historically been portrayed as a distinctive international actor both in terms of the norms and values it exports in context of its international relations and the manner in which it seeks to influence others. However, such claims to the EU’s distinctiveness are increasingly being questioned. This article joins this chorus of voices arguing the non-distinctiveness of the EU’s foreign policy power by focusing on a specific feature of the EU’s external trade policy, the role of World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement in the EU’s attempts to promote its interests, values and norms.

The EU Deep Trade Agenda: Law and Policy

Providing the first comprehensive examination of the key regulatory disciplines included in the new generation of EU free trade agreements (FTAs), this book investigates the EU's supposed deep trade agenda through a legal analysis of these FTAs. In doing so, Billy A. Melo Araujo determines whether there is any substance behind the EU's foreign policy rhetoric regarding the need to introduce regulatory issues within the remit of international trade law.

At a time when the EU is busily negotiating so-called 'mega-FTAs', such as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the plurilateral Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), Melo Araujo offers a timely insight into the important questions raised by such FTAs, in particular concerning the future of the multilateral trade system, the loss of policy autonomy, and the democratic legitimacy of regulating through treaty-making. The book provides a detailed analysis of the regulatory disciplines included in the more recent EU FTAs and explores the possible implications of such disciplines. Offering a significant contribution to a wider debate, this is a must read for those interested in the legal dimension of the EU's deep trade agenda.

Alien aquatics in Europe: assessing the relative environmental and socio-economic impacts of invasive aquatic macroinvertebrates and other taxa

Invasive alien aquatic species, including marine and freshwater macroinvertebrates, have become increasingly important in terms of both environmental and socio-economic impacts. In order to assess their environmental and economic costs, we applied the Generic Impact Scoring System (GISS) and performed a comparison with other taxa of invaders in Europe. Impacts were scored into six environmental and six socio-economic categories, with each category containing five impact levels. Among 49 aquatic macroinvertebrates, the most impacting species were the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis (Milne-Edwards, 1853) and the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771). The highest impacts found per GISS impact category were, separately; on ecosystems, through predation, as competitors, and on animal production. Eleven species have an impact score > 10 (high impact) and seven reach impact level 5 in at least one impact category (EU blacklist candidates), the maximum score that can be given is 60 impact points. Comparisons were drawn between aquatic macroinvertebrates and vertebrate invaders such as fish, mammals and birds, as well as terrestrial arthropods, revealing invasive freshwater macroinvertebrates to be voracious predators of native prey and damaging to native ecosystems compared with other taxa. GISS can be used to compare these taxa and will aid policy making and targeting of invasive species for management by relevant agencies, or to assist in producing species blacklist candidates.

Gene expression and epigenetic discovery screen reveal methylation of SFRP2 in prostate cancer

Aberrant activation of Wnts is common in human cancers, including prostate. Hypermethylation associated transcriptional silencing of Wnt antagonist genes SFRPs (Secreted Frizzled-Related Proteins) is a frequent oncogenic event. The significance of this is not known in prostate cancer. The objectives of our study were to (i) profile Wnt signaling related gene expression and (ii) investigate methylation of Wnt antagonist genes in prostate cancer. Using TaqMan Low Density Arrays, we identified 15 Wnt signaling related genes with significantly altered expression in prostate cancer; the majority of which were upregulated in tumors. Notably, histologically benign tissue from men with prostate cancer appeared more similar to tumor (r = 0.76) than to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH; r = 0.57, p < 0.001). Overall, the expression profile was highly similar between tumors of high (≥ 7) and low (≤ 6) Gleason scores. Pharmacological demethylation of PC-3 cells with 5-Aza-CdR reactivated 39 genes (≥ 2-fold); 40% of which inhibit Wnt signaling. Methylation frequencies in prostate cancer were 10% (2/20) (SFRP1), 64.86% (48/74) (SFRP2), 0% (0/20) (SFRP4) and 60% (12/20) (SFRP5). SFRP2 methylation was detected at significantly lower frequencies in high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN; 30%, (6/20), p = 0.0096), tumor adjacent benign areas (8.82%, (7/69), p < 0.0001) and BPH (11.43% (4/35), p < 0.0001). The quantitative level of SFRP2 methylation (normalized index of methylation) was also significantly higher in tumors (116) than in the other samples (HGPIN = 7.45, HB = 0.47, and BPH = 0.12). We show that SFRP2 hypermethylation is a common event in prostate cancer. SFRP2 methylation in combination with other epigenetic markers may be a useful biomarker of prostate cancer.

Music for Mercer's: The Mercer's Hospital Music Collection and Charity Music in Eighteenth-Century Dublin

Account of benefit concerts in support of Mercer's Hospital, Dublin 1736-80 and an analysis of extant manuscript and printed music sources dating from c.1736-c.1771

WHIRLBOB, the Whirlpool Based Variant of STRIBOB: Lighter, Faster, and Constant Time

WHIRLBOB, also known as STRIBOBr2, is an AEAD (Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data) algorithm derived from STRIBOBr1 and the Whirlpool hash algorithm. WHIRLBOB/STRIBOBr2 is a second round candidate in the CAESAR competition. As with STRIBOBr1, the reduced-size Sponge design has a strong provable security link with a standardized hash algorithm. The new design utilizes only the LPS or ρ component of Whirlpool in flexibly domain-separated BLNK Sponge mode. The number of rounds is increased from 10 to 12 as a countermeasure against Rebound Distinguishing attacks. The 8 ×8 - bit S-Box used by Whirlpool and WHIRLBOB is constructed from 4 ×4 - bit “MiniBoxes”. We report on fast constant-time Intel SSSE3 and ARM NEON SIMD WHIRLBOB implementations that keep full miniboxes in registers and access them via SIMD shuffles. This is an efficient countermeasure against AES-style cache timing side-channel attacks. Another main advantage of WHIRLBOB over STRIBOBr1 (and most other AEADs) is its greatly reduced implementation footprint on lightweight platforms. On many lower-end microcontrollers the total software footprint of π+BLNK = WHIRLBOB AEAD is less than half a kilobyte. We also report an FPGA implementation that requires 4,946 logic units for a single round of WHIRLBOB, which compares favorably to 7,972 required for Keccak / Keyak on the same target platform. The relatively small S-Box gate count also enables efficient 64-bit bitsliced straight-line implementations. We finally present some discussion and analysis on the relationships between WHIRLBOB, Whirlpool, the Russian GOST Streebog hash, and the recent draft Russian Encryption Standard Kuznyechik.

Testing the channel-based model of duration perception

The channel-based model of duration perception postulates the existence of neural mechanisms that respond selectively to a narrow range of stimulus durations centred on their preferred duration (Heron et al Proceedings of the Royal Society B 279 690–698). In principle the channel-based model could
explain recent reports of adaptation-induced, visual duration compression effects (Johnston et al Current Biology 16 472–479; Curran and Benton Cognition 122 252–257); from this perspective duration compression is a consequence of the adapting stimuli being presented for a longer duration than the test stimuli. In the current experiment observers adapted to a sequence of moving random dot patterns at the same retinal position, each 340ms in duration and separated by a variable (500–1000ms) interval. Following adaptation observers judged the duration of a 600ms test stimulus at the same location. The test stimulus moved in the same, or opposite, direction as the adaptor. Contrary to the channel-based
model’s prediction, test stimulus duration appeared compressed, rather than expanded, when it moved in the same direction as the adaptor. That test stimulus duration was not distorted when moving in the opposite direction further suggests that visual timing mechanisms are influenced by additional neural processing associated with the stimulus being timed.

Adapting to time: duration channels do not mediate human time perception

Accurately encoding the duration and temporal order of events is essential for survival and important to everyday activities, from holding conversations to driving in fast flowing traffic. Although there is a growing body of evidence that the timing of brief events (< 1s) is encoded by modality-specific mechanisms, it is not clear how such mechanisms register event duration. One approach gaining traction is a channel-based model; this envisages narrowly-tuned, overlapping timing mechanisms that respond preferentially to different durations. The channel-based model predicts that adapting to a given event duration will result in overestimating and underestimating the duration of longer and shorter events, respectively. We tested the model by having observers judge the duration of a brief (600ms) visual test stimulus following adaptation to longer (860ms) and shorter (340ms) stimulus durations. The channel-based model predicts perceived duration compression of the test stimulus in the former condition and perceived duration expansion in the latter condition. Duration compression occurred in both conditions, suggesting that the channel-based model does not adequately account for perceived duration of visual events.

Pedro José da Fonseca e a sua obra lexicográfica

Este trabalho tem por objecto de estudo a obra de Pedro José da Fonseca, precipuamente a obra lexicográfica - Pawum Lexicon (1762), Diccionario Portuguez, e Latino (1771), Diccionario abbreviado da fabula (1779) e o Diccionario da Lingoa Portugueza (1 793). Necessidade premente num contexto de remodelação de todo o panorama do ensino em Portugal e de modificação das estruturas e hábitos da sociedade portuguesa, a composição destas obras iria corresponder ao consumo escolar e às solicitações da prática pedagógica almejada pela reforma pombalina. No plano geral da descrição crítica destes dicionários, atribui-se especial relevância, no cotejamento com as fontes, ao aperfeiçoamento da técnica lexicográfica. Propõe-se: o esboço da biografia do autor e um breve enquadramento históricocultural da 2" metade do século XVIII; o estudo da obra literária de Pedro da Fonseca, examinando o seu pensamento linguístico; análise da técnica de composição dicionan'stica a nível macro e microestrutural e, por fim, uma reflexão em torno do "corpus" lexical português nos dicionários de Fonseca.

Between the Bullet and the Hole

Between the Bullet and the Hole is a film centred on the elusive and complex effects of war on women's role in ballistic research and early computing. The film features new and archival high-speed bullet photography, schlieren and electric spark imagery, bullet sound wave imagery, forensic ballistic photography, slide rulers, punch cards, computer diagrams, and a soundtrack by Scanner. Like a frantic animation storyboard, it explores the flickering space between the frames, testing the perceptual mechanics of visual interpolation, the possibility of reading or deciphering the gap between before and after. Interpolation - the main task of the women studying ballistics in WW2 - is the construction or guessing of missing data using only two known data points. The film tries to unpack this gap, open it up to interrogation. It questions how we read, interpolate or construct the gaps between bullet and hole, perpetrator and victim, presence and absence. The project involves exchanges with specialists in this area such as the Cranfield University Forensics department, London-based Forensic Firearms consultancy, the Imperial War Museum, the ENIAC programmers project, the Smithsonian Institute, and Forensic Scientists at Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office (USA). Exhibitions: Solo exhibition at Dallas Contemporary (Texas, Jan-Mar 2016), including newly commissioned lenticular prints and a dual slide projector installation; Group exhibition the Sydney Biennale (Sydney, Mar-June 2016); UK premiere and solo retrospective screening at Whitechapel Gallery (London); forthcoming solo exhibition at Iliya Fridman Gallery (NY, Oct-Dec 2016); Film festivals and screenings: International Film Festival Rotterdam (Jan 2016); Whitechapel Gallery (London Feb 2016); Cornerhouse/Home (Manchester Nov 2016); Public lectures: Whitechapel Gallery with prof. David Alan Grier and Morgan Quaintance; Carriageworks (Sydney) Prof. Douglas Khan; Monash University (Melbourne); Gertrude Space (Melbourne). Reviews and interviews: Artforum, Studio International, Mousse Magazine.