In situ preservation of wetland heritage: hydrological and chemical change in the burial environment of the Somerset Levels, UK.

In Situ preservation is a core strategy for the conservation and management of waterlogged remains at wetland sites. Inorganic and organic remains can, however, quickly become degraded, or lost entirely, as a result of chemical or hydrological changes. Monitoring is therefore crucial in identifying baseline data for a site, the extent of spatial and or temporal variability, and in evaluating the potential impacts of these variables on current and future In Situ preservation potential. Since August 2009, monthly monitoring has taken place at the internationally important Iron Age site of Glastonbury Lake Village in the Somerset Levels, UK. A spatial, stratigraphic, and analytical approach to the analysis of sediment horizons and monitoring of groundwater chemistry, redox potential, water table depth and soil moisture (using TDR) was used to characterize the site. Significant spatial and temporal variability has been identified, with results from water-table monitoring and some initial chemical analysis from Glastonbury presented here. It appears that during dry periods parts of this site are at risk from desiccation. Analysis of the chemical data, in addition to integrating the results from the other parameters, is ongoing, with the aim of clarifying the risk to the entire site.

'Nature Conservation': a new dimension in Open Access publishing bridging science and application

This Editorial presents the focus, scope and policies of the inaugural issue of Nature Conservation, a new open access, peer-reviewed journal bridging natural sciences, social sciences and hands-on applications in conservation management. The journal covers all aspects of nature conservation and aims particularly at facilitating better interaction between scientists and practitioners. The journal will impose no restrictions on manuscript size or the use of colour. We will use an XML-based editorial workflow and several cutting-edge innovations in publishing and information dissemination. These include semantic mark-up of, and enhancements to published text, data, and extensive cross-linking within the journal and to external sources. We believe the journal will make an important contribution to better linking science and practice, offers rapid, peer-reviewed and flexible publication for authors and unrestricted access to content.

Does managerial turnover affect football club share prices?

This paper analyses the 53 managerial sackings and resignations from 16 stock exchange listed English football clubs during the nine seasons between 2000/01 and 2008/09. The results demonstrate that, on average, a managerial sacking results in a post-announcement day market-adjusted share price rise of 0.3%, whilst a resignation leads to a drop in share price of 1% that continues for a trading month thereafter, cumulating in a negative abnormal return of over 8% from a trading day before the event. These findings are intuitive, and suggest that sacking a poorly performing manager may be welcomed by the markets as a possible route to better future match performance, while losing a capable manager through resignation, who typically progresses to a superior job, will result in a drop in a club’s share price. The paper also reveals that while the impact of managerial departures on stock price volatilities is less clear-cut, speculation in the newspapers is rife in the build-up to such an event.

Handbook of research methods and applications in empirical finance

The objective of this book is to present the quantitative techniques that are commonly employed in empirical finance research together with real world, state of the art research examples. Each chapter is written by international experts in their fields. The unique approach is to describe a question or issue in finance and then to demonstrate the methodologies that may be used to solve it. All of the techniques described are used to address real problems rather than being presented for their own sake and the areas of application have been carefully selected so that a broad range of methodological approaches can be covered. This book is aimed primarily at doctoral researchers and academics who are engaged in conducting original empirical research in finance. In addition, the book will be useful to researchers in the financial markets and also advanced Masters-level students who are writing dissertations.

The antithrombotic effect of dextran-40 in man is due to enhanced fibrinolysis in vivo

BACKGROUND: Dextran-40 is effective in reducing postoperative Doppler-detectable embolization in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Dextrans are thought to have antithrombotic and antiplatelet effects. The mode of action is unclear. In rats, dextran blocks uptake of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) by mannose-binding receptors. Because this would have the effect of enhancing endogenous fibrinolysis, we explored this effect of dextran-40 on fibrinolysis in man. METHODS: Twenty patients undergoing endovascular stenting for abdominal aortic aneurysm were randomized to receive 100 mL of 10% dextran-40 or saline, over 1 hour, during their operation in addition to heparin. Blood samples were taken preoperatively, intraoperatively (immediately after operative procedure), and 24 hours postoperatively. Thrombi were formed in a Chandler loop and used to assess endogenous fibrinolysis over 24 hours, measured as the fall in thrombus weight, and the release of fluorescently labelled fibrinogen from the thrombus. Plasma samples were analyzed for markers of fibrinolysis; plasmin-antiplasmin (PAP), PAI-1, and t-PA, and for functional von Willebrand factor (vWF). Platelet response to thrombin and other agonists was measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Thrombi formed ex vivo from the intraoperative blood samples from the dextran-treated patients exhibited significantly greater fibrinolysis vs preoperative samples, seen both as a significantly greater percentage reduction in thrombus weight (from 34.7% to 70.6% reduction) and as an 175% increase in the release of fluorescence (P < .05). Fibrinolysis returned to baseline levels the next day. No change was seen in the saline-treated group. Plasma levels of PAP and PAI-1 increased significantly postoperatively in the dextran-treated group vs the saline group (P < .05). The postoperative level of functional VWF was significantly lower in the dextran-treated group vs controls. A specific reduction occurred in the platelet response to thrombin, but not to other agonists, in the intraoperative samples from the dextran-treated group (11.1% vs 37.1%; P = .022), which was not seen in the controls. CONCLUSIONS: These data are consistent with a rise in plasmin due to dextran blockade of tPA uptake in vivo, leading to enhanced fibrinolysis, cleavage of vWF and of the platelet protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) thrombin receptor. This suggests that dextran exerts a combined therapeutic effect, enhancing endogenous fibrinolysis, whilst also reducing platelet adhesion to vWF and platelet activation by thrombin. The proven antithrombotic efficacy of low-dose dextran in carotid surgery may be applicable to wider therapeutic use.

Anti-platelet effect of aspirin is substantially reduced after administration of heparin during carotid endarterectomy

OBJECTIVES: Aspirin therapy is usually continued throughout the perioperative period to reduce the risk for thromboembolic stroke and myocardial infarction after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Aspirin irreversibly binds cyclooxygenase-1, thereby reducing platelet aggregation for the lifetime of each platelet. However, recent research from this unit has shown that aggregation in response to arachidonic acid increases significantly, but transiently, during CEA, which suggests that the anti-platelet effect of aspirin is temporarily reversed. The purpose of the current study was to determine when this phenomenon occurs and to identify the possible mechanisms involved. METHODS: Platelet aggregation was measured in platelet-rich plasma from 41 patients undergoing CEA who were stabilized with 150 mg of aspirin daily. Blood was taken at 8 time points: before anesthesia, after anesthesia, before heparinization, 3 minutes after heparinization, 3 minutes after shunt insertion, 10 minutes after flow restoration, 4 hours postoperatively, and 24 hours postoperatively. Platelet aggregation was also measured at similar times in a group of 18 patients undergoing peripheral angioplasty without general anesthesia. RESULTS: All patient platelets were effectively inhibited by aspirin at the start of the operation. There was a significant intraoperative increase in platelet response to arachidonic acid in both groups of patients, which occurred within 3 minutes of administration of unfractionated heparin. In the CEA group this resulted in a greater than 10-fold increase in mean aggregation, to 5 mmol/L of arachidonic acid (5 mmol/L), rising from 3.9% +/- 2.2% preoperatively to 45.1% +/- 29.3% after administration of heparin ( P <.0001). This increased aggregation persisted into the early postoperative period, but by 24 hours post operation aggregation had returned to near preoperative values. Aggregation in response to other platelet agonists (adenosine diphosphate, thrombin receptor agonist peptide) showed only a small increase at the same time, which could be accounted for by a parallel increase in the level of spontaneous aggregation. CONCLUSION: Administration of heparin significantly increases platelet aggregation in response to arachidonic acid, despite adequate inhibition by aspirin administered preoperatively. This apparent reversal in anti-platelet activity persisted into the immediate early postoperative period, and could explain why a small proportion of patients are at increased risk for acute cardiovascular events after major vascular surgery, despite aspirin therapy.

The trial: how procedure shapes substance

The rules and the principles of the common law are formed from the cases decided in courts of common law. The unique nature of the evolution of the common law has long been the subject of study. Less frequently studied has been the impact of procedure upon the development of substantive law. This paper examines how the procedures applicable to the trial of a case can affect the substance of the resulting decision. The focus of the examination is the decision in Bell v Lever Bros [1932] AC 161. While the case has long been regarded as a leading, albeit confusing, contract law case it is also greatly concerned with the conduct of litigation. This paper argues that the substantive decision was largely determined by the civil procedure available. Different rules of civil procedure, it is suggested, would have resulted in a better decision in the English law of contract.