'Core' values safe at BGS

In answer to Culshaw and Lee’s criticism of BGS policy (Geoscientist 21.10 p11), we invite readers to review our fouryear strategy (links on website) which is unchanged since publication in spring 2009. It highlights the change from ‘systematic’ to ‘responsive’ survey. BGS will complete this by the end of the strategy period, while at the same time ensuring that the 2D UK survey is refreshed and, where necessary, newly surveyed. The strategy also introduces a strong focus on remapping the UK shelf

Introduction

Global energy security throughout the next century will continue to depend significantly on fossil fuel and nuclear whilst unlocking the potential of renewable as well as unconventional sources. The UK government’s industrial strategy highlights the importance of continuing support for the oil and gas and nuclear sectors

Resonance energy in methyl acetate and its valence-isoelectronic analogs containing sulfur and selenium [abstract]

Abstract only availableA convenient definition of resonance energy is the deviation from thermoneutrality of the reaction: CH3C(X)CH3 + CH3YCH3 + CH3C(X)YCH3 + C2H6, where X and Y are O, S, and Se. The results of G2 and G3 calculations will be discussed and compared with the almost non-existent experimental literature. This study is of relevance to acetylcholine and its heavier chalcogen derivatives: CH3C(X)YCH3 + CH3C(O)O(CH2)2N(CH3)3+ CH3C(X)Y(CH2)2N(CH3)3+ + CH3C(O)OCH3.Discovery Fellowship Progra

Optimal Capital Income Taxation and Redistribution

This paper studies the effects of agent heterogeneity on optimal capital income tax rates. In a two period model with arbitrarily many heterogeneous agents, we explicitly derive the welfare effects of taxation depending on the distribution of the agents' characteristics. In particular, we show that the sign of the optimal capital income tax rate depends not on the extent of inequality in goods endowments and productivities each by itself, but on a measure of inequality in their joint distribution.Optimal taxation, capital income, heterogeneous agents, redistribution

The benefits--and limits-- of PPIs with warfarin regimens

Patients on warfarin + antiplatelet/NSAID regimens are likely to benefit from the gastroprotective effect of PPIs. For patients taking warfarin alone, it's a different story. PRACTICE CHANGER: Prescribe a proton pump inhibitor for patients taking dual antiplatelet/antithrombotic therapy to reduce the risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Demand responsive transport as a social innovation - the case of Skewiel mobiel

People are increasingly growing older. Growing older is likely to come with, for example, decreasing mobility and therefore increasing dependency. This can reduce the social connectedness of older people. As an effect, a social challenge is growing: loneliness. In response to this challenge, local governments offer mobility services that the elderly can use to go out. However, from our test bed of a mobility product-service system for seniors, we learned that many such services focus too much on transporting people from A to B, while the user experience of the service leaves room for improvement. In this paper we discuss how a demand responsive transport system, set-up as a social innovation, improves social connectedness, instead of delivering mobility alone. We found that the service itself provides social satisfaction, and that the service was not necessarily used for social activities. Rather, the service was used for activities of daily life

Colonisation with ESBL-producing and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a long-term care facility over one year.

BACKGROUND: This study examined colonisation with and characteristics of antimicrobial-resistant organisms among residents of a long-term care facility (LTCF) over one year, including strain persistence and molecular diversity among isolates of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae. METHODS: Sixty-four residents of a LTCF were recruited (51 at baseline, 13 during the year). Data on dependency levels, hospitalisations, and antimicrobial prescribing were collected. Nasal and rectal swabs and catheter urine specimens were examined quarterly, using chromogenic agars, for ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae, carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and meticillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). All ESBL-producing E. coli (ESBL-EC) were characterised by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and PCR to assess for sequence type (ST) ST131, its resistance-associated H30 and H30-Rx subclones, and blaCTX-M, blaTEM, blaSHV, and blaOXA-1. RESULTS: The overall number of residents colonised, by organism, was as follows: ESBL-EC, 35 (55%); MRSA, 17 (27%); ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae (ESBL-KP), 5 (8%); VRE, 2 (3%) and CPE, 0 (0%). All 98 ESBL-EC isolates were H30-Rx ST131, with bla CTX-M-group 1. By PFGE, a group of 91 ESBL-EC (from 33 participants) had ≥85% similar profiles and resembled UK epidemic strain A/ international pulsotype PFGE812. Sequential ESBL-EC from individual residents were closely related. Six ESBL-KP isolates, from five participants, had bla CTX-M-group 1 and by PFGE were closely related. Colonisation with ESBL and MRSA was associated with location within the LTCF and previous exposure to antimicrobials. CONCLUSIONS: Among LTCF residents, colonisation with ESBL-EC and MRSA was common. All ESBL-EC were H30-Rx ST131, consistent with clonal dissemination

Anchoring of Histidine-Tagged Proteins to Molecular Printboards: Self-assembly, Thermodynamic Modeling, and Patterning

In this paper the multivalent binding of hexahistidine (His6)-tagged proteins to β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) by using the nickel(II) complex of a hetero-divalent orthogonal adamantyl nitrilotriacetate linker (4) is described. Nonspecific interactions were suppressed by using monovalent adamantyl-hexa(ethylene glycol) derivative 3. With the mono-His6-tagged maltose binding protein (His6-MBP), thermodynamic modeling based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) titration data showed that the MBP molecules in solution were linked, on average, to Ni4 in 1:1 stoichiometry. On the surface, however, the majority of His6-MBP was complexed to surface-immobilized β-CDs through three Ni4 complexes. This difference is explained by the high effective β-CD concentration at the surface and is a new example of supramolecular interfacial expression. In a similar adsorption scheme, SPR proved that the α-proteasome could be attached to β-CD SAMs in a specific manner. Patterning through microcontact printing of (His6)4-DsRed-fluorescent timer (DsRed-FT), which is a tetrameric, visible autofluorescent protein, was carried out in the presence of Ni4. Fluorescence measurements showed that the (His6)4-DsRed-FT is bound strongly through Ni4 to the molecular printboard