Strontium isotope stratigraphy in the Late Cretaceous: Numerical calibration of the Sr isotope curve and intercontinental correlation for the campanian

The white Chalk exposed in quarries at Lagerdorf and Kronsmoor, northwestern Germany, provides a standard section for the European Upper Cretaceous. The Sr-87/Sr-86 values of nannofossil chalk and belemnite calcite increase upward through 330 m of section, from less than or equal to 0.70746 in the Upper Santonian to greater than or equal to 0.70777 in the Lower Maastrichtian. The data define three linear trends separated by major points of inflection at stratigraphic heights in the section of 162 m (75.5 Ma) in the Upper Campanian Galerites vulgaris zone and at -6 m (82.9 Ma), just above the base of the Campanian in the Inoceramus lingua/Goniateuthis quadrata zone. The temporal rate of change of Sr-87/Sr-86 was constant through each of the linear segments of our isotope ''curve'' when viewed at the resolution of our average sampling interval (0.15 m.y.). Fine structure, if rear, may record brief (<100 kyr) excursions of (SrSr)-Sr-87-Sr-86 from values expected from the overall trends. In Lagerdorf, the boundary between the Santonian and Campanian stages, taken here as the level of first occurrence of the belemnite Gonioteuthis granulataquadrata, has an Sr-87/Sr-86 Of 0.707473 +/- 5. This is within error of the values of 0.707457 +/- 16 for this boundary in the U.S. western interior (base of the Scaphites leei III zone) and 0.707479 +/- 9 for this boundary in the English Chalk (top of the Marsupites testudinarius zone). In Kronsmoor, the boundary between the Campanian and Maastrichtian stages, taken here as the level of first occurrence of the belemnite Belemnella lanceolata, has an Sr-87/Sr-86 of 0.707723 +/- 4. This is within error of the values of 0.707725 +/- 20 for this boundary in the U.S. western interior (base of the Baculites eliasi zone) and 0.707728 +/- 5 for this boundary in the English Chalk (defined as in Germany)

Financial sector and economic growth in the Republic of Croatia 1995-2005

Financial sector in the Republic of Croatia had a strong growth between 1995 2005.g. Liberalization of financial sector in 1999 led to an increase in bank foreign debt, which resulted in a strong increase in foreign currency reserves and appreciation of the national currency. The growth of the financial sector and credit expansion have been allocated in favour of private and public consumption, but not in industry investments. GDP growth didn't have the same momentum as financial aggregates. Economic growth, after a contraction in 1999 was within the average of global economic growth. Relying on neoclassical growth model, government and central bank didn't put in place the needed set of pro-active policies. Factor allocation was solely through private bank channels financing private consumption. If the sustainable economic growth and new employment are to be major macroeconomic goals, a new macroeconomic paradigm as combination of neclassical and neokeynesians approach will be needed

Prodigious submarine landslides during the inception and early growth of volcanic islands

Volcanic island inception applies large stresses as the ocean crust domes in response to magma ascension and is loaded by eruption of lavas. There is currently limited information on when volcanic islands are initiated on the seafloor, and no information regarding the seafloor instabilities island inception may cause. The deep sea Madeira Abyssal Plain contains a 43 million year history of turbidites among which many originate from mass movements in the Canary Islands. Here, we investigate the composition and timing of a distinctive group of turbidites that we suggest represent a new unique record of large-volume submarine landslides triggered during the inception, submarine shield growth, and final subaerial emergence of the Canary Islands. These slides are predominantly multi-stage and yet represent among the largest mass movements on the Earth’s surface up to three or more-times larger than subaerial Canary Islands flank collapses. Thus whilst these deposits provide invaluable information on ocean island geodynamics they also represent a significant, and as yet unaccounted, marine geohazard

Variation within and between digital pathology and light microscopy for the diagnosis of histopathology slides:blinded crossover comparison study

BackgroundDigital pathology refers to the conversion of histopathology slides to digital image files for examination on computer workstations as opposed to conventional microscopes. Prior to adoption, it is important to demonstrate pathologists provide equivalent reports when using digital pathology in comparison to bright-field and immunofluorescent light microscopy, the current standard of care.ObjectiveA multicentre comparison of digital pathology with light microscopy for reporting of histopathology slides, measuring variation within and between pathologists on both modalities.DesignA blinded crossover 2000-case study estimating clinical management concordance (identical diagnoses plus differences not affecting patient management). Each sample was assessed twice by four pathologists (once using light microscopy, once using digital pathology, the order randomly assigned and a 6-week gap between viewings). Random-effects logistic regression models, including crossed random-effects terms for case and pathologist, estimated percentage clinical management concordance. Findings were interpreted with reference to 98.3% concordance (Azam AS, Miligy IM, Kimani PKU, Maqbool H, Hewitt K, Rajpoot NM, Snead DRJ. Diagnostic concordance and discordance in digital pathology: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Pathol 2021;74:448–55. https://doi.org/10.1136/jclinpath-2020-206764).SettingSixteen consultant pathologists, four for each specialty, from six National Health Service laboratories. Experience ranged from 3 to 35 years. Some were early adopters of digital pathology, but the majority were new to digital pathology.InterventionsEight viewings per sample (four pathologists with light microscopy and with digital pathology), culminating in a consensus ground truth, enabling measurement of agreement within and between readers. Samples enrolled reflected routine practice, included cancer screening biopsies, and were enriched for areas of difficulty [e.g. dysplasia (7, 10, 11)]. State-of-the-art digital pathology equipment designed for diagnosis, and holding either Conformité Européene or Food and Drug Administration approval, was used.Main outcomeIntra-pathologist variation between reports issued on digital pathology and light microscopy, inter-pathologist variation against ground-truth diagnosis using light microscopy and digital pathology.Secondary outcomesPathologist-recorded reporting times, along with their confidence in diagnosis, analysis of eye-tracking evaluating examination techniques, and a qualitative study examining attitudes of pathologists and laboratory staff to digital pathology adoption.ResultsTwo thousand and twenty-four cases (608 breast, 607 gastrointestinal, 609 skin, 200 renal) were recruited, with breast and gastrointestinal including screening samples [207 (34%) breast, 250 (41%) gastrointestinal]. Overall, in light microscopy versus digital pathology comparisons, clinical management concordance levels were 99.95% (95% confidence interval 99.91 to 99.97). Similar results were observed within specialties [breast: 99.40% (95% confidence interval 99.06 to 99.62); gastrointestinal 99.96% (95% confidence interval 99.89 to 99.99); skin 99.99% (95% confidence interval 99.92 to 100.0); renal 99.99% (95% confidence interval 99.57 to 100.0)], and within screening cases [98.96% (95% confidence interval 98.42 to 99.32), breast 96.27% (94.63 to 97.43), gastrointestinal 99.93% (95% confidence interval 99.68 to 99.98)]. Reporting time between digital pathology and light microscopy was similar, but pathologists became faster on digital pathology with familiarity. Pathologists recorded high levels of confidence in their diagnosis with light microscopy, significantly higher than digital pathology.LimitationsCytology cases and specialty groups outside those tested were not examined. The study used two digital pathology scanning systems. Other systems available on the market were not tested.ConclusionsClinical management concordance levels between the two modalities exceed the reference 98.3% in breast, gastrointestinal, skin and renal specialties, and pooled breast and large bowel cancer screening cases. Subgroup analysis of clinically significant differences revealed a range of differences including areas where interobserver variability is known to be high, which were distributed between reads performed with both platforms and without apparent trends to either.Future workThe use of digital pathology for cytology samples remains an area for further research.Study registration:This study is registered as ISRCTN14513591.FundingThis award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: 17/84/07) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 29, No. 30. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information

Acumulação de capital, poupança externa e desempenho macroeconômico dos países emergentes

O presente artigo tem por objetivo apresentar um modelo dinâmico não linear para avaliar a relação entre poupança externa e endividamento externo "excessivo" em países emergentes, resultante da existência de grandes déficits em conta corrente. Para tanto, iremos apresentar um modelo dinâmico no qual (i) um aumento do endividamento externo como proporção do PIB gera um aumento menos do que proporcional na taxa de investimento, uma vez que uma parte do financiamento externo é usada para a aquisição de ativos não reprodutíveis (imóveis e ações); e (ii) o prêmio de risco país é endógeno, crescendo de forma proporcional com o endividamento externo como proporção do PIB. Nesse arcabouço teórico demonstra-se a existência de equilíbrios múltiplos. Mais especificamente, no plano teórico, o artigo tem por objetivo isolar os mecanismos econômicos pelos quais a poupança externa, tendo por veículo o endividamento externo, tem como resultado possível um equilíbrio de baixa lucratividade e uma baixa taxa de retorno sobre o capital, configurando assim uma situação de estagnação econômica. Para testar os efeitos da poupança externa e endividamento nos termos do modelo teórico, é construído um modelo de crescimento com painel dinâmico que avalia se a poupança externa efetivamente tem impacto negativo sobre os resultados em termos de produto per capita dos emergentes.This paper aims to present a non-linear dynamic model to evaluate the relationship between external savings and "excessive" external borrowings in emerging countries, resulted from large current account deficits. For this intent, it is present a post-Keynesian model in which (i) an increase in the external borrowings as gross domestic product share generates an less than proportional increase in the investment rate, since part of external financing is used to acquire non-reproducible assets (buildings and equities), (ii) the country-risk premium of a country is endogenous, increasing proportionally to the external borrowing as GDP share. Specifically, on theoretical dimension, the paper intends to isolate the economic mechanisms by which the external savings, through external borrowings as vehicle, has as low profit rate equilibrium and low rate of return to capital, and hence macroeconomic stagnation. To test the effects of external savings and borrowing in the terms of the formal model, it is estimated a dynamic panel which evaluates if external savings has an effective negative impact over income per capita path of emerging countries

Long-term cost-effectiveness of insertion of a biological mesh during stoma-site closure: 5–8-year follow-up of the ROCSS randomized controlled trial

Background The original ROCSS trial demonstrated a significant reduction in clinically detectable incisional hernias at 2 years in patients receiving prophylactic biological mesh during stoma closure. ROCSS-Ex was designed to investigate the 5–8-year cost-effectiveness of mesh in the surviving cohort using an abdominal wall–specific quality of life score. Methods Eligible participants from original UK centres were identified. The primary outcome (abdominal wall–specific quality of life) was measured using the HerQLes score and EQ-5D-5L. Assessors remained blind to patients’ original allocation, even if the patient was aware of their treatment. Results Of the original 790 patients, 598 were available for long-term follow-up. HerQLes scores were available for 396 patients (no mesh: 191, mesh: 205). There was no difference in primary outcome between the two groups (mean difference of 1.48, 95% c.i. (−2.35, 5.32), P = 0.45) and no cost benefit of routine insertion of prophylactic biological mesh across the entire cohort in the long term. However, patients who received mesh experienced significantly fewer stoma site complications within the first 3 years after reversal and needed fewer surgical reinterventions (32 versus 54 for the no mesh group; incidence rate ratio of 0.55, 95% c.i. (0.31, 0.97), P = 0.04). Conclusions ROCSS-Ex has shown equivocal outcomes for prophylactic mesh insertion versus standard repair on abdominal wall–specific quality of life 5–8 years after surgery. As most reinterventions occurred within the first 3 years post-surgery, there may be a role for prophylactic mesh in a subset of patients who would be most adversely affected by repeated surgery early on