Value transfer in ecosystem accounting applications.

Ecosystem accounting is a statistical framework that aims to track the state of ecosystems and ecosystem services, with periodic updates. This framework follows the statistical standard of the System of Environmental Economic Accounting Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA EA). SEEA EA is composed of physical ecosystem extent, condition and ecosystem service supply-use accounts and monetary ecosystem service and asset accounts. This paper focuses on the potential use of the "Value Transfer" (VT) valuation method to produce the monetary ecosystem service accounts, taking advantage of experience with rigorous benefit transfer methods that have been developed and tested over many years in environmental economics. Although benefit transfer methods have been developed primarily for welfare analysis, the underlying techniques and advantages are directly applicable to monetary exchange values required for ecosystem accounting. The compilation of regular accounts is about to become a key area of work for the National Statistical Offices worldwide as well as for the EU Member States in particular, due to the anticipated amendment to regulation on European environmental economic accounts introducing ecosystem accounts. On this basis, accounting practitioners have voiced their concerns in a global consultation during SEEA EA revision, about three issues in particular: the lack of resources, the need for guidelines and the challenge of periodically updating the accounts. We argue that VT can facilitate empirical applications that assess ecosystem services in monetary terms, especially at national scales and in situations with limited expertise and resources available. VT is a low-cost valuation approach in line with SEEA EA requirements able to provide periodic, rigorous and consistent estimates for use in accounts. While some methodological challenges remain, it is likely that VT can help to implement SEEA EA at scale and in time to respond to the pressing need to incorporate nature into mainstream decision-making processes.

Movement demands and match performance in professional Australian football.

This study examined the relationship between coaches' perception of match performance and movement demands in Australian Football. Movement demands were collected from 21 professional players over 12 matches during one Australian Football League season, with 69 player files collected. Additionally, match events relative to playing time and distance covered, along with player physical characteristics were collected. Based on coaches subjective rating of match performance (out of 20), relatively high calibre (HC) players (≥ 15/20) were compared with relatively low calibre (LC) players (≤ 9/20) for all variables. The HC players were older (+17%, p=0.011), spent a greater percentage of time performing low-speed running (+2%, p=0.039), had more kicks (38%, p=0.001) and disposals (35%, p=0.001) per min and covered less distance per kick (- 50%, p=0.001) and disposal (- 44%, p=0.001) than the LC group, with the effect sizes also supporting this trend. Further, HC players covered less distance (- 14%, p=0.037), spent less percentage of time (- 17%, p=0.037) and performed fewer (- 9%, p=0.026) efforts per min high-speed running than LC players, which was further confirmed by the effect sizes. Movement demands and match events are related to coaches' perception of match performance in professional Australian Football. Further, high levels of involvement with the football appeared to be more important to performance than high exercise speed.

Close is not enough: SNARE-dependent membrane fusion requires an active mechanism that transduces force to membrane anchors.

Is membrane fusion an essentially passive or an active process? It could be that fusion proteins simply need to pin two bilayers together long enough, and the bilayers could do the rest spontaneously. Or, it could be that the fusion proteins play an active role after pinning two bilayers, exerting force in the bilayer in one or another way to direct the fusion process. To distinguish these alternatives, we replaced one or both of the peptidic membrane anchors of exocytic vesicle (v)- and target membrane (t)-SNAREs (soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein [NSF] attachment protein [SNAP] receptor) with covalently attached lipids. Replacing either anchor with a phospholipid prevented fusion of liposomes by the isolated SNAREs, but still allowed assembly of trans-SNARE complexes docking vesicles. This result implies an active mechanism; if fusion occurred passively, simply holding the bilayers together long enough would have been sufficient. Studies using polyisoprenoid anchors ranging from 15-55 carbons and multiple phospholipid-containing anchors reveal distinct requirements for anchors of v- and t-SNAREs to function: v-SNAREs require anchors capable of spanning both leaflets, whereas t-SNAREs do not, so long as the anchor is sufficiently hydrophobic. These data, together with previous results showing fusion is inhibited as the length of the linker connecting the helical bundle-containing rod of the SNARE complex to the anchors is increased (McNew, J.A., T. Weber, D.M. Engelman, T.H. Sollner, and J.E. Rothman, 1999. Mol. Cell. 4:415-421), suggests a model in which one activity of the SNARE complex promoting fusion is to exert force on the anchors by pulling on the linkers. This motion would lead to the simultaneous inward movement of lipids from both bilayers, and in the case of the v-SNARE, from both leaflets.

SNAREpins are functionally resistant to disruption by NSF and alphaSNAP.

SNARE (SNAP [soluble NSF (N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive fusion protein) attachment protein] receptor) proteins are required for many fusion processes, and recent studies of isolated SNARE proteins reveal that they are inherently capable of fusing lipid bilayers. Cis-SNARE complexes (formed when vesicle SNAREs [v-SNAREs] and target membrane SNAREs [t-SNAREs] combine in the same membrane) are disrupted by the action of the abundant cytoplasmic ATPase NSF, which is necessary to maintain a supply of uncombined v- and t-SNAREs for fusion in cells. Fusion is mediated by these same SNARE proteins, forming trans-SNARE complexes between membranes. This raises an important question: why doesn't NSF disrupt these SNARE complexes as well, preventing fusion from occurring at all? Here, we report several lines of evidence that demonstrate that SNAREpins (trans-SNARE complexes) are in fact functionally resistant to NSF, and they become so at the moment they form and commit to fusion. This elegant design allows fusion to proceed locally in the face of an overall environment that massively favors SNARE disruption.

Player acceleration and deceleration profiles in professional Australian football.

This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of global positioning system (GPS) units for measuring a standardized set of acceleration and deceleration zones and whether these standardized zones were capable of identifying differences between playing positions in professional Australian football. Eight well trained male participants were recruited to wear two 5 Hz or 10 Hz GPS units whilst completing a team sport simulation circuit to measure acceleration and deceleration movements. For the second part of this article 30 professional players were monitored between 1-29 times using 5 Hz and 10 Hz GPS units for the collection of acceleration and deceleration movements during the 2011 and 2012 Australian Football League seasons. Players were separated into four distinct positional groups - nomadic players, fixed defenders, fixed forwards and ruckman. The GPS units analysed had good to poor levels of error for measuring the distance covered (<19.7%), time spent (<17.2%) and number of efforts performed (<48.0%) at low, moderate and high acceleration and deceleration zones. The results demonstrated that nomadic players and fixed defenders perform more acceleration and deceleration efforts during a match than fixed forwards and ruckman. These studies established that these GPS units can be used for analysing the distance covered and time spent at the acceleration and deceleration zones used. Further, these standardized zones were proven to be capable of distinguishing between player positions, with nomadic players and fixed defenders required to complete more high acceleration and deceleration efforts during a match.

1975 Memorial Award Paper. Image generation and display techniques for CT scan data. Thin transverse and reconstructed coronal and sagittal planes.

The various limitations to computerized axial tomographic (CT) interpretation are due in part to the 8-13 mm standard tissue plane thickness and in part to the absence of alternative planes of view, such as coronal or sagittal images. This paper describes a method for gathering multiple overlapped 8 mm transverse sections, subjecting these data to a deconvolution process, and then displaying thin (1 mm) transverse as well as reconstructed coronal and sagittal CT images. Verification of the deconvolution technique with phantom experiments is described. Application of the phantom results to human post mortem CT scan data illustrates this method's faithful reconstruction of coronal and sagittal tissue densities when correlated with actual specimen photographs of a sectioned brain. A special CT procedure, limited basal overlap scanning, is proposed for use on current first generation CT scanners without hardware modification.

Further investigation and initial clinical use of advanced CT display capability.

The AUR Memorial Award Paper (this issue, pp. 403-416) described a technique for providing thin transverse CT sections and for redisplaying this transverse CT data as coronal or sagittal anatomic planes. This paper presents additional experience with cadaver models and the results of initial applications of the method to data obtained from living patients. The technique potentially enhances the clinical usefulness of CT scanning by providing precise triangulation and resolution of normal and abnormal structures.

Short duration radiotherapy in stage I seminoma of the testis: preliminary results of a prospective study.

Ninety-four patients with Stage I seminoma of the testis, treated between November 1989 and December 1991, received short duration radiotherapy (2000 cGy in 8 fractions) to the para-aortic area only. The treatment was well tolerated and, after a median follow-up time of 34 months (minimum 15 months), no patient has relapsed in the abdomen. One patient developed an apparently solitary distant metastasis from a latent teratoma and is disease free after chemotherapy. This form of radiotherapy would appear to be well-tolerated with a low relapse rate. It offers the advantage of a simpler and shorter technique compared with conventional therapy and avoids the necessity of intensive surveillance to detect relapse.

Cardiac angiosarcoma: an unusual presentation with cutaneous metastases.

Angiosarcoma is the most common primary malignant neoplasm of the heart. The incidence of metastatic disease is 66% to 89%; however, initial presentation with metastatic disease is rare. We report the case of a patient who presented initially with soft tissue and cutaneous metastases in the absence of cardiac symptoms.

Type III congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation associated with elevated maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein.

Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation Type III with fetal ascites was diagnosed in a 19-week fetus after finding an abnormally elevated maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein value during routine screening. This discovery led to early elective termination of pregnancy. Sonographic evaluation of the fetal thorax is recommended in all cases referred for ultrasound because of unexplained elevation of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein.

Successful separation of Xiphopagus-conjoined twins.

The successful separation of xiphopagus-conjoined twins is described. Such an experience is of course a very gratifying and exciting surgical adventure.

Non-invasive magnetopneumographic estimation of lung dust loads and distribution in bituminous coal workers.

Magnetopneumography is a non-invasive technique for measuring the ferrimagnetic portion of retained dust in the lungs by means of its permanent magnetism. Magnetopneumography was used to measure the magnetic fraction of coal mine dust in 21 retired disabled bituminous coal miners and 14 active miners. Twenty rural subjects served as controls. The retired disabled miners had significantly higher levels of pulmonary ferrimagnetic mineral than the control subjects and most active miners (p < 0.001). Three of the active miners had significantly higher levels of ferrimagnetic mineral than did the other active miners and the control subjects (p < 0.005), yet could not be differentiated from other miners by work history or chest roentgenograms. This elevation could not be accounted for by sources other than coal mine dust. A pattern of central hilar concentration of ferrimagnetic mineral was noted in both retired and active miners. These results suggest that magnetopneumography is sufficiently sensitive to permit the non-invasive study of coal mine dust accumulation and distribution in the lung.

The immunochemistry of Shigella flexneri O-antigens. The biochemical basis of smooth to rough mutation.

1. Smooth to rough mutation has the same biochemical basis in Shigella as in Salmonella. It is the result of enzyme defects blocking the incorporation of the O-specific side chains that characterize the smooth lipopolysaccharide with the consequent exposure of the underlying basal structures that determine ;rough'-specificity. 2. The Shigella flexneri basal structure resembles its Salmonella analogue in that it has the same qualitative sugar composition, and enzyme defects in its biosynthetic pathway give rise to ;rough'-lipopolysaccharides that are indistinguishable from those of Salmonella chemotypes Ra, Rb, Rc and Rd. However, the Salmonella and Shigella basal structures are not identical as judged by quantitative analysis and the absence of serological cross-reaction. 3. The Sh. flexneri basal structure side chain has been isolated and characterized as an alpha-N-acetylglucosaminyl-(1-->4)-galactosyl-(1-->3)-glucose sequence with alpha-glucosyl radicals substituted on the 3- and 4-positions of the galactose and glucose respectively. The different sugar types in this side chain are incorporated into the growing molecule in the same order as in Salmonella, which explains why the enzyme defects associated with smooth to rough mutation produce the same series of R-chemotypes from both genera. The terminal alpha-glucosyl and alpha-N-acetylglucosaminyl-(1-->4)-galactosyl residues of the Sh. flexneri basal structure are sufficiently different from the terminal alpha-galactosyl and alpha-N-acetylglucosaminylglucosyl residues of the Salmonella analogue that they offer an explanation for the absence of serological cross-reaction between these two basal structures.

The screening of more than 2,000 schoolgirls for bacteriuria using an automated fluorescence microscopy system.

After initial evaluation of a manual fluorescence microscopy system on a variety of urines the method was automated and subsequently tested in a population survey of urinary tract infection in schoolgirls. This automated Bactoscan system allowed a rapid analysis of urine samples and with the introduction of modifications to the staining protocol it correctly eliminated 91% of samples as being not significantly infected.

A survey of bacteriuria in 2,234 schoolgirls in a Scottish new town.

The prevalence of urinary tract infection in a modern Scottish town has been ascertained in female school children aged 5-12. In 2,234 girls the initial prevalence of urinary tract infection is 3.3%. In addition to the information on urinary tract infection the social and personal history was available including data on incontinence, enuresis and current antibiotic therapy. The necessity to have a system available which allows a cheap and rapid assessment of population surveys is made.

The use of acridine orange staining and image analysis to detect bacteriuria.

Fifty urine samples from a variety of urological patients were analysed using the fluorochrome acridine orange in an automated system. The results were compared with standard colony counts. The method has a potential value in the detection of significant infection particularly in population studies.