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We hypothesized that, in patients with acute severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) who recover basic language function, speech-evoked blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI) responses within the canonical language network increase over the first 6 months post-injury. We conducted a prospective, longitudinal fMRI pilot study of adults with acute severe TBI admitted to the intensive care unit. We also enrolled age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. We evaluated BOLD signal in bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) regions of interest acutely and approximately 6 months post-injury. Given evidence that regions outside the canonical language network contribute to language processing, we also performed exploratory whole-brain analyses. Of the 16 patients enrolled, eight returned for follow-up fMRI, all of whom recovered basic language function. We observed speech-evoked longitudinal BOLD increases in the left STG, but not in the right STG, right IFG, or left IFG. Whole-brain analysis revealed increases in the right supramarginal and middle temporal gyri but no differences between patients and healthy subjects (n = 16). This pilot study suggests that, in patients with severe TBI who recover llanguage function, speech-evoked responses in bihemispheric language-processing cortex reemerge by 6 months post-injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban greening can enhance sustainability and liveability, through conserving biodiversity, mitigating urban heat and enhancing people's health and wellbeing. However, urban greening is complex, as it occurs in unique ecological settings, with social, cultural and economic factors shaping the forms it takes. This raises questions about the governance of urban greening, including what counts as 'good governance'. In this paper, we first outline principles of good governance drawn from the natural resource management context. We then present four urban greening initiatives from Melbourne Australia representing different scales, land tenures and organising structures. Following this, we analyse how governance of the four initiatives addresses good governance principles. Our analysis shows that there are diverse ways in which urban greening can be practiced and governed. The importance of more 'informal' initiatives should not be discounted relative to formalised initiatives, as a spectrum of approaches can be seen as strength. Further, in determining what constitutes good governance, the standards against which initiatives are assessed should be tailored to their specific circumstances, and consider impacts to the environment itself. These findings point to good urban greening governance being both situated and principled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy analysis provides a way for understanding how and why governments enact certain policies, and their effects. Public health policy research is limited and lacks theoretical underpinnings. This article aims to describe and critique different approaches to policy analysis thus providing direction for undertaking policy analysis in the field of health promotion. Through the use of an illustrative example in nutrition it aims to illustrate the different approaches. Three broad orientations to policy analysis are outlined: (i) Traditional approaches aim to identify the 'best' solution, through undertaking objective analyses of possible solutions. (ii) Mainstream approaches focus on the interaction of policy actors in policymaking. (iii) Interpretive approaches examine the framing and representation of problems and how policies reflect the social construction of 'problems'. Policy analysis may assist understanding of how and why policies to improve nutrition are enacted (or rejected) and may inform practitioners in their advocacy. As such, policy analysis provides researchers with a powerful tool to understand the use of research evidence in policymaking and generate a heightened understanding of the values, interests and political contexts underpinning policy decisions. Such methods may enable more effective advocacy for policies that can lead to improvements in health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine years of experience teaching economics in the Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan provides knowledge on the nuances and challenges of teaching economics across cultures. Particular categories and difficulties are presented with some examples of how to address them. Conclusions and findings are used to form general guiding principles for teaching economics in the increasingly diverse US classroom. The principles offered in the paper are valuable to English speakers providing economic teaching and training in post-Soviet nations and, more broadly, to anyone teaching economics across cultures. Finally, suggestions based these principles are offered to encourage all professors of economics to carefully consider language, illustrations, diversity of views regarding economics and the multi-cultural nature of university classrooms to better relate to students and be more effective teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationships between grain farm and farmer profiles and their respective choices to use forward pricing techniques and revenue protection crop insurance to manage risk.Design/methodology/approach An e-mail survey of Midwestern grain farmers elicited farmer demographic information, farm profile, risk attitudes and farmer use of forward pricing and revenue protection insurance. Responses regarding use of risk management tools were compiled as choices to use possible bundles of tools to account for simultaneous nature of the decision. Choices to use bundles of tools were used as the independent variable categories in a multinomial logit regression. Regressors were relevant data collected from the survey.Findings Farm size, using a market advisory service, and being a technology adopter are the most important factors in predicting risk management tool use by grain farmers. Farmers tend to use forward pricing and revenue protection insurance in combination. Large farms are more likely to use forward pricing tools.Practical implications Results provide researchers, extension professionals and risk management specialists with a current understanding of how farm and farmer characteristics relate to use of risk management tools. The authors also elaborate on findings to provide guidance for future risk management research.Originality/value The survey covered 9 Midwestern states and 648 grain farmers. The survey results update understanding of grain farmers' risk management practices. The empirical approach treats risk management decisions to use available tools as simultaneous, which recent literature suggests is more appropriate than earlier approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Boxed beef market reports from United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service are the foremost data source for analysis of the US wholesale beef market. • Boxed beef market reporting has remained largely unchanged in two decades as cattle and beef commerce have substantially changed. • A large portion of the rich data collected by United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service is not utilized to inform boxed beef market reports. • Hedonic models offer a means of enhancing boxed beef market reports to utilize more data and report premiums for differentiated products, which are becoming increasingly important to wholesale beef markets. Boxed beef market reports published by USDA AMS provide current US beef supply and demand information and are the foremost data source for private, government, and academic analysis of the US wholesale beef market. Boxed beef market reporting, in its current form, began in 2001 and the structure has remained largely unchanged. Over the same time, beef commerce has undergone substantial shifts in the types of products and product mix produced by beef packers. As a result, trade of many economically important beef products does not inform published composite values and prices. Weekly USDA published composite prices and values commonly rely on less than half the volume of boxed beef traded. To better inform stakeholders, boxed beef reports need to evolve to match modern beef commerce and leverage the rich data already collected by USDA AMS. This study develops and demonstrates a method whereby USDA AMS could produce novel beef market reports. Specifically, we use boxed beef transaction data collected by AMS to specify hedonic models to estimate implicit market premiums for antibiotic-free ribeye and retail-ready strip loin. The technique can be expanded and adapted to enhance boxed beef market reporting. We conclude with guidance for policy makers involved with ongoing policy discussions that structure USDA AMS data collection and public reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to contribute to our geographical understanding of New Urbanism as an important reform movement by exploring its representational rather than physical experience within the United States. Specifically, we analyze US newspaper accounts of New Urbanism from 1990 to 2012, looking for broad patterns in how it is portrayed to popular audiences around the country - what we think of as its "triumphs" and "travails" across American space. We also explore the stated reasons given for these portrayals, without attempting in this contribution to theorize motivations, agendas or broader political-economies that shape perceptions of planning and design. The paper finds that positive accounts of New Urbanism outnumber negative accounts by nearly three-to-one. In addition to overall tone, the paper discusses the qualitative content of articles to establish key justifications and rationales for positive, negative and neutral framings. Further research might extend our findings by analyzing how New Urbanism if/s "framed" publically on social media and in other national contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we use a form of discourse analysis to explore the ‘activity’ that three quite different sustainability reports set up as companies communicate their social and environmental performance. Our aim is to show what sustainability reports ‘do’ – in order to offer insights about what they ‘could do’. We show that the companies are using sustainability reporting strategically, and that sustainability is embedded in to the company's strategic priorities. Where they mostly narrate and argue a point of view, sustainability reporting can offer additional benefits by transiting towards dialogue. Dialogue provides stakeholders with the means to engage substantially with companies, and also introduce new discourses that may open up new directions in how companies contribute to sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic metaphors – including natural capital, natural assets, ecosystem services, and ecological debt – are becoming commonplace in environmental policy discourse. Proponents consider such terms provide a clearer idea of the ‘value’ of nature, and are useful for ensuring the environment is given due attention in decision making. Critical discourse analysis highlights the ideological work language does; the way in which we think, write, and talk about the environment has important implications for how it is governed. Consequently, the widespread use of economic metaphors is politically significant. This article discusses how metaphors have been analysed in environmental policy research, surveys the use of prominent economic metaphors in environmental policy, and considers the politics associated with such terms. The uptake of various economic metaphors represents a form of reverse discourse, varies in politically significant ways, and narrows the terms of environmental debate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article documents the experiences of three early career academics trying to establish a network of early career academics (ECAs) in a middle-ranked university in Australia. The changing context of academia means that ECAs face considerable challenges in understanding and negotiating effective career paths. Some of the issues encountered include insecure employment arrangements; unclear and shifting expectations; heavy workloads and competing demands; and conflicting experiences around the collegiate culture of academia. As research and teaching institutions, universities must ensure the ongoing development of new academics. While there is a growing interest in exploring the issues confronted by new academics, much remains to be done to better understand, and improve, the pathways of academic development. To this end we reflect on our efforts to establish an ECA network that aimed to enhance professional development, facilitate an improved research culture and establish an informal peer support network. We did so through establishing an online presence for sharing information, hosting a series of professional development seminars and hosting a 2.5 day writing retreat. Our experiences suggest that, while efforts to enhance the capacity of ECAs are worthwhile, the very same pressures that our network was attempting to address were simultaneously creating barriers to ECA involvement in the network and its activities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) 2030 rely on healthy ecosystems providing a multitude of benefits and services for a sustainable society. Many SDG goals are cross-cutting and attaining these is highly reliant on policy coherence. Coherent policy settings enhance the synergies between goals and minimise disproportionate trade-offs. However, research indicates policy coherence and its implications for achieving SDGs is a neglected topic in the global south, particularly the least developed countries (LDCs). Using the hydropower development policy in Nepal as a case, this article employs a refined coherence analysis framework to assess how coherently the concept of ecosystem services (ES) is considered in 20 policy documents. The findings reveal a lack of coherent consideration of the ES concept and implementation gaps. This improves knowledge about an understudied topic in the global south and provides a tool to evaluate policy coherence that can be applied across sectors and scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public sector environmental governance involves complex interactions between different forms of knowledge. Public sector reforms have important implications for environmental governance by changing the relationships between knowledge systems. By comparing the views of environmental policy workers the implications of public sector management reform for environmental governance are explored. The analysis presented highlights that environmental policy work is contested in ways that mainstream public sector management and environmental governance literature often overlook. It is concluded that the adequacy of the conceptual frameworks informing public sector environmental reform are unclear, as are the implications of such reforms for effective environmental governance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) involves multiple stakeholders operating through multiple processes and levels. This makes ICZM challenging. Trust is a critical ingredient for ensuring that the diverse understandings, perspectives and forms of knowledge about the coast are appropriately considered in decision-making. However, the number and diversity of stakeholders with an interest in the coast means that building and maintaining trust is challenging. Drawing on insights from 42 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders involved in coastal management in Victoria, Australia, this paper contributes to an improved understanding of the importance of trust in coastal zone management and what might be done to enhance it. In doing so, the importance of trust in coastal zone management is reinforced; stakeholders’ perspectives on who they trust to obtain advice from, and why, are unpacked; and the broader implications for coastal zone management are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary Developments in ecological theory indicate that ecological processes have major implications for sustaining biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services. Consequently, conservation actions that focus solely on particular species, vegetation communities, habitats or sites ('assets') are unlikely to be effective over the long term unless the ecological processes that support them continue to function. Efforts to sustain biodiversity must embrace both 'assets' and 'process-oriented' approaches. Existing knowledge about ecological processes, incomplete though it is, has not been adequately considered in government decision making. It is, therefore, necessary to consider how to build consideration of ecological processes into legislative and institutional frameworks, policy and planning processes, and on-ground environmental management. Drawing on insights from interviews, a facilitated workshop, and a literature review, this paper identifies a suite of policy priorities and associated reforms which should assist in ensuring that ecological processes are given more attention in policy-making processes. It is concluded that a multi-pronged approach is required, because there are no 'silver bullets' for sustaining ecological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Neighborhood councils form an important and sometimes problematic layer in the governance system of many cities across the USA. The literature on these institutions has focused mainly on their hypothesized role in facilitating citizen participation in neighborhood and city planning. Less work has explored the experiences of neighborhood councils as placed-based institutions theoretically embedded within, and therefore ostensibly reflective of, the overall social and political geography of the city. In particular, little research documents the actual local development priorities, fund-raising capacities, project achievements and scalar tensions associated with neighborhood councils operating in different neighborhoods of the same city. Using a perspective based on extant literatures in urban politics and public administration, this paper offers an analysis of the neighborhood council experience in Tacoma, Washington, USA. While these councils are still “segmented” from the core of urban politics, the paper argues, certain institutional reforms could unlock their long term potential as more “transformative” spaces of local governance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There is a growing interest in integrated control strategies for building systems with numerous responsive elements, such as solar shading devices, thermal storage and hybrid ventilation systems, both for energy efficiency and for demand response. Model predictive control is a promising way of approaching this challenge. This paper presents a flexible software framework for model predictive control using GenOpt, along with a modified genetic algorithm developed for use within it, and applies it to a case study of demand response by zone temperature ramping in an office space. Various areas for further research and development using this framework are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This article examines how people experiencing homelessness view their interactions with service providers. Drawing on a database of more than 500 transcribed interviews with people experiencing homelessness we find that descriptions of interactions with staff and providers were predominantly expressed in sharply negative terms, with experiences of objectification and infantilization being commonplace. In response to these experiences, nearly all were angry, and many simply opted out of the social service system in order to maintain a sense of dignity and self-respect. We argue that these responses should not simply be analyzed as an individual psychological or cognitive response, but rather as a result of the power relations and social inequities in the provider-client relationship. This suggests that the perpetuation of homelessness is not internal to the homeless individual as many claim, but rather may be embedded in the service industry itself, which subjects both clients and providers to bureaucratic forms of authority and experiences of disrespect. These negative descriptions are juxtaposed with positive comments, which offer potential solutions from homeless individuals themselves. We conclude that qualitative research, in contrast to a reliance on statistics and best practice assessments, is an important tool in developing socially just policies and programs serving those in need. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Palaeogene passive margin sediments on the US mid-Atlantic coastal plain provide valuable insight into facies interaction and distribution on mixed carbonate–siliciclastic shelves. This study utilizes well cuttings, outcrop, core, and seismic data to document temporal and spatial variations in admixed bryozoan-rich skeletal carbonates and sandy siliciclastic units that were deposited on a humid passive margin located in the vicinity of a major marine transition zone. This zone was situated between north-flowing, warm waters of the ancestral Gulf Stream (carbonate dominated settings) and south-flowing, cold waters of the ancestral Labrador Current (siliciclastic dominated settings). Some degree of mixing of carbonates and siliciclastics occurs in all facies; however, siliciclastic-prone sediments predominate in nearshore settings, while carbonate-prone sediments are more common in more open marine settings of the inner shelf break and deep shelf. A distinctive dual-break shelf depositional profile originated following a major Late Cretaceous to Palaeocene transgression that drowned the earlier shallow platform. This profile was characterized by prominent mid-shelf break dividing the shallow shelf from the deep shelf and a major continental shelf/slope break. Incomplete filling of available accommodation space during successive buildup of the shallow shelf preserved the topographic break on this passive margin. Storm wave base also contributed to the preservation of the dual-break shelf geometry by beveling shallow shelf sediments and transporting them onto and seaward of the mid-shelf break. Sediment fines in deep shelf facies were produced in place, transported downdip from the shallow shelf by storm ebb currents and boundary currents, and reworked from adjacent areas of the deep shelf by strike-parallel boundary currents. Regional climate and boundary currents controlled whether carbonate or siliciclastic material was deposited on the shelf, with warmer waters and more humid climates favouring carbonate deposition and cooler, more arid conditions favouring glaucony and siliciclastic dominated deposition. Continuous wave and current sweeping of the shallow shelf favoured deposition of mud-lean facies across much of the shallow shelf. Skeletal components in much of the carbonate-rich strata formed in warm, nutrient-rich subtropical waters, as indicated by widespread occurrences of larger benthic foraminifera and molluscan assemblages. These indicators of warm water deposition within the bryozoan-mollusk-rich carbonate assemblage on this shelf provide an example of a warm water bryomol assemblage; such facies generally are associated with cooler water depositional settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report outlines a cogeneration dispatch strategy for use in a deregulated electricity market, considering both the monthly demand charges and the fluctuating hourly price. To investigate the opportunity for cost savings with this strategy, its application has been simulated for three office buildings, considering cogeneration systems of various sizes and efficiencies. The results show simple payback periods in the range of 5-10 years for suitably sized systems. These results are analysed and compared with other dispatch strategies. Strategies which consider the real-time electricity price but not the demand charges give simple payback periods which are usually 2 or 3 years longer than the strategy outlined herein. Time-of-day dispatch strategies fare much worse. Further refinements to the strategy are discussed, and detailed consideration is given to its practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the response of the U.S. government to the emergence of spongiform encephalopathy. Implementation of border closure; Details on the surveillance conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture; Restrictions on food and feed conducted by the Food Safety Inspection Service.

The sequence stratigraphy and facies of the Paleogene in the subsurface of the Albemarle Basin, North Carolina was defined using 1600 thin sections of plastic impregnated well cuttings from 24 wells, wireline logs, biostratigraphic data, and seismic data. The facies formed in the transition zone between warm subtropical and temperate conditions on a swell-wave dominated, open shelf exposed to major boundary current activity. The shelf has a distinctive seismic profile consisting of a shallow inner shelf, inner-shelf break, deep shelf (depths in excess of 200 m), and the continental slope. The inner shelf was characterized by distinctive quartz sand and sandy mollusk facies inshore, passing seaward into a broad, wave-swept abrasional shelf, and then into storm-influenced bryozoan–echinoderm limestones to depths of several tens of meters. Argillaceous lime mud (marl) deposition was widespread across the deep shelf, extending onto the inner-shelf during major highstands.Sediment thickness trends were controlled by greater differential subsidence of crustal blocks within the Albemarle Basin, which considerably modified but did not obliterate the effects of eustatic sea level changes in this passive margin setting. Five supersequences were identified on seismic and in wells, each consisting of multiple regionally identifiable sequences. The Paleocene supersequence is dominated by widespread marl deposition, reflecting shelf flooding into the Late Paleocene thermal maximum. This warming corresponds with widespread inner-shelf skeletal carbonate deposition from the Late Paleocene through the Middle Eocene. The two Eocene supersequences identified are dominated by bryozoan–echinoderm-rich carbonates that formed a seismically definable sediment buildup 50 km wide by 100 m thick across the deepest inner-shelf during the Lower to early Middle Eocene. Middle to Upper Eocene supersequence highstand sequences indicate increased progradation and greater mixing of shelf carbonates with nearshore siliciclastics, likely in response to lowering sea-levels and cooling climate. The two Oligocene supersequences identified are dominated by coarse siliciclastic sand that is heavily admixed with mollusk-foraminifer-dominated carbonates. Rapid flooding, followed by extensive progradation of shallow shelf sediments in Oligocene sequences reflects continued eustatic lowering driven by the onset of icehouse climatic conditions. Increased incision and reworking of deep shelf sediments during Oligocene supersequence highstands resulted from increased ancestral Gulf Stream boundary current activity during icehouse times.Key elements controlling facies distribution through time include significant wave energy, which controls the width and distribution of inner-shelf facies belts through the degree of water bottom abrasion and winnowing. Boundary currents also are capable of large-scale reworking of deep shelf sediment; they also provide a mechanism for widespread inner-shelf hardground development during major transgressions. In addition, boundary currents play a major role in stabilizing local climate by buffering seasonal temperature variations, directly influencing which carbonate grain producers can thrive in this transition zone setting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

On-line media forums have become common vehicles to promote discussion about particular issues or events. This essay addresses the degree to which the anonymity of such computer-mediated communication affects the level and tone of discourse when sensitive or volatile local issues are the focus of discussion. Nearly 300 postings to a web forum that was established by a newspaper in response to a brutal murder that took place in the community are examined. Results show that the forum was dominated by individuals harshly critical of the assailants, their families, and various civic institutions. Vitriol, racist denunciations, and calls for severe retribution took precedence over attempts to understand why the event took place or to express sympathy for the victim. Forums of this nature appear to do little to promote understanding or encourage positive dialogue. It is recommended that methods designed to elevate the level of discourse be considered when establishing forums related to local issues that elicit strong emotion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines racial disparities in mortgage lending patterns in urban Ohio. Comparison of lending approval rates between Afro-Americans and whites; Income levels and loan amount request categories; Top lenders; Lending in minority area.

Background: The visual system plays a crucial role in successfully accomplishing most sports activities, not only for professional athletes but also at lower levels of competition. The Sanet Vision Integrator (SVI) evaluates the visual guidance of motor performance by assessing the speed of motor response to visual stimuli. While the SVI is widely used clinically, the reliability and validity of the device has not been established. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the test-retest reliability of the Proaction, Reaction, and Hand Speed programs of the SVI using a control group. Methods: Twenty students at the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO), ages 22-31, performed the eye-hand tests of the SVI: Proactive, Reactive, and Hand Speed. Each subject was tested one at a time using the SVI on two consecutive visits. Visit 2 took place at least two weeks after visit 1, using identical protocols. Testing was performed under normal room illumination using a white size-50 stimulus on a black background with the subjects standing one meter away and the screen centered at chest level. Reliability was measured with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: The ICC was statistically significant for the Upper Left quadrant, as well as for the reaction latency of the Proactive test, the percent correct on the Reactive test, and the reaction time and hand speed of the Hand Speed test. The ICC for the Upper Right, Lower Right, and Lower Left quadrants of the Proactive test and the percent correct of the Hand Speed test were statistically insignificant. Conclusion: The Proactive, Reactive, and Hand Speed tests of the Sanet Vision Integrator can reliably measure eye-hand coordination, while other aspects of the tests are not as reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controllable window, shading, and daylighting technologies provide an interesting opportunity to manage end use demands on distributed energy resources (DER) in ways that both complements the peak output profile of solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation and counteracts the peak demands on the utility grid produced by daytime commercial activities. The objective of this study is to explore whether dynamic facade technologies can play an enabling role in supporting a desired level of electricity service at either minimum operating cost or minimum carbon footprint through optimized integrated control with distributed energy resources. A proof-of-concept control system was developed by approximating non-linearities as piecewise-linear and determining the control state of both the demand and supply side components through global optimization. Annual simulations of a south-facing office zone with switchable electrochromic windows, solar photovoltaic electricity generation, and battery storage indicated that with optimized integrated demand–supply side controls, the utility grid load profile could be lowered to nearly zero demand (5 W/m 2 ) during the daytime when energy costs are highest. A full-scale outdoor field test in Berkeley, California verified this performance, demonstrating that during a week of sunny winter weather, electricity bills could be reduced by 63% compared to heuristic control of electrochromic windows without the photovoltaics and electrical storage. In both the simulated and measured cases, the photovoltaic system was sized to meet the peak perimeter zone load and the electrical storage was sized to be fully discharged by the end of the peak day. Technical and market challenges for achieving reliable optimal control for widespread applications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schimmel, M., Kowalewski, M. & Coffey, BP. 2011: Traces of predation/parasitism recorded in Eocene brachiopods from the Castle Hayne Limestone, North Carolina, USA. Lethaia, Vol. 45, pp. 274-289. The Castle Hayne Limestone (Middle Eocene, North Carolina), noted for its diverse macro-invertebrate fossils, was sampled to assess if Early Cenozoic brachiopods from eastern North America record any traces of biotic interactions. Systematic surveys of two North Carolina quarries yielded 494 brachiopods dominated by one species: Plicatoria wilmingtonensis (Lyell and Sowerby, 1845). Despite subtle variations in taphonomy, taxonomy and drilling patterns, the two sampled quarries are remarkably similar in terms of quantitative and qualitative palaeoecological and taphonomic patterns. In both quarries, brachiopods contain frequent drillholes (24.5% specimens drilled). The majority of drillholes were singular, perpendicular to shell surface and drilled from the outside. Ventral valves were drilled slightly more frequently than dorsal ones, but site-selectivity in drilhole location was not evident. Larger brachiopods were drilled significantly more frequently than smaller ones. However, drillhole diameter did not correlate with brachiopod size. The drillholes are interpreted as records of 'live-live' biotic interactions, representing either predatory attacks or parasitic infestations or a combination of those two types of interactions. A notable fraction of specimens bear multiple drillholes, which is consistent with either parasitic nature of interactions or frequent failed predatory events. The high drilling frequency reported here reinforces other reports (from other continents and other epochs of the Cenozoic), which suggest that brachiopods may be an important prey or host of drilling organisms in some settings. The number of case studies reporting high frequencies of drilling in brachiopods is still limited and thus insufficient to draw reliable generalizations regarding the causes and consequences of these occasionally intense ecological interactions. □ Brachiopods, drilling parasitism, drilling predation, Eocene, North Carolina, taphonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the carbon isotope compositions of pedogenic calcite from paleosol formations spanning across the Triassic/Jurassic boundary to represent a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. Effects of the eruptions of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province; Factors controlling carbon isotopic composition of soil carbonate; Stratigraphic units sampled; Calculation findings of atmospheric paleo-carbon dioxide.

Chagasdisease is caused by the intracellular protozoan parasite Trypanosomal cruzi, and current drugs are lackingin terms of desired safety and efficacy profiles. Following on a recentlyreported high-throughput screening campaign, we have explored initialstructure–activity relationships around a class of imidazole-basedcompounds. This profiling has uncovered compounds 4c(NEU321)and 4j(NEU704), which are potent against in vitro culturesof T. cruziand are greater than 160-foldselective over host cells. We report in vitro drug metabolism andproperties profiling of 4cand show that this chemotypeinhibits the T. cruziCYP51 enzyme,an observation confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. We comparethe binding orientation of 4cto that of other, previouslyreported inhibitors. We show that 4cdisplays a significantlybetter ligand efficiency and a shorter synthetic route over previouslydisclosed CYP51 inhibitors, and should therefore be considered a promisinglead compound for further optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Exposed, uplifted Miocene carbonate sequences of the Cape Range, North West Cape, Western Australia, provide outcrop analogues of seismic sequences from offshore parts of the shelf. Facies include deep shelf marls (very fine and fine packstone), larger foram wackestone, floatstone and muddy rudstone, foram-coralline algal skeletal fragment packstone–wackestone (shallow seagrass facies), lagoonal wackestone–mudstone with scattered corals, and tidal flat laminites. The exposed Early Miocene units include the Mandu highstand, a sequence in the Tulki and one in the Middle Miocene Trealla Limestone. Sequences contain decameter scale (5–20 m thick), 4th-order parasequences evident on gamma ray logs and by facies stacking, that shallow and coarsen up; they appear to be due to eccentricity driven sea-level changes which may have been up to 50 m. Higher frequency meter-scale parasequences of deep water marl up into larger foram rudstone/floatstone (perhaps precession/obliquity) are evident at the base of the exposed Mandu section. These parasequences are not merely random storm deposits. This is indicated by the covariance of C and O isotopes, with the lighter values associated with deepening and deposition of deep shelf marls, and the heavier values being associated with shallowing and deposition of larger foram facies. The uplifted Miocene continental shelf sediments of the North West Cape preserve a record of eustasy, paleoclimate and paleoceanography and thus provide a window into factors affecting the shelf, that can be compared with coeval, better studied deep sea cores. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]