Systems of innovation, the urban order and sustainable development.

Innovative cities are essential for the economic growth and development of countries. At the same time, however, social and environmental problems related to city growth can be serious threats to the full realisation of the socio-economic contribution that cities can make. City environments thus often provide both new problems and the creative and diverse environments, which make it possible to solve them. The question of whether or not sustainable development is possible largely will be answered in cities. This is also the case for problems related to waste management. Landfills may be located in the countryside, but if a country is to reduce environmental costs, the results will rest on the innovation power of cities. In this paper it is argued that the notion of a 'system of innovation' is helpful in understanding the factors that shape the processes of innovation and that determine the extent to which environmental problems may be solved. In this context, institutional innovation and political innovation as compared to technical innovation are of special importance.     

Occurrence of Human Enteric Viruses in Commercial Mussels at Retail Level in Three European Countries

In this study, the prevalence of different enteric viruses in commercial mussels was evaluated at the retail level in three European countries (Finland, Greece and Spain). A total of 153 mussel samples from different origins were analysed for human norovirus (NoV) genogroups I and II, hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis E virus (HEV). Human adenovirus (HAdV) was also tested as an indicator of human faecal contamination. A full set of controls (such as sample process control, internal amplification controls, and positive and negative controls) were implemented during the process. The use of a sample process control allowed us to calculate the efficiencies of extraction, which ranged from 79 to 0.5?%, with an average value of 10?%. Samples were positive in 41?% of cases, with HAdV being the most prevalent virus detected (36?%), but no significant correlation was found between the presence of HAdV and human NoV, HAV and HEV. The prevalences of human norovirus genogroup II, HEV and human NoV genogroup I were 16, 3 and 0.7?%, respectively, and HAV was not detected. The estimated number of PCR detectable units varied between 24 and 1.4?×?10³?g^?1 of digestive tract. Interestingly, there appeared to be a significant association between the type of mussel species (M. galloprovincialis) and the positive result of samples, although a complete overlap between country and species examined required this finding to be confirmed including samples of both species from all possible countries of origin.     

A new chasmosaurine from northern Laramidia expands frill disparity in ceratopsid dinosaurs

A new taxon of chasmosaurine ceratopsid demonstrates unexpected disparity in parietosquamosal frill shape among ceratopsid dinosaurs early in their evolutionary radiation. The new taxon is described based on two apomorphic squamosals collected from approximately time equivalent (approximately 77 million years old) sections of the upper Judith River Formation, Montana, and the lower Dinosaur Park Formation of Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta. It is referred to Chasmosaurinae based on the inferred elongate morphology. The typical chasmosaurine squamosal forms an obtuse triangle in dorsal view that tapers towards the posterolateral corner of the frill. In the dorsal view of the new taxon, the lateral margin of the squamosal is hatchet-shaped with the posterior portion modified into a constricted narrow bar that would have supported the lateral margin of a robust parietal. The new taxon represents the oldest chasmosaurine from Canada, and the first pre-Maastrichtian ceratopsid to have been collected on both sides of the Canada–US border, with a minimum north–south range of 380 km. This squamosal morphology would have given the frill of the new taxon a unique dorsal profile that represents evolutionary experimentation in frill signalling near the origin of chasmosaurine ceratopsids and reinforces biogeographic differences between northern and southern faunal provinces in the Campanian of North America.     

A non-parametric distance-based method using all available indicators for integrated environmental assessment – a case study of the Mid-Atlantic Region,USA

The paper presents a multivariate measure useful for integrated environmental assessments. It is a weighted distance measure applied to metric data but based on nonparametric statistical procedures. The proposed measure allows all environmental indicators to be used directly without any reduction in dimension (e.g. as in principal component analysis) nor losing variance while being able to tolerate possible non-normality of the indicators, as well as non-linear relationships among them. Results of the hypothetical example and the Mid-Atlantic case study show that the proposed measure is suitable and valuable for integrating multiple indicators into a single index, an important task in integrated environmental assessment.     

Four priorities for new links between conservation science and accounting research

Article impact statement: New collaborations with accounting research can improve conservation impact of ecosystem-based information systems.     

Prenatal diagnosis of CLCN4-related neurodevelopmental disorder in fetuses with congenital brain anomalies

We report two male fetuses born to a healthy unrelated couple, with agenesis of the corpus callosum identified on detailed 20-week ultrasound scans and confirmed by in-utero MRI. Whole-genome sequencing identified a likely pathogenic missense variant in the CLCN4 gene, establishing this as the causative gene in the family. Pathogenic variants in the CLCN4 gene cause a neurodevelopmental disorder (also called Raynaud-Claes syndrome) inherited in an X-linked pattern. The disorder is characterised by developmental delay, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy, mental health conditions, and significant feeding difficulties, predominantly, but not exclusively, affecting males. This is the first report of a prenatal phenotype associated with variants in the CLCN4 gene. The diagnosis of the CLCN4-related neurodevelopmental disorder in this family allowed accurate genetic counseling and discussion of reproductive choices. This leaves uncertainty about the possibility of a postnatal neurodevelopmental phenotype in heterozygous females, which we discuss.     

Degradation of biochanin A in soil

Degradation of biochanin A, 400 μg (1.41 μmol) per gram of dry soil, was studied and the initial degradation products, dihydrobiochanin A, pratensein and genistein were identified and quantified. The maximum concentrations of these compounds were determined as 166 pmol/g dry soil after 2 days of incubation, 175 pmol/g dry soil after 1 day and 1,236 pmol/g dry soil after 1 day, respectively. Biochanin A and the initially formed products degrade too fast to be responsible for clover soil sickness (DT₉₀ <20 days), but could be precursors for the responsible compounds. The immediate degradation products from biochanin A are all biologically active and are the prime candidates for a reduction of weed pressure caused by clover.