Getting a better understanding of the evolution and nucleosynthetic yields of the most metal-poor stars (Z ≲ 10−5) is critical because they are part of the big picture of the history of the primitive universe. Yet many of the remaining unknowns of stellar evolution lie in the birth, life, and death of these objects. We review stellar evolution of intermediate-mass Z ≤ 10−5 models existing in the literature, with a particular focus on the problem of their final fates. We emphasise the importance of the mixing episodes between the stellar envelope and the nuclearly processed core, which occur after stars exhaust their central He (second dredge-up and dredge-out episodes). The depth and efficiency of these episodes are critical to determine the mass limits for the formation of electron-capture SNe. Our knowledge of these phenomena is not complete because they are strongly affected by the choice of input physics. These uncertainties affect stars in all mass and metallicity ranges. However, difficulties in calibration pose additional challenges in the case of the most metal-poor stars. We also consider the alternative SN I1/2 channel to form SNe out of the most metal-poor intermediate-mass objects. In this case, it is critical to understand the thermally pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch evolution until the late stages. Efficient second dredge-up and, later, third dredge-up episodes could be able to pollute stellar envelopes enough for the stars to undergo thermal pulses in a way very similar to that of higher initial Z objects. Inefficient second and/or third dredge-up may leave an almost pristine envelope, unable to sustain strong stellar winds. This may allow the H-exhausted core to grow to the Chandrasekhar mass before the envelope is completely lost, and thus let the star explode as an SN I1/2. After reviewing the information available on these two possible channels for the formation of SNe, we discuss existing nucleosynthetic yields of stars of metallicity Z ≤ 10−5 and present an example of nucleosynthetic calculations for a thermally pulsing Super-Asymptotic Giant Branch star of Z = 10−5. We compare theoretical predictions with observations of the lowest [Fe/H] objects detected. The review closes by discussing current open questions as well as possible fruitful avenues for future research.

We present a model for the scaling of mixing in weakly rotating stratified flows characterized by their Rossby, Froude and Reynolds numbers $Ro,Fr$ , $Re$ . This model is based on quasi-equipartition between kinetic and potential modes, sub-dominant vertical velocity, $w$ , and lessening of the energy transfer to small scales as measured by a dissipation efficiency $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}=\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{V}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{D}$ , with $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{V}$ the kinetic energy dissipation and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{D}=u_{rms}^{3}/L_{int}$ its dimensional expression, with $w,u_{rms}$ the vertical and root mean square velocities, and $L_{int}$ the integral scale. We determine the domains of validity of such laws for a large numerical study of the unforced Boussinesq equations mostly on grids of $1024^{3}$ points, with $Ro/Fr\geqslant 2.5$ , and with $1600\leqslant Re\approx 5.4\times 10^{4}$ ; the Prandtl number is one, initial conditions are either isotropic and at large scale for the velocity and zero for the temperature $\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}$ , or in geostrophic balance. Three regimes in Froude number, as for stratified flows, are observed: dominant waves, eddy–wave interactions and strong turbulence. A wave–turbulence balance for the transfer time $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{tr}=N\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{NL}^{2}$ , with $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{NL}=L_{int}/u_{rms}$ the turnover time and $N$ the Brunt–Väisälä frequency, leads to $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ growing linearly with $Fr$ in the intermediate regime, with a saturation at $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}\approx 0.3$ or more, depending on initial conditions for larger Froude numbers. The Ellison scale is also found to scale linearly with $Fr$ . The flux Richardson number $R_{f}=B_{f}/[B_{f}+\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{V}]$ , with $B_{f}=N\langle w\unicode[STIX]{x1D703}\rangle$ the buoyancy flux, transitions for approximately the same parameter values as for $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ . These regimes for the present study are delimited by ${\mathcal{R}}_{B}=ReFr^{2}\approx 2$ and $R_{B}\approx 200$ . With $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}_{f}=R_{f}/[1-R_{f}]$ the mixing efficiency, putting together the three relationships of the model allows for the prediction of the scaling $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}_{f}\sim Fr^{-2}\sim {\mathcal{R}}_{B}^{-1}$ in the low and intermediate regimes for high $Re$ , whereas for higher Froude numbers, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}_{f}\sim {\mathcal{R}}_{B}^{-1/2}$ , a scaling already found in observations: as turbulence strengthens, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}\sim 1$ , $w\approx u_{rms}$ , and smaller buoyancy fluxes together correspond to a decoupling of velocity and temperature fluctuations, the latter becoming passive.

Leishmaniasis are diseases caused by parasites of the genus Leishmania and transmitted to humans by the bite of infected insects of the subfamily Phlebotominae. Current drug therapy shows high toxicity and severe adverse effects. Recently, two oligopeptidases (OPBs) were identified in Leishmania amazonensis, namely oligopeptidase B (OPB) and oligopeptidase B2 (OPB2). These OPBs could be ideal targets, since both enzymes are expressed in all parasite lifecycle and were not identified in human. This work aimed to identify possible dual inhibitors of OPB and OPB2 from L. amazonensis. The three-dimensional structures of both enzymes were built by comparative modelling and used to perform a virtual screening of ZINC database by DOCK Blaster server. It is the first time that OPB models from L. amazonensis are used to virtual screening approach. Four hundred compounds were identified as possible inhibitors to each enzyme. The top scored compounds were submitted to refinement by AutoDock program. The best results suggest that compounds interact with important residues, as Tyr490, Glu612 and Arg655 (OPB numbers). The identified compounds showed better results than antipain and drugs currently used against leishmaniasis when ADMET in silico were performed. These compounds could be explored in order to find dual inhibitors of OPB and OPB2 from L. amazonensis.

During Pleistocene pluvial precipitation was sufficient for the maintenance of groundwater supported lakes and for the accumulation of playa lakes in wind-scoured depressions during the early Holocene pluvial. At places where ground water reaches near to the surface, wells (birs) have been dug and maintained in historic times. These birs have been used as sampling sites for water analyses, including carbon-14 levels, carbon and oxygen stable isotope ratios, tritium concentrations, and chemical data.

All the waters from birs analyzed to date produced apparent radiocarbon ages ranging from late historic to early Holocene, and tritium analyses on some of these indicate no recharge during the Atomic age.

Sources of error for the radiocarbon analyses, including exchange with atmospheric CO2, respiration by plant roots, and contact with carbonates of considerably older age, were evaluated. None of these factors have such an extreme impact on the measurements as to render the result invalid. Two trends revealed by these data are an increase in apparent age from northwest to southwest and with subsequent extractions at the same site where the hand-dug well was bailed out and sampled four times within two days.

We conclude that recharge of shallow ground water occurred in early Holocene time, and some recharge of deeper aquifers may have occurred where infiltration paths permitted. Some recharge occurred in late Holocene (post pluvial) time, but the net trend has been toward hyper-aridity that characterizes the area today.

Data on the depth distribution of the major atmospheric gases and the abundance of gaseous 12CO2, 13CO2, and 14CO2 in the subsoil unsaturated zone have been obtained from several sites in the western Great Plains of the United States. Sample profiles range from land surface to depths of 50m. Although each site must be considered on an individual basis, several general statements can be made regarding the profiles. 1) Diffusion of these gaseous molecules through the unsaturated zone is an important transport mechanism. 2) As predicted by diffusion theory, depth profiles of the various isotopic species of CO2 differ substantially from one another, depending on individual sources and sinks such as root respiration and oxidation of organic carbon at depth. 3) In general, post-bomb (> 100% modern) 14C activities are not observed in the deep unsaturated zone, in contrast to diffusion model predictions. 4) In spite of generally decreasing 14C activities with depth, absolute partial pressures of 14CO2 in the subsoil unsaturated zone are 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than the partial pressure of 14CO2 in the atmosphere.

From 1966 to 1979, the University of Missouri, the University of Arizona, and the Illinois State Museum conducted extensive interdisciplinary investigations of Late Pleistocene peat deposits associated with springs, some extinct, in the Pomme de Terre River Valley of the Ozark Highland, Missouri (fig 1). Most of the sites are now beneath the waters of the Harry S Truman reservoir. Archaeologic investigations in the area produced a remarkably long sequence of cultural change and development during the Holocene but produced no evidence of human presence in the area prior to 11,000 years ago despite diligent excavation of favorable bone-bearing deposits.

Soil gas samples were obtained from the unsaturated zone at eight sites in the Great Plains. Three of these sites were sampled extensively for gas composition and carbon isotopes. Sampling equipment consisted of a nest of gas probes vertically spaced by roughly 3m at most sites, generally approaching the water table. Water wells, 10cm in diameter, were screened in the topmost layer groundwater. Inverted cattle tanks were used to collect CO2 samples from the soil surface. The major gas components were analyzed with emphasis on CO2, δ 13C, and 14C measurements. The same components were studied in groundwater samples. Higher than atmospheric CO2 concentrations were found in all soil samples. Root respiration and oxidation of organic matter were sources for the additional CO2. When lignite was present in the unsaturated zone, gaseous oxygen reacted almost completely, and CO2 levels rose to 19%. Near the surface, annual cycles in total CO2, δ 13C, and 14C were observed. 14C activities were close to present post-bomb levels at the surface and generally declined with depth. At some sites, oxidation of lignite caused decline of 14C levels to 1 or 2% of their surface value at 8m depth. Without lignite, the 14C activity remained above 50% at all depths. Concentrations of total carbon and its isotopes in ground water remained very stable throughout the study. This implies that geochemical processes in the aquifer vary on time scales longer than the seasonal effects observed in the near-surface unsaturated zone.

Acceptance of chronic pain is associated with positive health outcomes. The study examined participants’ chronic pain experiences by exploring two acceptance factors: pain willingness and activity engagement. Eleven participants (seven women and four men) participated in semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were analysed to identify pain willingness and activity engagement in participants’ experiences. The study found that participants demonstrated some pain willingness and activity engagement, but that avoidance and control could result in unwanted activity restrictions. Three themes were identified in participants’ accounts of getting on with their lives: making necessary adjustments, taking control and finding purpose and meaning. To improve outcomes for people with chronic pain, counsellors and rehabilitation professionals should encourage pain acceptance, and educate their clients about the effects of social withdrawal, and avoidance and control of pain.

Some studies that address the decline of fraternal sickness insurance conclude that fraternal insurers were crowded out of the market by increasing government and commercial competition. This line of reasoning reinforces beliefs that government and commercial insurers were superior to fraternal providers and that voluntary insurance arrangements were deficient for addressing household income risks before the rise of the welfare state. This article shows that this interpretation is problematic. The largest sickness insurer in the United States, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, dismantled its sick benefit arrangements between the 1860s and the 1920s not because of an inability to compete with the government and commercial insurers that were not in the market until well after 1920 but rather because of declining demand for the insurance within the membership.

Landowners and game reserve managers are often faced with the decision whether to undertake consumptive (such as hunting) and/or non-consumptive (such as tourism) use of wildlife resources on their properties. Here a theoretical model was used to examine cases where the game reserve management allocated the amount of land devoted to hunting (trophy hunting) and tourism, based on three scenarios: (1) hunting is separated from tourism but wildlife is shared; (2) hunting and tourism co-exist; and (3) hunting and tourism are separated by a fence. The consumptive and non-consumptive uses are not mutually exclusive; careful planning is needed to ensure that multiple management objectives can be met. Further, the analysis indicates that the two uses may be undertaken in the same area. Whether they are spatially, or temporally separated depends on the magnitude of the consumptive use. When consumptive use is not dominant, the two are compatible in the same shared area, provided the wildlife population is sufficiently large.

In this investigation of rehabilitation professionals in Australasia, where the profession of rehabilitation counselling might be described as emerging, the appropriateness of the Rehabilitation Skills Inventory for use in Australasian settings was evaluated. This resulted in an amendment to the original instrument and the development of the RSI (Amended) instrument. The instrument validation is discussed and the four component solution described.