The marine environment harbors a number of macro and micro organisms that have developed unique metabolic abilities to ensure their survival in diverse and hostile habitats, resulting in the biosynthesis of an array of secondary metabolites with specific activities. Several of these metabolites are high-value commercial products for the pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries. The aim of this review is to outline the paths of marine natural products discovery and development, with a special focus on the compounds that successfully reached the market and particularly looking at the approaches tackled by the pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies that succeeded in marketing those products. The main challenges faced during marine bioactives discovery and development programs were analyzed and grouped in three categories: biodiversity (accessibility to marine resources and efficient screening), supply and technical (sustainable production of the bioactives and knowledge of the mechanism of action) and market (processes, costs, partnerships and marketing). Tips to surpass these challenges are given in order to improve the market entry success rates of highly promising marine bioactives in the current pipelines, highlighting what can be learned from the successful and unsuccessful stories that can be applied to novel and/or ongoing marine natural products discovery and development programs.

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Marketed marine natural products in the pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries: tips for success.

Objectives An ongoing prospective study to investigate failing metal-on-metal
hip prostheses was commenced at our centre in 2008. We report on
the results of the analysis of the first consecutive 126 failed
mated total hip prostheses from a single manufacturer. Methods Analysis was carried out using highly accurate coordinate measuring
to calculate volumetric and linear rates of the articular bearing
surfaces and also the surfaces of the taper junctions. The relationship
between taper wear rates and a number of variables, including bearing
diameter and orientation of the acetabular component, was investigated. Results The measured rates of wear and distribution of material loss
from the taper surfaces appeared to show that the primary factor
leading to taper failure is the increased lever arm acting on this
junction in contemporary large-diameter metal-on-metal hip replacements. Conclusions Our analysis suggests that varus stems, laterally engaging taper
systems and larger head diameters all contribute to taper failure.

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Taper junction failure in large-diameter metal-on-metal bearings.

We present a series of 35 patients (19 men and
16 women) with a mean age of 64 years (36.7 to 75.9), who underwent
total hip replacement using the ESKA dual-modular short stem with
metal on-polyethylene bearing surfaces. This implant has a modular
neck section in addition to the modular head. Of these patients,
three presented with increasing post-operative pain due to pseudotumour
formation that resulted from corrosion at the modular neck-stem
junction. These patients underwent further surgery and aseptic lymphocytic
vaculitis associated lesions were demonstrated on histological analysis. Retrieval analysis of two modular necks showed corrosion at the
neck-stem taper. Blood cobalt and chromium levels were measured
at a mean of nine months (3 to 28) following surgery. These were
compared with the levels in seven control patients (three men and
four women) with a mean age of 53.4 years (32.1 to 64.1), who had
an identical prosthesis and articulation but with a prosthesis that
had no modularity at neck-stem junction. The mean blood levels of
cobalt in the study group were raised at 50.75 nmol/l (5 to 145)
compared with 5.6 nmol/l (2 to 13) in control patients. Corrosion at neck-stem tapers has been identified as an important
source of metal ion release and pseudotumour formation requiring
revision surgery. Finite element modelling of the dual modular stem
demonstrated high stresses at the modular stem-neck junction. Dual
modular cobalt-chrome hip prostheses should be used with caution
due to these concerns.

Corrosion at the neck-stem junction as a cause of metal ion release and pseudotumour formation

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is becoming an increasingly significant catalyst for output and trade in developing countries, in part due to a major expansion in the scope of Global Value Chains (GVCs). FDI delivers a number of important contributions to economic development in terms of investment, employment, and foreign exchange. However, it is FDI's spillover potential-the productivity gain resulting from the diffusion of knowledge and technology from foreign investors to local firms and workers-that is perhaps its most valuable input to long-run growth and development. While substantial empirical evidence has been amassed over the past decade on the existence and dynamics of FDI spillovers, the results are mixed-simply attracting FDI by no means guarantees that a country will benefit from spillovers. This chapter provides an overview of the objectives of the research for which the results are presented in this book. The aim of the research is to identify the critical factors for the realization of FDI-related spillovers including dynamic interactions between FDI and local suppliers, service providers, workers, local producers, customers, and institutions. The research involved detailed field surveys in three industries, characterized by GVCs, across eight countries, with a specific focus on low-income countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Making Foreign Direct Investment Work for Sub-Saharan Africa : Local Spillovers and Competitiveness in Global Value Chains

This article outlines a collaborative study between higher education institutions in Australia, which qualitatively explored the online learning experience for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The project adopted a narrative inquiry approach and encouraged students to story their experiences of this virtual environment, providing a snapshot of how learning is experienced by those undertaking online studies. The study explores what impacted upon students’ engagement in this environment and how different facets of their learning experience made a qualitative difference to how individuals enacted engagement. Drawing upon Sharon Pittaway’s engagement framework, the article seeks to foreground student voice as the learners define their engagement in learning, the strategies they employed to assist this process and how engagement was enacted at an individual level. The students’ reflections presented in this article can be used to inform teaching and learning strategies designed to improve engagement in...

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"I 'Feel' Like I Am at University Even though I Am Online." Exploring How Students Narrate Their Engagement with Higher Education Institutions in an Online Learning Environment.

Publications Financial Statement pursuant to rule 154-ter paragraph 1 of Legislative Decree No. 58/1998 Annual Report Annual Report on Form 20-F for the Securities and Exchange Commission Fact Book (in Italian and English) Eni in 2011 (in English) Interim Consolidated Report as of June 30 pursuant to rule 154-ter paragraph 2 of Legislative Decree No. 58/1998 Corporate Governance Report pursuant to rule 123-bis of Legislative Decree No. 58/1998 (in Italian and English) Remuneration Report pursuant to rule 123-ter of Legislative Decree No. 58/1998 (in Italian and English)

Annual Report 2011 -個人別教育研究報告-

Our school prides itself on providing the best opportunities for each child. The academic achievements have been and continue to be well above Western Australian and National averages, while the pastoral care programs that operate in the school teach children the specific social and emotional skills they need in order to develop and maintain friendships and a strong sense of selfworth. Students have a strong sense of pride in the school and display significant support for each other. Student success is valued, supported and celebrated by all.

国立大学法人お茶の水女子大学

Papers

Annual Report 2011 -個人別教育研究報告-

Annual Report 2012 -個人別教育研究報告-