The presence of large palaeo-landslides can hinder the construction of railway lines if they cause an alteration of the natural balance of the slope, significantly increasing the cost of the project. During the construction works in a section of the Madrid–Asturias high-speed railway line (Spain), a large-scale hillside instability affected 460 m of the section. The ground movement began 10 months after the start of the excavations and remained active throughout the observation period (2008–2010). Data provided by fieldwork, boreholes and instrumental monitoring have allowed the investigation of the geological units involved, together with the geometry and the kinematics of the mass movement. This landslide involves a Paleozoic basement with an estimated volume of 4 400 000 m³. It shows low displacement rates (<45 mm a^–1) and was accommodated on a single surface of rupture, which reaches more than 60 m depth. The kinematics is favoured by structural and lithological conditions, there being a strong rheological contrast in the lower part of the mobilized ground. This movement is linked to a large palaeo-landslide that was partially reactivated when excavations undermined the lower slopes of the hillside. Technical solutions for the stabilization have already caused an additional cost of 17% over the initial budget.

Deep-subsurface hot brines in northwest Poland, extracted through boreholes reaching 1.6 and 2.6 km below the ground surface, were microbiologically investigated using culture-independent and culture-dependent methods. The high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons showed a very low diversity of bacterial communities, which were dominated by phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Bacterial genera potentially involved in sulfur oxidation and nitrate reduction (Halothiobacillus and Methylobacterium) prevailed in both waters over the sulfate reducers ("Candidatus Desulforudis" and Desulfotomaculum). Only one archaeal taxon, affiliated with the order Thermoplasmatales, was detected in analyzed samples. Bacterial isolates obtained from these deep hot brines were closely related to Bacillus paralicheniformis based on the 16S rRNA sequence similarity. However, genomic and physiological analyses made for one of the isolates, Bacillus paralicheniformis strain TS6, revealed the existence of more diverse metabolic pathways than those of its moderate-temperature counterpart. These specific traits may be associated with the ecological adaptations to the extreme habitat, which suggest that some lineages of B. paralicheniformis are halothermophilic.

IMPORTANCE Deep-subsurface aquifers, buried thousands of meters down the Earth’s crust, belong to the most underexplored microbial habitats. Although a few studies revealed the existence of microbial life at the depths, the knowledge about the microbial life in the deep hydrosphere is still scarce due to the limited access to such environments. Studying the subsurface microbiome provides unique information on microbial diversity, community structure, and geomicrobiological processes occurring under extreme conditions of the deep subsurface. Our study shows that low-diversity microbial assemblages in subsurface hot brines were dominated by the bacteria involved in biogeochemical cycles of sulfur and nitrogen. Based on genomic and physiological analyses, we found that the Bacillus paralicheniformis isolate obtained from the brine under study differed from the mesophilic species in the presence of specific adaptations to harsh environmental conditions. We indicate that some lineages of B. paralicheniformis are halothermophilic, which was not previously reported.

In India and China, indigenous drug manufacturers market arbitrarily combined parenteral β-lactam and β-lactamase inhibitors (BL-BLIs). In these fixed-dose combinations, sulbactam or tazobactam is indiscriminately combined with parenteral cephalosporins, with BLI doses kept in ratios similar to those for the approved BL-BLIs. Such combinations have been introduced into clinical practice without mandatory drug development studies involving pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic, safety, and efficacy assessments being undertaken. Such unorthodox combinations compromise clinical outcomes and also potentially contribute to resistance development.

According to Batdongsan.com.vn’s real estate market report, the third quarter (Q3) of 2019 continued to witness the excitement of many Northern provincial markets. The number of listings and the interest level of users in these provinces and cities have increased sharply.

SEATTLE (AP) - Officials on Friday confirmed the first positive COVID-19 test at the Northwest detention center in Tacoma, in a detainee who had previously tested positive at another detention center and was being medically screened on arrival at the immigration jail. The development came just as immigrant rights advocates ...

The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in La Loche is being attributed to citizens who've ignored physical distancing measures.

Read our live updates on coronavirus HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms

Follow our live coronavirus updates HERE Coronavirus: The symptoms

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles – presumed to be cruise missiles – were fired from the North's eastern Kangwon province on Tuesday morning.

Detectives investigating a gang responsible for trafficking young women from Brazil to work in brothels in north London have made two arrests.

A motorcyclist has died after a crash on a busy road in north-east London.

The National Union of Journalists gathered for a special virtual tribute

A man has died after his motorbike crashed into the central reservation of a major London road.

Ten people from London who travelled 245 miles to go walking in North Wales were sent home and reported by police for breaking lockdown rules.

A person has died on the tracks at a busy north London Tube station.

After self-isolating for two weeks she plans to attend another rally

Kim Jong-un may simply be shielding himself from coronavirus, US and South Korean sources have said, amid ongoing speculation as to the North Korean leader's health.

A huge blaze has broken out at a block of flats in north London.

A north London teenager, 16, has been found guilty of kidnapping a stranger in the street and forcing him to withdraw money from a cash machine.

Forest rangers snare bear in the Dolomites in a move that also unleashes row over animal rights

Kim Jong Un has reportedly made his first public appearance in 20 days amid speculation about the North Korean leader's health.

North Korean troops have fired several bullets at a South Korean guard post inside the heavily fortified border between the countries, the military said.

A former senior North Korean diplomat has apologised after saying Kim Jong-un was probably so ill he could not stand, days before he was seen at an event attended by hundreds of officials.

Person pronounced dead at the scene after incident early on Tuesday morning

A London war memorial has been vandalised in what police described as a "senseless" act.

A five-year-old child has been taken to hospital after falling out of a window in north London.

This is the first picture of a pensioner who died after being found by police with head injuries at his north London home.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a police officer was attacked in north west London.

Researchers suggest unusual rapid shift is due to competing patches of magnetic field

Modern dating techniques are providing new time frames for indigenous settlements in Northeast North America, free from the Eurocentric bias that previously led to incorrect assumptions.

A sixth-form college sponsored by Tottenham is helping to produce protective equipment for NHS workers.

MORNING BRIEFING: The Metro network is experiencing significant delays after a train breakdown less than 24 hours after yesterday's mechanical problems, while health warnings for poor air quality are issued along the NSW coastline.

In what appears to be a lax enforcement by China of UN sanctions, North Korean vessels — some carrying illicit coal shipments — are seen anchored in Chinese waters last year in photos from a UN report.

Police and paramedics are at the scene of a fatal industrial accident at Truro north of Adelaide, where a man has been killed.

Kimberley tourism operators brace for "18 months of pain" as COVID-19 decimates the northern tourist season.

Here's a look at the number of coronavirus cases in North Carolina and the latest news about the COVID-19 outbreak.

Here's a look at the number of coronavirus cases in North Dakota and the latest news about the COVID-19 outbreak.

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Apr 22, 2020
On March 25, 2020, the Indian government placed its 1.3 billion citizens under a strict lockdown to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The country-wide mandate decreased activity at factories and severely reduced car, bus, truck, and airplane traffic. After just a week of reduced human activities, NASA satellite sensors observed aerosol levels at a 20-year low for this time of year i

Xining, China (XNA) Apr 24, 2020
Chinese experts will build a survey telescope with wide field and high resolution in Lenghu (Cold Lake) Town, in northwest China's Qinghai Province, sources here said. On April 16, the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) signed a cooperation agreement with the Haixi Mongol and Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai province. They plan to build the telescope on top of Sai

There is no clear favorite in the in the race among those who might take over in North Korea if Kim Jong Un dies.

Recent speculation about Kim Jong Un's health shows how the fate of North Korea is still seen as inextricably linked to that of one much-hyped individual.

The Department today filed a lawsuit on behalf of Suzanne L. Halverson, an Army National Guard member, against Grand Forks County, N.D., alleging violations of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA), which prohibits employers from discriminating against service-members because of their past, current or future military service obligations.

Timothy Christenbury, of Charlotte, N.C., pleaded guilty today to possessing child pornography. Christenbury, 46, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carl Horn III to one count of possession of child pornography. He was indicted on those charges on Dec. 16, 2008. According to the indictment, Christenbury possessed computer files containing child pornography from on or about Sept. 2 to Sept. 4, 2007.

The Department announced today that it has reached a settlement that, if approved by the court, will resolve a lawsuit filed by the Department against the Administrative Office of the Courts of the State of North Carolina and the Honorable Jerry Braswell, Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for North Carolina Judicial District 8-B, in his official capacity.

A federal court has permanently barred Raymond A. Renfrow of Elm City, N.C., from preparing federal income tax returns for others. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina entered the civil injunction order, which also stops Renfrow from promoting a tax fraud scheme that used sham trusts to falsely deduct customers’ non-deductible personal expenses.

The United States has filed a civil complaint against BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc. (BPXA) alleging that the company violated federal clean air and water laws.