Lipid biomarkers in the Enol Lake (Asturias, Northern Spain): coupled natural and human induced environmental history

The lipid content of three cores from Lake Enol (Picos de Europa National Park, Asturias, Northern Spain) was studied. The n-alkane profiles indicated a major input from terrigenous plants [predominance of high molecular weight (HMW) alkanes] since ca. 1695 AD to the water body, although the uppermost cm revealed a predominance of organic matter (OM) derived from algae, as the most abundant alkane was C17. Three units revealing different environmental conditions were defined. Unit A (ca. 1695–1860 AD) in the lowermost parts of ENO13-10 (< 12 cm) and ENO13-15 (< 28 cm) was identified and was characterized by higher OM input and evidence of minimal degradation (high CPI values, predominance of HMW n-alkanoic acids and good correspondence between the predominant n-alkane and n-alkanoic acid chains). These findings could be linked to the Little Ice Age, when cold and humid conditions may have favored an increase in total organic carbon (TOC) and n-alkane and n-alkanoic acid content (greater terrigenous OM in-wash), and may have also reduced bacterial activity. In Unit B (ca. 1860–1980 AD) the lack of correspondence between the n-alkane and n-alkanoic acid profiles of ENO13-10 (12–4 cm) and ENO13-15 (28–8 cm) suggested a certain preferential microbial synthesis of long chain saturated fatty acids from primary OM and/or bacterial activity, coinciding with a decrease in OM input, which could be linked to the global warming that started in the second half of the 19th century. In ENO13-7 the low OM input (low TOC) was accompanied by some bacterial degradation (predominance ofHMWn-alkanoic acids but with a bimodal distribution) in the lowermost 16–5 cm. Evidence of considerable phytoplankton productivity and microbial activity was especially significant in Unit C (ca. 1980–2013 AD) identified in the uppermost part of all three cores (5 cm in ENO13-7, 4 cm in ENO13-10 and 8 cm in ENO13-15), coinciding with higher concentrations of n-alkanes and n-alkanoic acids, which were considered to be linked to warmer and drier conditions, as well as to greater anthropogenic influence in modern times. Plant sterols, such as b-sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol, were significantly present in the cores. In addition, fecal stanols, such as 24-ethylcoprostanol from herbivores, were present, thereby indicating a continuous and significant pollution input derived from these animals since the 17th century, being more important in the last 20 years.

Origin and evolution of circular waves and spirals in Dictyostelium discoideum territories.

Randomly distributed Dictyostelium discoideum cells form cooperative territories by signaling to each other with cAMP. Cells initiate the process by sending out pulsatile signals, which propagate as waves. With time, circular and spiral patterns form. We show that by adding spatial and temporal noise to the levels of an important regulator of external cAMP levels, the cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, we can explain the natural progression of the system from randomly firing cells to circular waves whose symmetries break to form double- and single- or multi-armed spirals. When phosphodiesterase inhibitor is increased with time, mimicking experimental data, the wavelength of the spirals shortens, and a proportion of them evolve into pairs of connected spirals. We compare these results to recent experiments, finding that the temporal and spatial correspondence between experiment and model is very close.

Letters from Timothy Pickering to his brother and father, 1797-1798

These two handwritten letters by Timothy Pickering were written on February 14, 1797 and June 14, 1798 to his brother John Pickering and his father Timothy Pickering, respectively. The letter to his brother, John, discusses mutual friends, classmate Thomas Lee, and John’s recent attendance at a sermon by Dr. Joseph Priestley. The letter from Timothy to his father includes a discussion of Timothy’s expenses and the amount of money needed to pay his debts, a request for new shoes for commencement, the news of Timothy’s invitation to join honor society Phi Beta Kappa, and a few comments on his forensics course at Harvard.

Europe's refugee/migrant crisis: can 'illiberal' Turkey save 'liberal Europe' while helping Syrian refugees? EPC Policy Brief, 19 February 2016

Turkish democracy today has lost much of its shine. As the Turkish government continues to backtrack on reforms and infringe on basic freedoms, the country is beginning to look more and more like an ‘illiberal democracy’ at best. Ironically, as one of the most important destination and transit countries for Syrian refugees, it is also still uniquely positioned to help the EU deal with the current refugee crisis. In November 2015, the EU and Turkey signed a Joint Action Plan to better manage the situation, but both parties have fallen short of their promises. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, one of the biggest supporters of closer EU-Turkey cooperation, had hoped that this would allow for the refugees to be admitted into Europe in a more controlled and orderly manner. But it seems she is standing alone in a Europe that is becoming increasingly more hostile towards newcomers, drifting further and further from the liberal values it stands for. In this Policy Brief, Kemal Kirişci discusses the ways in which Turkey, Germany and the EU in general could all benefit from closer cooperation on this issue: “With the right frame of mind and will, the current ‘illiberal Turkey’ could indeed help ‘liberal Europe’. In the long run this would be a ‘win-win’ for Germany, Turkey, and the EU – but most importantly, for the Syrian refugees.”

(Table 2) Dinoflagellate cysts in surface sediment samples of METEOR cruises M20/2, M23/1, M34/2 and M34/2

The organic walled cyst content of 41 surface sediment samples from the south-eastern South Atlantic Ocean have been studied to create a dataset that can be used for palaeoceanographic reconstructions. In order to obtain insight into which environmental factors influence the distribution of individual cyst species, the cyst associations have been compared with oceanographic characteristics of the overlying water masses, i.e. temperature, salinity, density and stratification gradients. The associations and relationships have been established by visual examination of the dataset and the multivariate ordination techniques, Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Canonical Correspondence Analysis. Special attention has been given to the factors of transport and preservation of the cysts. Five associations have been recognised as being characteristic of (1) areas influenced by coastal upwelling and/or river outflow, (2) open ocean, (3) Agulhas Current and southern Benguela Current, (4) Benguela Current and (5) Walvis Bay, shelf break area. The factors dominant in influencing either directly or indirectly the cyst distributions appear to be the stratification in the upper 50 m of the water column, nutrient concentration and seasonality. Variations in sea surface temperatures and salinities have only minor effect on cyst distribution.

The National turkey improvement plan /

"In cooperation with representatives of the official state agencies, the National Turkey Federation, and turkey breeders and hatcheries."

The investigation of the sensitivity gradient of the visual field, as a function of stimulus dynamic range, in the normal and abnormal eye

The study utilized the advanced technology provided by automated perimeters to investigate the hypothesis that patients with retinitis pigmentosa behave atypically over the dynamic range and to concurrently determine the influence of extraneous factors on the format of the normal perimetric sensitivity profile. The perimetric processing of some patients with retinitis pigmentosa was considered to be abnormal in either the temporal and/or the spatial domain. The standard size III stimulus saturated the central regions and was thus ineffective in detecting early depressions in sensitivity in these areas. When stimulus size was scaled in inverse proportion to the square root of ganglion cell receptive field density (M-scaled), isosensitive profiles did not result, although cortical representation was theoretically equivalent across the visual field. It was conjectured that this was due to variations in the ganglion cell characteristics with increasing peripheral angle, most notably spatial summation. It was concluded that the development of perimetric routines incorporating stimulus sizes adjusted in proportion to the coverage factor of retinal ganglion cells would enhance the diagnostic capacity of perimetry. Good general and local correspondence was found between perimetric sensitivity and the available retinal cell counts. Intraocular light scatter arising both from simulations and media opacities depressed perimetric sensitivity. Attenuation was greater centrally for the smaller LED stimuli, whereas the reverse was true for the larger projected stimuli. Prior perimetric experience and pupil size also demonstrated eccentricity-dependent effect on sensitivity. Practice improved perimetric sensitivity for projected stimuli at eccentricities greater than or equal to 30o; particularly in the superior region. Increase in pupil size for LED stimuli enhanced sensitivity at eccentricities greater than 10o. Conversely, microfluctuation in the accommodative response during perimetric examination and the correction of peripheral refractive error had no significant influence on perimetric sensitivity.

Involution Matrix Algebras – Identities and Growth

2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 16R50, 16R10.

Devizás tételek értékelése. A számviteli szabályozás és a gazdálkodók döntéseinek összefüggései (Exchange differences from accounting perspective – regulation and business decision)

Az elmúlt években hazánkban a svájcifrank- és a japánjen-alapú hitelezés gyakorlatilag megszűnt, a devizaalapú hitelek folyósításának feltételei szigorodtak, a már meglévő portfólió romlott, a hitelezők által elszenvedett veszteség megnőtt. A számviteli előírások azonban alig változtak, azaz a jelenlegi szabályozás képes a számviteli törvény által alapvető célként megjelölt megbízható és valós kép bemutatására. A számviteli megközelítés szerint a deviza- és a devizaalapú ügyletek között nincs lényegi különbség, az aktiválási, értékelési, valamint értékvesztés-képzési szabályok megegyeznek. A probléma nagyságrendjének bemutatása után ismertetem a devizás vagyonrészek értékelésével kapcsolatos szabályok változását azok indokaival együtt. Ezután bemutatom a különféle alkalmazott árfolyamok hatásait a beszámolóra, s az alkalmazható árfolyamok és a mérlegben megjelenő devizapozíciók összefüggéseit. A devizás követelésekre képzendő értékvesztés témakörben bemutatom az év végi zárási feladatok sorrendjét, valamint a deviza- és a devizaalapú ügyletek értékvesztése közötti különbségeket is. _______ Loan fi nancing in Swiss Franc and Japanese Yen has disappeared in the last few years, fi nancing in foreign currency has become more diffi cult, while the actual loan portfolio has worsened, losses born by fi nancial institutions have increased. Despite this, the accounting prescriptions have hardly changed, which can be seen as if the current regulation is able to provide the fair and true picture. According to the accounting approach, there is no material difference between FX and FX-denominated deals: rules on the recognition in the balance sheet, valuation and loan loss provisions are identical. In this article – after highlighting the magnitude of the problem -, I introduce the changes in the rules regarding items in foreign currency and the reasons behind those changes. In the next part, I investigate the impact of application of different FX rates on the fi nancial statement and their correspondence with the FX-position reported in the Balance sheet. Later, I discuss the adequate order of the periodical accounting closing tasks, and the differences between impairment of receivables to be settled and denominated in foreign currency, or only denominated in FX with Forint Cash Flow.

Molecular markers and human history: A tale of two haplogroup systems

To chronicle demographic movement across African Asian corridors, a variety of molecular (sequence analysis, restriction mapping and denaturing high performance liquid chromatography etc.) and statistical (correspondence analysis, AMOVA, calculation of diversity indices and phylogenetic inference, etc.) techniques were employed to assess the phylogeographic patterns of mtDNA control region and Y chromosomal variation among 14 sub-Saharan, North African and Middle Eastern populations. The patterns of genetic diversity revealed evidence of multiple migrations across several African Asian passageways as well within the African continent itself. The two-part analysis uncovered several interesting results which include the following: (1) a north (Egypt and Middle East Asia) to south (sub-Saharan Africa) partitioning of both mtDNA and Y chromosomal haplogroup diversity, (2) a genetic diversity gradient in sub-Saharan Africa from east to west, (3) evidence in favor of the Levantine Corridor over the Horn of Africa as the major genetic conduit since the Last Glacial Maximum, (4) a substantially higher mtDNA versus Y chromosomal sub-Saharan component in the Middle East collections, (5) a higher representation of East versus West African mtDNA haplotypes in the Arabian Peninsula populations versus no such bias in the Levant groups and lastly, (6) genetic remnants of the Bantu demographic expansion in sub-Saharan Africa. ^

Correspondence course for travel counsellors : hospitality industry project

The purpose of this paper is to produce a travel counselling course which could be subscribed to by students from Canada and abroad, which, upon completion, would qualify them to work in a travel agency.

Carbonates and selected geochemistry composition for sediments from Lake Iznik for the past 31 ka cal BP

This study examines the forcing mechanisms driving long-term carbonate accumulation and preservation in lacustrine sediments in Lake Iznik (northwestern Turkey) since the last glacial. Currently, carbonates precipitate during summer from the alkaline water column, and the sediments preserve aragonite and calcite. Based on X-ray diffraction data, carbonate accumulation has changed significantly and striking reversals in the abundance of the two carbonate polymorphs have occurred on a decadal time scale, during the last 31 ka cal BP. Different lines of evidence, such as grain size, organic matter and redox sensitive elements, indicate that reversals in carbonate polymorph abundance arise due to physical changes in the lacustrine setting, for example, water column depth and lake mixing. The aragonite concentrations are remarkably sensitive to climate, and exhibit millennial-scale oscillations. Extending observations from modern lakes, the Iznik record shows that the aerobic decomposition of organic matter and sulphate reduction are also substantial factors in carbonate preservation over long time periods. Lower lake levels favour aragonite precipitation from supersaturated waters. Prolonged periods of stratification and consequently enhanced sulphate reduction favour aragonite preservation. In contrast, prolonged or repeated exposure of the sediment-water interface to oxygen results in in situ aerobic organic matter decomposition, eventually leading to carbonate dissolution. Notably, the Iznik sediment profile raises the hypothesis that different states of lacustrine mixing lead to selective preservation of different carbonate polymorphs. Thus, a change in the entire lake water chemistry is not strictly necessary to favour the preservation of one polymorph over another.

Benthic foraminifera asemblages and isotopic composition of surface sediment samples off Morocco

The influence of different primary productivity regimes on live (Rose Bengal stained) and dead benthic foraminiferal distribution, as well as on the stable carbon isotopic composition of foraminiferal tests, was investigated in sediment surface samples (0-1 cm) from the upwelling region off Morocco between Cape Ghir (31°N) and Cape Yubi (27°N). A combination of factor analysis, detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was applied to the benthic foraminiferal data sets. Five major assemblages for both the live and dead fauna were revealed by factor analysis. In the cape regions organic matter fluxes are enhanced by high chlorophyll-a concentrations in the overlying surface waters. Here, benthic foraminiferal faunas are characterized by identical live and dead assemblages, high standing stocks, and low species delta13C values, indicating constant year-round high productivity. Bulimina marginata dominates the unique fauna at the shallowest station off Cape Ghir indicating highest chlorophyll-a concentrations. Off both capes, the succession of the Bulimina aculeata/Uvigerina mediterranea assemblage, the Sphaeroidina bulloides/Gavelinopsis translucens assemblage, and the Hoeglundina elegans assemblage from the shelf to the deep sea reflects the decrease in chlorophyll-a concentrations, hence the export flux. In contrast, the area between the capes is characterized by differently composed live and dead assemblages, low standing stocks, and less depleted delta13C values, thus reflecting low primary productivity. High foraminiferal numbers of Epistominella exigua, Eponides pusillus, and Globocassidulina subglobosa in the dead fauna indicate a seasonally varying primary productivity signal. Significantly lower mean delta13C values were recorded in Bulimina mexicana, Cibicidoides kullenbergi, H. elegans, U. mediterranea and Uvigerina peregrina. Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi is a faithful recorder of bottom water delta13C in the Canary Islands regions. The mean delta13C signal of this species is not significantly influenced by constant high organic matter fluxes. The species-specific offset between live and dead specimens is the same.

Phytoplanktonic microfossil groups of sediments from the South and Equatorial Atlantic

Individual planktonic microfossil species, or assemblage groups of different species, are often used to, qualitatively and/or quantitatively, reconstruct past (sub)surface-water conditions of the world's oceans and seas. Until now, little information has been available on the surface sediment distribution patterns and paleoenvironmental reconstruction potential of coccolith, calcareous dinoflagellate cyst and organic-walled dinoflagellate cyst assemblages of the South and equatorial Atlantic, especially at the species level. This paper (i) summarizes the distributions of these three phytoplanktonic microfossil groups in numerous Atlantic surface sediments from 20°N-50°S and 30°E-65°W and determines their relationship with the physicochemical and trophic conditions of the overlying (sub)surface-waters, and (ii) determines the synecology of the three phytoplankton groups by carrying out statistical analyses (i.e. detrended and canonical correspondence analyses) on all groups simultaneously. Ecological relationships are additionally strengthened by statistically comparing the distribution patterns of the phytoplankton groups with those of planktonic foraminifera (Pflaumann et al. 1996; Niebler et al. 1998), as the ecological preferences of the latter are much better known. Many of the analyzed phytoplanktonic microfossil species or groups of species in the surface sediments do show restricted distributions which primarily reflect the environmental conditions of the upper water masses above them (e.g. sea-surface temperature, productivity, stratification). The acquired 'reference' data sets are large and diverse enough to allow future development of transfer functions for the reconstruction of past surface-water conditions, and show that there is still an enormous paleoenvironmental reconstruction potential concealed in many fossil coccolith and dinoflagellate cyst assemblages.

Upper-Pleistocene terrace deposits in Mediterranean climate: geomorphological and source-rock control on mineral and geochemical signatures (Betic Cordillera, SE Spain)

Mineral and chemical composition of alluvial Upper-Pleistocene deposits from the Alto Guadalquivir Basin (SE Spain) were studied as a tool to identify sedimentary and geomorphological processes controlling its formation. Sediments located upstream, in the north-eastern sector of the basin, are rich in dolomite, illite, MgO and KB2BO. Downstream, sediments at the sequence base are enriched in calcite, smectite and CaO, whereas the upper sediments have similar features to those from upstream. Elevated rare-earth elements (REE) values can be related to low carbonate content in the sediments and the increase of silicate material produced and concentrated during soil formation processes in the neighbouring source areas. Two mineralogical and geochemical signatures related to different sediment source areas were identified. Basal levels were deposited during a predominantly erosive initial stage, and are mainly composed of calcite and smectite materials enriched in REE coming from Neogene marls and limestones. Then the deposition of the upper levels of the alluvial sequences, made of dolomite and illitic materials depleted in REE coming from the surrounding Sierra de Cazorla area took place during a less erosive later stage of the fluvial system. Such modification was responsible of the change in the mineralogical and geochemical composition of the alluvial sediments.