L’archéologie entre glaciers et sommets. Dernières découvertes dans les Alpes Bernoises (Cantons de Berne et du Valais, Suisse)

Connus sous le nom populaire de palafittes, les habitats préhistoriques construits sur les rives des lacs subalpins du Néolithique à l’aube de l’âge du Fer (entre 5300 et 700 av. J.-C.) offrent des informations exceptionnelles sur l’évolution culturelle d’une importante région européenne, grâce à la préservation remarquable des matériaux organiques, en particulier du bois. À partir de la deuxième moitié du XXe siècle, le perfectionnement des techniques de fouille subaquatiques et de la dendrochronologie permettront la construction d’un schéma chronologique précis pour l’Europe nord-alpine. Les recherches contribueront à des observations d’ordre écologique à l’échelle locale et régionale et à l’identification des rythmes de développement des villages. Sous l’égide de l'UNESCO, les années 2010 verront la constitution d’un inventaire vaste et uniforme des sites préhistoriques des lacs circumalpins, classés Patrimoine culturel mondial en juin 2011. De nombreux objets préhistoriques, romains et médiévaux ont été découverts entre 2003 et 2010, au Schnidejoch, un col des Alpes bernoises occidentales à 2756 m d’altitude, à la frontière entre les cantons de Berne et du Valais. Les hautes températures de l'été 2003 ont provoqué la fonte d'un petit champ de glace et mis en lumière les vestiges. Les recherches ont été programmées à la suite d’une série d’informations fournies par des randonneurs. Les objets en matière organique (bois, écorce de bouleau, cuir, fibres végétales) revêtent une très grande importance car ils ont permis l’obtention de plus d’une cinquantaine de datations radiocarbone ; elles indiquent le passage du col entre la moitié du Ve millénaire av. J.-C. et l’année 1000 de notre ère. En outre, les séries de datations suggèrent l’alternance de périodes de praticabilité et d’inaccessibilité du col. Le Schnidejoch est actuellement le plus ancien témoignage de la traversée des Alpes, reliant l‘Oberland bernois par les vallées de la Simme et du Rhône.

Stable isotopic record of planktonic foraminifera of the Pacific Ocean

We determined the d18O and d13C of individual Globigerinoides ruber and Pulleniatina obliquiloculata from sediment traps located from 5°N to 12°S along 140°W in the Pacific Ocean to evaluate the effects of varying [CO3=] on shell d18O and d13C. Variations in the offset between shell d13C and d13CDIC (Dd13Cs-DIC) are attributed to differences in [CO3]2-, temperature, and shell size between sample sites. When Dd13Cs-DIC of G. ruber was corrected for variations in [CO3]2- using the experimental slope of Bijma et al. (1998), the residual Dd13Cs-DIC was correlated with mixed layer temperature (+0.10±0.04 per mil °C**-1). The slope of this temperature effect is consistent with experimental results. In P. obliquiloculata, Dd13Cs-DIC and temperature were strongly anticorrelated (?0.14±0.03 per mil C**-1). We are unable to separate the influences of [CO3]2- and temperature in this species without independent experimental data. Correcting for [CO3]2- variability on d18Os of G. ruber improves the accuracy of estimated sea surface temperatures.

Ice and snow characteristics in Prydz Bay in 2006

Under the Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition program in 2006, the annual thermal mass balance of landfast ice in the vicinity of Zhongshan Station, Prydz Bay, east Antarctica, was investigated. Sea ice formed from mid-February onward, and maximum ice thickness occurred in late November. Snow cover remained thin, and blowing snow caused frequent redistribution of the snow. The vertical ice salinity showed a 'question-mark-shaped' profile for most of the ice growth season, which only turned into an 'I-shaped' profile after the onset of ice melt. The oceanic heat flux as estimated from a flux balance at ice-ocean interface using internal ice temperatures decreased from 11.8 (±3.5) W/m**2 in April to an annual minimum of 1.9 (±2.4) W/m**2 in September. It remained low through late November, in mid-December it increased sharply to about 20.0 W/m**2. Simulations applying the modified versions of Stefan's law, taking account the oceanic heat flux and ice-atmosphere coupling, compare well with observed ice growth. There was no obvious seasonal cycle for the thermal conductivity of snow cover, which was also derived from internal ice temperatures. Its annual mean was 0.20 (±0.04) W/m/°C.

Semantic Heterogeneity Issues on the Web

The Semantic Web is an extension of the traditional Web in which meaning of information is well defined, thus allowing a better interaction between people and computers. To accomplish its goals, mechanisms are required to make explicit the semantics of Web resources, to be automatically processed by software agents (this semantics being described by means of online ontologies). Nevertheless, issues arise caused by the semantic heterogeneity that naturally happens on the Web, namely redundancy and ambiguity. For tackling these issues, we present an approach to discover and represent, in a non-redundant way, the intended meaning of words in Web applications, while taking into account the (often unstructured) context in which they appear. To that end, we have developed novel ontology matching, clustering, and disambiguation techniques. Our work is intended to help bridge the gap between syntax and semantics for the Semantic Web construction.

Colomb dans les fers, a Ferdinand et Isabelle, après la découvert de l'Amérique ... : [Texto impreso] précédée d'un précis historique sur Colomb

Sign. : []4, A-I8, K4

The Assessment of Total Energy Expenditure During a 14-day 'In-Season' Period of Professional Rugby League Players Using the Doubly Labelled Water Method

Peer reviewed

Rel-deficient T cells exhibit defects in production of interleukin 3 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

The c-rel protooncogene encodes a subunit of the NF-kappa B-like family of transcription factors. Mice lacking Rel are defective in mitogenic activation of B and T lymphocytes and display impaired humoral immunity. In an attempt to identify changes in gene expression that accompany the T-cell stimulation defects associated with the loss of Rel, we have examined the expression of cell surface activation markers and cytokine production in mitogen-stimulated Rel-/- T cells. The expression of cell surface markers including the interleukin 2 receptor alpha (IL-2R alpha) chain (CD25), CD69 and L-selectin (CD62) is normal in mitogen-activated Rel-/- T cells, but cytokine production is impaired. In Rel-/- splenic T cell cultures stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin, the levels of IL-3, IL-5, granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) were only 2- to 3-fold lower compared with normal T cells. In contrast, anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 stimulated Rel-/- T cells, which fail to proliferate, make little or no detectable cytokines. Exogenous IL-2, which restitutes the proliferative response of the anti-CD3- and anti-CD28-treated Rel-/- T cells, restores production of IL-5, TNF-alpha, and IFN-gamma, but not IL-3 and GM-CSF expression to approximately normal levels. In contrast to mitogen-activated Rel-/- T cells, lipopolysaccharide-stimulated Rel-/- macrophages produce higher than normal levels of GM-CSF. These findings establish that Rel can function as an activator or repressor of gene expression and is required by T lymphocytes for production of IL-3 and GM-CSF.

Paris, France, 1137-1180 (Time Series Map 3 of 8) (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image from the historic paper map series entitled: Lutece ... plan de la ville de Paris ..., par M.L.C.D.L.M. ; A. Coquart, delineavit et sculp. It was published by Jean & Pierre Cot in 1705. Scale [ca. 1:10,000]. This image is of map 3 entitled: Troisieme plan de la ville de Paris son êtendiie et les bourgs dont elle êtoit environnée sous le regne de Louis le Jeune VIIe du nom: tiré des descriptions de Fortunat, de Gregoire de Tours, Dabbon, et D'Aimoin, et des anciens titres qui sont dans les Tresor des chartres de France, les registres de la Chambre, des Comptes, les Banieres du Châtelet de Paris, les Archives de l'Archevêché celles de Saint Germain, de Ste. Genevieve, de St. Martin, de S. Eloy, et du Temple. The map represents Paris, 1137 to 1180. Map in French.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the European Datum 1950, Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) Zone 31N projected coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, towns and villages, roads, built-up areas and selected buildings, fortification, ground cover, and more. Relief shown by hachures.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.