10Be records of sediment cores from high northern latitudes

The 10Be records of four sediment cores forming a transect from the Norwegian Sea at 70°N (core 23059) via the Fram Strait (core 23235) to the Arctic Ocean at 86°N (cores 1533 and 1524) were measured at a high depth resolution. Although the material in all the cores was controlled by different sedimentological regimes, the 10Be records of these cores were superimposed by glacial/interglacial changes in the sedimentary environment. Core sections with high 10Be concentrations ( >1 * 10**9 at/g) are related to interglacial stages and core sections with low10Be concentrations ( <0.5 * 10**9 at/g) are related to glacial stages. Climatic transitions (e.g., Termination II, 5/6) are marked by drastic changes in the 10Be concentrations of up to one order of magnitude. The average 10Be concentrations for each climatic stage show an inverse relationship to their corresponding sedimentation rates, indicating that the 10Be records are the result of dilution with more or less terrigenous ice-rafted material. However, there are strong changes in the 10Be fluxes (e.g., Termination II) into the sediments which may also account for the observed oscillations. Most likely, both processes affected the 10Be records equally, amplifying the contrast between lower (glacials) and higher (interglacials) 10Be concentrations. The sharp contrast of high and low 10Be concentrations at climatic stage boundaries are an independent proxy for climatic and sedimentary change in the Nordic Seas and can be applied for stratigraphic dating (10Be stratigraphy) of sediment cores from the northern North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean.

Fine-silt luminescence dating and mineral composition of sediments from the Arctic Ocean

New geochronometers are needed for sediments of the Arctic Ocean spanning at least the last half million years, largely because oxygen-isotope stratigraphy is relatively ineffective in this ocean, and because other dating techniques require significant assumptions about sedimentation rates. Multi-aliquot luminescence sediment-dating procedures were applied to polymineral, fine-silt samples from 9 core-top and 37 deeper samples from 20 cores representing 19 sites across the Arctic Ocean. Most samples have independent age assignments and other known properties (e.g., % coarse fraction, % carbonate, U-Th isotopes). Thick-source alpha-particle counting indicates that for most regions the contribution of measured unsupported 230Th and 231Pa to calculated dose rates is

Goethe's Werke.

Sechzigster Band. 1842. VIII [i.e. VI], [2], 338 p.

Vaccine adjuvant systems: enhancing the efficacy of sub-unit protein antigens

Vaccination remains a key tool in the protection and eradication of diseases. However, the development of new safe and effective vaccines is not easy. Various live organism based vaccines currently licensed, exhibit high efficacy; however, this benefit is associated with risk, due to the adverse reactions found with these vaccines. Therefore, in the development of vaccines, the associated risk-benefit issues need to be addressed. Sub-unit proteins offer a much safer alternative; however, their efficacy is low. The use of adjuvanted systems have proven to enhance the immunogenicity of these sub-unit vaccines through protection (i.e. preventing degradation of the antigen in vivo) and enhanced targeting of these antigens to professional antigen-presenting cells. Understanding of the immunological implications of the related disease will enable validation for the design and development of potential adjuvant systems. Novel adjuvant research involves the combination of both pharmaceutical analysis accompanied by detailed immunological investigations, whereby, pharmaceutically designed adjuvants are driven by an increased understanding of mechanisms of adjuvant activity, largely facilitated by description of highly specific innate immune recognition of components usually associated with the presence of invading bacteria or virus. The majority of pharmaceutical based adjuvants currently being investigated are particulate based delivery systems, such as liposome formulations. As an adjuvant, liposomes have been shown to enhance immunity against the associated disease particularly when a cationic lipid is used within the formulation. In addition, the inclusion of components such as immunomodulators, further enhance immunity. Within this review, the use and application of effective adjuvants is investigated, with particular emphasis on liposomal-based systems. The mechanisms of adjuvant activity, analysis of complex immunological characteristics and formulation and delivery of these vaccines are considered.

Field and depot maintenance : reproducing equipment MC-364-D and public address set AN/UIH-2.

"December 1958."

Reproducing equipment MC-364-D and public address set AN/UIH-2 : organizational maintenance, second echelon.

"January 1959."

Vibrational spectroscopic characterization of the phosphate mineral bermanite–Mn2+Mn23+(PO4)2(OH)2.4(H2O)

Bermanite Mn2þMn3þ2 ðPO4Þ2ðOHÞ2 � 4ðH2OÞ is a mixed valent hydrated hydroxy phosphate mineral. The mineral is reddish-brown and occurs in crystal aggregates and as lamellar masses. Bermanite is a common mineral in granitic pegmatites. The chemical composition of bermanite was obtained using EDS techniques. We have studied the molecular structure of bermanite using vibrational spectroscopy. The mineral is characterized by a Raman doublet at 991 and 999 cm-1 attributed to the phosphate stretching mode of two non-equivalent phosphate units. Raman bands at 1071, 1117 and 1142 cm-1 are assigned to the phosphate antisymmetric stretching modes. The hydroxyl stretching spectral region is complex with overlapping bands attributed to water and hydroxyl stretching vibrations. Vibrational spectroscopy proves most useful for the study of the mineral bermanite.

Genome-wide association study identifies a locus at 7p15.2 associated with endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease associated with pelvic pain and subfertility. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 3,194 individuals with surgically confirmed endometriosis (cases) and 7,060 controls from Australia and the UK. Polygenic predictive modeling showed significantly increased genetic loading among 1,364 cases with moderate to severe endometriosis. The strongest association signal was on 7p15.2 (rs12700667) for 'all' endometriosis (P = 2.6 x 10(-)(7), odds ratio (OR) = 1.22, 95% CI 1.13-1.32) and for moderate to severe disease (P = 1.5 x 10(-)(9), OR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.24-1.53). We replicated rs12700667 in an independent cohort from the United States of 2,392 self-reported, surgically confirmed endometriosis cases and 2,271 controls (P = 1.2 x 10(-)(3), OR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.06-1.28), resulting in a genome-wide significant P value of 1.4 x 10(-)(9) (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.13-1.27) for 'all' endometriosis in our combined datasets of 5,586 cases and 9,331 controls. rs12700667 is located in an intergenic region upstream of the plausible candidate genes NFE2L3 and HOXA10.

Producción de frijol común (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) variedad DOR-364, en dos épocas de siembras y tres sistemas de labranzas: efecto sobre la dinámica de la maleza, el rendimiento y el beneficio económico

Durante las épocas de primera y postrera en los años 1994, 1995 y 1996, se establecieron los experimentos de campo en la finca experimental La Compañía, localizada en San Marcos, Carazo, con el propósito de evaluar los efectos de épocas de siembra (primera y postrera), y sistemas de labranza (cero, mínima y convencional), sobre la dinámica de las malezas y el crecimiento y rendimiento del fríjol común (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) var. Dor-364. El diseño experimental utilizado fue de parcelas sub-divididas, arreglados en bloques completos al azar (BCA). La combinación de los factores contiene un total de seis tratamientos, los cuales fueron replicados en cuatro oportunidades. Para efecto de conocer el efecto del tiempo, los años del estudio fueron incluidos en el modelo estadístico, con el propósito de conocer la variación de los tratamientos en el tiempo. Los resultados obtenidos en los tres años en estudio indican que tanto en la abundancia como en la biomasa (peso seco total) el sistema de labranza que permitió mayor acumulación de parte de la maleza fue labranza cero (538.5 peso seco/Grupo de planta). El sistema de labranza convencional (86.09 individuo por especie) en este estudio resulta ser el mejor método para la reducción de la abundancia de maleza y dominancia de la maleza. La época que mostró la mayor abundancia de maleza en los tres años en estudio fue la postrera en comparación con la época de primera. El rendimiento de grano de fríjol común y el beneficio neto económico se vieron influenciados por los sistemas de labranza. Labranza mínima {l654.2 kg/ha) permite el mayor rendimiento, por otro lado, labranza cero permite mayor acumulación de malezas a lo largo del tiempo, en cambio labranza mínima muestra un comportamiento opuesto al reducir las malezas y mantener su producción. El beneficio económico (28 $ ha) del fríjol se ve afectado por las condiciones climáticas preponderantes en cada uno de los años, lo que está íntimamente relacionado a calidad y cantidad de la producción y al precio que alcanza el producto en el mercado.

Evaluación de tres tipos de fertilizantes (gallinaza, estiércol vacuno y un fertilizante mineral), sobre el crecimiento y rendimiento de cultivo de frijol común (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) variedad DOR-364, La Compañía, San Marcos, Carazo, Primera 2002

El presente trabajo experimental se llevó a cabo en el departamento de Carazo en el Centro Experimental La Compañía que se ubica en el km 45 de la carretera San Marcos Masatepe; el ensayo se efectuó en la época de primera del año 2002, cabe mencionar que esta zona es apta para la producción de granos básicos, la variedad utilizada es recomendada para sembrarse en esta zona. El experimento se llevó a cabo con el propósito de comparar en el cultivo del fríjol común; el efecto de la aplicación de abonos orgánicos (gallinaza y estiércol vacuno) con relación a la fertilización mineral recomendada para este cultivo evaluando su comportamiento agronómico y económico. Las dosis de abonos orgánicos utilizadas se basaron en estudios realizados en este centro experimental, en donde se tomó la dosis de 10 t ha-1. En tanto para la fertilización mineral se utilizó la dosis recomendada por el INTA para este cultivo, 2 quintales de la formula 18-46-00 siendo este un fertilizante binario, todas las dosis fueron duplicadas y utilizadas como dosis alta. Las parcelas experimentales ocuparon un área de 20 m² en la cual se estableció el cultivo utilizando la variedad DOR 364; el diseño experimental fue un BCA integrado por 7 tratamientos con 4 repeticiones. Se evaluaron las siguientes variables: variables de crecimiento integradas por altura de planta, número de hojas por planta, área foliar. Así como de rendimiento integradas por número de vainas por planta, número de granos por vaina, peso de cien granos (g) y rendimiento (kg ha-1). Los resultados se sometieron a análisis estadístico de varianza bajo el comparador Tukey con un 95 % de confiabilidad, bajo los programas estadísticos MINITAB y SAS. Además los datos fueron sometidos a un análisis económico de presupuesto parcial (CIMMYT 1988). Los mejores resultados en cuanto al rendimiento favorecieron a los fertilizantes orgánicos Gallinaza dosis alta y media. Los tratamientos con mayores beneficios económicos fueron los utilizados con fertilizantes minerales en dosis media y alta, seguido del tratamiento con fertilizantes orgánicos.

New chiral ether derivatives of 2-arylidene-p-menthane-3-ones as components of induced ferroelectric systems

New 2-arylidene-p-menthane-3-ones containing the ether bridging group in the arylidene fragment have been synthesized and studied as chiral dopants in ferroelectric liquid crystal mixtures. The ferroelectric properties of these compositions were compared with those for compositions including chiral dopants that do not contain any bridging group. The influence of bridging group and terminal alkyl substituent length in the dopant molecule on the ferroelectric parameters of systems studied is discussed. © 2001 OPA (Overseas Publishers Association) N.V. Published by license under the Gordon and Breach Science Publishers imprint, a member of the Taylor & Francis Group,.

Interference Effects in Hyperfine Induced 2s2p P-3(0), P-3(2) -> 2s(2) S-1(0) Transitions of Be-like Ions

In this paper, we explored the characteristics of the interference effects between perturbative states in hyperfine induced 2s2p P-3(0), P-3(2) -> 2s(2) S-1(0) transitions of Be-like ions. It was found that the interference effects non-monotonically change with increasing atomic number Z in these two transitions. The strongest interference effect is near Z = 9 for 2s2p P-3(0), -> 2s(2) (1)S(0)transition and near Z = 7 for the other.

Synthesis and crystal structure of a novel amino-acid-containing polyoxometalate: K-6[Cu (Ala)(2) (H2O)(2)](2)[ CU4 (H2O)(2) (AsW9O34)(2)] center dot 16H(2)O

The novel amino-acid-containing polyoxometalate Ka(6) [Cu(Ala)(2) (H2O)(2)](2) [Cu-4 (H2O)(2) . (AsW9O34)(2)] . 16H(2)O was synthesized from the reaction of K-10[Cu-4(H2O)(2)(AsW9O34)(2)] . 20H(2)O with beta -alanine, Its structure has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. It crystallizes in the triclinic space group P (1) over bar, with a=1. 196 3(2) nm, b=1. 536 5(3) nm, c=1. 591 4(3) nm, alpha =93. 97(3)degrees, beta= 110. 88(3)degrees, gamma =101. 07(3)degrees, V=2. 651 8(9) nm(3) and Z=1. Least-squares refinement of the structure leads to R and R-w factors of 0. 067 3 and 0. 162 8, respectively. An unusual structural feature of the compound is that the polyanion [Cu-4(H2O)(2) (AsW9O34)](10-) is linked with the amino-acid complex of Cu2+ by a mu -oxygen atom.