峨眉山玄武岩的输送通道：云南元谋朱布岩体

朱布镁铁-超镁铁侵入岩赋存有中型硫化物铂族元素矿床。根据岩体大小和矿床储量的简单质量平衡计算，矿床的形成需要至少3000倍现存岩体体积的岩浆参与成矿，因此朱布岩体应该是峨眉山玄武岩的输送通道。岩体的年龄、地质特征、地球化学都支持这个结论。岩体的原始岩浆应该属于峨眉山高钛玄武岩.

河南小秦岭大湖金－钼矿床地球化学及其矿床成因

秦岭造山带是华北与扬子两大古板块的接合带，在空间上，自北而南，秦岭造山带可分为华北板块南缘（华熊地块）、北秦岭造山带、南秦岭造山带和扬子板块北缘等4个构造单元。小秦岭金矿田位于华熊地块北缘，是国内外学者共识的造山型金矿田，河南灵宝大湖金－钼矿床位于小秦岭金矿田，属断控脉状矿床。大湖金－钼矿床最先正是以金矿床进行勘查的，其黄金储量28t，平均品位8.7g/t。随着开采深度的加大，部分含金石英脉向深部转变为辉钼矿－石英脉，目前探明钼资源量已达中型规模。 本论文主要从区域地质背景、矿床地质特征、元素地球化学、同位素地球化学、流体包裹体地球化学、矿床年代学及成矿机理等角度对大湖金－钼矿床进行了较为系统的研究，主要获得如下认识： 成矿过程经历3个阶段：早阶段为黄铁矿-石英脉，遭受变形、破碎，应形成于挤压或压剪过程；中阶段为细粒的辉钼矿-黄铁矿-石英网脉，贯入到早阶段黄铁矿或石英矿物的裂隙（可呈共轭状），应形成于剪切环境；晚阶段石英-碳酸盐细脉具梳状构造，充填于张性或张扭性裂隙。 大湖金-钼矿床的金属硫化物ISr=0.70470-0.71312，平均0.70854；(143Nd/144Nd)i=0.51143-0.51215，平均0.51162；(206Pb/204Pb)i=17.033-17.285，(207Pb/204Pb)i=15.358-15.438，(208Pb/204Pb)i = 37.307-37.582。其围岩太华群样品平均值ISr＝0.72294，(143Nd/144Nd)i=0.51107，(206Pb/204Pb)i=17.127-18.392，(207Pb/204Pb)i =15.416-15.604，(208Pb/204Pb)i=37.498-37.814，它们的平均值分别是17.547，15.470，37.616。通过金属硫化物及围岩太华群的对比，可以看出，成矿物质具有太华群和深部地幔混合的特征。 通过对不同阶段的含矿石英脉中的流体包裹体特征研究表明，早阶段只发育CO2-H2O型流体包裹体；中阶段流体包裹体类型复杂，有纯CO2型、CO2-H2O型、H2O-NaCl型和含子晶包裹体，指示流体沸腾作用强烈；而晚阶段只发育水溶液包裹体。早、中、晚3个阶段的流体包裹体均一温度分别集中在400-500℃、290-470℃、220-260℃；估计的早、中阶段流体的最低捕获压力分别为138-331MPa和78-237MPa，对应于成矿深度分别为13.8-11.0km和7.8-8.0km。早、中阶段的压力反应出静岩压力到静水压力的转变。成矿温度和压力明显高于浅部含金石英脉的成矿温度120-310℃，成矿压力100-150MPa。与野外观察到的“上金下钼”的空间关系一致。 大湖金－钼矿床辉钼矿－石英脉Re-Os同位素模式年龄较集中，介于215.4±5.4－255.6±9.6Ma，Re-0s等时线年龄为218±41Ma(MSWD=38，2σ误差)，表明大湖金－钼矿的辉矿化形成于印支期。 三叠纪末，随着古秦岭洋的逐渐封闭，处在弧后转换带的深部岩石在挤压作用下发生变质脱水而形成初始成矿流体，成矿流体沿断裂带（韧性剪切带）向上迁移而引起大湖钼矿床成矿系统的发育。随着区域构造环境由挤压转为伸展，区域的变质脱水更强，形成大量成矿流体，变质流体上侵为浅层流体循环提供了的热能，而浅层构造也因减压扩容而为流体循环提供了通道，这无疑有利于浅层流体循环和混入成矿系统。同时，增温和减压也有利于成矿流体发生沸腾。因此，充足的流体、热以及强烈的流体沸腾等，势必导致发生最为强烈的成矿物质快速沉淀作用。随着挤压作用的减弱，伸展作用的增强，区域热异常消失，地壳深部组分发生亏损，流体以浅源大气降水占主导，成矿作用迅速衰竭，形成石英-碳酸盐网脉，对成矿作用贡献减弱。总之，通过对大湖金钼矿床研究表明，大湖金钼矿床形成于由挤压转向伸展的构造背景，这与矿床地质的特征一致。

Low temperature heat capacity of (S)-ibuprofen

Molar heat capacities of ( S)-ibuprofen were precisely measured with a small sample precision automated adiabatic calorimeter over the temperature range from 80 to 370 K. Experimental heat capacities were fitted into a polynomial equation of heat capacities ( C-p,C- m) with reduced temperature ( X), [ X = f(T)]. The polynomial equations for ( S)-ibuprofen were C-p,C- m(s) = - 39.483 X-4 - 66. 649 X-3 + 95. 196 X-2 + 210. 84 X + 172. 98 in solid state and C-p,C- m(L) = 7. 191X(3) + 4. 2774 X-2 + 56. 365 X + 498. 5 in liquid state. The thermodynamic functions relative to the reference temperature of 298. 15 K, H-T - H-298.15 and S-T - S-298.15, were derived for the( S)-ibuprofen. A fusion transition at T-m = (324. 15 +/- 0. 02) K was found from the C-p - T curve. The molar enthalpy and entropy of the fusion transition were determined to be (18. 05 +/- 0. 31) kJ.mol(-1) and (55. 71 +/- 0. 95) J.mol(-1).K-1, respectively. The purity of the ( S)-ibuprofen was determined to be 99. 44% on the basis of the heat capacity measurement. Finally, the heat capacities of ( S)-ibuprofen and racemic ibuprofen were compared.

Valve surgery in active infective endocarditis: a simple score to predict in-hospital prognosis

Aims Surgery for infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with high mortality. Our objectives were to describe the experience with surgical treatment for IE in Spain, and to identify predictors of in-hospital mortality. Methods Prospective cohort of 1000 consecutive patients with IE. Data were collected in 26 Spanish hospitals. Results Surgery was performed in 437 patients (43.7%). Patients treated with surgery were younger and predominantly male. They presented fewer comorbid conditions and more often had negative blood cultures and heart failure. In-hospital mortality after surgery was lower than in the medical therapy group (24.3 vs 30.7%, p = 0.02). In patients treated with surgery, endocarditis involved a native valve in 267 patients (61.1%), a prosthetic valve in 122 (27.9%), and a pacemaker lead with no clear further valve involvement in 48 (11.0%). The most common aetiologies were Staphylococcus (186, 42.6%), Streptococcus (97, 22.2%), and Enterococcus (49, 11.2%). The main indications for surgery were heart failure and severe valve regurgitation. A risk score for in-hospital mortality was developed using 7 prognostic variables with a similar predictive value (OR between 1.7 and 2.3): PALSUSE: prosthetic valve, age ≥ 70, large intracardiac destruction, Staphylococcus spp, urgent surgery, sex [female], EuroSCORE ≥ 10. In-hospital mortality ranged from 0% in patients with a PALSUSE score of 0 to 45.4% in patients with PALSUSE score > 3. Conclusions The prognosis of IE surgery is highly variable. The PALSUSE score could help to identify patients with higher in-hospital mortality.

Quantum Flows as Markovian Limit of Emission, Absorption and Scattering Interactions

Gough, John, (2004) 'Quantum Flows as Markovian Limit of Emission, Absorption and Scattering Interactions', Communications in Mathematical Physics 254 pp.498-512 RAE2008

Wspólnota z przypadku. Studium tożsamości mieszkańców Naddniestrza

Wydział Historyczny

Redefining military memorials and commemoration and how they have changed since the 19th century with a focus on Anglo-American practice

This thesis is a study of military memorials and commemoration with a focus on Anglo-American practice. The main question is: How has history defined military memorials and commemoration and how have they changed since the 19th century. In an effort to resolve this, the work examines both historic and contemporary forms of memorials and commemoration and establishes that remembrance in sites of collective memory has been influenced by politics, conflicts and religion. Much has been written since the Great War about remembrance and memorialization; however, there is no common lexicon throughout the literature. In order to better explain and understand this complex subject, the work includes an up-to-date literature review and for the first time, terminologies are properly explained and defined. Particular attention is placed on recognizing important military legacies, being familiar with spiritual influences and identifying classic and new signs of remembrance. The thesis contends that commemoration is composed of three key principles – recognition, respect and reflection – that are intractably linked to the fabric of memorials. It also argues that it is time for the study of memorials to come of age and proposes Memorialogy as an interdisciplinary field of study of memorials and associated commemorative practices. Moreover, a more modern, adaptive, General Classification System is presented as a means of identifying and re-defining memorials according to certain groups, types and forms. Lastly, this thesis examines how peacekeeping and peace support operations are being memorialized and how the American tragic events of 11 September 2001 and the war in Afghanistan have forever changed the nature of memorials and commemoration within Canada and elsewhere. This work goes beyond what has been studied and written about over the last century and provides a deeper level of analysis and a fresh approach to understanding the field of Memorialogy.

Molecular and cellular aspects of the SREBP pathway

The SREBP (sterol response element binding proteins) transcription factors are central to regulating de novo biosynthesis of cholesterol and fatty acids. The SREBPs are regulated by retention or escape from the ER to the Golgi where they are proteolytically cleaved into active forms. The SREBP cleavage activating protein (SCAP) and the INSIG proteins are essential in this regulatory process. The aim of this thesis is to further characterise the molecular and cellular aspects surrounding regulation of SREBP processing. SREBP and SCAP are known to interact via their carboxy-terminal regulatory domains (CTDs) but this interaction is poorly characterised. Significant steps were achieved in this thesis towards specific mapping of the interaction site. These included cloning and over expression and partial purification of tagged SREBP1 and SREBP2 CTDs and probing of a SCAP peptide array with the CTDs. Results from the SREBP2 probing were difficult to interpret due to insolubility issues with the protein, however, probing with SREBP1 revealed five potential binding sites which were detected reproducibly. Further research is necessary to overcome SREBP2 insolubility issues and to confirm the identified SREBP1 interaction site(s) on SCAP. INSIG1 has a central role in regulating SREBP processing and in regulating stability of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR), a rate limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis. There are two protein isoforms of human INSIG1 produced through the use of two in-frame alternative start sites. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that the presence of two in-frame start sites within the 5-prime region of INSIG1 mRNA is highly conserved and that production of two isoforms of INSIG1is likely a conserved event. Functional differences between these two isoforms were explored. No difference in either the regulation of SREBP processing or HMGCR degradation between the INSIG1 isoforms was observed and the functional significance of the two isoforms is as yet unclear. The final part of this thesis focused on enhancing the cytotoxicity of statins by targeted inhibition of SREBP processing by oxysterols. Statins have significant potential as anti-cancer agents as they inhibit the activity of HMGCR leading to a deficiency in mevalonate which is essential for cell survival. The levels of HMGCR fluctuate widely due to cholesterol feedback of SREBP processing. The relationship between sterol feedback and statin mediated cell death was investigated in depth in HeLa cells. Down regulation of SREBP processing by sterols significantly enhanced the efficacy of statin mediated cell death. Investigation of sterol feedback in additional cancer cell lines showed that sterol feedback was absent in cell lines A- 498, DU-145, MCF-7 and MeWo but was present in cell lines HT-29, HepG2 and KYSE-70. In the latter inhibition of SREBP processing using oxysterols significantly enhanced statin cytotoxicity. The results indicate that this approach is valid to enhance statin cytotoxicity in cancer cells, but may be limited by deregulation of SREBP processing and off target effects of statins, which were observed for some of the cancer cell lines screened.

Adsorption of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole on a Au(1 1 1) electrode

The description of the monolayer formed at Au(1 1 1) by 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI) under potential control has been based on electrochemical data (charge measurements) and spectroscopic information from the subtractively normalized interfacial Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy method (SNIFTIRS). From the quantitative analysis of the SNIFTIR spectra, a surface coverage Γ/Γmax was extracted for each sample potential. The evolution of the coverage with potential was in full agreement with the charge density curve. The shift of the pzc in the presence of MBI indicates that the adsorbed molecules have a nonzero component of the permanent dipole moment in the direction perpendicular to the electrode surface. Thanks to the high quality of the spectra, it was possible to determine the orientation of MBI molecules at the surface in the monolayer and submonolayer range. The angle between the C2-axis of the molecule and the direction normal to the surface is close to 64 ± 4° and its small change (<15°) with potential indicates that the orientation of the molecules is chiefly controlled by the chemical interaction between the sulphur atom and the gold surface. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of microRNA modulation on bioartificial muscle function.

Cellular therapies have recently employed the use of small RNA molecules, particularly microRNAs (miRNAs), to regulate various cellular processes that may be altered in disease states. In this study, we examined the effect of transient muscle-specific miRNA inhibition on the function of three-dimensional skeletal muscle cultures, or bioartificial muscles (BAMs). Skeletal myoblast differentiation in vitro is enhanced by inhibiting a proliferation-promoting miRNA (miR-133) expressed in muscle tissues. As assessed by functional force measurements in response to electrical stimulation at frequencies ranging from 0 to 20 Hz, peak forces exhibited by BAMs with miR-133 inhibition (anti-miR-133) were on average 20% higher than the corresponding negative control, although dynamic responses to electrical stimulation in miRNA-transfected BAMs and negative controls were similar to nontransfected controls. Immunostaining for alpha-actinin and myosin also showed more distinct striations and myofiber organization in anti-miR-133 BAMs, and fiber diameters were significantly larger in these BAMs over both the nontransfected and negative controls. Compared to the negative control, anti-miR-133 BAMs exhibited more intense nuclear staining for Mef2, a key myogenic differentiation marker. To our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that miRNA mediation has functional effects on tissue-engineered constructs.

Identification of microRNAs expressed in two mosquito vectors, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus.

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression in a variety of organisms, including insects, vertebrates, and plants. miRNAs play important roles in cell development and differentiation as well as in the cellular response to stress and infection. To date, there are limited reports of miRNA identification in mosquitoes, insects that act as essential vectors for the transmission of many human pathogens, including flaviviruses. West Nile virus (WNV) and dengue virus, members of the Flaviviridae family, are primarily transmitted by Aedes and Culex mosquitoes. Using high-throughput deep sequencing, we examined the miRNA repertoire in Ae. albopictus cells and Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes. RESULTS: We identified a total of 65 miRNAs in the Ae. albopictus C7/10 cell line and 77 miRNAs in Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, the majority of which are conserved in other insects such as Drosophila melanogaster and Anopheles gambiae. The most highly expressed miRNA in both mosquito species was miR-184, a miRNA conserved from insects to vertebrates. Several previously reported Anopheles miRNAs, including miR-1890 and miR-1891, were also found in Culex and Aedes, and appear to be restricted to mosquitoes. We identified seven novel miRNAs, arising from nine different precursors, in C7/10 cells and Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, two of which have predicted orthologs in An. gambiae. Several of these novel miRNAs reside within a ~350 nt long cluster present in both Aedes and Culex. miRNA expression was confirmed by primer extension analysis. To determine whether flavivirus infection affects miRNA expression, we infected female Culex mosquitoes with WNV. Two miRNAs, miR-92 and miR-989, showed significant changes in expression levels following WNV infection. CONCLUSIONS: Aedes and Culex mosquitoes are important flavivirus vectors. Recent advances in both mosquito genomics and high-throughput sequencing technologies enabled us to interrogate the miRNA profile in these two species. Here, we provide evidence for over 60 conserved and seven novel mosquito miRNAs, expanding upon our current understanding of insect miRNAs. Undoubtedly, some of the miRNAs identified will have roles not only in mosquito development, but also in mediating viral infection in the mosquito host.

Impact of gene variants on sex-specific regulation of human Scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-BI) expression in liver and association with lipid levels in a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have noted that genetic variants of SCARB1, a lipoprotein receptor involved in reverse cholesterol transport, are associated with serum lipid levels in a sex-dependent fashion. However, the mechanism underlying this gene by sex interaction has not been explored. METHODS: We utilized both epidemiological and molecular methods to study how estrogen and gene variants interact to influence SCARB1 expression and lipid levels. Interaction between 35 SCARB1 haplotype-tagged polymorphisms and endogenous estradiol levels was assessed in 498 postmenopausal Caucasian women from the population-based Rancho Bernardo Study. We further examined associated variants with overall and SCARB1 splice variant (SR-BI and SR-BII) expression in 91 human liver tissues using quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS: Several variants on a haplotype block spanning intron 11 to intron 12 of SCARB1 showed significant gene by estradiol interaction affecting serum lipid levels, the strongest for rs838895 with HDL-cholesterol (p=9.2x10(-4)) and triglycerides (p=1.3x10(-3)) and the triglyceride:HDL cholesterol ratio (p=2.7x10(-4)). These same variants were associated with expression of the SR-BI isoform in a sex-specific fashion, with the strongest association found among liver tissue from 52 young women<45 years old (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Estrogen and SCARB1 genotype may act synergistically to regulate expression of SCARB1 isoforms and impact serum levels of HDL cholesterol and triglycerides. This work highlights the importance of considering sex-dependent effects of gene variants on serum lipid levels.

The genomic analysis of erythrocyte microRNA expression in sickle cell diseases.

BACKGROUND: Since mature erythrocytes are terminally differentiated cells without nuclei and organelles, it is commonly thought that they do not contain nucleic acids. In this study, we have re-examined this issue by analyzing the transcriptome of a purified population of human mature erythrocytes from individuals with normal hemoglobin (HbAA) and homozygous sickle cell disease (HbSS). METHODS AND FINDINGS: Using a combination of microarray analysis, real-time RT-PCR and Northern blots, we found that mature erythrocytes, while lacking ribosomal and large-sized RNAs, contain abundant and diverse microRNAs. MicroRNA expression of erythrocytes was different from that of reticulocytes and leukocytes, and contributed the majority of the microRNA expression in whole blood. When we used microRNA microarrays to analyze erythrocytes from HbAA and HbSS individuals, we noted a dramatic difference in their microRNA expression pattern. We found that miR-320 played an important role for the down-regulation of its target gene, CD71 during reticulocyte terminal differentiation. Further investigation revealed that poor expression of miR-320 in HbSS cells was associated with their defective downregulation CD71 during terminal differentiation. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we have discovered significant microRNA expression in human mature erythrocytes, which is dramatically altered in HbSS erythrocytes and their defect in terminal differentiation. Thus, the global analysis of microRNA expression in circulating erythrocytes can provide mechanistic insights into the disease phenotypes of erythrocyte diseases.