Manufacture of DPFC-DMS polymer in the SKG range

BPFC-DMS block copolymers were synthesized on a pre-pilot scale (i.e., to 5 Kg lots) and subsequently fabricated into clear, colorless films. Details of the synthesis procedures, property determinations, and film casting techniques are presented. Solubility, viscosity and molecular weight characteristics of the resulting product are reported

Leading with political astuteness: A study of public managers in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom

Combining quantitative survey data from over 1000 middle and senior public managers, as well as qualitative data from 42 in-depth interviews, the study sheds light on how managers understand politics in their work; how they rate their own and their colleagues’ political skills; how they use their political skills; and how these skills were developed. The report also sets forth recommendations to improve the development of managers’ political astuteness at the level of the individual, the organisation, and the professional body/training provider

Probing the (H3-H4)(2) histone tetramer structure using pulsed EPR spectroscopy combined with site-directed spin labelling

The (H3-H4)2 histone tetramer forms the central core of nucleosomes and, as such, plays a prominent role in assembly, disassembly and positioning of nucleosomes. Despite its fundamental role in chromatin, the tetramer has received little structural investigation. Here, through the use of pulsed electron-electron double resonance spectroscopy coupled with site-directed spin labelling, we survey the structure of the tetramer in solution. We find that tetramer is structurally more heterogeneous on its own than when sequestered in the octamer or nucleosome. In particular, while the central region including the H3-H3′ interface retains a structure similar to that observed in nucleosomes, other regions such as the H3 αN helix display increased structural heterogeneity. Flexibility of the H3 αN helix in the free tetramer also illustrates the potential for post-translational modifications to alter the structure of this region and mediate interactions with histone chaperones. The approach described here promises to prove a powerful system for investigating the structure of additional assemblies of histones with other important factors in chromatin assembly/fluidity

Discourses of Neo-Liberalisation in New Zealand: From the ‘Managed Economy’ to the ‘Mum and Dad Investor’, Prime Ministers’ Speeches of 1987-2011 (a Critical Discourse Analysis)

In this project I aim to challenge the conception of neo-liberalism as a monolithic ideology and theory of state practice. To achieve this, I use Norman Fairclough’s ‘order of discourse’ model of critical discourse analysis to examine seven speeches delivered by New Zealand Prime Ministers of 1987 to 2011. Using these speeches I chart a number of breaks, shifts, contradictions, and instabilities between both Prime Ministers and Governments, which are often specific to New Zealand. The analyses of the seven speeches highlight the contradictions and tensions inherent in on-going processes of neo-liberalisation in New Zealand. Among other instabilities and contradictions, I examine David Lange’s conflicting articulations of economic management in market-led governing. I note the role of technocracy under Geoffrey Palmer, and the inconsistencies in his push to institutionalise the Treaty of Waitangi while decentralising the role of the state in governing. I outline the specificities of New Zealand as a colonial settler society through the signifier “battler” deployed by Mike Moore. I also sketch the functions of Jim Bolger’s communitarianism, and the way it flanks the market logics deployed by Minister of Finance Ruth Richardson, between 1990 and 1993. The effect and significance of Jenny Shipley’s ‘Code of Social and Family Responsibility’ is examined, noting the way it crystallises the role of social capital in practices of governing. The impact of Helen Clark’s Third Way and ‘inclusive’ neo-liberalism are then charted. Clark’s use of diverse ideological forms suggests a mobile and mediating moment in neo-liberalism, which attempts to overcome some of the problems generated by earlier speakers. I finally cover the way that John Key’s anti-ideological position results in what is labelled the ‘market ideology’, crystallising market logic as a rubric for governing through terms like the “mum and dad investor”, and the “kiwi”. I then offer some concluding comments and note the project’s limitations, before offering some tentative prospects of neo-liberalism’s fortune in a post-2008 crisis world

Pleistocene Montane Glaciations in the Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories

During the Pleistocene the Mackenzie Mountains were affected by a series of glaciations. Through all the glaciations a single pattern seems to have been repeated: a Cordilleran ice sheet formed to the west of the continental divide and montane valley glaciers formed to the east. The montane glaciers in the Mackenzie Mountains emanated from two differents sources: a) a glacial divide, lying generally along the topographic divide between Pacific and Arctic drainage, and dividing the westerly flowing Cordilleran Ice Sheet from easterly and northerly flowing montane glaciers, b) local peaks in the Canyon Ranges. There were two well defined glacial advances in this mountain region: lllinoian, Late Wisconsinan, and one or more less defined pre-lllinoian glaciation(s). lllinoian and Late Wisconsinan glaciations are herein named Mountain River and Gayna River glaciations respectively. These advances are usually identifiable in valleys by frontal and segments of lateral moraines and glacial erosional features. Pre-lllinoian glaciation(s) have been recognized so far only in stratigraphie sections. The older advances were more extensive than the Gayna River advance; associated deposits occur higher on the valley sides and further down the valley than those associated with Gayna River Glaciation. During Mountain River Glaciation some of the montane glaciers in the Canyon Ranges merged to form piedmont glaciers. In contrast, during Gayna River Glaciation, the local glaciers consisted of single tongues, and these were mostly restricted to tributary valleys that had northward facing cirques.Au cours du Pléistocène, les monts Mackenzie ont connu une série de glaciations au cours desquelles un seul patron semble s'être répété : formation d'un inlandsis cordillérien à l'ouest de la ligne de partage continentale et formation de glaciers de vallée vers l'est. Les glaciers de vallée des monts Mackenzie provenaient de deux sources: a) la ligne de partage des glaces, qui se situait généralement le long de la ligne de partage des eaux entre le Pacifique et l'Arctique, et qui divisait l'inlandsis à écoulement vers l'ouest des glaciers de vallées s'écoulant vers l'est et le nord; b) les pics locaux des Canyon Ranges. Il y a eu deux avancées glaciaires bien définies dans cette région montagneuse: l'une à Plllinoien, l'autre au Wisconsinien supérieur, puis une ou plusieurs glaciations moins bien définies avant l'Illinoien. La glaciation de l'Illinoien est ici appelé Mountain River et celle du Wisconsinien supérieur, Gayna River. Dans les vallées, on peut habituellement identifier ces avancées par les moraines frontales et des segments de moraines latérales et par certaines formes d'érosion glaciaire. Jusqu'à maintenant, on a pu identifier les glaciations pré-illinoiennes dans quelques coupes seulement. Les avancées plus anciennes ont été plus importantes que celle de Gayna River. Ainsi les dépôts qui leur sont associés s'observent à des altitudes plus élevées et plus loin dans la vallée que ceux de la Glaciation de Gayna River. Pendant la Glaciation de Mountain River, certains des glaciers alpins ont fusionné pour devenir des glaciers de piémont. Par contre, pendant la Glaciation de Gayna River, les glaciers locaux se présentaient comme des langues glaciaires confinées dans des vallées tributaires qui présentaient des cirques exposés au nord.Wàhrend des Pleistozàns wirkten Serien von Vereisungen auf die Mackenzie-Berge ein. Durch aile Vereisungen hindurch scheint ein einziges Muster sich wiederholt zu haben: Eine Kordiliereneisdecke bildete sich westlich der kontinentalen Trennungslinie und alpine Talgletscher bildeten sich ôstlich. Die alpinen Gletscherin den Mackenzie-Bergen ergaben sich aus zwei verschiedenen Quellen: a) eine Eistrennungslinie, die im allgemeinen làngs der topographischen Wasserscheide zwischen Pazifik und Arktis lag und die westwàrts fliepende Kordiliereneisdecke von den ostwàrts und nordwârts fliependen alpinen Gletschern trennte, b) ôrtliche Gipfel in den Canyon Ranges. In diesem Berggebietfanden zwei scharf abgegrenzte Eisvorstôfîe statt: lllinoische, spâtwisconsinische und mehroder weniger gut abgegrenzte prà-illinoische Vereisungen. Die illinoische Vereisung wird hier Mountain River Vereisung genannt und die spâtwisconsinische Gayna River Vereisung. Dièse Vorstôpe sind gewôhnlich in den Tàlern erkennbar durch frontale Morànen und Segmente lateraler Morânen und Formen glazialer Erosion. Bisherkonnten prâillinoische Vereisungen nur in einigen Schnitten erkannt werden. Die àlteren VorstôBe waren extensiver als der Gayna River-Vorstofî; die mit ihnen in Verbindung gebrachten Ablagerungen befinden sich hôher auf den Talseiten und tiefer im TaI als die zu der Gayna River-Vereisung gehôrigen. Wâhrend der Mountain River-Vereisung schmolzen einige alpine Gletscher zu Vorlandgletschern zusammen. Im Gegensatz dazu bestanden wàhrend der Gayna River-Vereisung die lokalen Gletscher aus einzelnen Zungen, und dièse waren meist begrenzt auf tributâre Tàler mit nordwârts gerichteten Karen

Age Relationships of Laurentide and Montane Glaciations, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories

The Mackenzie Mountains were glaciated repeatedly by large valley glaciers that emanated from the Backbone Ranges, and by much smaller valley glaciers that emanated from peaks in the Canyon Ranges. During the Late Wisconsinan the Laurentide Ice Sheet reached its all-time maximum position. The ice sheet pressed against the Canyon Ranges and moved up major valleys causing the diversion of mountain waters and organizing a complex meltwater system that drained across mountain interfluve areas towards the northwest. Two ages of moraines deposited by montane glaciers occur widely in the Mackenzie Mountains. Near the mountain front certain of the older moraines have been truncated by the Laurentide Ice Sheet, and others have been incised by meltwater streams emanating from the Laurentide ice margin, indicating that these older moraines predate the maximum Laurentide advance. Locally, certain of the younger montane moraines breach moraines and other ice marginal features of the Laurentide maximum, indicating that the younger montane glaciation post-dated the Laurentide maximum. Some large montane glaciers extended out from the mountains to merge with the retreating Laurentide Ice Sheet. There are several localities that display the age relationships between montane and Laurentide glaciations such as Dark Rock Creek, Durkan-Lukas Valley, Little Bear River and Katherine Creek. The older of the local montane glaciations is correlated tentatively with Reid Glaciation (lllinoian?) of central Yukon, and the younger with the Late Wisconsinan McConnell Glaciation. The Laurentide Glaciation is correlated with Hungry Creek Glaciation of Bonnet Plume Depression, which probably culminated about 30,000 years ago or somewhat later.Les monts Mackenzie ont souvent été envahis par de grands glaciers de vallée, en provenance des Backbone Ranges, et par de plus petits, qui venaient des sommets des Canyon Ranges. Pendant le Wisconsinien supérieur, l'Inlandsis laurentidien atteignait ses limites maximales. Appuyé contre les Canyon Ranges, l'Inlandsis a envahi les principales vallées, entraînant ainsi la dérivation des eaux et la mise en mouvement d'un important réseau d'eaux de fonte qui se drainaient vers le nord-ouest, à travers les interfluves. De nombreuses moraines déposées par les glaciers alpins dans les monts Mackenzie appartiennent à deux époques de mise en place. Près du front montagneux, certaines des plus anciennes moraines ont été tronquées par l'Inlandsis laurentidien, tandis que d'autres ont été incisées par les courants d'eaux de fonte en provenance des marges glaciaires laurentidiennes, démontrant ainsi que ces moraines précédaient l'optimum glaciaire laurentidien. Localement, certaines moraines plus récentes trouent d'autres moraines et reliefs de marge glaciaire datant de l'optimum laurentidien, révélant que la glaciation alpine la plus récente a suivi l'optimum laurentidien. Quelques grands glaciers alpins se sont étendus au point de se fusionner à l'Inlandsis laurentidien en retrait. Plusieurs sites témoignent des liens chronologiques entre l'Inlandsis laurentidien et les glaciers alpins comme Dark Rock Creek, Durkan-Lukas Valley, Little Bear River et Katherine Creek. À titre d'essai, on fait la corrélation entre les plus anciennes glaciations alpines locales et la Glaciation de Reid (lllinoien?) du centre du Yukon et entre la plus jeune, et la Glaciation de McConnell, du Wisconsinien supérieur. La Glaciation laurentidienne est corrélé à la Glaciation de Hungry Creek (Bonnet Plume Depression), qui a connu son optimum il y a environ 30 000 ans ou un peu plus tard.Die Mackenzie Mountains wurden wiederholt durch breite Talgletscher vereist, die von den Backbone Ranges kamen, sowie durch viele kleinere Talgletscher, dir von den Gipfeln der Canyon Ranges kamen. Wàhrend des spàten Wisconsiniums erreichte die laurentidische Eisdecke ihre maximale Ausdehnung aller Zeiten. Die Eisdecke drùckte gegen die Canyon Ranges und bewegte sich durch die Haupttàler aufwârts. So lenkte sie die Bergwasser ab und bewirkte ein komplexes Schmelzwassersystem, das durch Berg-Riedel-Gebiete nach Nordwesten abfloss. Zwei Epochen von durch alpine Gletscher abgelagerten Morànen kommen in den Mackenzie Mountains vermehrt vor. In der Nàhe der Bergfront sind einige von den âlteren Morànen durch die laurentidische Eisdecke abgestumft worden, wàhrend andere durch die Schmelzwasserstrôme von dem laurentidischen Eissaum eingeschnitten worden sind, was darauf hinweist, dass diese âlteren Morànen dem Hochstand des laurentidischen Vorstosses vorausgehen. Einige der jungeren alpinen Morànen durchbrechen stellenweise Morànen und andere Ausformungen des Eissaums des laurentidischen Hoch-stands, was wiederum zeigt, dass die jungere alpine Vereisung auf den laurentidischen Hochstand folgte. Einige Plâtze zeigen die chronologischen Beziehungen zwischen den alpinen und laurentidischen Vereisungen wie z.B. Dark Rock Creek. Versuchsweise korreliert man die altère der ortlichen alpinen Vereisungen mit der Reid-Vereisung (lllinoisch?) von Zentral-Yukon und die jùngere mit der Spàt-Wisconsinium McConnell-Vereisung. Die Laurentidische Vereisung wird korreliert mit der Hungry Creek-Vereisung von Bonnet Plume Depression, welche ihren Hohepunkl wahrscheinlich vor etwa 30,000 Jahren Oder etwas spàter erreichte

Establishment of a promoter based chromatin architecture on recently replicated DNA can accommodate variable internucleosome spacing

Nucleosomes, the fundamental subunits of eukaryotic chromatin, are organized with respect to transcriptional start sites. A major challenge to the persistence of this organization is the disassembly of nucleosomes during DNA replication. Here, we use complimentary approaches to map the locations of nucleosomes on recently replicated DNA. We find that nucleosomes are substantially realigned with promoters during the minutes following DNA replication. As a result, the nucleosomal landscape is largely re-established before newly replicated chromosomes are partitioned into daughter cells and can serve as a platform for the re-establishment of gene expression programmes. When the supply of histones is disrupted through mutation of the chaperone Caf1, a promoter-based architecture is generated, but with increased inter-nucleosomal spacing. This indicates that the chromatin remodelling enzymes responsible for spacing nucleosomes are capable of organizing nucleosomes with a range of different linker DNA lengths

Two populations of transition discs?

We examine the distribution of transition discs as a function of mm flux. We confirm that as expected in any model in which most primordial discs turn into transition discs and in which mm flux declines with time, transition discs have lower mm fluxes on average than primordial discs. However, we find that the incidence of transition discs does not, as expected, fall monotonically towards large mm fluxes and we investigate the hypothesis that these mm bright transition discs may have a distinct physical origin. We find that mm bright transition discs occupy a separate region of parameter space. Transition discs in the bright mm sub-sample have systematically higher accretion rates and inner hole radii than those in the faint mm sub-sample, along with being systematically weighted to earlier spectral types.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, accepted version: mnras letter

Plant and Insect Fossils from the Mayo Indian Village Section (Central Yukon): New Data on Middle Wisconsinan Environments and Glaciation

The Mayo Indian Village Section in central Yukon contains the Mayo Till, representing the Wisconsinan McConnell Glaciation, underlain by fluvial sediments with rare detrital organics. Previous 14C dates from the till or underlying sediments have failed to adequately define the age of the McConnell Glaciation. A new accelerator date (29.6 ka BP) on seeds of Corispermum hyssopifolium from subtill deposits shows that the McConnell Glaciation is probably Late Wisconsinan in age and that it correlates with the Kluane Glaciation (Kluane Lake area), McCauley Glaciation (Snag-Klutlan region) and the glaciation represented by « Till D » at the Tom Creek Section (Liard Plain). This conclusion and a new date on Old Crow tephra mean that the Reid, Mirror Creek and possibly Shakwak glaciations are of lllinoian age. Plant fossils (pollen and seeds) and insect fossils from detrital organics associated with the 29.6 ka BP date portray an essentially treeless environment. Even though typical low arctic plants such as heaths, shrub birch and alder are rare to absent, both pollen and macro-fossils suggest a climate no colder than present low arctic tundra, although, it was probably drier. Spruce may have survived in the region, but only as small groves rather than as a riparian forest.La coupe du village indien de Mayo renferme le Till de Mayo, témoin de la Glaciation de McConnell datant du Wisconsinien, sous lequel se trouvent des sédiments fluviatiles comprenant des matériaux organodétritiques rares. Les datations au 14C du till et des sédiments sous-jacents obtenues antérieurement n'avaient pas permis de dater avec précision l'âge de la Glaciation de McConnell. La nouvelle date de 29,6 ka obtenue par accélérateur sur des graines de Corispermum hyssopifolium provenant des dépôts sous-jacents au till indique que la Glaciation de McConnell date probablement du Wisconsinien supérieur et qu'elle correspond aux glaciations de Kluane (Kluane Lake) et de McCauley (région de Snag-Klutan) et à la glaciation représentée par le "Till D" dans la coupe de Tom Creek (Liard Plain). À partir de cette conclusion et grâce à une nouvelle datation sur le tephra de Old Crow, on peut croire que les glaciations de Reid, de Mirror Creek et probablement de Shakwak sont d'âge illinoien. Les fossiles de végétaux (pollen et graines) et d'insectes trouvés dans les sédiments organodétritiques associés à la date de 29.6 ka BP témoignent d'un milieu en grande partie dépourvu d'arbres. Même si les végétaux caractéristiques du bas Arctique comme les Éricacées, l'aulne et le bouleau arbustif sont rares ou absents, le pollen et les macrofossiles laissent entrevoir un climat qui n'était pas plus froid que le climat actuel de la toundra du bas Arctique, mais probablement plus sec. Les épinettes ont peut-être survécu dans la région mais seulement sous forme de bosquets et non de forêt riparienne.Das Profil aus dem indianischen Dorf Mayo, Zentral-Yukon, enthàlt das Till von Mayo, das die McConnell-Vereisung im Wiskonsinium bezeugt und unter dem sich Flusssedimente mit seltenem organischem Erosionsmaterial befinden. Frùhere 14C-Daten von dem Till oder darunter liegenden Sedimenten fùhrten nicht zu einer adâquaten Bestimmung des Alters der McConnell-Vereisung. Ein neues, mit Hilfe eines Beschleunigers auf Samen von Corispermum hyssopifolium in den Ablagerungen unter dem Till gefundenes Datum (29.6 ka v.u.Z.) zeigt, dass die McConnell-Vereisung môglicherweise im spàten Wiskonsinium stattfand und mit den Vereisungen von Kluane (Kluane-See-Gebiet), McCauley (Snag-Klutlan-Gebiet) und dem durch das "Till D" reprasentierten Profil von Tom Creek (Liard Plain) korreliert. Dièse Folgerung und ein neues Datum auf dem Tephra von Old Crow bedeuten, dass die Vereisungen von Reid, Mirror Creek und môglicherweise Shakwak dem lllinoium zugeordnet werden kônnen. Pflanzenfossile (Pollen und Samen) und Insektenfossile aus organischem Erosionsmaterial, das mit dem 29.6 ka v.u.Z. Datum in Verbindung gebracht wird. zeichnen eine im wesentlichen baumlose Umwelt. Auch wenn typische Pflanzen der unteren Arktis wie Heidekraut, Buschbirke und Erie selten bis nicht vorhanden sind. belegen sowohl Pollen wie Makrofossile ein Klima, das nicht kâlter war als das gegenwàrtig in der Tundra der unteren Arktis herrschende, wenn auch môglicherweise trockener. Fichten haben wohl in dem Gebiet uberlebt aber nur in kleinen Wàldchen und nicht als Uferwald