687 research outputs found
Microstratigraphic Analysis of Fossil Distribution in the Lower Hornerstown and Upper Navesink Formations at the Edelman Fossil Park, NJ
MaastrichtianâDanian sediments of the Navesink and Hornerstown formations at the Jean and Ric Edelman Fossil Park of Rowan University in Mantua Township, New Jersey, have long intrigued paleontologists. Within the basal Hornerstown Formation occurs the Main Fossiliferous Layer (MFL), a regionally well-known and diverse bonebed. The lithostratigraphic and chronostratigraphic position of this fossil layer have been debated for more than 50 years, fueling debate over its origin. Herein, we present the results of a microstratigraphic analysis of the fossil composition and distribution of the MFL undertaken to rectify these discrepancies. Through methodical top-down excavation, we recorded the three-dimensional position of every fossil encountered. Three-dimensional visualization and analyses of these data in ArcGIS Pro yielded an unprecedented view of this bonebed. Most reported discrepancies about the stratigraphic placement and thickness of the MFL can be explained by the presence of two distinct fossil assemblages within this interval that are occasionally combined into a single bonebed. The stratigraphically-lower assemblage, herein termed an âoyster layerâ, is geometrically-tabular and exhibits low taxonomic diversity, high abundance of the oyster Pycnodonte, and moderate taxonomic richness. The stratigraphically-higher assemblage, the MFL, occurs approximately 9 cm higher in section and exhibits high values of taxonomic diversity, fossil abundance, and taxonomic richness. Sedimentological homogeneity throughout this interval suggests that these faunal contrasts arise from the two assemblages having formed via independent taphonomic pathways. Specifically, prevalence of Pycnodonte in the oyster layer implies formation by a selective mortality event, whereas the diversity of the MFL appears to reflect a more universal agent of mortality. Spatial variations in the stratigraphic distribution of fossils within the MFL in our excavation area indicate this assemblage does not form a simple, tabular layer as previously thought and may, in part, record original bathymetry. Importantly, our definition of the MFL and detailed characterization of its stratigraphic placement are essential for future studies on the taphonomic origin and chronostratigraphy of this bonebed. Universal use of this definition would allow researchers to confidently elucidate the exact lithostratigraphic positions of precise chronostratigraphic indicators within the MFL and accurately estimate the degree of time averaging of its fossils
Elasticity model of a supercoiled DNA molecule
Within a simple elastic theory, we study the elongation versus force
characteristics of a supercoiled DNA molecule at thermal equilibrium in the
regime of small supercoiling. The partition function is mapped to the path
integral representation for a quantum charged particle in the field of a
magnetic monopole with unquantized charge.
We show that the theory is singular in the continuum limit and must be
regularised at an intermediate length scale. We find good agreement with
existing experimental data, and point out how to measure the twist rigidity
accurately.Comment: Latex, 4 pages. The figure contains new experimental data, giving a
new determination of the twist rigidit
Enraizamiento de internodios de Zea diploperennis Iltis, Doebley Guzman
Internodios de Zea diploperennis fueron inducidos a enraizar en posiciĂłn horizontal o vertical en presencia de Ăcido Indol AcĂŠtico (AlA) en concentraciĂłn de 5ppm. aplicado en pasta de lanolina en la regiĂłn apical. La respuesta al enraizamiento fue observada en el lugar de aplicaciĂłn en presencia o ausencia de AlA. cuando los internodios fueron colocados en posiciĂłn horizontal. En internodios verticales el AlA inhibiĂł la respuesta al enraizamiento
Overcoming barriers to engaging socio-economically disadvantaged populations in CHD primary prevention: a qualitative study
<p><b>Background:</b> Preventative medicine has become increasingly important in efforts to reduce the burden of chronic disease in industrialised countries. However, interventions that fail to recruit socio-economically representative samples may widen existing health inequalities. This paper explores the barriers and facilitators to engaging a socio-economically disadvantaged (SED) population in primary prevention for coronary heart disease (CHD).</p>
<p><b>Methods:</b> The primary prevention element of Have a Heart Paisley (HaHP) offered risk screening to all eligible individuals. The programme employed two approaches to engaging with the community: a) a social marketing campaign and b) a community development project adopting primarily face-to-face canvassing. Individuals living in areas of SED were under-recruited via the social marketing approach, but successfully recruited via face-to-face canvassing. This paper reports on focus group discussions with participants, exploring their perceptions about and experiences of both approaches.</p>
<p><b>Results:</b> Various reasons were identified for low uptake of risk screening amongst individuals living in areas of high SED in response to the social marketing campaign and a number of ways in which the face-to-face canvassing approach overcame these barriers were identified. These have been categorised into four main themes: (1) processes of engagement; (2) issues of understanding; (3) design of the screening service and (4) the priority accorded to screening. The most immediate barriers to recruitment were the invitation letter, which often failed to reach its target, and the general distrust of postal correspondence. In contrast, participants were positive about the face-to-face canvassing approach. Participants expressed a lack of knowledge and understanding about CHD and their risk of developing it and felt there was a lack of clarity in the information provided in the mailing in terms of the process and value of screening. In contrast, direct face-to-face contact meant that outreach workers could explain what to expect. Participants felt that the procedure for uptake of screening was demanding and inflexible, but that the drop-in sessions employed by the community development project had a major impact on recruitment and retention.</p>
<p><b>Conclusion:</b> Socio-economically disadvantaged individuals can be hard-to-reach; engagement requires strategies tailored to the needs of the target population rather than a population-wide approach.</p>
Discovery of Precursor LBV Outbursts in Two Recent Optical Transients: The Fitfully Variable Missing Links UGC 2773-OT and SN 2009ip
We present progenitor-star detections, light curves, and optical spectra of
SN2009ip and the 2009 optical transient in UGC2773 (U2773-OT), which were not
genuine SNe. Precursor variability in the decade before outburst indicates that
both of the progenitor stars were LBVs. Their pre-outburst light curves
resemble the S Doradus phases that preceded giant eruptions of eta Carinae and
SN1954J (V12 in NGC2403), with intermediate progenitor luminosities. HST
detections a decade before discovery indicate that the SN2009ip and U2773-OT
progenitors were supergiants with likely initial masses of 50-80 Msun and
\ga20 Msun, respectively. Both outbursts had spectra befitting known LBVs,
although in different physical states. SN 2009ip exhibited a hot LBV spectrum
with characteristic speeds of 550 km/s, plus faster material up to 5000 km/s,
resembling the slow Homunculus and fast blast wave of eta Carinae. U2773-OT
shows a forest of narrow absorption and emission lines comparable to that of S
Dor in its cool state, plus [CaII] emission and an IR excess indicative of
dust, similar to SN2008S and N300-OT. [CaII] emission is probably tied to a
dusty pre-outburst environment, and not the outburst mechanism. SN2009ip and
U2773-OT may provide a critical link between historical LBV eruptions, while
U2773-OT may provide a link between LBVs and SN2008S and N300-OT. Future
searches will uncover more examples of precursor LBV variability of this kind,
providing key clues that may help unravel the instability driving LBVs.Comment: 18 pages, 13 Figures, accepted AJ. added significant material while
revising after referee repor
The Big Society and the Conjunction of Crises: Justifying Welfare Reform and Undermining Social Housing
The idea of the âBig Societyâ can be seen as culmination of a long-standing debate about the regulation of welfare. Situating the concept within governance theory, the article considers how the UK coalition government has justified a radical restructuring of welfare provision, and considers its implications for housing provision. Although drawing on earlier modernization processes, the article contends that the genesis for welfare reform was based on an analysis that the government was forced to respond to a unique conjunction of crises: in morality, the state, ideology and economics. The government has therefore embarked upon a programme, which has served to undermine the legitimacy of the social housing sector (most notably in England), with detrimental consequences for residents and raising significant dilemmas for those working in the housing sector
A Spitzer Survey for Dust in Type IIn Supernovae
Recent observations suggest that Type IIn supernovae (SNe IIn) may exhibit
late-time (>100 days) infrared (IR) emission from warm dust more than other
types of core-collapse SNe. Mid-IR observations, which span the peak of the
thermal spectral energy distribution, provide useful constraints on the
properties of the dust and, ultimately, the circumstellar environment,
explosion mechanism, and progenitor system. Due to the low SN IIn rate (<10% of
all core-collapse SNe), few IR observations exist for this subclass. The
handful of isolated studies, however, show late-time IR emission from warm dust
that, in some cases, extends for five or six years post-discovery. While
previous Spitzer/IRAC surveys have searched for dust in SNe, none have targeted
the Type IIn subclass. This article presents results from a warm Spitzer/IRAC
survey of the positions of all 68 known SNe IIn within a distance of 250 Mpc
between 1999 and 2008 that have remained unobserved by Spitzer more than 100
days post-discovery. The detection of late-time emission from ten targets
(~15%) nearly doubles the database of existing mid-IR observations of SNe IIn.
Although optical spectra show evidence for new dust formation in some cases,
the data show that in most cases the likely origin of the mid-IR emission is
pre-existing dust, which is continuously heated by optical emission generated
by ongoing circumstellar interaction between the forward shock and
circumstellar medium. Furthermore, an emerging trend suggests that these SNe
decline at ~1000--2000 days post-discovery once the forward shock overruns the
dust shell. The mass-loss rates associated with these dust shells are
consistent with luminous blue variable (LBV) progenitors.Comment: Accepted for publication to ApJ, 17 pages, 10 figures, 10 table
Modeling DNA Structure, Elasticity and Deformations at the Base-pair Level
We present a generic model for DNA at the base-pair level. We use a variant
of the Gay-Berne potential to represent the stacking energy between neighboring
base-pairs. The sugar-phosphate backbones are taken into account by semi-rigid
harmonic springs with a non-zero spring length. The competition of these two
interactions and the introduction of a simple geometrical constraint leads to a
stacked right-handed B-DNA-like conformation. The mapping of the presented
model to the Marko-Siggia and the Stack-of-Plates model enables us to optimize
the free model parameters so as to reproduce the experimentally known
observables such as persistence lengths, mean and mean squared base-pair step
parameters. For the optimized model parameters we measured the critical force
where the transition from B- to S-DNA occurs to be approximately . We
observe an overstretched S-DNA conformation with highly inclined bases that
partially preserves the stacking of successive base-pairs.Comment: 15 pages, 25 figures. submitted to PR
Hematopoietic Fingerprints: An Expression Database of Stem Cells and Their Progeny
SummaryHematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) continuously regenerate the hematologic system, yet few genes regulating this process have been defined. To identify candidate factors involved in differentiation and self-renewal, we have generated an expression database of hematopoietic stem cells and their differentiated progeny, including erythrocytes, granulocytes, monocytes, NK cells, activated and naive T cells, and BÂ cells. Bioinformatic analysis revealed HSCs were more transcriptionally active than their progeny and shared a common activation mechanism with T cells. Each cell type also displayed unique biases in the regulation of particular genetic pathways, with Wnt signaling particularly enhanced in HSCs. We identified âź100â400 genes uniquely expressed in each cell type, termed lineage âfingerprints.â In overexpression studies, two of these genes, Zfp105 from the NKÂ cell lineage, and Ets2 from the monocyte lineage, were able to significantly influence differentiation toward their respective lineages, demonstrating the utility of the fingerprints for identifying genes that regulate differentiation
Mitochondrial echoes of first settlement and genetic continuity in El Salvador
Background: From Paleo-Indian times to recent historical episodes, the Mesoamerican isthmus played an important role in the distribution and patterns of variability all around the double American continent. However, the amount of genetic information currently available on Central American continental populations is very scarce. In order to shed light on the role of Mesoamerica in the peopling of the New World, the present study focuses on the analysis of the mtDNA variation in a population sample from El Salvador.
Methodology/Principal Findings: We have carried out DNA sequencing of the entire control region of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome in 90 individuals from El Salvador. We have also compiled more than 3,985 control region profiles from the public domain and the literature in order to carry out inter-population comparisons. The results reveal a predominant Native American component in this region: by far, the most prevalent mtDNA haplogroup in this country (at ~90%) is A2, in contrast with other North, Meso- and South American populations. Haplogroup A2 shows a star-like phylogeny and is very diverse with a substantial proportion of mtDNAs (45%; sequence range 16090â16365) still unobserved in other American populations. Two different Bayesian approaches used to estimate admixture proportions in El Salvador shows that the majority of the mtDNAs observed come from North America. A preliminary founder analysis indicates that the settlement of El Salvador occurred about 13,400Âą5,200 Y.B.P.. The founder age of A2 in El Salvador is close to the overall age of A2 in America, which suggests that the colonization of this region occurred within a few thousand years of the initial expansion into the Americas.
Conclusions/Significance: As a whole, the results are compatible with the hypothesis that today's A2 variability in El Salvador represents to a large extent the indigenous component of the region. Concordant with this hypothesis is also the observation of a very limited contribution from European and African women (~5%). This implies that the Atlantic slave trade had a very small demographic impact in El Salvador in contrast to its transformation of the gene pool in neighbouring populations from the Caribbean facade
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