Changes in dip and frictional properties of the basal detachment controlling orogenic wedge propagation and frontal collapse: the External central Betics case

Thin-skinned fold-and-thrust belts (FTBs) have been extensively studied through both field examples and modelling. The overall dynamics of FTBs are, therefore, well understood. One less understood aspect is the combined influence of across-strike changes in the detachment properties and the basement topography on the behaviour of an orogenic wedge. In this paper, we use field data together with reflection seismic interpretation from the External Zones of the Central Betics FTB, S Spain, to identify a significant increase in the wedge basal dip (a basement "threshold") coinciding with the pinch-out of a weak substrate. This induced both changes to the wedge geometry and to the basal friction, which in turn influenced the wedge dynamics. The changing dynamics led to a transient “stagnation” of the FTB propagation, topographic build-up and subsequent collapse of the FTB front. This in turn fed an important Langhian depocenter made up of mass transport deposits. Coevally with the FTB propagation, extension took place both parallel and perpendicular to the orogenic trend. This case study illustrates how across-strike changes in wedge basal properties can control the detailed behaviour of a developing FTB front, but questions remain regarding the time-space interaction and relative importance of the basal parameters

Shortwave radiative forcing and efficiency of key aerosol types using AERONET data

The shortwave radiative forcing (Δ<i>F</i>) and the radiative forcing efficiency (Δ<i>F</i><sup>eff</sup>) of natural and anthropogenic aerosols have been analyzed using estimates of radiation both at the Top (TOA) and at the Bottom Of Atmosphere (BOA) modeled based on AERONET aerosol retrievals. Six main types of atmospheric aerosols have been compared (desert mineral dust, biomass burning, urban-industrial, continental background, oceanic and free troposphere) in similar observational conditions (i.e., for solar zenith angles between 55° and 65°) in order to compare the nearly same solar geometry. The instantaneous Δ<i>F</i> averages obtained vary from −122 ± 37 Wm<sup>−2</sup> (aerosol optical depth, AOD, at 0.55 μm, 0.85 ± 0.45) at the BOA for the mixture of desert mineral dust and biomass burning aerosols in West Africa and −42 ± 22 Wm<sup>−2</sup> (AOD = 0.9 ± 0.5) at the TOA for the pure mineral dust also in this region up to −6 ± 3 Wm<sup>−2</sup> and −4 ± 2 Wm<sup>−2</sup> (AOD = 0.03 ± 0.02) at the BOA and the TOA, respectively, for free troposphere conditions. This last result may be taken as reference on a global scale. Furthermore, we observe that the more absorbing aerosols are overall more efficient at the BOA in contrast to at the TOA, where they backscatter less solar energy into the space. The analysis of the radiative balance at the TOA shows that, together with the amount of aerosols and their absorptive capacity, it is essential to consider the surface albedo of the region on which they are. Thus, we document that in regions with high surface reflectivity (deserts and snow conditions) atmospheric aerosols lead to a warming of the Earth-atmosphere system

Arc-parallel vs back-arc extension in the Western Gibraltar arc : is the Gibraltar forearc still active?

Extremely tight arcs, framed within the Eurasia-Africa convergence region, developed during the Neogene on both sides of the western Mediterranean. A complex interplate deformation zone has been invoked to explain their structural trend-line patterns, the shortening directions and the development of back-arc basins. Updated structural and kinematic maps, combined with earthquake data covering the complete hinge zone of the western Gibraltar arc help us to explore the mode of strain partitioning from 25My ago to present. During the Miocene, the strain partitioning pattern showed arc-perpendicular shortening in the active orogenic wedge -assessed from the radial pattern of tectonic transport directions- accompained by subhorizontal stretching. Structures accommodating stretching fall into two categories on the basis of their space distribution and their relationships with the structural trend-line pattern: i) arc-parallel stretching structures in the external wedge (mainly normal faults and conjugate strike-slip faults); and ii) extensional faults developed in the hinterland zone in which transport directions are centripetal towards the Alborán back-arc basin. Pliocene to Recent deformational structures together with focal solutions from crustal earthquakes (n=167; 1.

Estudio de dos estrategias para completar la serie de datos del AI-TOMS

Ponencia presentada en: 1er Encuentro sobre Meteorología y Atmósfera de Canarias, celebrado en el Puerto de la Cruz, los días 12,13 y 14 de noviembre de 2003. El encuentro estuvo organizado por el Centro Meteorológico Territorial en Canarias Occidental, con la colaboración del Observatorio Atmosférico de Izaña y del Grupo de Física de la Atmósfera de la Facultad de Física (Universidad de La Laguna)El índice de aerosoles del TOMS es una herramienta muy útil para evaluar los aerosoles absorbentes en el UV. Su resolución espacial y temporal permite estimar apropiadamente el alcance global de los mismos. Para estudiar la serie temporal del Al hemos calculado la variabilidad espacial y temporal en un conjunto de cuatro píxeles centrados en el correspondiente a lzaña: píxel IZO (28.500°N, 16.875°W), píxel del SW en (27.500°N, 18.125°W), píxel del N en (29.500°N, 16.875°W) y píxel del SE en (27.500°N, 15.625°W). El promedio de la variabilidad temporal de Al es aproximadamente de O. 02±0. 58 para los cuatro píxeles y el período de estudio. Mientras que el promedio de la variabilidad espacial es: 0.06±0.28, 0.04±0.33 y 0.03±0.41, para los píxeles N, el SW y SE con respecto al píxel de IZO.Este trabajo ha sido financiado por las becas FP2001-0963 y FP2000-5379 asociadas a los proyectos REN2001-0609-C02/CLI y REN2000-0903-C08-06/CLI del Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología

Simulation of mineral dust effects on UV radiation levels

The role played by aerosols on UV radiative transfer in the atmosphere is very uncertain. This is especially true regarding mineral dust. To determine the sensitivity of the UV levels to the presence of this atmospheric specie, we have simulated the UV irradiance with different vertical distributions of mineral dust. We have used a discrete ordinates radiative transfer model to obtain the UV levels both at sea level and at 3000 m. We have computed the aerosol single-scattering albedo, the phase function, and the asymmetry factor by Mie scattering theory. The background aerosol profiles were taken from WCRP [1986] models, whereas the radiative properties of mineral dust have been calculated from the aerosol size distribution obtained during Saharan dust invasions at Tenerife island (28.5°N, 16.3°W). The values for aerosol optical depth assumed as input for the model calculations are 0.2 (at 550 nm) for clean background aerosols and 0.3 (at 550 nm) for the mineral dust component. From the results we can conclude that the dust vertical size distribution can affect the irradiance ratio F (with Saharan dust)/F (no Saharan dust) by 2–4%. In addition, we observe that to the same total optical depth the diffuse UV levels depend not only on the vertical dust distribution but also on the background aerosol vertical distribution. We have computed differences for the diffuse radiation fluxes of about 5% between a maritime and a continental model to the same mineral dust vertical distribution.This work has been supported by the CICYT (Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologia- Spanish Government) under contract CLI97-0453 and the Gobierno Autónomo de Canarias by contract 4/95

Las termas y el Suburbium marítimo de Baelo Claudia. Avance de un reciente descubrimiento

Entre los años 2010 y 2012, la Universidad de Cádiz y la Junta de Andalucía han desarrollado investigaciones arqueológicas en la zona extramuros de la ciudad hispanorromana, en el marco del Proyecto General de Investigación “La economía marítima y las actividades haliéuticas en Baelo Claudia”. Se presentan en esta sede los primeros resultados, que han permitido identificar la existencia de un suburbium occidental en la ciudad, entre el cauce del arroyo de las Villas, la playa y la necrópolis oeste, cuya existencia se ha podido confirmar por datos geofísicos y arqueológicos. En él han podido ser excavadas parcialmente unas estructuras que se han identificado con unas termas suburbanas, activas entre el s. II y el V d.C., habiéndose excavado una piscina del frigidarium y algunas estancias calefactadas, con hallazgos muy significativos como parte de la decoración marmórea y escultórica del complejo, que en época tardorromana fue amortizado intencionalmente por motivos posiblemente religiosos. Estos hallazgos son de gran interés, pues además de verificar la existencia de un segundo complejo balneario público en la ciudad plantean la importancia del poblamiento periurbano, una línea de investigación totalmente inédita hasta la fechaBetween the year 2010 and 2012, the University of Cadiz and the Regional Government (Junta de Andalucía) have developed archaeological activities in the zone outside the hispano-roman city, in the frame of the General Project of Research titled “The maritime economy and the halieutic activities in Baelo Claudia”. We are presenting in this paper the first results, which have allowed to identify the existence of a western suburbium outside the city, between the riverbed of the so called “arroyo de las Villas”, the beach and the western necropolis, whose remains have been confirmed by geophysical and archaeological techniques. Inside this area a few structures have been excavated, identified as a Roman baths complex, active from the 2nd up to the 5th century a.D. A big pool, part of the frigidarium and some heated rooms have been unearthed, with very significant findings as part of the marmoreal and sculptural decoration of the complex, which in late roman times was intentionally broken into pieces possibly by religious motives. These findings are of great interest, since beside confirming the existence of the second public thermae of the city they raise the importance of the peri-urban buildings, a new line of research up to dat

Evidencias arqueológicas de desplomes paramentales traumáticos en las Termas Marítimas de Baelo Claudia. Reflexiones arqueosismológicas

Durante los años 2011 a 2013 se han localizado, identificado y excavado parcialmente los restos de un nuevo complejo termal en la ciudad hispanorromana de Baelo Claudia (Tarifa, Cádiz), situado en el suburbium occidental de la ciudad, junto a la línea de costa. Denominadas Termas Marítimas, construidas en la primera mitad del s. II d.C. y abandonadas en época de Diocleciano/Constantino han sido excavadas estratigráficamente con detalle, habiéndose detectado la existencia de fases anteriores (que se remontan al s. II a.C.) y una continuidad de uso del ambiente en época tardorromana y moderna, vinculada con la explotación de los recursos marinos. Especialmente singular ha sido la constatación del desplome traumático de parte de los paramentos de las habitaciones del edificio en dos momentos concretos: por un lado en la Antigüedad Tardía (500 d.C. circa), ya que una unidad muraria de una de las habitaciones (H-3), anexa a la natatio, se localizó completamente derrumbada sobre el suelo, conexionada; y por otro, el desplome del muro oeste de la natatio y el oriental de la cisterna, estructuras de más de seis metros de longitud y cuatro de altura mínima conservada, desplomadas sobre los niveles de abandono del asentamiento en época bajomedieval o moderna (ss. XIV-XV d.C.). Se trata en ambas ocasiones de colapsos estructurales no habituales en circunstancias normales en los procesos de sedimentación arqueológica, por lo que es muy probable que su desplome se pueda vincular con eventos sísmicos u otras causas naturales similare

Aerosol radiative forcing efficiency in the UV region over southeastern Mediterranean: VELETA2002 campaign

Atmospheric aerosol effects on spectral global UV irradiance were evaluated during the VELETA2002 field campaign between 8 and 19 July 2002 in southeast Spain. In the first stage, seven UV spectroradiometer and six CIMEL Sun photometer measurements were carried out simultaneously, allowing them to be calibrated and intercompared. The mean ratio obtained for the global irradiance between the spectroradiometers, with regards to a reference instrument, ranges from 0.98 up to 1.04 with standard deviations that oscillate between ±0.01 and ±0.17. In particular, the two spectroradiometers used to obtain the aerosol forcing efficiencies have a ratio of 1.000 ± 0.001. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) obtained with the CIMEL Sun photometers has a standard deviation of lower than ±0.01 for all the channels. Under clear sky conditions, the diurnal aerosol forcing efficiency (DDFe) and fractional diurnal forcing efficiency (DFDFe) was calculated for two Mediterranean stations: Armilla (691 m.a.s.l.) within the boundary layer and Sabinas (2200 m.a.s.l) on the lower limit of the free troposphere and 25 km away from the first station. The DDFe values obtained at Armilla range between _2.72 ± 0.45 W m_2/t380 and _2.88 ± 0.45 W m_2/t440 and between _3.22 ± 0.61 W m_2/t380 and _3.40 ± 0.62 W m_2/t440 at Sabinas station; the DFDFe values range from _8.0 ± 1.4%/t380 to _8.6 ± 1.3%/t440 and _12.0 ± 2.3%/t380 to _12.6 ± 2.3%/t440 at the two stations, respectively. Also, an experimental aerosol transmittance factor, CT, used to obtain UV satellite derived products was found as a result of the dependence of the global irradiance with the AOD, under cloudless conditions. The average aerosol attenuation factor, h, obtained from the CT, is 6 ± 2% under weakly absorbing aerosols, with a negligible spectral dependence.This work was supported by CICYT–MCYT through the coordinated projects CGL2004-05984-C07-05 and CGL2005-03428-C04-02

Integrated Analysis of Germline and Tumor DNA Identifies New Candidate Genes Involved in Familial Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) shows aggregation in some families but no alterations in the known hereditary CRC genes. We aimed to identify new candidate genes which are potentially involved in germline predisposition to familial CRC. An integrated analysis of germline and tumor whole-exome sequencing data was performed in 18 unrelated CRC families. Deleterious single nucleotide variants (SNV), short insertions and deletions (indels), copy number variants (CNVs) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) were assessed as candidates for first germline or second somatic hits. Candidate tumor suppressor genes were selected when alterations were detected in both germline and somatic DNA, fulfilling Knudson's two-hit hypothesis. Somatic mutational profiling and signature analysis were also performed. A series of germline-somatic variant pairs were detected. In all cases, the first hit was presented as a rare SNV/indel, whereas the second hit was either a different SNV (3 genes) or LOH affecting the same gene (141 genes). BRCA2, BLM, ERCC2, RECQL, REV3L and RIF1 were among the most promising candidate genes for germline CRC predisposition. The identification of new candidate genes involved in familial CRC could be achieved by our integrated analysis. Further functional studies and replication in additional cohorts are required to confirm the selected candidates

Successful treatment of Candida parapsilosis mural endocarditis with combined caspofungin and voriconazole

BACKGROUND: Fungal mural endocarditis is a rare entity in which the antemortem diagnosis is seldom made. Seven cases of mural endocarditis caused by Candida spp. have been collected from literature and six of these patients died after treatment with amphotericin B. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of mural endocarditis diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiogram and positive blood cultures to Candida parapsilosis. Because blood cultures continued to yield C. parapsilosis despite caspofungin monotherapy, treatment with voriconazole was added. CONCLUSION: This is the first description of successful treatment of C. parapsilosis mural endocarditis with caspofungin and voriconazole