First Gale Western Butte Capping-Unit Compositions, and Relationships to Earlier Units Along Curiosity's Traverse

The Curiosity rover has been traversing through the clay-bearing unit (Glen Torridon; GT), approaching Greenheugh pediment, a large, fan-shaped surface surrounding the mouth of Gediz Vallis on the lower slope of Mt. Sharp. The pediment unconformably overlies the underlying bedrock, and is hence younger than units of the Mt. Sharp group. Orbital imaging of the pediment has shown it to have a slightly lower albedo and higher thermal inertia than neighboring units, to be relatively retentive of craters (e.g., erosion resistant), and to exhibit curved bedforms suggestive of lithified eolian bedforms. No diagnostic spectral signature has been observed from orbit. Recent rover positions allowed remote imaging of the contact between Greenheugh pediment and the eroded Murray formation strata below it, showing that the pediment capping material is cross-bedded and relatively thin (1-3 m), and suggesting that the pediment may have been much larger at one time. As Curiosity approached the edge of the pediment, the team investigated two buttes named Central and Western. The latter butte contains dark capping material that initially looked similar to the pediment cap, but close inspection revealed important physical differences. Here we report on compositions from ChemCam of two float rocks that appear to have rolled down from the capping unit, and on potential relation-ships to other targets along the traverse of the rover

Microsatellite in Aeschynomene falcata (Leguminosae): Diversity, cross-amplification, and chromosome localization

Aeschynomene falcata is an important forage species; however, because of low seed production, it is underutilized as forage species. Aeschynomene is a polyphyletic genus with a challenging taxonomic position. Two subgenera have been proposed, and it is suggested that Aeschynomene can be split in 2 genera. Thus, new markers, such as microsatellite sequences, are desirable for improving breeding programs for A. falcata. Based on transferability and in situ localization, these microsatellite sequences can be applied as chromosome markers in the genus Aeschynomene and closely related genera. Here, we report the first microsatellite library developed for this genus; 11 microsatellites were characterized, with observed and expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.0000 to 0.7143 and from 0.1287 to 0.8360, respectively. Polymorphic information content varied from 0.1167 to 0.7786. The departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium may have resulted from frequent autogamy, which is characteristic of A. falcata. Of the 11 microsatellites, 9 loci were cross-amplified in A. brevipes and A. paniculata and 7 in Dalbergia nigra and Machaerium vestitum. Five of these 7 cross-amplified microsatellites were applied as probes during the in situ hybridization assay and 2 showed clear signals on A. falcata chromosomes, ensuring their viability as chromosome markers1341039010397CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP471708/2010-02011/22215-3; 2010/19132-

Microsatellite In Aeschynomene Falcata (leguminosae): Diversity, Cross-amplification, And Chromosome Localization.

Aeschynomene falcata is an important forage species; however, because of low seed production, it is underutilized as forage species. Aeschynomene is a polyphyletic genus with a challenging taxonomic position. Two subgenera have been proposed, and it is suggested that Aeschynomene can be split in 2 genera. Thus, new markers, such as microsatellite sequences, are desirable for improving breeding programs for A. falcata. Based on transferability and in situ localization, these microsatellite sequences can be applied as chromosome markers in the genus Aeschynomene and closely related genera. Here, we report the first microsatellite library developed for this genus; 11 microsatellites were characterized, with observed and expected heterozygosities ranging from 0.0000 to 0.7143 and from 0.1287 to 0.8360, respectively. Polymorphic information content varied from 0.1167 to 0.7786. The departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium may have resulted from frequent autogamy, which is characteristic of A. falcata. Of the 11 microsatellites, 9 loci were cross-amplified in A. brevipes and A. paniculata and 7 in Dalbergia nigra and Machaerium vestitum. Five of these 7 cross-amplified microsatellites were applied as probes during the in situ hybridization assay and 2 showed clear signals on A. falcata chromosomes, ensuring their viability as chromosome markers.1310390-

Cardiotoxicity of commercial 5-fluorouracil vials stems from the alkaline hydrolysis of this drug.

The cardiotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil (FU) was attributed to impurities present in the injected vials. One of these impurities was identified as fluoroacetaldehyde which is metabolised by isolated perfused rabbit hearts into fluoroacetate (FAC), a highly cardiotoxic compound. FAC was also detected in the urine of patients treated with FU. These impurities were found to be degradation products of FU that are formed in the basic medium employed to dissolve this compound. To avoid chemical degradation of this antineoplastic drug, the solution of FU that will be injected should be prepared immediately before use

Square-tiled cyclic covers

A cyclic cover of the complex projective line branched at four appropriate points has a natural structure of a square-tiled surface. We describe the combinatorics of such a square-tiled surface, the geometry of the corresponding Teichm\"uller curve, and compute the Lyapunov exponents of the determinant bundle over the Teichm\"uller curve with respect to the geodesic flow. This paper includes a new example (announced by G. Forni and C. Matheus in \cite{Forni:Matheus}) of a Teichm\"uller curve of a square-tiled cyclic cover in a stratum of Abelian differentials in genus four with a maximally degenerate Kontsevich--Zorich spectrum (the only known example found previously by Forni in genus three also corresponds to a square-tiled cyclic cover \cite{ForniSurvey}). We present several new examples of Teichm\"uller curves in strata of holomorphic and meromorphic quadratic differentials with maximally degenerate Kontsevich--Zorich spectrum. Presumably, these examples cover all possible Teichm\"uller curves with maximally degenerate spectrum. We prove that this is indeed the case within the class of square-tiled cyclic covers.Comment: 34 pages, 6 figures. Final version incorporating referees comments. In particular, a gap in the previous version was corrected. This file uses the journal's class file (jmd.cls), so that it is very similar to published versio

Asset pricing, spatial linkages and contagion in real estate stocks

Following recent methodological developments, we estimate a spatial multi-factor model (SMFM) which combines asset pricing techniques with spatial econometrics to assess systemic implications for REIT index returns. We distinguish between comovement due to market risk exposure (systematic risk) and comovement due to linkages between markets (spillover risk). We find that the spillover risk dramatically increases during the global financial crisis and can explain up to 60% of total asset variation. In the rest of the time, idiosyncratic risks have been the predominant type of risk in real estate stocks. Our results have implications for investors showing that the market can channel asset volatility leading to contagion during crisis periods and therefore residual linkages between country indices need to be accounted for as a means of assessing the diversification benefits of a global portfolio

The comparison of latero-medial versus dorso-palmar/plantar drilling for cartilage removal in the proximal interphalangeal joint

The aims of the present study were to compare the percentages of articular cartilage removed using a lateral drilling approach of the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) and a dorsal drilling approach, and to assess the usefulness of digital fluoroscopy when performing a lateral drilling approach. Sixty cadaveric PIPJs were drilled using a surgical drill bit to remove the articular cartilage. The limbs were divided into three groups containing 10 forelimbs and 10 hindlimbs each. One group received the dorsal drilling approach, the second one received the lateral drilling approach and the last one received the lateral drilling approach under digital fluoroscopy guidance. The percentage of articular cartilage removed from each articular surface was assessed using Adobe Photoshop® software. The percentages of removed cartilage turned out to be significantly higher with lateral approach, especially under fluoroscopic guidance, both in the forelimbs (p = 0.00712) and hindlimbs (p = 0.00962). In conclusion, the lateral drilling approach seems to be a minimally invasive technique with which to perform PIPJ arthrodesis, even more efficient than the previously reported dorsal approach