Far-infrared vibrational properties of tetragonal C60 polymer

We report high-resolution far-infrared transmittance measurements and quantum-molecular-dynamics calculations of the two-dimensional tetragonal (7) high-temperature/high-pressure C-60 polymer, as a complement to our previous work on the C-60 dimer, and the one-dimensional orthorhombic (O) and two-dimensional rhombohedral (R) C-60 Polymers [V. C. Long et at., Phys. Rev. B 61, 13 191 (2000)]. The spectral features are assigned as intramolecular modes according to our quantum-molecular-dynamics calculations. In addition, we determine the I-h C-60 parent symmetry of each polymer vibrational mode by expanding the calculated polymer eigenvectors in terms of our calculated eigenvectors for I-h C-60. We find that many of the T-polymer vibrational modes are derived from more than one I-h C-60 parent symmetry, confirming that a weak perturbation model is inadequate for these covalently bonded C-60 balls. In particular, strongly infrared-active T-polymer modes with frequencies of 606 and 610 cm(-1) are found to be derived from a linear combination of three or more I-h C-60 parent modes. As in the O and R polymers, modes of the T polymer with substantial T-1u(2) character, which are polarized in the stretched directions, are found to have large downshifts. Finally, in our comparison of theory with experiment, we find indications that the in-plane lattice of the T polymer may not actually be square

Vörs-Máriaasszonysziget őskori lelőhely interdiszciplináris feldolgozása = Vörs-Máriaasszonysziget - an interdisciplinary study of the prehistoric site

Az OTKA T-046297 program a Vörs-Máriaasszonysziget, többperiódusú lelőhely őskori anyagának régészeti, térinformatikai és természettudományos feldolgozását végezte el. Kiemelkedő jelentőségű a koraneolitikus leletanyag (Starčevo kultúra). A területen további 7 régészeti korszak emlékanyaga is előkerült. Elkészült a lelőhely régészeti, környezetrégészeti és archeometriai feldolgozása. Az adatokat térinformatikai alapú rendszerbe rögzítettük. A kerámia leletekről rajzok és fotók készültek, összesen 230 db A3 fotomontázs táblán elhelyezve. Dokumentáltuk a készítéstechnikát, kísérletekkel alátámasztva. A kerámia anyagon részletes petroarcheológiai vizsgálatok készültek. További petroarcheológiai vizsgálatok készültek a paticsokon és a kőanyagon. Elkészült a lelőhely környezet-régészeti feldolgozása. A lelőhely objektumaiból 77 zsák mintát iszapoltunk le (1389 l). A lelőhelyen és környezetében talajtani/palinológiai sekély fúrásokat mélyítettünk (összesen 17 fúrás). A mintákon palinológiai, szedimentológiai, mikro- és makrobotanikai, malakológiai és archeozoológiai vizsgálatok készültek. A lelőhelyről két neolit korú temetkezés került elő, a csontvázakon antropológiai, DNA és C-14 vizsgálatok készültek. További, összesen 12 C-14 vizsgálat készült a lelőhely zárt objektumaiból származó állatcsont és faszén maradványokon. A beérkezett jelentéseket (összesen 15 jelentés) monografikus formában, angol nyelven, a dokumentációs anyagot DVD-n jelentetjük meg, várhatóan 2009-ben | The OTKA T-046297 program has accomplished the archaeological and natural scientific elaboration of the prehistoric material from Vörs-Máriaasszonysziget multi-period site. Outstanding part of the material is the legacy of the Early Neolithic Starčevo culture. Apart from the Early Neolithic, remains of 7 archaeological cultures have been documented. Archaeological, environmental archaeological and archaeometrical investigation of the site was accomplished. Data were registered in a GIS system. The pottery was consered and presented on drawings and photos. Altogether 230 A3 size photo-montage plates were compiled. Production techniques were also investigated supported by experimental archaeology approach. Detailed petroarcheological research was performed on the pottery, daub and the lithic finds. Environmental archaeological study of the site was made on 77 sacks of silted soil samples (1389 l) and 17 shallow (hand) boreholes for sedimentological and palinological analysis. Palinological, sedimentological, micro- and macrobotanical, malacological and archaeozoological investigations were carried out. Two Neolithic burials were found on the site, the skeletons were submitted to anthropological, DNA and C-14 studies. Further 12 C-14 studies were made on bone and charcoal samples of the closed features. We are planning to publish results in English in monographic form with a DVD attached on the documentation and illustrations, probably in 2009

Investigating the Social Return on Technical Investments

In this paper, we examine the importance of the use of the social Return of Investment (SROI) method by investors, company managers in the evaluation of a particular technical investment or activity. The SROI analysis method differs from other financial valuation methods because it collects and analyses information about the social value of the resources used by the activities. In most cases, the economic analysis of investments does not contain such information, and neither such that would examine the impact of these resources on society. As a result of the SROI analysis, qualitative, quantitative and financial data are available on the project, providing the end-user with information on the social values of the examined investment. This issue is particularly important for environmental investments financed by the European Union

Proteoglycan Aggrecan Conducting T Cell Activation and Apoptosis in a Murine Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease and its targeting of the joints indicates the presence of a candidate autoantigen(s) in synovial joints. Patients with RA show immune responses in their peripheral blood to proteoglycan (PG) aggrecan. One of the most relevant animal models of RA appears to be proteoglycan-induced arthritis (PGIA), and CD4+ T cells seem to play a crucial role in the initiation of the disease. In this review, the role of various T cell epitopes of aggrecan in the induction of autoreactive T cell activation and arthritis is discussed. We pay special attention to two critically important arthritogenic epitopes, 5/4E8 and P135H, found in the G1 and G3 domains of PG aggrecan, respectively, in the induction of autoimmune arthritis. Finally, results obtained with the recently developed PG-specific TCR transgenic mice system showed that altered T cell apoptosis, the balance of activation, and apoptosis of autoreactive T cells are critical factors in the development of autoimmunity