A Neolithic Causewayed Camp at Trelleborg near Slagelse, West Zealand

A Neolithic Causewayed Camp at Trelleborg near Slagelse, West Zealan

A Hyperstable Miniprotein: Additive Effects of D- and L-Ala Substitutions

The effects of alanine substitutions in each helical segment of the structure, and Gly to D-Ala mutations at sites where glycines have positive phi angles in the Trp-cage miniprotein are reported. The effects of the stabilizing mutation were additive, yielding a 20-residue construct (Tm = 83^o^C). Gly to L-Ala substitutions were uniformly destabilizing ([DELTA][DELTA]G~F~ > 11 kJ/mol): the preference for a D-Ala can be as large as 16 kJ/mol. Glycine to D-Ala mutations are validated as a strategy for the design of hyperstable miniprotein scaffolds suitable for stereospecific pharmacophore display

Causewayed enclosures and megalithic monuments as media for shaping Neolithic identities

In this paper I proffer the opinion that acceptance of the real Neolithic way of life, to become a full-time farmer, was a long and complicated process which, in Northern Europe, reached its peak during the second half of the fourth millennium. Here we see the introduction and acceptance of the ard. This demanded clearance of large areas, but also provided the possibility of cultivating greater areas and poorer soils. It must have created room for more inhabitants. This, in turn, could have given rise to various discrepancies which they man-aged to handle through the performance of many ritual activities. These are apparent today as traces of the construction of numerous megalithic features and of causewayed enclosures in which the special activities took place. We find these activities materialised in the special treatment of, especially, human bones, animal bones, ceramics, flint axes, querns and grinding stones and of grain. These materials have for the most part been subject to major transformation, for example burning and fragmentation, conferring on them a new significance. The deposition of these fragments in various places and the great efforts expended in building the megaliths and the enclosures must have bound people together, creating a network between the people who participated in these activities, and henceforth maintaining and reinforcing this or new networks by way of these actions. To employ a modern concept, they were using team building as a basis for acceptance of the Neolithic way of life.The proposals presented here are the result of archaeological research carried out in the Sarup area, on the SW part of Funen, Denmark, since 1971.Within a small area of 12 km2, numerous Neolithic monuments such as houses, megalithic structures and causewayed enclosures have been found and excavated. Some of the results of this research are presented in this article

Model for the low-temperature magnetic phases observed in doped YBa_2Cu_3O_{6+x}

A classical statistical model for the antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering of the Cu-spins in the CuO_2 planes of reduced YBa_2Cu_3O_{6+x} type materials is presented. The magnetic phases considered are the experimentally observed high-temperature AFI phase with ordering vector Q_I=(1/2,1/2,0), and the low-temperature phases: AFII with Q_II=(1/2,1/2,1/2) and intermediate TA (Turn Angle) phases TAI, TAII and TAIII with components of both ordering vectors. It is shown that the AFII and TA phases result from an effective ferromagnetic (FM) type coupling mediated by free spins in the CuO_x basal plane. Good agreement with experimental data is obtained for realistic model parameters.Comment: 11 pages, 2 Postscript figures, Submitted to Phys.Rev.Let

Indicators of induced subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) in Danish Holstein cows

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) in dairy cows is high with large impact on economy and welfare. Its current field diagnosis is based on point ruminal pH measurements by oral probe or rumenocentesis. These techniques are invasive and inaccurate, and better markers for the diagnosis of SARA are needed. The goal of this study was to evaluate clinical signs of SARA and to investigate the use of blood, faecal and urinary parameters as indicators of SARA. Six lactating, rumen cannulated, Danish Holstein cows were used in a cross-over study with three periods. The first and second periods included two cows on control diet and two cows on nutritional SARA challenge. The third period only included two cows on SARA challenge. Control diet was a conventional total mixed ration [45.5% dry matter (DM), 17.8% crude protein, 43.8% neutral detergent fibre, and 22.5% acid detergent fibre (DM basis)]. SARA challenge was conducted by substituting control diet with grain pellets (50% wheat/barley) over 3 days to reach 40% grain in the diet. Ruminal pH was measured continuously. Blood samples were collected once daily at 7 h after feeding. Samples of faeces and urine were collected at feeding, and at 7 and 12 h after feeding. Blood samples were analysed for pCO2, pO2, pH, electrolytes, lactate, glucose, packed cell volume (PCV), and total plasma protein concentration. Milk composition, ruminal VFA, and pH of faeces and urine were measured. RESULTS: SARA was associated with decreased (P < 0.05) minimum ruminal, faecal and urinary pH. Daily times and areas of ruminal pH below 5.8, and 5.6 were increased to levels representative for SARA. Significant differences were detected in milk composition and ruminal VFAs. Blood calcium concentration was decreased (P < 0.05), and pCO(2) tended to be increased (P = 0.10). Significant differences were not detected in other parameters. CONCLUSIONS: SARA challenge was associated with changes in faecal and urinary pH, blood calcium concentration and pCO(2). These may be helpful as indicators of SARA. However changes were small, and diurnal variations were present. None of these parameters are able to stand alone as indicators of SARA