Luminescence Dating of Beach Dunes and Fluvial Sediments, Nayarit, Mexico

The Pacific coast of the state of Nayarit, Mexico, is dominated by extensive sand dune systems and lagoons. 16 samples from three transects through dunes near the town of Santa Cruz were collected to establish ages of the beach dune ridges and establish a robust chronology, to assist in understanding the depositional rates associated with different phases of the evolution of the strand plain. In addition, three samples were collected from a fluvial terrace on the San Pedro River which enters the Pacific near the southernmost of the dune transects. Quartz grains were extracted from the samples, and analysed using an Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) method to determine stored dose and ages. The samples collected nearest the current coast have produced dates of 1500-1900AD, with samples further from the coast being progressively older, spanning a period of over 2000 years with oldest measured date of 400BC. The dates for the upper samples from the San Pedro River is consistent with the ages of the dunes nearest the coast, with the lower sample date closer to the dates of the older dunes further from the coast, indicating that this fluvial deposit was laid down over the same time period as the dune formation

Transient radio lines from axion miniclusters and axion stars

Gravitationally bound clumps of dark matter axions in the form of “miniclusters” or even denser “axion stars” can generate strong radio signals through axion-photon conversion when encountering highly magnetized neutron star magnetospheres. We systematically study encounters of axion clumps with neutron stars and characterize the axion infall, conversion and the subsequent propagation of the photons. We show that the high density and low escape velocity of the axion clumps lead to strong, narrow, and temporally characteristic transient radio lines with an expected duration varying from seconds to months. Our work comprises the first end-to-end modeling pipeline capable of characterizing the radio signal generated during these transient encounters, quantifying the typical brightness, anisotropy, spectral width, and temporal evolution of the radio flux. The methods developed here may prove essential in developing dedicated radio searches for transient radio lines arising from miniclusters and axion stars

ZnO-mesoporous glass scaffolds loaded with osteostatin and mesenchymal cells improve bone healing in a rabbit bone defect

The use of 3D scaffolds based on mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBG) enhanced with therapeutic ions, biomolecules and cells is emerging as a strategy to improve bone healing. In this paper, the osteogenic capability of ZnO-enriched MBG scaffolds loaded or not with osteostatin (OST) and human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) was evaluated after implantation in New Zealand rabbits. Cylindrical meso-macroporous scaffolds with composition (mol %) 82.2SiO2–10.3CaO–3.3P2O5–4.2ZnO (4ZN) were obtained by rapid prototyping and then, coated with gelatin for easy handling and potentiating the release of inorganic ions and OST. Bone defects (7.5 mm diameter, 12 mm depth) were drilled in the distal femoral epiphysis and filled with 4ZN, 4ZN + MSC, 4ZN + OST or 4ZN + MSC + OST materials to evaluate and compare their osteogenic features. Rabbits were sacrificed at 3 months extracting the distal third of bone specimens for necropsy, histological, and microtomography (µCT) evaluations. Systems investigated exhibited bone regeneration capability. Thus, trabecular bone volume density (BV/TV) values obtained from µCT showed that the good bone healing capability of 4ZN was significantly improved by the scaffolds coated with OST and MSC. Our findings in vivo suggest the interest of these MBG complete systems to improve bone repair in the clinical practice

Resultados de la reparación quirúrgica Del ligamento deltoideo en las fracturas equivalentes bimaleolares

ObjetivoEl objetivo de este estudio es evaluar los resultados de la reparación quirúrgica del ligamento deltoideo en fracturas equivalente bimaleolares.Material y métodoEntre 2002 y 2009 fueron intervenidos 49 pacientes con fractura del maléolo peroneo y signos clásicos de lesión del ligamento deltoideo; finalmente se recuperaron para la revisión 44 pacientes. Se dividieron en 2 grupos: grupo A con 33 casos, en los que se reparó el ligamento deltoideo, y grupo B con 11 casos, donde el deltoideo fue tratado conservadoramente. Las fracturas fueron clasificadas según Lauge-Hansen y la AO/OTA. Para la valoración clínico-funcional se usó la escala de la American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) para el tobillo. Se registraron las complicaciones y reintervenciones.ResultadosTras un seguimiento medio de 12 meses, se obtuvo un resultado satisfactorio en ambos grupos, con una puntuación media final de 95 puntos en el grupo A y una de 94 en el grupo B, según la escala AOFAS. Hubo 2 infecciones, 1 intolerancia de la sutura medial, 1 algodistrofia y 4 casos precisaron retirada de material.ConclusionesNuestros resultados sugieren que la lesión del ligamento deltoideo puede ser reparada con buenos resultados funcionales. Y entendemos que, aunque los signos clásicos nos ayudan a sospechar la lesión, no son predictores fiables de la necesidad de reparación del lado medial.PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the result of surgical repair of deltoid ligament in fracture of the distal fibula upper or at the syndesmotic level.Materials and methodsBetween 2002 and 2009, 49 patients with distal fibula fractures and classical signs of deltoid ligament incompetence were operated, 44 were available for follow-up. Two groups: group A included 33 cases in whom deltoid ligament was treated by surgical repair, and group B, 11 cases who were treated conservatively. All fractures were classified according to Lauge-Hansen and AO/OTA. The AOFAS ankle score was used for clinical and functional evaluation. Complications and reinterventions were recorded.ResultsAt a mean follow-up of 12 months, a satisfactory functional result was obtained in both groups, with a mean final score of 95 points in group A and 94 in group B on the AOFAS scale. There were 2 infection, a medial suture intolerance, an algodystrophy and 4 hardware removed.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that a ruptured deltoid ligament can be repair with goods functional result. And we understand that although the classical signs help us to suspect a torn ligament, are not reliable predictors for surgical revision of the medial side

Thermodynamics of the incommensurate state in Rb_2WO_4: on the Lifshitz point in A`A``BX_4 compounds

We consider the evolution of the phase transition from the parent hexagonal phase $P6_{3}/mmc$ to the orthorhombic phase $Pmcn$ that occurs in several compounds of $A'A''BX_{4}$ family as a function of the hcp lattice parameter $c/a$. For compounds of $K_{2}SO_{4}$ type with $c/a$ larger than the threshold value 1.26 the direct first-order transition $Pmcn-P6_{3}/mmc$ is characterized by the large entropy jump $Rln2$. For compounds $Rb_{2}WO_{4}$, $K_{2}MoO_{4}$, $K_{2}WO_{4}$ with $c/a<1.26$ this transition occurs via an intermediate incommensurate $(Inc)$ phase. DSC measurements were performed in $Rb_{2}WO_{4}$ to characterize the thermodynamics of the $Pmcn-Inc-P6_{3}/mmc$ transitions. It was found that both transitions are again of the first order with entropy jumps $0.2Rln2 and$0.3Rln2$. Therefore, at$c/a ~ 1.26$the$A'A''BX_{4}$compounds reveal an unusual Lifshitz point where three first order transition lines meet. We propose the coupling of crystal elasticity with$BX_{4}$ tetrahedra orientation as a possible source of the transitions discontinuity.Comment: 13 pages,1 Postscript figure. Submitted as Brief Report to Phys. Rev. B, this paper reports a new work in Theory and Experiment, directed to Structural Phase Transition

Differential cross sections, charge production asymmetry, and spin-density matrix elements for D*(2010) produced in 500 GeV/c pi^- nucleon interactions

We report differential cross sections for the production of D*(2010) produced in 500 GeV/c pi^- nucleon interactions from experiment E791 at Fermilab, as functions of Feynman-x (x_F) and transverse momentum squared (p_T^2). We also report the D* +/- charge asymmetry and spin-density matrix elements as functions of these variables. Investigation of the spin-density matrix elements shows no evidence of polarization. The average values of the spin alignment are \eta= 0.01 +- 0.02 and -0.01 +- 0.02 for leading and non-leading particles, respectively.Comment: LaTeX2e (elsart.cls). 13 pages, 6 figures (eps files). Submitted to Physics Letters

The Linkages Between Photosynthesis, Productivity, Growth and Biomass in Lowland Amazonian Forests

Understanding the relationship between photosynthesis, net primary productivity and growth in forest ecosystems is key to understanding how these ecosystems will respond to global anthropogenic change, yet the linkages among these components are rarely explored in detail. We provide the first comprehensive description of the productivity, respiration and carbon allocation of contrasting lowland Amazonian forests spanning gradients in seasonal water deficit and soil fertility. Using the largest data set assembled to date, ten sites in three countries all studied with a standardized methodology, we find that (i) gross primary productivity (GPP) has a simple relationship with seasonal water deficit, but that (ii) site-to-site variations in GPP have little power in explaining site-to-site spatial variations in net primary productivity (NPP) or growth because of concomitant changes in carbon use efficiency (CUE), and conversely, the woody growth rate of a tropical forest is a very poor proxy for its productivity. Moreover, (iii) spatial patterns of biomass are much more driven by patterns of residence times (i.e. tree mortality rates) than by spatial variation in productivity or tree growth. Current theory and models of tropical forest carbon cycling under projected scenarios of global atmospheric change can benefit from advancing beyond a focus on GPP. By improving our understanding of poorly understood processes such as CUE, NPP allocation and biomass turnover times, we can provide more complete and mechanistic approaches to linking climate and tropical forest carbon cycling