Spectral functions for medium-sized nuclei

The spectral functions for calcium and argon are constructed. It is verified that their predictions for the quasielastic electron-nucleus cross sections in the energy range ~1 GeV agree with the data. The argon spectral function is then used to obtain the quasielastic neutrino-nucleus cross section.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, presented at 5th International Workshop on Neutrino-Nucleus Interactions in the Few-GeV Region (NuInt07), Fermilab, USA, 30.05-3.06.200

Paleostress reconstruction of faults recorded in the Niedźwiedzia Cave(Sudetes) : insights into Alpine intraplate tectonic of NE Bohemian Massif

Brittle structures identified within the largest karstic cave of the Sudetes (the Niedźwiedzia Cave) were studied to reconstruct the paleostress driving post-Variscan tectonic activity in the NE Bohemian Massif. Individual fault population datasets, including local strike and dip of fault planes, striations, and Riedel shear, enabled us to discuss the orientation of the principal stresses tensor. The (meso) fault-slip data analysis performed both with Dihedra and an inverse method revealed two possible main opposing compressional regimes: (1) NE–SW compression with the formation of strike-slip (transpressional) faults and (2) WNW–ESE horizontal compression related to fault-block tectonics. The (older) NE-SW compression was most probably associated with the Late Cretaceous–Paleogene pan-regional basin inversion throughout Central Europe, as a reaction to ongoing African-Iberian-European convergence. Second WNW–ESE compression was active as of the Middle Miocene, at the latest, and might represent the Neogene–Quaternary tectonic regime of the NE Bohemian Massif. Exposed fault plane surfaces in a dissolution-collapse marble cave system provided insights into the Meso-Cenozoic tectonic history of the Earth’s uppermost crust in Central Europe, and were also identified as important guiding structures controlling the origin of the Niedźwiedzia Cave and the evolution of subsequent karstic conduits during the Late Cenozoic

No valley deepening of the Tatra Mountains (Western Carpathians) during the past 300 ka

Wet-based mountain glaciers are efficient agents of erosion, which leads to the assumption that each glacial episode results in successive valley deepening. The tendency of subsequent glaciations to obscure evidence of previous events makes it difficult to study the work done by past glacial episodes. Epiphreatic and paleophreatic caves that developed at or under the water table and dried out in response to valley deepening can serve as recorders of the valley incision history. U-series data from speleothems in the cave networks at the base of the present-day valleys in the Tatra Mountains (Western Carpathians) consistently yield the oldest ages of ca. 325 ka. While speleothem ages are typically phreatic-vadose transition minimum ages, they nonetheless unequivocally demonstrate that neither glacial valley deepening nor fluvial incision occurred over the past 300 ka, unlike the successive valley deepening over the same period in the adjacent Alps

Rheological properties of erythrocytes in patients infected with Clostridium difficile

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a bacterial infection of the digestive tract. Acute infections are accompanied by increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). To date, there have been no studies of the rheological properties of blood during the course of digestive tract infections. The aim of our study was to examine the effects of CDI on red blood cell (RBC) rheology, specifically RBC deformability, RBC aggregation, and plasma viscosity. In addition, the activity of glucose 6 phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in RBC was studied. Our study group included 20 patients with CDI, 20 healthy persons comprised the control group. We examined the effects of CDI on the rheology of RBCs, their deformability and aggregation, using a Laser–assisted Optical Rotational Cell Analyzer (LORCA). Plasma viscosity was determined using a capillary tube plasma viscosymeter. Moreover, we estimated the activity of AChE and G6PD in RBC using spectrophotometric method. A statistically significant increase was found in the aggregation index, viscosity and activity of G6PD whereas the amount of time to reach half of maximum aggregation (t½) and the amplitude of aggregation (AMP) both showed statistically significantly decreases among patients with CDI compared to the control group. We also observed that the Elongation Index (EI) was decreased when shear stress values were low, between 0.3 Pa and 0.58 Pa, whereas EI was increased for shear stress in the range of 1.13 - 59.97 Pa. These observations were statistically significant. We report for the first time that acute infection of the gastrointestinal tract with Clostridium difficile is associated with abnormalities in rheological properties of blood, increased serum viscosity as well as increased aggregation of RBCs, which correlated with severity of inflammation. These abnormalities may be an additional mechanism causing increased incidence of VTE in CDI

Browsers, grazers or mix-feeders? Study of the diet of extinct Pleistocene Eurasian forest rhinoceros Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis (J¨ager, 1839) and woolly rhinoceros Coelodonta antiquitatis (Blumenbach, 1799)

The wooly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) and forest rhinoceros (Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis) were prominent representatives of the Middle and Late Pleistocene glacial and interglacial faunas of Eurasia. Their diet has traditionally been inferred on functional morphology of the dentition and skull. In rare cases, food remains are preserved in the fossas of the teeth or as gut content. New approaches to infer diet include the study of isotopes and mesowear. Here we apply all four methods to infer the diet of these emblematic rhinoceros’ species and compare the food actually taken with the food available, as indicated by independent botanical data from the localities where the rhinoceros’ fossils were found: Gorz´ow Wielkopolski (Eemian) and Starunia (Middle Vistulian) as well as analysis of literature data. We also made inferences on the season of death of these individuals. Our results indicate that the woolly rhino in both Europe and Asia (Siberia) was mainly a grazer, although at different times of the year and depending on the region its diet was also supplemented by leaves of shrubs and trees. According to the results of isotope studies, there were important individual variations. The data show a clear seasonal variation in the isotope composition of this rhino’s diet. In contrast, Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis was a browser, though its diet included low-growing vegetation. Its habitat consisted of various types of forests, from riparian to deciduous and mixed forests, and open areas. The diet of this species consisted of selected items of vegetation, also including plants growing near both flowing and standing waters. The food remains from the fossae of the teeth indicated flexible browsing, confirming the previous interpretations based on functional morphology and stable isotopes. Long-term data from mesowear and microwear across a wider range of S. kirchbergensis fossils indicate a more mixed diet with a browsing component. The different diets of both of rhinoceros reflect not only the different habitats, but also climate changes that occurred during the Late Pleistocene

A skeleton of peat-trapped forest rhinoceros Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis (Jäger, 1839) from Gorzów Wielkopolski, Northwestern Poland: a record of life and death of the Eemian large mammals

We present a description of an almost complete skeleton of the forest rhino (Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis) found near Gorzów Wielkopolski (Northwest Poland) in its geological and palaeoenvironmental context. While finds of bones and teeth are common, the importance of this find resides in, that it is the most complete specimen of this species, almost perfectly preserved in a well-studied and dated stratigraphic and sedimentological context, along with other fossil fauna and flora. The OSL dates of glaciofluvial sediments sandwiching skeleton-bearing horizons indicate a Middle Eemian age of the Pleistocene paleolake land. This warm climate is also indicated by the results of sedimentological, geochemical, paleobotanical, and isotopic analyses. The rhino skeleton was deposited in a shallow area near the lake’s littoral zone. Bite marks of a large predator (cave hyena) were recognized on the rhino’s pelvis, which, due to their location, were probably created post-mortem. With an estimated height of 1.82 m at the withers, this was a large adult Stephanorhinus kirchbergensis. The results of osteometric analyses indicate that we are dealing with one of the largest known individuals of this species. Although it suffered from a pathologically deformed spine, the individual died at a relatively old age.Peer reviewe

Algal mats transport diaspores and carpological remains in shallow lakes

Algal mats in lakes and reservoirs can transport diaspores and carpological remains of plants, and thus may influence the creation of taphocoenoses. In 2012, I quantified carpological remains in two types of algal mats from a small reservoir in southern Poland. Mats formed by filamentous algae participate primarily in the original transport of diaspores, and can influence their concentration and facilitate their migration, mainly between the shores of the reservoir. Diatom mats partake primarily in diaspore redeposition, but can also cause their dispersal between the shore zone and the central part of the reservoir. This research demonstrates that mats built by diatoms contain far more remains and are more biologically diverse than filamentous algal mats. Movement of carpological remains observed in both types of algal mats points to their role in the formation of taphocoenoses and suggests that algal mats must be considered when interpreting macrofossil records

The cult of Maximón/San Simon in Guatemala. Between Mayan tradition and contemporary syncretism

Wydział HistorycznyTematem pracy jest kult Maximóna/San Simona w Gwatemali. Kult wywodzi się z tradycji religijnej ludowego katolicyzmu, kompleksu synkretycznych wierzeń religijnych powstałych z połączenia elementów dawnej prekolumbijskiej religii Majów oraz katolicyzmu wprowadzonego przez Hiszpanów w okresie kolonialnym. Kult Maximóna/San Simona przetrwał do czasów współczesnych i zakorzenił się w życiu religijnym Gwatemali dzięki ciągłemu procesowi synkretyzacji, który współcześnie nadal trwa. Badanie kultu pozwala przyjrzeć się jak w kraju takim jak Gwatemala, pełnym napięć i konfliktów społecznych Majowie, a obecnie także Ladinos, starają się radzić sobie szukając wsparcia w elementach religijnych, jak za pośrednictwem elementów lokalnej, synkretycznej kosmologii, takich jak kult Maximóna/San Simona, odpowiadają na współczesne zagrożenia. W tym kontekście starałem się pokazać jak kult Maximóna/San Simona zmienia się i modernizuje, aby móc sprostać oczekiwaniom wzrastającej rzeszy wiernych. Kult ewoluuje od bycia częścią tradycyjnego systemu wierzeń związanego z majańskim ludowym katolicyzmem do form nowszych – neotradycyjnych, w których dawna tradycja jest przetwarzana i przystosowywana do współczesnej sytuacji społecznej i ekonomicznej. Na bardziej szczegółowym poziomie badanie kultu Maximóna pozwala uzyskać wgląd w wiele współczesnych zjawisk społecznych i religijnych, jakie zachodzą w Gwatemali.This Ph.D. dissertation deals with the cult of Maximón/San Simon in Guatemala. The cult stems from the religious tradition of folk Catholicism which is a complex of syncretic religious beliefs formed through combination of pre-Columbian Mayan religion and Catholicism introduced by the Spanish during the colonial period. The cult of Maximón/San Simon has survived to the present day and has become firmly established in the religious life of Guatemala due to the continuous and still active process of syncretization. The study of the Maximón/San Simon cult enables an examination of how in a country like Guatemala, full of tensions and social conflicts, Maya and currently also Ladinos, try to cope with challengers by seeking support in religious elements, how people respond to contemporary threats using elements of local syncretic cosmology. In this context I tried to show how the cult of Maximón/San Simon is changed and modernized in order to meet the expectations of an increasing number of worshippers. The cult is evolving from being a part of a traditional belief system associated with Mayan folk Catholicism to newer, neo-traditional forms in which an old tradition is transforming and adapting to current social and economic conditions. On a more detailed level, the study of Maximón/San Simon’s cult gives insight into many contemporary social and religious phenomena occurring in Guatemala

The cult of Maximón/San Simon in Guatemala. Between Mayan tradition and contemporary syncretism

Wydział HistorycznyTematem pracy jest kult Maximóna/San Simona w Gwatemali. Kult wywodzi się z tradycji religijnej ludowego katolicyzmu, kompleksu synkretycznych wierzeń religijnych powstałych z połączenia elementów dawnej prekolumbijskiej religii Majów oraz katolicyzmu wprowadzonego przez Hiszpanów w okresie kolonialnym. Kult Maximóna/San Simona przetrwał do czasów współczesnych i zakorzenił się w życiu religijnym Gwatemali dzięki ciągłemu procesowi synkretyzacji, który współcześnie nadal trwa. Badanie kultu pozwala przyjrzeć się jak w kraju takim jak Gwatemala, pełnym napięć i konfliktów społecznych Majowie, a obecnie także Ladinos, starają się radzić sobie szukając wsparcia w elementach religijnych, jak za pośrednictwem elementów lokalnej, synkretycznej kosmologii, takich jak kult Maximóna/San Simona, odpowiadają na współczesne zagrożenia. W tym kontekście starałem się pokazać jak kult Maximóna/San Simona zmienia się i modernizuje, aby móc sprostać oczekiwaniom wzrastającej rzeszy wiernych. Kult ewoluuje od bycia częścią tradycyjnego systemu wierzeń związanego z majańskim ludowym katolicyzmem do form nowszych – neotradycyjnych, w których dawna tradycja jest przetwarzana i przystosowywana do współczesnej sytuacji społecznej i ekonomicznej. Na bardziej szczegółowym poziomie badanie kultu Maximóna pozwala uzyskać wgląd w wiele współczesnych zjawisk społecznych i religijnych, jakie zachodzą w Gwatemali.This Ph.D. dissertation deals with the cult of Maximón/San Simon in Guatemala. The cult stems from the religious tradition of folk Catholicism which is a complex of syncretic religious beliefs formed through combination of pre-Columbian Mayan religion and Catholicism introduced by the Spanish during the colonial period. The cult of Maximón/San Simon has survived to the present day and has become firmly established in the religious life of Guatemala due to the continuous and still active process of syncretization. The study of the Maximón/San Simon cult enables an examination of how in a country like Guatemala, full of tensions and social conflicts, Maya and currently also Ladinos, try to cope with challengers by seeking support in religious elements, how people respond to contemporary threats using elements of local syncretic cosmology. In this context I tried to show how the cult of Maximón/San Simon is changed and modernized in order to meet the expectations of an increasing number of worshippers. The cult is evolving from being a part of a traditional belief system associated with Mayan folk Catholicism to newer, neo-traditional forms in which an old tradition is transforming and adapting to current social and economic conditions. On a more detailed level, the study of Maximón/San Simon’s cult gives insight into many contemporary social and religious phenomena occurring in Guatemala