On Auxiliary Fields in BF Theories

We discuss the structure of auxiliary fields for non-Abelian BF theories in arbitrary dimensions. By modifying the classical BRST operator, we build the on-shell invariant complete quantum action. Therefore, we introduce the auxiliary fields which close the BRST algebra and lead to the invariant extension of the classical action.Comment: 7 pages, minor changes, typos in equations corrected and acknowledgements adde

Calculated Electronic Energy Loss of Heavy Ions at Low Energies in LR-115, Kapton, SiO2, and Al2O3 Amorphous Materials

The electronic stopping powers of LR-115 and Kapton polymeric foilshave been estimated, using Monte Carlo simulations, for 9Be, 11B, 12C, 14N, 16O, and 35Cl ions covering the energy range ~0.1-1.0 MeV/n. Comparison of stopping power based on Lindhard, Scharff, and Schiott (LSS) theory with the corresponding values obtained by SRIM and MSTAR codes in LR-115 and Kapton polymeric foils illustrate a significantly large deviations. However, a semiempirical equation has been proposed here and tested for better stopping power calculations at low-energy regime in the domain of LSS theory for Z = 4-8 ions across materials. Furthermore, the electronic energy losses for 9Be and 16O ions in SiO2 and Al2O3, respectively, have been calculated in the energy range of ~0.1-1.0 MeV/n. The calculated stopping powers exhibit up to 10 % deviation from the experimental values and MSTAR data

Geodiversity Examples of Morocco: From Inventory to Regional Geotourism Development

The soil and subsoil of Morocco are rich in geological phenomena that bear the imprint of a history which goes back in time more than 2000 million years. Very many geologically remarkable sites exposed in accessible outcrops, with good quality remained unknown to the general public and therefore deserved to be vulgarized. It is a memory to acquaint the present generations but also to preserve for future generations. In total, a rich geological heritage in many ways: Varied land- scapes, international stratotypes, various geological structures, varied rocks, mineral associations, a huge procession offossiles, remnants of oceanic crust (ophiolites) among oldests ones in the world (800 my), etc. For this geological heritage, an approach of an overall inventory is needed, both regionally and nationally, taking into account all the skills of the earth sciences. This will put the item on the natural (geological) potentialities as a lever for sustainable regional development. For this, it is necessary to implement a strategy of “geoconservation” for the preservation and as- sessment of the geological heritage. A website “lithothèque du Maroc” is under construction.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Systematics of detrital zircon U–Pb ages from Cambrian–Lower Devonian rocks of northern Morocco with implications for the northern Gondwanan passive margin

This study was found by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) of Spain through the project PANGEATOR (CGL2015-71692) and the Pre-Doctoral scholarship BES-2016-078168. We are indebted to Mike Hall and Brad McDonald for their assistance and technical support on sample preparation and the LA-ICPMS, respectively. The CL imaging was carried out on the Curtin University's Microscopy & Microanalysis Facility, whose instrumentation has been partially funded by the University, State and Commonwealth Governments, and the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Facility at the University of Edinburgh. Analysis in the SHRIMP and GeoHistory Facilities, JdLC, Curtin University were enabled by AuScope (auscope.org.au) and the Australian Government via the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) and an Australian Geophysical Observing System grant provided to AuScope Pty Ltd. by the AQ44 Australian Education Investment Fund program, respectively. The NPII multi-collector was obtained via funding from the Australian Research Council LIEF program (LE150100013). The SIMS analyses were performed at the NERC Ion Microprobe Facility of the University of Edinburgh (UK). Comments from two anonymous reviewers and editorial handling by Prof. Victoria Pease are acknowledged. Funding for open access charge: YUniversidad de Granada / CBUA.The systematic acquisition of U–Pb geochronological data from detrital zircon grains has become an essential tool in tectonic studies focused on reconstructing the pre–Variscan geography of the northern Gondwanan passive margin. New detrital zircon ages for 16 samples from the Cambrian–Lower Devonian succession of the Moroccan Mesetas (northern Morocco) are reported here. The results, combined with previously published data, reassert the strong West African Craton affinity of the Paleozoic sedimentary rocks, characterized by dominant Cadomian/Pan–African (c. 850–540 Ma) and Eburnean (c. 2.2–1.9 Ga) detrital zircon populations and a minor Leonian/Liberian (c. 2.5 Ga) population. Primary sources of these zircon grains are well established as the West African Craton located just to the south, but also in the Precambrian basement that locally crops out in the Moroccan Mesetas themselves. During the Cambrian–Early Ordovician, erosion preferentially dismantled Cadomian (c. 590–540 Ma) arc–derived rocks of the Gondwanan continental margin, while later, the slightly older Pan–African (c. 650–600 Ma) basement became the main sediment source. In the studied samples, irregularly present minor detrital zircon populations suggest additional sediment provenance from secondary sources such as: (i) remote northeastern African cratons (e.g., Saharan Metacraton and/or Arabian–Nubian Shield) that likely could have provided the c. 1.1–0.9 Ga and, possibly, the c. 1.9–1.7 Ga zircon grains, and (ii) rift–related Cambrian–Early Ordovician volcanic centers in the Moroccan Mesetas that supplied heterogeneously distributed – although locally dominant in small areas – sedimentary detritus before rift abortion and burial underneath the overlying passive margin sedimentary succession.Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) of Spain through the project PANGEATOR CGL2015-71692Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Facility at the University of EdinburghAustralian Geophysical Observing System grant by AQ44 Australian Education Investment Fund programAustralian Research Council LE150100013Universidad de Granada / CBUA BES-2016-07816

Total Synthesis of a Mycolic Acid from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

In Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mycolic acids and their glycerol, glucose, and trehalose esters ("cord factor") form the main part of the mycomembrane. Despite their first isolation almost a century ago, full stereochemical evaluation is lacking, as is a scalable synthesis required for accurate immunological, including vaccination, studies. Herein, we report an efficient, convergent, gram-scale synthesis of four stereo-isomers of a mycolic acid and its glucose ester. Binding to the antigen presenting protein CD1b and T cell activation studies are used to confirm the antigenicity of the synthetic material. The absolute stereochemistry of the syn-methoxy methyl moiety in natural material is evaluated by comparing its optical rotation with that of synthetic material

Stereoselective Protection-Free Modification of 3-Keto-saccharides

Unprotected 3-keto-saccharides have become readily accessible via site-selective oxidation, but their protection-free functionalization is relatively unexplored. Here we show that protecting groups are obsolete in a variety of stereoselective modifications of our model substrate methyl α-glucopyranoside. This allows the preparation of rare sugars and the installation of click handles and reactive groups. To showcase the applicability of the methodology, maltoheptaose has been converted into a chemical probe, and the rare sugar evalose has been synthesized

Tectonic evolution of the Eastern Moroccan Meseta: from Late Devonian fore‐arc sedimentation to Early Carboniferous collision of an Avalonian promontory

This study was founded by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) of Spain through the project PANGEATOR (CGL2015-71692-P) and the Doctoral scholarship BES-2016-078168. GeoHistory Facility instruments were funded via an Australian Geophysical Observing System grant provided to AuScope Pty Ltd. by the AQ44 Australian Education Investment Fund program. The NPII multicollector was obtained via funding from the Australian Research Council LIEF program (LE150100013). The authors want to express their gratitude to Dr. Manuel Francisco Pereira (University of Evora, Portugal) and Dr. Michel Villeneuve (Centre Europeen de Recherche et d'Enseignement des Geosciences de l'Environnement, France) for their constructive reviews that helped to improve the quality of the original manuscript. Special thanks to Brad McDonald (Curtin University, Australia) for technical assistance regarding LA-ICPMS and Hf analyses, Profs. Abdelfatah Tahiri (University Mohammed V of Rabat, Morocco) and Hassan El Hadi (University Hassan II of Casablanca, Morocco) for their support during field work, Prof. Yvette Kuiper (Colorado School of Mines, USA) for her precious hints about the interpretation of Hf data, and Dr. Lorenzo Valetti for proofreading the manuscript. Supporting information can be obtained in Mendeley Data: https://doi.org/10.17632/b8fdbykmbx.1 (https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/b8fdbykmbx/draft?a=eaae2da0-8e224056-861b-4824984f1c10).The deformed Paleozoic succession of the Eastern Moroccan Meseta crops out in relativelysmall and isolated inliers surrounded by Mesozoic and Cenozoic rocks. Two of the largest inliers(Mekkam and Debdou) are characterized by a monotonous succession of slates and greywackes affected bypolyphasic folding that occurred at low‐to very low grade metamorphic conditions. New U‐Pb ages ondetrital zircon grains from the Debdou‐Mekkam metasediments constrain the maximal depositional age asLate Devonian, interpreted to be close to the true sedimentation age. Furthermore, theεHfvalues of theDevonian detrital zircons, together with the presence of a series of scattered zircon grains with ages betweenc. 0.9 and c. 1.9 Ga, suggest provenance from a subduction‐related magmatic arc located on the Avalonianmargin. The Debdou‐Mekkam massif is characterized by an Early Carboniferousfirst deformationalevent (D1), which gave way to a pervasive cleavage (S1) associated with plurikilometric‐scale, tight toisoclinal, overturned to recumbent folds. Later events (Dc) occurred at Late Carboniferous time andgenerated variably developed crenulation cleavages (Sc) associated with variously oriented metric‐tokilometric‐scale folds, which complicate the pattern of both D1 intersection lineations (L1) and axial traces.The restoration of this pronounced curved pattern yields originally SW‐NE‐oriented D1 fold axes withregional SE‐vergence. This important Early Carboniferous shortening and SE‐directed tectonic transport canbe explained by closure of the Rheic Ocean and thefirst phases of the collision between the northern passivemargin of Gondwana and an Avalonian promontory.Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) of Spain CGL2015-71692-P BES-2016-078168Australian Geophysical Observing SystemAustralian Education Investment Fund program AQ44Australian Research Council LE15010001