103 research outputs found
CARINA alkalinity data in the Atlantic Ocean
Data on carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged to a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic).
These data have gone through rigorous quality control (QC) procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for most of the measured parameters in the CARINA data base were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the data products, i.e. three merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions; Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Out of a total of 188 cruise entries in the CARINA database, 98 were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean and of these, 75 cruises report alkalinity values.
Here we present details of the secondary QC on alkalinity for the Atlantic Ocean part of CARINA. Procedures of quality control, including crossover analysis between cruises and inversion analysis of all crossover data are briefly described. Adjustments were applied to the alkalinity values for 16 of the cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. With these adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s. Based on our analysis we estimate the internal accuracy of the CARINA-ATL alkalinity data to be 3.3 μmol kg−1. The CARINA data are now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation
Where are you from, stranger? The enigmatic biogeography of North African pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) .
Abstract The European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) is a
Nearctic element in the African fauna and thought to have
invaded North Africa from the Iberian Peninsula. All North
African populations are currently identified with the subspecies
E. o. occidentalis. However, a nearly range-wide sampling in
North Africa used for analyses of mitochondrial and microsatellite
DNA provides evidence that only Moroccan populations
belong to this taxon, while eastern Algerian and Tunisian pond
turtles represent an undescribed distinct subspecies. These two
taxa are most closely related to E. o. galloitalica with a native
distribution along the Mediterranean coast of northern Spain
through southern France to western and southern Italy. This
group is sister to a clade comprising several mitochondrial lineages
and subspecies of E. orbicularis from Central and Eastern
Europe plus Asia, and the successive sisters are E. o. hellenica
and E. trinacris. Our results suggest that E. orbicularis has been
present in North Africa longer than on the Iberian Peninsula and
that after an initial invasion of North Africa by pond turtles from
an unknown European source region, there was a phase of
diversification in North Africa, followed by a later re-invasion
of Europe by one of the African lineages. The differentiation of
pond turtles in North Africa parallels a general phylogeographic
paradigm in amphibians and reptiles, with deeply divergent
lineages in the western and eastern Maghreb. Acknowledging
their genetic similarity, we propose to synonymize the previously
recognized Iberian subspecies E. o. fritzjuergenobsti with E. o.
occidentalis sensu stricto. The seriously imperiled Moroccan
populations of E. o. occidentalis represent two Management
Units different in mitochondrial haplotypes and microsatellite
markers. The conservation status of eastern Algerian pond turtles
is unclear, while Tunisian populations are endangered.
Considering that Algerian and Tunisian pond turtles represent
an endemic taxon, their situation throughout the historical range
should be surveyed to establish a basis for conservation
measures
Le Digital Humanities per lo studio e la comunicazione di beni culturali architettonici: il caso dei mausolei di Teodorico e Galla Placidia in Ravenna
The paper presents a series of methodological reflections on the following themes: survey, restitution, analysis and communication. The objective of the research was the critical reading of two of the most famous monuments in Ravenna and UNESCO heritage sites: the Mausoleum of Theodoric (ca. 520 AD) and the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia (before 450 AD). From advanced and integrated survey data, 2D graphs and 3D models were elaborated for hypothesis testing and for the multimedia communication of the scientific contents identified during the work. This second topic of the paper is part of the experiments conducted by the research group on new modes of multimedia communication, interactive and not, based on virtual models as an edutainment tool for enjoying monuments and masterpieces of cultural importance
Complex hybridization patterns in European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) in the Pyrenean Region
Hybrid zones are natural laboratories allowing insights in genetic processes like lineage diversification, speciation and introgression. Using large sampling, 15 microsatellite loci and a mitochondrial marker, we examined the Pyrenean contact zone of three pond turtle taxa (Emys orbicularis orbicularis, E. o. galloitalica, E. o. occidentalis). The Pyrenees are a biogeographically important region separating many lineages endemic to the Iberian Peninsula from their Western European counterparts. We discovered limited admixture, reflecting a complex biogeographic scenario. Simulations using Approximate Bayesian Computing supported that E. o. orbicularis invaded the Iberian Peninsula in the Holocene, circumventing the Pyrenees along the Mediterranean coast, and hybridized in the northern peninsula with the local coastal subspecies galloitalica, and to a lesser extent, with occidentalis. While E. o. occidentalis, and in particular E. o. orbicularis, expanded their ranges considerably during Holocene warming, E. o. galloitalica remained largely confined to its former Iberian refuge. Admixture among the three taxa is surprisingly low, and a future taxonomic investigation that includes the unstudied subspecies of E. orbicularis from North Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia has to determine whether their current status properly reflects their evolutionary divergence or whether certain taxa should be regarded as full species
Vector meson production and nucleon resonance analysis in a coupled-channel approach for energies m_N < sqrt(s) < 2 GeV I: pion-induced results and hadronic parameters
We present a nucleon resonance analysis by simultaneously considering all
pion- and photon-induced experimental data on the final states gamma N, pi N, 2
pi N, eta N, K Lambda, K Sigma, and omega N for energies from the nucleon mass
up to sqrt(s) = 2 GeV. In this analysis we find strong evidence for the
resonances P_{31}(1750), P_{13}(1900), P_{33}(1920), and D_{13}(1950). The
omega N production mechanism is dominated by large P_{11}(1710) and
P_{13}(1900) contributions. In this first part, we present the results of the
pion-induced reactions and the extracted resonance and background properties
with emphasis on the difference between global and purely hadronic fits.Comment: 54 pages, 26 figures, discussion extended, typos corrected,
references updated, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Turtle Carapace Anomalies: The Roles of Genetic Diversity and Environment
Background: Phenotypic anomalies are common in wild populations and multiple genetic, biotic and abiotic factors might contribute to their formation. Turtles are excellent models for the study of developmental instability because anomalies are easily detected in the form of malformations, additions, or reductions in the number of scutes or scales. Methodology/Principal Findings: In this study, we integrated field observations, manipulative experiments, and climatic and genetic approaches to investigate the origin of carapace scute anomalies across Iberian populations of the European pond turtle, Emys orbicularis. The proportion of anomalous individuals varied from 3 % to 69 % in local populations, with increasing frequency of anomalies in northern regions. We found no significant effect of climatic and soil moisture, or climatic temperature on the occurrence of anomalies. However, lower genetic diversity and inbreeding were good predictors of the prevalence of scute anomalies among populations. Both decreasing genetic diversity and increasing proportion of anomalous individuals in northern parts of the Iberian distribution may be linked to recolonization events from the Southern Pleistocene refugium. Conclusions/Significance: Overall, our results suggest that developmental instability in turtle carapace formation might be caused, at least in part, by genetic factors, although the influence of environmental factors affecting the developmental stability of turtle carapace cannot be ruled out. Further studies of the effects of environmental factors, pollutants an
Spin half fermions with mass dimension one: theory, phenomenology, and dark matter
We provide the first details on the unexpected theoretical discovery of a
spin-one-half matter field with mass dimension one. It is based upon a complete
set of dual-helicity eigenspinors of the charge conjugation operator. Due to
its unusual properties with respect to charge conjugation and parity, it
belongs to a non-standard Wigner class. Consequently, the theory exhibits
non-locality with (CPT)^2 = - I. We briefly discuss its relevance to the
cosmological `horizon problem'. Because the introduced fermionic field is
endowed with mass dimension one, it can carry a quartic self-interaction. Its
dominant interaction with known forms of matter is via Higgs, and with gravity.
This aspect leads us to contemplate the new fermion as a prime dark matter
candidate. Taking this suggestion seriously we study a supernova-like explosion
of a galactic-mass dark matter cloud to set limits on the mass of the new
particle and present a calculation on relic abundance to constrain the relevant
cross-section. The analysis favours light mass (roughly 20 MeV) and relevant
cross-section of about 2 pb. Similarities and differences with the WIMP and
mirror matter proposals for dark matter are enumerated. In a critique of the
theory we bare a hint on non-commutative aspects of spacetime, and
energy-momentum space.Comment: 78 pages [Changes: referee-suggested improvements, additional
important references, and better readability
Age-Related Alteration of Arginase Activity Impacts on Severity of Leishmaniasis
It is well documented that ageing alters many aspects of immune responses; however, a causal relation between impaired immune functions in ageing individuals and the response to infection has not been established. Experimental leishmaniasis is an excellent model to analyse protective and pathological immune responses. Leishmania parasites are obligate intracellular pathogens and invade mainly macrophages, which have dual function: they can kill the parasites or promote their growth. We have recently shown that arginase, an enzyme induced in infected macrophages, is a key factor for parasite survival. Here, we show that ageing reduces the expression levels of arginase in macrophages, resulting in more efficient control of parasite growth. Our results suggest that age-related differences in the metabolism of arginase in macrophages might contribute to the higher susceptibility of children to leishmaniasis
An overlooked connection: serotonergic mediation of estrogen-related physiology and pathology
BACKGROUND: In humans, serotonin has typically been investigated as a neurotransmitter. However, serotonin also functions as a hormone across animal phyla, including those lacking an organized central nervous system. This hormonal action allows serotonin to have physiological consequences in systems outside the central nervous system. Fluctuations in estrogen levels over the lifespan and during ovarian cycles cause predictable changes in serotonin systems in female mammals. DISCUSSION: We hypothesize that some of the physiological effects attributed to estrogen may be a consequence of estrogen-related changes in serotonin efficacy and receptor distribution. Here, we integrate data from endocrinology, molecular biology, neuroscience, and epidemiology to propose that serotonin may mediate the effects of estrogen. In the central nervous system, estrogen influences pain transmission, headache, dizziness, nausea, and depression, all of which are known to be a consequence of serotonergic signaling. Outside of the central nervous system, estrogen produces changes in bone density, vascular function, and immune cell self-recognition and activation that are consistent with serotonin's effects. For breast cancer risk, our hypothesis predicts heretofore unexplained observations of the opposing effects of obesity pre- and post-menopause and the increase following treatment with hormone replacement therapy using medroxyprogesterone. SUMMARY: Serotonergic mediation of estrogen has important clinical implications and warrants further evaluation
Analogie fra paradigmi compositivi della forma architettonica e musicale all’epoca di Guido d’Arezzo (XI secolo), monaco a Pomposa
In periodo medievale la relazione fra le arti è un movimento trasversale che porta avanti dinamicamente in parallelo i relativi prìncipi; si creano così quei legami, che oggi chiamiamo interdisciplinari, allora naturali all’interno della sfera della Conoscenza dell’individuo.
Intorno all’anno 1000 nell’abbazia di Pomposa il monaco Guido è il fautore di importanti innovazioni sia teoriche sia pratiche in ambito musicale. La sua teoria della composizione musicale tratta dell’estetica della forma e del rapporto tra melodia e parola secondo il concetto delle proporzioni del ritmo (numerus), argomento già affrontato da Sant’Agostino in maniera esclusivamente speculativa.
L’organizzazione della struttura compositiva della musica trova un’analogia con il medesimo aspetto nell’architettura: il suo ritmo formale è una percezione chiara nella fruizione e nella contemplazione spaziale. Il numero scandisce il disegno e il “tempo” architettonico e racchiude insieme significati non solo geometrici, ma anche aritmetici e simbolici.
A Pomposa - centro riformista di cultura e di arte – contestualmente si ricerca un’organizzazione spaziale degli ambienti costitutivi il monastero secondo le più attuali idee architettoniche, ma si rifiutano le idee innovative proposte da Guido, costretto quindi a rifugiarsi ad Arezzo. Infatti le idee dell’Aretino operano una mal vista discontinuità nel modo di apprendere ed eseguire la musica, pur fondandosi sull’evoluzione di teorie esistenti; mentre vengono accettate le scelte strutturali e formali della composizione architettonica rispondenti ad aspetti funzionali e spirituali della comunità. Ciononstante i cambiamenti fondanti le diverse discipline avvengono con un’influenza reciproca
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