Sedimentary deposits and bioturbation in an Early Cretaceous subarctic stormy greenhouse shelf environment

This study of the Aptian lower part of the Carolinefjellet Formation in Svalbard, Norwegian high Arctic, is based on well cores and outcrop section in the Adventdalen area of Spitsbergen and reports on the deposits and bioturbation structures of an ancient subpolar marine shelf from a well-known period of global greenhouse climate. The study documents the sedimentation conditions and benthic fauna activity on a warm-water aggrading shelf subject to harsh Arctic wave climate and eurybatic base-level changes, with episodic bottom incursions of cold polar water. Lithofacies associations and 38 observed ichnotaxa represent subenvironments ranging from offshore to lower shoreface and hosting the Cruziana ichnofacies in its distal to proximal expression, with a brief mid-Aptian encroachment of middle shoreface zone with a distal expression of the Skolithos ichnofacies. The ichnofacies are variously impoverished compared to their archetypes. The sediment bioturbation intensity varies, but similar lithofacies associations show a comparable intensity throughout the stratigraphic succession, which indicates an ichnofauna ecology controlled by the seafloor hydraulic regime and oxygenation, and thus mainly by the wave climate and relative sea-level changes. Sandstone tempestites indicate high-frequency storms, commonly exceeding the magnitude of largest modern hurricane events. The study confirms that a change in global climate mode, such as the Early Cretaceous warming, entails extreme weather conditions.publishedVersio

Alignment of the CMS muon system with cosmic-ray and beam-halo muons

This is the Pre-print version of the Article. The official published version of the Paper can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2010 IOPThe CMS muon system has been aligned using cosmic-ray muons collected in 2008 and beam-halo muons from the 2008 LHC circulating beam tests. After alignment, the resolution of the most sensitive coordinate is 80 microns for the relative positions of superlayers in the same barrel chamber and 270 microns for the relative positions of endcap chambers in the same ring structure. The resolution on the position of the central barrel chambers relative to the tracker is comprised between two extreme estimates, 200 and 700 microns, provided by two complementary studies. With minor modifications, the alignment procedures can be applied using muons from LHC collisions, leading to additional significant improvements.This work is supported by FMSR (Austria); FNRS and FWO (Belgium); CNPq, CAPES, FAPERJ, and FAPESP (Brazil); MES (Bulgaria); CERN; CAS, MoST, and NSFC (China); COLCIENCIAS (Colombia); MSES (Croatia); RPF (Cyprus); Academy of Sciences and NICPB (Estonia); Academy of Finland, ME, and HIP (Finland); CEA and CNRS/IN2P3 (France); BMBF, DFG, and HGF (Germany); GSRT (Greece); OTKA and NKTH (Hungary); DAE and DST (India); IPM (Iran); SFI (Ireland); INFN (Italy); NRF (Korea); LAS (Lithuania); CINVESTAV, CONACYT, SEP, and UASLP-FAI (Mexico); PAEC (Pakistan); SCSR (Poland); FCT (Portugal); JINR(Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan); MST and MAE (Russia); MSTDS (Serbia); MICINN and CPAN (Spain); Swiss Funding Agencies (Switzerland); NSC (Taipei); TUBITAK and TAEK (Turkey); STFC (United Kingdom); DOE and NSF (USA)

Alignment of the CMS muon system with cosmic-ray and beam-halo muons

This is the Pre-print version of the Article. The official published version of the Paper can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2010 IOPThe CMS muon system has been aligned using cosmic-ray muons collected in 2008 and beam-halo muons from the 2008 LHC circulating beam tests. After alignment, the resolution of the most sensitive coordinate is 80 microns for the relative positions of superlayers in the same barrel chamber and 270 microns for the relative positions of endcap chambers in the same ring structure. The resolution on the position of the central barrel chambers relative to the tracker is comprised between two extreme estimates, 200 and 700 microns, provided by two complementary studies. With minor modifications, the alignment procedures can be applied using muons from LHC collisions, leading to additional significant improvements.This work is supported by FMSR (Austria); FNRS and FWO (Belgium); CNPq, CAPES, FAPERJ, and FAPESP (Brazil); MES (Bulgaria); CERN; CAS, MoST, and NSFC (China); COLCIENCIAS (Colombia); MSES (Croatia); RPF (Cyprus); Academy of Sciences and NICPB (Estonia); Academy of Finland, ME, and HIP (Finland); CEA and CNRS/IN2P3 (France); BMBF, DFG, and HGF (Germany); GSRT (Greece); OTKA and NKTH (Hungary); DAE and DST (India); IPM (Iran); SFI (Ireland); INFN (Italy); NRF (Korea); LAS (Lithuania); CINVESTAV, CONACYT, SEP, and UASLP-FAI (Mexico); PAEC (Pakistan); SCSR (Poland); FCT (Portugal); JINR(Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan); MST and MAE (Russia); MSTDS (Serbia); MICINN and CPAN (Spain); Swiss Funding Agencies (Switzerland); NSC (Taipei); TUBITAK and TAEK (Turkey); STFC (United Kingdom); DOE and NSF (USA)

An analysis of the meal pattern at the nutrient level in Polish women

BACKGROUND: Before the 1990's, access to a variety of foods in Eastern Europe was limited, which could have influenced the currently analyzed dietary behaviors pertaining to overweight and obesity development. The aim of this study was to describe the daily profile of meal patterns in Polish women aged 50-70 at the nutrient level. METHODS: The anthropometrical parameters of four-hundred and fifty Polish women aged 50-70 were assessed. Three 24-hour dietary recalls and validated questionnaires regarding socio-demographic-economic status and meal frequency were applied. Timing in food intake was considered as follow: 6:00-8:59 CET - breakfast, 9:00-11:59 CET - morning snacks, 12:00-14:59 CET - lunch, 15:00-17:59 CET - afternoon snacks, 18:00-21:00 CET - dinner. Statistical analyses were conducted using Tukey's multiple comparison tests and discriminant analysis. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found in socio-demographic-economic and anthropometrical characteristics between women categorized to differentiated meal frequency intakes. However, the subjects from the 5-meal-per-day group were characterized by higher anthropometrical parameters, the statistically lowest percentage of regularity in meal consumption and skipping meals related to shortest breaks between meals. At the nutrient level, potassium, niacin, vitamin E and vitamin D were selected in the discriminant analysis as the nutrients most strongly related to different dietary behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings did not provide sufficient evidence that diverse nutrient intake could lead to the development of a specific nutritional profile in Polish women

An efficient 3D cell culture method on biomimetic nanostructured grids.

Current techniques of in vitro cell cultures are able to mimic the in vivo environment only to a limited extent, as they enable cells to grow only in two dimensions. Therefore cell culture approaches should rely on scaffolds that provide support comparable to the extracellular matrix. Here we demonstrate the advantages of novel nanostructured three-dimensional grids fabricated using electro-spinning technique, as scaffolds for cultures of neoplastic cells. The results of the study show that the fibers allow for a dynamic growth of HeLa cells, which form multi-layer structures of symmetrical and spherical character. This indicates that the applied scaffolds are nontoxic and allow proper flow of oxygen, nutrients, and growth factors. In addition, grids have been proven to be useful in in situ examination of cells ultrastructure

Light microscopy image of nanostructured grid.

<p>Original magnification x200 (A). Scanning electron microscopy image of nanostructured microfiber. Original magnification x500 (B).</p

Cells growing on the scaffold visualized using light microscopy after 48 hours of incubation.

<p>Original magnification x200 (A). Scanning electron microscopy image of HeLa cells on the nanostructured grid fibers after 48 hours of incubation. Original magnification x100 (B).</p

HeLa cells stained with Hoechst 33342 and propidium iodide after 24 (A), 48 (B) and 72 (C) hours of 3D culture on the nanostructure grids.

<p>Original magnification x200. A fragment of the spherical 3D structure of cell growing on nanostructured grids visualized after 48 hours. Original magnification x400 (D).</p

Transmission electron microscopy images of HeLa cells on the nanostructure grid fibers after 48 h culture.

<p>Original magnification x6000.</p