Reassessing the biostratigraphy and the paleobathymetry of the Gonfolite Lombarda Group in the Como area (northern Italy)

Calcareous nannofossil and foraminiferal analyses have been carried out on outcrops from the type-area of the Gonfolite Lombarda Group (Como, northern Italy). In these marine fine- to coarse-grained clastics, rapidly accumulating at the southern front of the uprising Alpine range during the Oligo-Miocene, a scarce, but reliable, sequence of calcareous nannofossil events has been observed, allowing to refine the previous age assignments. Planktonic foraminifera were found to be extremely rare and provided limited biostratigraphic information. The Villa Olmo Conglomerate and the Chiasso Formation contain the Last Occurrence (LO) of Sphenolithus distentus and the First Occurrence (FO) of Triquetrorhabdulus carinatus, which are characteristic of the nannofossil zones NP24 and NP25 (Chattian), respectively. The lower part of the Como Conglomerate was deposited during the zone NP25, whilst the upper part of the Como Conglomerate straddles the Chattian/Aquitanian boundary in zone NN1. The deposition of the Prestino Mudstones also occurred during zone NN1. However, the upper part of this formation has been dated as Burdigalian during nannofossil zone NN2. The deposition of the upper part of the Val Grande Sandstone has been assigned to the NN3 zone owing to the presence of the taxon Sphenolithus belemnos, which is restricted to NN3. The upper part of the investigated section is characterized by the deposition of the Lucino Conglomerate and its fine-grained members (Lucinasco and Lurate Caccivio Mudstones). The Lucinasco Mudstones have been dated as late Burdigalian corresponding to zone NN4, whilst the overlying Lurate Caccivio Mudstones were deposited during the Langhian part of the zone NN5, based on the presence of S. heteromorphus and the absence of H. ampliaperta. On the whole, the base and the top of the outcropping Gonfolite Lombarda Group result from our study to be younger than hitherto proposed, allowing to resolve certain previous conflicts with the few radiometric dates available for clasts from the Gonfolite Lombarda Group. The depth of deposition was upper bathyal during the Chattian and the Aquitanian and shallowed to neritic during the deposition of the Langhian Lurate Caccivio Mudstones

Conceptualización, modelado e implementación experimental de un framework sensible al contexto

El presente trabajo de desarrollo pretende conceptualizar, modelar e implementar un prototipo de marco de trabajo y un prototipo de aplicación que interactúe con él. Para su construcción se considerarán los principios e hipótesis de las teorías de la logística de la información y los sistemas ubicuos, en términos de los postulados de M. Weiser y posteriores aportes de A. Dey, S. Busse, P. Brown y H. Chen, entre otros. Su aplicación será en un contexto de bajo coste y reusabilidad, conforme a la apropiación de tecnologías y paradigmas de aplicación inmediata. En una primera etapa del proyecto, se realizará el análisis, diseño y desarrollo de un prototipo de marco de trabajo experimental para validar los principios enunciados anteriormente. Una vez realizada la validación, en una segunda etapa del proyecto, se desarrollará una aplicación para interactuar con el marco de trabajo resultante de la primera etapa. Por último, se planificarán y desarrollarán los casos de prueba correspondientes para la validación de la solución propuesta.Eje: Innovación en Sistemas de SoftwareRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

The Formal Dynamism of Categories: Stops vs. Fricatives, Primitivity vs. Simplicity

Minimalist Phonology (MP; Pöchtrager 2006) constructs its theory based on the phonological epistemological principle (Kaye 2001) and exposes the arbitrary nature of standard Government Phonology (sGP) and strict-CV (sCV), particularly with reference to their confusion of melody and structure. For Pöchtrager, these are crucially different, concluding that place of articulation is melodic (expressed with elements), while manner of articulation is structural. In this model, the heads (xN and xO) can license and incorporate the length of the other into their own interpretation, that is xN influences xO projections as well as its own and vice versa. This dynamism is an aspect of the whole framework and this paper in particular will show that stops and fricatives evidence a plasticity of category and that, although fricatives are simpler in structure, stops are the more primitive of the two. This will be achieved phonologically through simply unifying the environment of application of the licensing forces within Pöchtrager's otherwise sound onset structure. In doing so, we automatically make several predictions about language acquisition and typology and show how lenition in Qiang (Sino-Tibetan) can be more elegantly explained

Loss of Mrap2 is associated with Sim1 deficiency and increased circulating cholesterol

Melanocortin receptor accessory protein 2 (MRAP2) is a transmembrane accessory protein predominantly expressed in the brain. Both global and brain-specific deletion of Mrap2 in mice results in severe obesity. Loss-of-function MRAP2 mutations have also been associated with obesity in humans. Although MRAP2 has been shown to interact with MC4R, a G protein-coupled receptor with an established role in energy homeostasis, appetite regulation and lipid metabolism, the mechanisms through which loss of MRAP2 causes obesity remains uncertain. In this study, we used two independently derived lines of Mrap2 deficient mice (Mrap2tm1a/tm1a) to further study the role of Mrap2 in the regulation of energy balance and peripheral lipid metabolism. Mrap2tm1a/tm1a mice have a significant increase in body weight, with increased fat and lean mass, but without detectable changes in food intake or energy expenditure. Transcriptomic analysis showed significantly decreased expression of Sim1, Trh, Oxt and Crh within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of Mrap2tm1a/tm1a mice. Circulating levels of both high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein were significantly increased in Mrap2 deficient mice. Taken together, these data corroborate the role of MRAP2 in metabolic regulation and indicate that, at least in part, this may be due to defective central melanocortin signallin

Floquet–Bloch solutions in a sawtooth photonic crystal

Band structure of a sawtooth photonic crystal for optical wave propagation along the axis of periodicity is investigated. Floquet-Bloch solutions are found and illustrated for the bandgaps, allowed bands, and bandedges of the crystal. Special attention is given to the cases where Floquet-Bloch solutions become periodic functions