Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Lower Part (lower + part)
Selected AbstractsNo effect of venoconstrictive thigh cuffs on orthostatic hypotension induced by head-down bed restACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 2 2000M.-A. Custaud Orthostatic intolerance (OI) is the most serious symptom of cardiovascular deconditioning induced by head-down bed rest or weightlessness. Wearing venoconstrictive thigh cuffs is an empirical countermeasure used by Russian cosmonauts to limit the shift of fluid from the lower part of the body to the cardio-cephalic region. Our aim was to determine whether or not thigh cuffs help to prevent orthostatic hypotension induced by head-down bed rest. We studied the effect of thigh cuffs on eight healthy men. The cuffs were worn during the day for 7 days of head-down bed rest. We measured: orthostatic tolerance (stand tests and lower body negative pressure tests), plasma volume (Evans blue dilution), autonomic influences (plasma noradrenaline) and baroreflex sensitivity (spontaneous baroreflex slope). Thigh cuffs limited the loss of plasma volume (thigh cuffs: ,201 ± 37 mL vs. control: ,345 ± 42 mL, P < 0.05), the degree of tachycardia and reduction in the spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity induced by head-down bed rest. However, the impact of thigh cuffs was not sufficient to prevent OI (thigh cuffs: 7.0 min of standing time vs. control: 7.1 min). Decrease in absolute plasma volume and in baroreflex sensitivity are known to be important factors in the aetiology of OI induced by head-down bed rest. However, dealing with these factors, using thigh cuffs for example, is not sufficient to prevent OI. Other factors such as venous compliance, microcirculatory changes, peripheral arterial vasoconstriction and vestibular afferents must also be considered. [source] Dermoscopy provides useful information for the management of melanonychia striataDERMATOLOGIC THERAPY, Issue 1 2007Luc Thomas ABSTRACT:, The diagnosis of melanonychia striata is often difficult, and a biopsy of the nail matrix is required in doubtful cases. However, dermoscopic examination of the nail plate offers interesting information in order to better select the cases in which pathologic examination is indicated. In the case of brown longitudinal pigmentation with parallel regular lines, the diagnosis of nail apparatus melanocytic nevus could be made. On the other hand, the presence of a brown pigmentation overlaid by longitudinal lines irregular in their thickness, spacing, color, or parallelism is highly in favor of a melanoma. Gray homogeneous lines are observed in case of lentigo, lentiginoses, ethnic or drug-induced pigmentations, and in post-traumatic pigmentations. Blood spots are characterized by their round-shaped proximal edge and their filamentous distal edge and are highly suggestive of subungual hemorrhages. Dermoscopic examination of the free edge of the nail plate gives information on the lesion location; pigmentation of the dorsum of the nail plate is in favor of a proximal nail matrix lesion, whereas pigmentation the lower part of the nail edge is in favor of a lesion of the distal matrix. [source] The histology of the Upper Silurian osteostracan Timanaspis kossovoii Obruchev (Agnatha) from North Timan, RussiaACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 2009Olga B. Afanassieva Abstract The fine structure of the exoskeleton of Timanaspis kossovoii Obruchev 1962 was investigated based on new well-preserved material. The remains come from the lower part of the Eptarma Formation (Upper Silurian). Timanaspis kossovoii was referred by Obruchev to the family Tremataspididae and most authors agree with the placement of Timanaspis among tremataspidid osteostracans. Histological study of the shield of T. kossovoii has revealed the presence of unusual features in the exoskeletal structure. The smooth and shiny surface of the ventral side of the shield of T. kossovoii is similar to that of species of Tremataspis, but thin sections show differences in histological composition. The exoskeleton of T. kossovoii consists mainly of dense bony tissue in the middle layer and a laminated basal layer. No osteocyte cavities of typical form and size were found in the middle layer. The upper parts of the elongated tubercles of the dorsal side of the shield are formed by a well-developed dentine-like tissue; the arrangement of numerous tubules within this tissue is far more regular than in the mesodentine of Tremataspis. No traces of perforated septa, pore fields or a polygonal model were detected in the structure of the exoskeleton of Timanaspis. We conclude that Timanaspis can be differentiated from conventional tremataspidids by histological features and refer it to the new family Timanaspididae. Moreover, the Timanaspis exoskeleton provides evidence that an acellular condition of bony tissue does not appear to be characteristic of only Late Devonian osteostracans. [source] Geomorphic and sedimentological signature of a two-phase outburst ,ood from moraine-dammed Queen Bess Lake, British Columbia, CanadaEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 1 2005Jane A. Kershaw Abstract On 12 August 1997, the lower part of Diadem Glacier in the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia fell into Queen Bess Lake and produced a train of large waves. The waves overtopped the broad end moraine at the east end of the lake and ,ooded the valley of the west fork of Nostetuko River. The displacement waves also incised the out,ow channel across the moraine. Stratigraphic and sedimentologic evidence supports the conclusion that the ,ood had two phases, one related to wave overtopping and a second to breach formation. Empirical equations were used to calculate the peak discharge of the ,ood at various points along the west fork of the Nostetuko valley and to describe the attenuation of the ,ood wave. The velocity of the ,ood was also calculated to determine the time it took for the ,ood to reach the main fork of Nostetuko River. The highest peak discharges were achieved in the upper reach of the valley during the displacement phase of the ,ood. Peak discharge declined rapidly just below the moraine dam, with little change thereafter for approximately 7 km. Empirical formulae and boulder measurements indicate a rise in peak discharge in the lower part of the west fork valley. We suggest that ,ow in the upper part of the valley records the passage of two separate ,ood peaks and that the rise in discharge in the lower part of the valley is due to amalgamation of the wave and breach peaks. Hydraulic ponding in con,ned reaches of the valley extended the duration of the ,ood. In addition, erosion of vegetation and sediment in the channel and valley sides may also have exerted an in,uence on the duration and nature of ,ooding. Sediments were deposited both upstream and downstream of channel constrictions and on a large fan extending out into the trunk Nostetuko River valley. This study extends our understanding of the variety and complexity of outburst ,oods from naturally dammed lakes. It also shows that simple empirical and other models for estimating peak discharges of outburst ,oods are likely to yield erroneous results. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Efficiency of a nature-like bypass channel for sea trout (Salmo trutta) ascending a small Danish stream studied by PIT telemetryECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH, Issue 3 2003K. Aarestrup Abstract , Upstream passage of adult sea trout (Salmo trutta) in a nature-like bypass channel was investigated in the Tirsbæk brook, Denmark, in autumn and winter 1999/2000. Sea trout were caught by electrofishing up- and downstream of the weir at which the bypass was situated. Fish were tagged with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and released downstream of the weir. Automatic PIT-tag logging stations were positioned downstream, in the lower part, and at the upstream exit of the bypass to investigate the passage success of the fish. The bypass was neither size- nor sex-selective in the size ranges investigated. The majority (68%) of fish approached the bypass at night. Over 90% of tagged upstream-searching fish located and entered the bypass channel, but only about half of them passed through. The inefficiency is suggested to be because of a combination of the length of the bypass channel and inadequate flow in the bypass channel. [source] The dimensionality of alcohol use disorders and alcohol consumption in a cross-national perspectiveADDICTION, Issue 2 2010Guilherme Borges ABSTRACT Aims To replicate the finding that there is a single dimension trait in alcohol use disorders and to test whether the usual 5+ drinks for men and 4+ drinks for women and other measures of alcohol consumption help to improve alcohol use disorder criteria in a series of diverse patients from emergency departments (EDs) in four countries. Design Cross-sectional surveys of patients aged 18 years and older that reflected consecutive arrival at the ED. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview Core was used to obtain a diagnosis of DSM-IV alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse; quantity and frequency of drinking and drunkenness as well as usual number of drinks consumed during the last year. Setting Participants were 5195 injured and non-injured patients attending seven EDs in four countries: Argentina, Mexico, Poland and the United States (between 1995,2001). Findings Using exploratory factor analyses alcohol use disorders can be described as a single, unidimensional continuum without any clear-cut distinction between the criteria for dependence and abuse in all sites. Results from item response theory analyses showed that the current DSM-IV criteria tap people in the middle,upper end of the alcohol use disorder continuum. Alcohol consumption (amount and frequency of use) can be used in all EDs with the current DSM-IV diagnostic criteria to help tap the middle,lower part of this continuum. Even though some specific diagnostic criteria and some alcohol consumption variables showed differential item function across sites, test response curves were invariant for ED sites and their inclusion would not impact the final (total) performance of the diagnostic system. Conclusions DSM-IV abuse and dependence form a unidimensional continuum in ED patients regardless of country of survey. Alcohol consumption variables, if added, would help to tap patients with more moderate severity. The DSM diagnostic system for alcohol use disorders showed invariance and performed extremely well in these samples. [source] Upstream migration of Atlantic salmon at a power station on the River Nidelva, Southern NorwayFISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2003E. B. Thorstad Abstract The upstream migration of 17 radio-tagged adult Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., past hydroelectric developments on the River Nidelva, Southern Norway, was examined. Salmon migrated quickly from the site of release in the lower part of the river up to the tunnel outlet of Rygene power station, but were substantially delayed at the outlet. The salmon stayed in the outlet area for 0,71 days (median = 20), and mainly took up a position inside the dark power station tunnel. Water discharge in the tunnel was 57,176 m3 s,1, while residual flow in the river between the outlet and the dam 2.5 km further upstream was 3 m3 s,1. Ten salmon passed the outlet and entered the residual flow stretch, but none passed the dam. Six of the 10 salmon returned to the tunnel outlet. No major migration barriers were identified in the residual flow stretch, suggesting lack of motivation among the salmon to migrate due to either low water discharge compared with the main river, or several minor migration barriers along the river stretch. [source] Associations among symptoms of dieback in even-aged stands of ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.)FOREST PATHOLOGY, Issue 1 2010J. P. Skovsgaard Summary The objective of this study was to establish statistically based associations among macroscopic symptoms of crown dieback, cankers due to Chalara fraxinea, and symptoms caused by other pathogens and pests on Fraxinus excelsior. A total of 454 trees were observed in two plots of a 15-year-old experimental stand. The symptoms included: (i) overall extent of crown dieback; (ii) dieback of upper parts of the crown; (iii) canker in upper parts of the crown; (iv) wilting foliage; (v) cankers and bark proliferations at the lower part of the stem; and (vi) discolouration at stump or stem base. The analysis suggested that the observed symptoms of crown dieback are caused by a primary disease. The macroscopic symptoms attributed to dieback and canker in the crown were strongly associated. Moreover, the disease was associated with symptoms of Armillaria gallica, but no associations were found for symptoms of Neonectria galligena, Pseudomonas syringae subsp. savastanoi pv. fraxini, Hylesinus fraxini or H. varius when considered collectively. Dieback was more frequent on trees of average or below-average size, suggesting that individual tree resistance decreased with decreasing growth potential or tree vigour. The extent of canker in the crown depended on site conditions and possibly on silvicultural practices. The development of phytosanitary prescriptions for silviculture should primarily be targeted towards young stands as these represent the most critical phases of stand development. [source] Übersicht über die Sporenassoziationen (lepidophyta - bis pusilla -Zone) aus dem Unterkarbon der Bohrung Neuenkirchen 2/1973 (Insel Rügen, NE-Deutschland)FOSSIL RECORD-MITTEILUNGEN AUS DEM MUSEUM FUER NATURKUNDE, Issue 1 2001Gusti Burmann Abstract Es wird die Sporenzonierung für das Tournai (einschließlich der Grenzschichten) der Bohrung Neuenkirchen 2/73 auf der Insel Rügen (NE-Deutschland) vorgelegt - von der lepidophyta -Zone var. minor -Subzone des Tnla des obersten Devons bis zur pusilla -Zone des tieferen Visé. Das Profit wird verglichen mit der Zonenabfolge aus der Bohrung Wiek 4/70 (Burmann 1975). Zur lepidophyta -Zone liegen vergleichbare Daten aus dem Harz vor (Burmann 1976). Die untersuchte Abfolge von Sporenzonen umfasst die lepidophyta -Zone mit der var. minor -Subzone (höheres Tnla); PA (pusillites-asperitis; Tn1b); NRH (nitidus-rarituberculatus-hederatus; Tn1b-Tn2); ND (nitidus-distinctus; Tn2); RM (rarituber-culatus-minutissimus; tieferes Tn3); CM (claviger-macra; höheres Tn3); Pu (pusilla; V1a+V1b; Obergrenze der Pu-Zone nicht erfasst). Die stratigraphische Einbindung der Sporenzonen erfolgte durch makrofaunistische Datierungen. Die Pu-Zone ist in beiden Bohrungen untergliederbar durch einen Horizont mit Gloeocapsamorpha. Lower Carboniferous spore assemblages (lepidophyta zone to pusilla zone) in the Neuenkirchen 2/1973 borehole of Rügen Island, NE Germany A spore zonation is given for the Tournaisian sequence of the Neuenkirchen 2/73 borehole on the island of Rügen (NE Germany). The deposits range from the lepidophyta zone var. minor subzone of the uppermost Famennian (Tnla) to the pusilla zone of the basal Viséan. The results are compared with the miospore zonation of the borehole Wiek 4 (Burmann 1975), and comparable dates for the lepidophyta zone from the Harz mountains (Burmann 1976). In ascending order the miospore zones examined are: lepidophyta zone with var. minor subzone (upper part of Tnla); PA (pusillites-asperitis; Tnlb); NRH (nitidus-rarituberculatus-hederatus; Tnlb-Tn2): ND (nitidus-distinctus; Tn2); RM (rarituber-culatus-minutissimus; lower part of Tn3): CM (claviger-macra; upper part of Tn3); Pu (pusilla; V1a+V1b; the upper boundary of the Pu zone is not determined). The stratigraphy of the spore zones is also compared with the macrofaunal data. The Pu zone in both boreholes is divided into two parts by a horizon with Gloeocapsamorpha. [source] Catchment- and site-scale influences of forest cover and longitudinal forest position on the distribution of a diadromous fishFRESHWATER BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2005HANS S. EIKAAS Summary 1. The hydrologic connectivity between landscape elements and streams means that fragmentation of terrestrial habitats could affect the distribution of stream faunas at multiple spatial scales. We investigated how catchment- and site-scale influences, including proportion and position of forest cover within a catchment, and presence of riparian forest cover affected the distribution of a diadromous fish. 2. The occurrence of koaro (Galaxias brevipinnis) in 50-m stream reaches with either forested or non-forested riparian margins at 172 sites in 24 catchments on Banks Peninsula, South Island, New Zealand was analysed. Proportions of catchments forested and the dominant position (upland or lowland) of forest within catchments were determined using geographical information system spatial analysis tools. 3. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated forest position and proportion forested at the catchment accounted for the majority of the variation in the overall proportion of sites in a catchment with koaro. 4. Where forest was predominantly in the lower part of the catchments, the presence of riparian cover was important in explaining the proportion of sites with koaro. However, where forest was predominantly in the upper part of the catchment, the effect of riparian forest was not as strong. In the absence of riparian forest cover, no patterns of koaro distribution with respect to catchment forest cover or forest position were detected. 5. These results indicate that landscape elements, such as the proportion and position of catchment forest, operating at catchment-scales, influence the distribution of diadromous fish but their influence depends on the presence of riparian vegetation, a site-scale factor. [source] Geoarchaeology of the Kostenki,Borshchevo sites, Don River Valley, RussiaGEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2007Vance T. Holliday The Kostenki,Borshchevo localities include 26 Upper Paleolithic sites on the first and second terraces along the west bank of the Don River, near Voronezh on the central East European Plain. Geoarchaeological research from 2001 through 2004 focused on sites Kostenki 1, 12, and 14, with additional work at Kostenki 11 and 16, and Borshchevo 5. The strata are grouped into three units (bottom up): Unit 1, > 50 ka, consists of coarse alluvium (representing upper terrace 2 deposits) and colluvium, overlain by fine-grained sediments. Unit 2 includes archaeological horizons sealed within two sets of thin lenses of silt, carbonate, chalk fragments, and organic-rich soils (termed the Lower Humic Bed and Upper Humic Bed) dating 50,30 ka. Separating the humic beds is a volcanic ash lens identified as the Campanian Ignimbrite Y5 tephra, dated elsewhere by Ar/Ar to ca. 40 ka. The humic beds appear to result from the complex interplay of soil formation, spring deposition, slope action, and other processes. Several horizons buried in the lower part of Unit 2 contain Upper Paleolithic assemblages. The springs and seeps, which are still present in the area today, emanated from the bedrock valley wall. Their presence may account for the unusually high concentration of Upper Paleolithic sites in this part of the central East European Plain. Unit 3, < 30 ka, contains redeposited loess with a buried soil (Gmelin Soil) overlain by a primary full-glacial loess with an associated Chernozem (Mollisol), forming the surface of the second terrace. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] The formation and sedimentary infilling of the Cave of Hearths and Historic Cave complex, Makapansgat, South AfricaGEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2004A.G. Latham The archaeology of caves is best served by including a study of natural effects prior to and during anthropogenic input. This is especially true for the Cave of Hearths because not only has erosion determined the area of occupation, but also subsequent undermining has caused collapse of some of the rearward parts of the site during Early Stone Age (Acheulian) and later times; and this had a major impact on excavation. The key to understanding the nature of the collapsed layers was the rediscovery of a lower part of the cavern below the whole site. This lower cavern is no longer accessible, but the evidence for it was revealed in a swallow hole by R.J. Mason, and in archived material at the Department of Archaeology, University of Witwatersrand. The creation and dissolution of dolomite fragments in the upper layers has resulted in the formation of thick, carbonate-cemented breccia that has preserved underlying layers and prevented further collapse. We agree with Mason that further archaeological and hominid finds await excavation under the proximate Historical Cave west entrance. This area has the potential for archaeological and palaeoanthropological material that predates the layers in the Cave of Hearths. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] New archaeo-stratigraphic data for the TD6 level in relation to Homo antecessor (Lower Pleistocene) at the site of Atapuerca, north-central SpainGEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 5 2003Antoni Canals The sediments of the TD6 level of Gran Dolina Cave at Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain, consist of a series of mud flows with angular clasts. The TD6 deposit has two parts: an upper part, known as the Aurora stratum, which yields Homo antecessor remains, and a lower part with rather homogeneous sediment. The excavation of TD6 level did not reveal a sequence of diachronic occupations. Instead, the contextual and stratigraphic studies permitted us to describe and delimit the micro-units forming the TD6 deposit. The study of the distribution of archaeological remains based on vertical archaeological profiles, using an archaeo-stratigraphic method, allowed us to document the occurrence of a series of archaeological levels within the apparent homogeneous deposit. Variations in the density of archaeological remains along the archaeo-stratigraphic levels permitted us to define two occupational cycles in TD6. These cycles seemingly show increased activities through time, culminating in the Aurora level with the presence of cannibalized Homo antecessor remains. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Natural-gradient tracer experiments in epikarst: a test study in the Acqua dei Faggi experimental site, southern ItalyGEOFLUIDS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 3 2008E. PETRELLA Abstract Two natural-gradient tracer experiments were carried out using borehole fluorometers in order to characterize the internal structure of epikarstic horizons and analyze subsurface flow within these high-conductivity layers. The experiments were carried out in a test site in southern Italy where the epikarst is made up of an upper part with pervasive karstification and a lower part without pervasive karstification. Injection and observation boreholes were 6.9 m apart. An initial experiment demonstrated that wider (conduits) and narrower (fractures and bedding planes) openings coexist in a well-connected network within the lower epikarst. The adjusted aperture of the opening network (105 ,m) suggests that conduits are subordinately developed. The lower epikarstic horizon is hydraulically similar to granular porous media and Darcy's law can be applied to describe groundwater flow. A small value of longitudinal dispersivity (0.13 m) shows that variations in the velocity field in the direction of flow are less significant than those typical of carbonate systems at the same experiment scale. A second experiment demonstrated that longitudinal dispersivity (2.42 m) in the upper epikarst is in agreement with findings in other carbonates at the same experiment scale. However, despite the higher dispersivity and more pervasive karstification, the mean tracer velocity (3.7 m day,1) in the upper epikarst is slightly lower than the velocity in the lower epikarst (13.6 m day,1). [source] Enigmatic sedimentary,volcanic successions in the central European Variscides: a Cambrian/Early Ordovician age for the Wojcieszów Limestone (Kaczawa Mountains, SW Poland) indicated by SHRIMP dating of volcanic zirconsGEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Issue 4 2008Ryszard Kryza Abstract Metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary successions in the central European Variscides are, in many areas, poorly biostratigraphically constrained, making palaeotectonic interpretations uncertain. In such instances, geochronological data are crucial. Sensitive high resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) dating of volcanic zircons from a quartz,white mica schist (interpreted as deformed metavolcaniclastic/epiclastic rock) within the stratigraphically controversial Wojcieszów Limestone of the Kaczawa Mountains (Sudetes, SW Poland), near to the eastern termination of the European Variscides, has yielded an age of 498,±,5,Ma (2, error), corresponding to late Cambrian to early Ordovician magmatism in that area and constraining the depositional age of the limestones. The new SHRIMP data are not consistent with the recent revision of the age of the Wojcieszów Limestone based on Foraminifera findings that ascribed them to a Late Ordovician,Silurian or even younger interval. They are though, consistent with sparse macrofossil data and strongly support earlier interpretations of the lower part of the Kaczawa Mountains succession as a Cambrian,Early Ordovician extensional basin-fill with associated initial rift volcanic rocks, likely emplaced during the breakup of Gondwana. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Stratigraphy and volcanology of the Türkbükü volcanics: products of a stratovolcano in the Bodrum Peninsula, SW AnatoliaGEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2006Zekiye Karacik Abstract The Middle-Upper Miocene Bodrum magmatic complex of the Aegean region, southwestern Turkey, is mainly represented by intermediate stocks, lavas, pyroclastic and volcaniclastic deposits. Monzonitic stocks and connected porphyry intrusions and extrusions are the first products of the magmatism. These are followed by a volcanic succession consisting of andesitic-latitic lavas, autobrecciated lavas, pyroclastic and volcaniclastic deposits. The final stage is represented by basaltic and basaltic andesitic flows and dykes intruded into previous units. The volcanic succession crops out in the northern part of the Bodrum peninsula. In the lower part of this succession are widespread pyroclastic deposits, composed of pyroclastic fall and flow units, alternating with epiclastic deposits. Grain size, volume and thickness of the pyroclastic deposits were mainly controlled by the type, magnitude and intensity of the eruption. Further up the section, there are two horizons of debris avalanche deposits forming the coarsest and thickest deposits of the volcaniclastic succession. The debris avalanche deposits indicate at least two different flank collapses coeval with the volcanism. The stratigraphy and map pattern of these volcanic units imply that the northern part of the Bodrum peninsula was the north-facing flank of a stratovolcano during the mid-Late Miocene. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Stratigraphy of upper Viséan carbonate platform rocks in the Carlow area, southeast IrelandGEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Issue 1 2005P. Cózar Abstract The stratigraphy of the upper Viséan (Asbian to Brigantian) carbonate succession in southeast Ireland is revised on the basis of seven quarry and two borehole sections. Six lithological units have been distinguished, two units (units 1 and 2) in the upper Asbian Ballyadams Formation, and four units (units 4 to 6) in the Brigantian Clogrenan Formation (both formations are dated precisely using foraminiferans, calcareous algae and rugose corals). The boundary between the Ballyadams and Clogrenan formations is redefined 19,m below the horizon proposed by the Geological Survey of Ireland, and thus, lithological characteristics of both formations are redescribed. The upper part of the Ballyadams Formation is characterized by well-developed large-scale cyclicity, with common subaerial exposure surfaces. Fine- to medium-grained thin-bedded limestones with thin shales occur in the lower part of cycles, passing up into medium-grained pale grey massive limestones in the upper part. The Clogrenan Formation is composed mainly of medium- to coarse-grained thick limestone beds with variable presence of shales; but no large-scale cyclicity. There is a decrease in the number of subaerial exposure surfaces towards the top of the formation and common chert nodules; macrofauna occurs mostly concentrated in bands. The six units recognized in the Carlow area are comparable with other units described for the same time interval (Asbian,Brigantian) from south and southwest Ireland, demonstrating the existence of a stable platform for most parts of southern Ireland, controlled principally by glacioeustatics. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Origin of metamorphic soles and their post-kinematic mafic dyke swarms in the Antalya and Lycian ophiolites, SW TurkeyGEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Issue 3-4 2003Ö. Faruk Çeli Abstract The Antalya and Lycian ophiolites are situated in the western part of the Tauride belt (SW Turkey). Ophiolite-related metamorphic sole rocks in the Tauride belt are observed either at the base of the tectonites or in mélange units. Geochemical observations from the metamorphic sole rocks of Köyce,iz ophiolite indicate three different geochemical affinities: mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), island-arc tholeiite (IAT) and within-plate basalt (WPB) or seamount are present at the base of the Lycian ophiolites. The sole rocks of the ophiolite are made up of amphibolite, comprising mainly amphibole, pyroxene and plagioclase. Below the amphibolites are epidote-bearing rocks and, at the base, micaschists. The metamorphic sole below ophiolites exhibits an inverted metamorphic zonation. Very strong deformation within kyanite-garnet-bearing micaschists located far from the peridotites was observed, whereas the upper part of the metamorphic sole (near the contact with the peridotites) present relatively less deformation than the lower part. The metamorphic sole rocks of the Lycian ophiolite are cross-cut by some doleritic dykes with a typical greenschist facies mineral assemblage. However, while the metamorphic sole rocks exhibit well-developed lineation and foliation; the dykes lack such structures. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Biostratigraphical dating of the Thornton Fossil Konservat-Lagerstätte, Silurian, Illinois, USAGEOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2002David K. Loydell Abstract Graptoloid graptolites, conodonts and chitinozoans from the lower part of the Racine Dolomite Formation at the Material Services Corporation quarry at Thornton indicate that the Fossil Konservat-Lagerstätte here is of late Sheinwoodian (early Wenlock) age. It is thus of an age approximately midway between those of the other Midwest Lagerstätten: within the Brandon Bridge Formation at Waukesha (Telychian), and the Mississinewa Shale (Gorstian) and Lecthaylus Shale (Gorstian). Conodonts indicate that the Fossil Konservat-Lagerstätte at Thornton corresponds to the ,post Kockelella walliseri interregnum' sensu Jeppsson (1997, Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences88: 91,114). Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Geophysical exploration for interlayer slip breccia gold deposits: example from Pengjiakuang gold deposit, Shandong Province, ChinaGEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, Issue 2 2004Z. Qingdong ABSTRACT Interlayer slipping breccia-type gold deposit , a new type of gold deposit, defined recently in the northern margin of the Jiaolai Basin, Shandong Province, China , occurs in interlayer slip faults distributed along the basin margin. It has the features of large orebody thickness (ranging from 14 m to 46 m, with an average thickness of 30 m), shallow embedding (0,50 m thickness of cover), low tenor of gold ore (ranging from 3 g/t to 5 g/t), easy mining and ore dressing. This type of gold deposit has promising metallogenic forecasting and potential for economic exploitation. A ground gamma-ray survey in the Pengjiakuang gold-ore district indicates that the potassium/thorium ratio is closely related to the mineralization intensity, i.e. the larger the potassium/thorium ratio, the higher the mineralization. The gold mineralized alteration zone was defined by a potassium/thorium ratio of 0.35. A seismic survey confirms the location of the top and bottom boundaries and images various features within the Pengjiakuang gold mineralization belt. The gold-bearing shovel slipped belt dips to the south at an angle of 50,55° at the surface and 15,20° at depth. The seismic profile is interpreted in terms of a structural band on the seismic section characterized by a three-layered model. The upper layer is represented by weakly discontinuous reflections that represent the overlying conglomerates. A zone of stronger reflections representing the interlayer slip fault (gold-bearing mineralized zone) is imaged within the middle of the section, while the strongest reflections are in the lower part of the section and represent metamorphic rocks at depth. At the same time, the seismic reflection survey confirms the existence of a granite body at depth, indicating that ore-forming fluids may be related to the granite. A CSAMT survey showed that the gold-bearing mineralized zone is a conductive layer and contains a low-resistivity anomaly ranging from 2 ,m to 200 ,m. [source] Gender Wage Differences in West Germany: A Cohort AnalysisGERMAN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue 4 2002Bernd Fitzenberger A comprehensive descriptive analysis of gender wage differences over a long time period does not exist for West Germany. Using an empirical approach which explicitly takes into account changes of wage distributions for both males and females as well as life,cycle and birth cohort effects, we go beyond conventional decomposition techniques of the average gender wage gap. The paper provides stylized facts of the level and dynamics of the gender wage gap from 1975,95. The empirical analysis is based upon the IAB employment subsample. Our findings confirm the importance of distributional effects relating to skill level and employment status. While life,cycle wage growth is in general much lower for females compared to males, comparing their estimated time trends implies that the gender wage gap has narrowed substantially in the lower part of the wage distribution especially for low, and medium,skilled females but much less so in the upper part of the wage distribution. Surprisingly, we do not find any cohort effects for wages of female employees. [source] Stocks and dynamics of SOC in relation to soil redistribution by water and tillage erosionGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 10 2006JIANHUI ZHANG Abstract Soil organic carbon (SOC) displaced by soil erosion is the subject of much current research and the fundamental question, whether accelerated soil erosion is a source or sink of atmospheric CO2, remains unresolved. A toposequence of terraced fields as well as a long slope was selected from hilly areas of the Sichuan Basin, China to determine effects of soil redistribution rates and processes on SOC stocks and dynamics. Soil samples for the determination of caesium-137 (137Cs), SOC, total N and soil particle size fractions were collected at 5 m intervals along a transect down the two toposequences. 137Cs data showed that along the long slope transect soil erosion occurred in upper and middle slope positions and soil deposition appeared in the lower part of the slope. Along the terraced transect, soil was lost over the upper parts of the slopes and deposition occurred towards the downslope boundary on each terrace, resulting in very abrupt changes in soil redistribution over short distances either side of terrace boundaries that run parallel with the contour on the steep slopes. These data reflect a difference in erosion process; along the long slope transect, water erosion is the dominant process, while in the terraced landscape soil distribution is mainly the result of tillage erosion. SOC inventories (mass per unit area) show a similar pattern to the 137Cs inventory, with relatively low SOC content in the erosional sites and high SOC content in depositional areas. However, in the terraced field landscape C/N ratios were highest in the depositional areas, while along the long slope transect, C/N ratios were highest in the erosional areas. When the samples are subdivided based on 137Cs-derived erosion and deposition data, it is found that the erosional areas have similar C/N ratios for both toposequences, while the C/N ratios in depositional areas are significantly different from each other. These differences are attributed to the difference in soil erosion processes; tillage erosion is mainly responsible for high-SOC inventories at depositional positions on terraced fields, whereas water erosion plays a primary role in SOC storage at depositional positions on the long slope. These data support the theory that water erosion may cause a loss of SOC due to selective removal of the most labile fraction of SOC, while on the other hand tillage erosion only transports the soil over short distances with less effect on the total SOC stock. [source] Canopy recovery after drought dieback in holm-oak Mediterranean forests of Catalonia (NE Spain)GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 12 2004Francisco Lloret Abstract Climate change is likely to produce more frequent and longer droughts in the Mediterranean region, like that of 1994, which produced important changes in the Quercus ilex forests, with up to 76% of the trees showing complete canopy dieback. At the landscape level, a mosaic of responses to the drought was observed, linked to the distribution of lithological substrates. Damage to the dominant tree species (Q. ilex) and the most common understorey shrub (Erica arborea) was more noticeable on the compact substrates (breccia) than on the fissured ones (schist). This result was consistent with observations documenting deeper root penetration in schist than in breccia materials, allowing the plants growing on fissured substrates to use water from deeper soil levels. Smaller plants were more vulnerable to drought than larger plants in the trees, but not in the shrubs. Overall, Q. ilex was more affected than E. arborea. The resilience of the system was evaluated from the canopy recovery 1 year after the episode. Stump and crown resprouting was fairly extensive, but the damage pattern in relation to substrate, plant size, and species remained similar. The effect of recurrent drought episodes was studied on vegetation patches of Q. ilex located on mountain slopes and surrounded by bare rock. We observed that plants that resprouted weakly after a previous drought in 1985 were more likely to die or to produce poor regeneration in 1995 than plants that had resprouted vigorously. Vegetation patches located on the lower part of the slope were also less damaged than patches situated uphill. The study provides evidence of relevant changes in forest canopy as a consequence of extreme climate events. The distribution of this effect across the landscape is mediated by lithological substrate, causing patchy patterns. The results also support the hypothesis that recurrent droughts can produce a progressive loss of resilience, by depleting the ability of surviving plants to regenerate. [source] The Impact of Industrial Restructuring on Earnings Inequality: The Decline of Steel and Earnings in PittsburghGROWTH AND CHANGE, Issue 1 2004Patricia Beeson ABSTRACT Inter-industry employment shifts were largely responsible for changes in the income distribution in the Pittsburgh region during the 1980s. Kernel density estimators were used, together with decomposition techniques developed by DiNardo et al. (1996) to show that industry shifts were responsible for over 90 percent of the earnings reductions at some points on the earnings distribution. Most of the losses at the lower end of the distribution occurred in the early 1980s as the economy plunged into a deep recession. The recovery in the later part of the decade brought little improvement as earnings in the lower part of the distribution continued to fall with the increase in employment of part-time workers in the low-wage trade and service sectors. [source] Volume of a liquid drop detaching from a sphereHEAT TRANSFER - ASIAN RESEARCH (FORMERLY HEAT TRANSFER-JAPANESE RESEARCH), Issue 6 2010Kenji Katoh Abstract A theoretical and experimental study is conducted to investigate the detached volume from a pendant drop on the surface of a sphere. Observation of drop detachment by high-speed video camera reveals that the movement of the upper part of the neck of the drop is quite slow compared to that of the detaching lower part. The surface profile of the upper part was calculated approximately as a static problem using the axisymmetric Laplace equation. Using the drop profile, the system energy, including the work done by the solid,liquid wetting behavior, was calculated. Based on the condition of minimum energy, the volume of the detached part V was calculated. The volume V increases with the sphere diameter and approaches the value for the pendant drop attached to a plate. In addition, V is strongly dependent on the wettability between the sphere and the liquid and decreases with the receding contact angle. The detached volume of the water drop was measured for spheres of porous brick of various diameters. The experimental and theoretical results were found to be in good agreement. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.20305 [source] The River Arno catchment, northern Tuscany: chemistry of waters and sediments from the River Elsa and River Era sub-basins, and sulphur and oxygen isotopes of aqueous sulphateHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 1 2007Gianni Cortecci Abstract Within the hydrologic balance of the River Arno catchment (northern Tuscany), the Rivers Elsa and Era are important tributaries entering the main river from the left bank in the lower part of the watershed. Waters and bed sediments were sampled in June 2000 during low discharges in the Rivers Elsa and Era, as well as in major tributary streams. Water samples were analysed for major chemistry and sulphur isotope composition of sulphate, and sediment samples were analysed for major composition and selected trace elements of environmental concern (Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr and Ni). The main results for the waters are: (1) Na and Cl in solution show consistent downstream positive trends in the main rivers, thus supporting progressive contributions of anthropogenic salts; the highest concentration values are observed in tributaries; (2) as shown by sulphur isotopes, sulphate in solution is mainly controlled by dissolution of evaporites (Elsa basin) or oxidation of reduced organic/biogenic sulphur (Era basin), with anthropogenic contributions in most streams not higher than 10% in both the basins. A ,34S signature in the range ,2 to +3, is estimated for pollutant sulphate in the basins studied. The main results for the sediments are: (1) major chemistry is essentially controlled by the lithotypes drained by the waters; (2) pollution by heavy metals does not reach high levels; (3) compared with local fine-grained rocks, copper is more frequently anomalous, whereas lead and zinc show only occasional anomalies; (4) local high concentrations of chromium and nickel can be attributed to upstream occurrences of ophiolites. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Soil water content and yield variability in vineyards of Mediterranean northeastern Spain affected by mechanization and climate variabilityHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 11 2006M. C. Ramos Abstract The objective of this paper was to analyse the combined influence of the Mediterranean climate variability (particularly the irregular rainfall distribution throughout the year) and the land transformations carried out in vineyards of northeastern Spain on soil water content evolution and its influence on grape production. The study was carried out in a commercial vineyard located in the Anoia,Alt Penedès region (Barcelona province, northeastern Spain), which was prepared for mechanization with important land transformations. Two plots were selected for the study: one with low degree of transformation of the soil profile, representing a non-disturbed situation, and the second one in which more than 3 m were cut in the upper part of the plot and filled in the lower part, representing the disturbed situation. Soil water content was evaluated at three positions along the slope in each plot and at three depths (0,20, 20,40, 40,60 cm) during the period 1999,2001, years with different rainfall characteristics, including extreme events and long dry periods. Rainfall was recorded in the experimental field using a pluviometer linked to a data-logger. Runoff rates and yield were evaluated at the same positions. For the same annual rainfall, the season of the year in which rainfall is recorded and its intensity are critical for water availability for crops. Soil water content varies within the plot and is related to the soil characteristics existing at the different positions of the landscape. The differences in soil depth created by soil movements in the field mechanization give rise to significant yield reductions (up to 50%) between deeper and shallow areas. In addition, for the same annual rainfall, water availability for crops depends on its distribution over the year, particularly in soils with low water-storage capacity. The yield was strongly affected in years with dry or very dry winters. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Characteristics of soil moisture in permafrost observed in East Siberian taiga with stable isotopes of waterHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 6 2003A. Sugimoto Abstract Soil moisture and its isotopic composition were observed at Spasskaya Pad experimental forest near Yakutsk, Russia, during summer in 1998, 1999, and 2000. The amount of soil water (plus ice) was estimated from volumetric soil water content obtained with time domain reflectometry. Soil moisture and its ,18O showed large interannual variation depending on the amount of summer rainfall. The soil water ,18O decreased with soil moisture during a dry summer (1998), indicating that ice meltwater from a deeper soil layer was transported upward. On the other hand, during a wet summer (1999), the ,18O of soil water increased due to percolation of summer rain with high ,18O values. Infiltration after spring snowmelt can be traced down to 15 cm by the increase in the amount of soil water and decrease in the ,18O because of the low ,18O of deposited snow. About half of the snow water equivalent (about 50 mm) recharged the surface soil. The pulse of the snow meltwater was, however, less important than the amount of summer rainfall for intra-annual variation of soil moisture. Excess water at the time just before soil freezing, which is controlled by the amount of summer rainfall, was stored as ice during winter. This water storage stabilizes the rate of evapotranspiration. Soil water stored in the upper part of the active layer (surface to about 120 cm) can be a water source for transpiration in the following summer. On the other hand, once water was stored in the lower part of the active layer (deeper than about 120 cm), it would not be used by plants in the following summer, because the lower part of the active layer thaws in late summer after the plant growing season is over. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] To be or not to be a cog: the Bremen Cog in perspectiveINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NAUTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 2 2000Ole Crumlin-Pedersen Following on from Thijs Maarleveld's paper in 1995 on type-names for archaeological finds of ships, the use of the term cog has been questioned by Timm Weski, who suggested the archaeological term Ijsselmeer-type instead. The present paper surveys a total of 18 ship-finds of this type with respect to date, origin and year of investigation, without finding support for the proposed change in terminology. Instead, the archaeological term cog should be restricted to seagoing vessels of the 12th,15th centuries which share the structural features of the lower part of hull with the Bremen Cog. Recent results of dendroanalysis point to the root of the Jutland peninsula as a more likely area than the former Zuiderzee for the transformation of a hypothetical older,proto-cog'-type for navigation on rivers and in the Waddensee into the proper seagoing medieval cog-type. Impulses for this transformation were found, most likely, in the need to circumnavigate Cape Skagen already in the 12th century, and technical features were probably taken over from large Scandinavian cargo ships of that period. © 2000 The Nautical Archaeology Society [source] Effect of tamsulosin on the number and intensity of ureteral colic in patients with lower ureteral calculusINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 7 2005SEFA RESIM Abstract Background: We aimed to objectively determine whether tamsulosin as an ,1 -blocker was effective in patients who had ureterolithiasis located in the lower part of the ureter. Methods: Sixty patients with lower ureteral calculi (juxtavesical or intramural portion) were included in the present study. Conservative treatment, such as hydration and tenoxicam as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, was given to group 1 (30 patients). Group 2 (30 patients) was given tamsulosin (0.4 mg daily) in addition to the conservative treatment. All patients were followed up and questioned about the numbers and intensity of ureteral colic, and the rates of spontaneous passage after the procedure. Results: Spontaneous passage was observed in 22 of the 30 patients in group 1 (73.3%) and 26 of the 30 patients in group 2 (86.6%). The difference within groups 1 and 2 was not significant (P = 0.196). The difference between both groups was not statistically significant either, with the stone diameter being 6 mm (P = 0.635) or >6 mm (P = 0.407). As group 1 patients were passing their stones, they had more ureteral colic episodes than group 2 patients. This difference was statistically significant and correlated well with the administration of tamsulosin (P = 0.038). Group 1 patients reported higher scores according to a visual analog scale than group 2 patients. Also, this difference was statistically significant (P = 0.000). Conclusions: We think that the treatment of ,1 -blockers decreased the number of ureteral colic episodes and the intensity of pain during spontaneous passage at the lower ureteral calculi. Also, it will be beneficial to patients' quality of life. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||