The onset of alpine pastoral systems in the Eastern Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oeggl, Klaus; Festi, Daniela; Putzer, Andreas

2015-04-01

Since the discovery of the Neolithic glacier mummy "Ötzi" in the nival belt of the main Alpine ridge, the onset of alpine pasture is matter of a highly controversial debate both in archaeology and in palaeo-ecology of the Eastern Alps. The implication is that his sojourn in the high-altitudes of the Alps is considered to be connected with pastoral nomadism. Regrettably any archaeological evidence for the existence of such Neolithic alpine pastoral systems is missing up to now and the assumption is based on palynological data only. However, also the palynological record is ambiguous, because pasture indicators in the alpine regions react positive on grazing as well as on fertilization induced by a higher runoff of precipitation. Thus alpine pasture indicators reflect both grazing pressure and climatic change. Anyhow, alpine pastoral systems are a common practice in Alpine animal husbandry, but from an economic point of view such a seasonal vertical transhumance is costly. There are three main reasons for its practice: i) climatic, ii) economic (mainly in connection with population pressure or mining activities), and iii) cultural ideology. In this study we tested the above mentioned reasons in an interdisciplinary study on the beginning of pastoral activities in high altitudes in the central part of the Eastern Alps. This is conducted by palynological analyses of peat deposits situated in the vicinity of the timberline (1600 - 2400 m a.s.l.) combined with archaeological surveys. The investigated sites are located in traditional Alpine transhumance regions and aligned on a transect through the central part of the Eastern Alps. The studies reveal that grazing pressure is reflected since the Bronze Age, which is corroborated by archaeological findings in the vicinity of the investigated sites.

Interseismic coupling, seismic potential and earthquake recurrence on the southern front of the Eastern Alps (NE Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheloni, Daniele; D'Agostino, Nicola; Selvaggi, Giulio

2014-05-01

The interaction of the African, Arabian, and Eurasia plates in the "greater" Mediterranean region yields to a broad range of tectonic processes including active subduction, continental collision, major continental strike-slip faults and "intra-plate" mountain building. In this puzzling region the convergence between Adria microplate and Eurasia plate is partly or entirely absorbed within the South-Eastern Alps, where the Adriatic lithosphere underthrusts beneath the mountain belt. Historical seismicity and instrumentally recorded earthquakes show thrust faulting on north-dipping low-angle faults in agreement with geological observations of active mountain building and active fold growing at the foothills of the South-Eastern Alps. In this study, we use continuous GPS observations to document the geodetic strain accumulation across the South-Eastern Alps (NE Italy). We estimate the pattern of interseismic coupling on the intra-continental collision north-dipping thrust faults that separate the Eastern Alps and the Venetian-Friulian plain using the back-slip approach and discuss the seismic potential and earthquake recurrence. Comparison between the rigid-rotation predicted motion and the shortening observed across the studied area indicates that the South-Eastern Alpine thrust front absorbs about 80% of the total convergence rate between the Adria microplate and Eurasia plate. The modelled thrust fault is currently locked from the surface to a depth of approximately 10 km. The transition zone between locked and creeping portions of the fault roughly corresponds with the belt of microseismicity parallel and to the north of the mountain front. The estimated moment deficit rate is 1.27±0.14×10^17 Nm/yr. The comparison between the estimated moment deficit and that released historically by the earthquakes suggests that to account for the moment deficit the following two factors or their combination should be considered: (1) a significant part of the observed interseismic coupling is released aseismically by folding or creeping; (2) infrequent "large" events with long return period (>1000 years) and with magnitudes larger than the value assigned to the largest historical events (Mw≡6.7).

Microsatellite Marker Analysis Reveals the Complex Phylogeographic History of Rhododendron ferrugineum (Ericaceae) in the Pyrenees

PubMed Central

Charrier, Olivia; Dupont, Pierre; Pornon, André; Escaravage, Nathalie

2014-01-01

Genetic variation within plant species is determined by a number of factors such as reproductive mode, breeding system, life history traits and climatic events. In alpine regions, plants experience heterogenic abiotic conditions that influence the population's genetic structure. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic structure and phylogeographic history of the subalpine shrub Rhododendron ferrugineum across the Pyrenees and the links between the populations in the Pyrenees, the Alps and Jura Mountains. We used 27 microsatellite markers to genotype 645 samples from 29 Pyrenean populations, three from the Alps and one from the Jura Mountains. These data were used to estimate population genetics statistics such as allelic richness, observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity, fixation index, inbreeding coefficient and number of migrants. Genetic diversity was found to be higher in the Alps than in the Pyrenees suggesting colonization waves from the Alps to the Pyrenees. Two separate genetic lineages were found in both the Alps and Pyrenees, with a substructure of five genetic clusters in the Pyrenees where a loss of genetic diversity was noted. The strong differentiation among clusters is maintained by low gene flow across populations. Moreover, some populations showed higher genetic diversity than others and presented rare alleles that may indicate the presence of alpine refugia. Two lineages of R. ferrugineum have colonized the Pyrenees from the Alps. Then, during glaciation events R. ferrugineum survived in the Pyrenees in different refugia such as lowland refugia at the eastern part of the chain and nunataks at high elevations leading to a clustered genetic pattern. PMID:24667824

Analog Modeling of the Interplay between Subduction and Lateral Extrusion in the European Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Gelder, I. E.; Willingshofer, E.; Sokoutis, D.

2014-12-01

In the European Alps lateral extrusion is traditionally viewed as a lithospheric scale process that is related to northward indentation of a weak orogenic wedge (the eastern Alps) by a rigid indenter in upper plate position (the Adriatic plate). Critical for the efficiency of the extrusion process is the presence of a 'free boundary' at high angle to the indentation direction. The 'free boundary' in the eastern Alps is the result of the eastward extending Pannonian realm synchronous to indentation. However, indentation has become debatable as recent high-resolution tomography suggests that the Adriatic mantle lithosphere subducted under the extruding Alps. These findings raise first order questions related to: (a) the partitioning of deformation between lateral extrusion of the upper plate and coeval subduction of Adria, (b) the rheology of the lower and upper plates, and (c) the rheology of the plate contact controlling the amount of extrusion on the upper plate vs. accretion on the lower plate.In this analog modeling study, we couple for the first time lateral extrusion tectonics to subduction of the lower plate; thus, extrusion taking place in the upper plate. Within the lithospheric scale models, the lithospheres of the two plates are weakly coupled along an inclined boundary and have contrasting mantle lithosphere strength (stronger in the subducting plate). The interplay of extrusion vs subduction is inferred by varying the mechanical boundary conditions, e.g. the degree of resistance at the 'unconstrained' margin, the strength contrast between the upper and the lower plates and the width of the indented region.The experimental results emphasize that extrusion in the eastern Alps is compatible with coeval subduction of the Adriatic plate. The first experimental series suggests that the following mechanical conditions play a key role in the interplay between extrusion and subduction: (a) the extruding plate is weaker than the subducting plate, (b) the plate contact is weak in order to trigger the subduction of the lower plate, and (c) the eastern boundary is weak and thus allows for accommodating the extruding upper plate.

Constraints on the Miocene landscape evolution of the Eastern Alps from the Kalkspitze region, Niedere Tauern (Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dertnig, Florian; Stüwe, Kurt; Woodhead, Jon; Stuart, Finlay M.; Spötl, Christoph

2017-12-01

In order to unravel aspects of the Miocene landscape evolution of the eastern European Alps, we present geomorphic and isotopic data from the western Niedere Tauern region (Austria). The region is critical for such interpretations, because it is one of the few regions along the topographic axis of the Eastern Alps where the highest peaks (up to 2500 m a.s.l.) are dominated by limestone. As such, the region contains a record of Miocene landscape-forming events that survived the Pleistocene glaciations, not preserved elsewhere in the central Eastern Alps. This record includes karst caves, karstified planation surfaces and crystalline fluvial pebbles (Augenstein Formation) preserved on planation surfaces and in karst caves. Caves in the region occur in three distinct levels that correlate with well-known cave levels in the Northern Calcareous Alps, although they are somewhat higher in the Niedere Tauern. In part, these cave elevations also correlate with three planation surfaces and knickpoints of major streams draining the region, testifying their pre-glacial origin. We report details of a karst cave (Durchgangshöhle) from the highest cave level located at 2340 m a.s.l. In this cave, allochthonous fluvial gravels are present, overgrown by speleothems. One speleothem yielded an early middle Pleistocene U-Pb age (682 ± 17 ka). We regard this as a minimum age for the erosion of the fluvial cave deposits during Marine Isotope Stages 17 or 16. Carbon and oxygen isotope data of these speleothems imply a climate that is consistent with this interpretation. Cosmogenic 21Ne data of fluvial quartz clasts collected from the surface on plateaus of the Northern Calcareous Alps suggest minimum exposure durations of 115 and 262 ka. They probably reflect successive exposure since removal of the sediment cover of the Oligocene Augenstein Formation during the Pleistocene. While our geochronological data fail to record aspects of the earlier Miocene uplift history, they are consistent with the overall geomorphic history inferred from the geomorphic markers. This suggests that the Niedere Tauern share a common uplift history with the Northern Calcareous Aps and implies a moderate south-north topographic gradient that has been maintained since the Miocene.

Constraining the near-surface response to lithospheric reorientation: Structural thermochronology along the TRANSALP geophysical transect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glotzbach, Christoph; Büttner, Lukas; Ehlers, Todd

2017-04-01

Tomographic analyses of the lithosphere structure underneath the Alps suggest a complex geodynamic history (e.g. Lippitsch et al. 2003), indicating, among other things, switches in the direction of subduction. A subduction polarity switch is proposed to have occurred in Miocene times between the Central and Eastern Alps (e.g. Lippitsch et al. 2003; Handy et al. 2015). In the Western and Central Alps SE-directed subduction of European continental lithosphere occurs, whereas NW-directed subduction of Adriatic lithosphere occurs further east (e.g. Kissling et al. 2006). The subducted slab steepens at the transition to the Eastern Alps, roughly at the position of the TRANSALP geophysical profile (S. Germany to N. Italy). This lithospheric reorientation was pre-dated by slab breakoff and also involves the delamination of the lower lithosphere, both processes producing distinct long-wavelength deformation (e.g. Gerya et al. 2004). Thermochronological data can be used to study the surface response to such a long-wavelength deformation. We present new apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He ages of 23 samples collected along 210 km of the TRANSALP profile. The samples were collected along a balanced cross section the TRANSALP profile (e.g. Lüschen et al. 2004) across individual structures that can be tied to deeper, seismically imaged, structures. The thermochronometer ages provide a record of exhumation related to both crustal shortening and post deformation erosional exhumation. Interpretation of the data is in progress and being used to discriminate between competing kinematic/geometric models, and the timing of major fault activity. Variations in exhumation along the section will also unravel the timing and shape of possible long-wavelength rock uplift event(s). References Gerya, T.V., Yuen, D.A., Maresch, W.V. 2004. Thermomechanical modelling of slab detachment. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 226, 101-116. Handy, M.R., Ustaszewski, K., Kissling, E. 2015. Reconstructing the Alps-Carpathians-Dinarides as a key to understanding switches in subduction polarity, slab gaps and surface motion. Int. J. Earth Sci. 104, 1-26. Kissling, E., Schmid, S.M., Lippitsch, R., Ansorge, J., Fügenschuh, B. 2006. Lithosphere structure and tectonic evolution of the Alpine arc: new evidence from high-resolution teleseismic tomography. In: Gee, D.G., Stephenson, R.A. (eds) European Lithosphere Dynamics. Geol. Soc. London Mem. 32, 129-145. Lippitsch, R., Kissling, E., Ansorge, J. 2003. Upper mantle structure beneath the Alpine orogen from high-resolution teleseismic tomography. J. Geophys. Res. 108, 2376, doi:10.1029/2002JB002016. Lüschen, E., Lammerer, B., Gebrande, H., Millahn, K., Nicolich, R., TRANSALP Working Group 2004. Orogenic structure of the Eastern Alps, Europe, from TRANSALP deep seismic reflection profiling. Tectonophysics 388, 85-102.

Postcollisional cooling history of the Eastern and Southern Alps and its linkage to Adria indentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heberer, Bianca; Reverman, Rebecca Lee; Fellin, Maria Giuditta; Neubauer, Franz; Dunkl, István; Zattin, Massimiliano; Seward, Diane; Genser, Johann; Brack, Peter

2017-07-01

Indentation of rigid blocks into rheologically weak orogens is generally associated with spatiotemporally variable vertical and lateral block extrusion. The European Eastern and Southern Alps are a prime example of microplate indentation, where most of the deformation was accommodated north of the crustal indenter within the Tauern Window. However, outside of this window only the broad late-stage exhumation pattern of the indented units as well as of the indenter itself is known. In this study we refine the exhumational pattern with new (U-Th-Sm)/He and fission-track thermochronology data on apatite from the Karawanken Mountains adjacent to the eastern Periadriatic fault and from the central-eastern Southern Alps. Apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He ages from the Karawanken Mountains range between 12 and 5 Ma and indicate an episode of fault-related exhumation leading to the formation of a positive flower structure and an associated peripheral foreland basin. In the Southern Alps, apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He and fission-track data combined with previous data also indicate a pulse of mainly Late Miocene exhumation, which was maximized along thrust systems, with highly differential amounts of displacement along individual structures. Our data contribute to mounting evidence for widespread Late Miocene tectonic activity, which followed a phase of major exhumation during strain localization in the Tauern Window. We attribute this exhumational phase and more distributed deformation during Adriatic indentation to a major change in boundary conditions operating on the orogen, likely due to a shift from a decoupled to a coupled system, possibly enhanced by a shift in convergence direction.

Modes of orogen-parallel stretching and extensional exhumation in response to microplate indentation and roll-back subduction (Tauern Window, Eastern Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scharf, A.; Handy, M. R.; Favaro, S.; Schmid, S. M.; Bertrand, A.

2013-09-01

The Tauern Window exposes a Paleogene nappe stack consisting of highly metamorphosed oceanic (Alpine Tethys) and continental (distal European margin) thrust sheets. In the eastern part of this window, this nappe stack (Eastern Tauern Subdome, ETD) is bounded by a Neogene system of shear (the Katschberg Shear Zone System, KSZS) that accommodated orogen-parallel stretching, orogen-normal shortening, and exhumation with respect to the structurally overlying Austroalpine units (Adriatic margin). The KSZS comprises a ≤5-km-thick belt of retrograde mylonite, the central segment of which is a southeast-dipping, low-angle extensional shear zone with a brittle overprint (Katschberg Normal Fault, KNF). At the northern and southern ends of this central segment, the KSZS loses its brittle overprint and swings around both corners of the ETD to become subvertical, dextral, and sinistral strike-slip faults. The latter represent stretching faults whose displacements decrease westward to near zero. The kinematic continuity of top-east to top-southeast ductile shearing along the central, low-angle extensional part of the KSZS with strike-slip shearing along its steep ends, combined with maximum tectonic omission of nappes of the ETD in the footwall of the KNF, indicates that north-south shortening, orogen-parallel stretching, and normal faulting were coeval. Stratigraphic and radiometric ages constrain exhumation of the folded nappe complex in the footwall of the KSZS to have begun at 23-21 Ma, leading to rapid cooling between 21 and 16 Ma. This exhumation involved a combination of tectonic unroofing by extensional shearing, upright folding, and erosional denudation. The contribution of tectonic unroofing is greatest along the central segment of the KSZS and decreases westward to the central part of the Tauern Window. The KSZS formed in response to the indentation of wedge-shaped blocks of semi-rigid Austroalpine basement located in front of the South-Alpine indenter that was part of the Adriatic microplate. Northward motion of this indenter along the sinistral Giudicarie Belt offsets the Periadriatic Fault and triggered rapid exhumation of orogenic crust within the entire Tauern Window. Exhumation involved strike-slip and normal faulting that accommodated about 100 km of orogen-parallel extension and was contemporaneous with about 30 km of orogen-perpendicular, north-south shortening of the ETD. Extension of the Pannonian Basin related to roll-back subduction in the Carpathians began at 20 Ma, but did not affect the Eastern Alps before about 17 Ma. The effect of this extension was to reduce the lateral resistance to eastward crustal flow away from the zone of greatest thickening in the Tauern Window area. Therefore, we propose that roll-back subduction temporarily enhanced rather than triggered exhumation and orogen-parallel motion in the Eastern Alps. Lateral extrusion and orogen-parallel extension in the Eastern Alps have continued from 12 to 10 Ma to the present and are driven by northward push of Adria.

SKS splitting results in central Italy and Dinaric region inside the AlpArray-CASE project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salimbeni, S.; Prevolnik, S.; Pondrelli, S.; Molinari, I.; Stipcevic, J.; Kissling, E.; Šipka, V.; Herak, M.

2017-12-01

In the framework of the AlpArray project (AlpArray Seismic Network, 2015), the complementary "Central Adriatic Seismic Experiment" (CASE; AlpArray Seismic Network, 2016) was established as collaboration between ETH Zürich, University of Zagreb, INGV and Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Republic of Srpska. The CASE project consists of 9 temporary stations, installed in October 2016, located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Italy. Temporary broadband seismic stations, with the permanent stations present in the region shared by the Croatian Seismological Service and INGV, make an almost continuous transect cutting the Central-Southern Appenines, the central Adriatic region, central External Dinarides and finishing at the eastern margin of the Internal Dinarides. The presence of the the Apenninic and Dinarides slabs, verging in opposite directions and plunging along the opposite sides of the Adriatic plate, make this area a peculiar spot to understand the complex dynamic of the region. Various tomographic images (e.g. Bijwaard and Spakman, 2000; Piromallo and Morelli, 2003) shows not continuous slabs under the Appenines and the Dinarides, suggesting the presence of slab-gaps right beneath the region covered by the CASE experiment. Here we present the preliminary results of the SKS splitting analysis performed on the data recorded by the temporary and permanent seismic stations included in the CASE project. The new results, in combination with previous interpretation, will provide clues about how Northern and Southern Apennines are connected at depth, how the slab rollback of the Apennines thrust belt acted and if and how the Apennines are in relation with the Dinaric region. Together with the measurements from previous studies and from the AlpArray project, our new data will support the mapping of the seismic anisotropy deformation pattern from Western Alps to Pannonian region.

Switches in subduction polarity, slab tearing and the opening of slab gaps along the Alpine chain - a view from the bottom up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handy, M. R.; Ustaszewski, K. M.; Kissling, E. H.

2013-12-01

Kinematic reconstructions of the Alpine orogen from Late Cretaceous to present time reveal that slab tearing and switches of subduction polarity are related to two slab gaps presently imaged as low-velocity anomalies at the transition of the Eastern and Central Alps, and beneath the northern Dinarides. A lithosphere-scale transfer fault at the Alps-Dinarides join (ADT) linked S-directed subduction of the oceanic part of the European plate in the Alps with N-directed subduction of the continental part of the Adriatic plate in the Dinarides in Late Cretaceous to Paleogene time. Transfer faulting in the Dinarides was initially situated along a suture zone, then jumped westward no later than 40 Ma as thrusting and subduction affected more external units of the Alps and Dinarides. Late Eocene Alpine collision led to a slowing of Adria-Europe convergence and initial rupturing of the European and Adriatic slabs in Eocene-Oligocene time, when most of the oceanic lithosphere broke off. This thermally preconditioned the lithosphere for a radical reorganization of slabs and mantle flow in the Alpine domain beginning in early Miocene time. This included the onset of Carpathian rollback subduction, as well as counterclockwise rotation and N-ward subduction of Adriatic continental lithosphere into the space beneath the Eastern Alps that was vacated by foundering and renewed tearing of the European slab in Oligocene-early Miocene time. Our plate reconstructions indicate that this tear nucleated at the tip of a subducted sliver of European continental lithosphere coinciding with the present location of the narrow slab gap between the Eastern and Central Alps. This tear then propagated horizontally to the NE along the subducted boundary of the European margin and the Carpathian embayment of the Alpine Tethyan ocean. The surface response to slab tearing included peneplainization and uplift of part of the Eastern Alps. Transfer faulting along the ADT gave way to back-arc extension and strike-slip faulting behind the retreating Carpathian orogeny no later than 23 Ma. Continued NW-motion of the Adriatic microplate in Oligocene-Miocene time opened a gap along the former ADT which filled with upwelling asthenosphere. We speculate that this thermally eroded the Miocene slab beneath the northern Dinarides, giving rise to the present slab gap there. The forces governing motion of the Adriatic microplate changed both with time and the nature of the subducting lithosphere. From 84-35 Ma, the NW-retreat of the down-going European plate facilitated the independent motion of Adria at 1-2 cm/a with respect to Europe. Adria's motion may have been driven partly by suction behind this European slab which comprised mostly old oceanic lithosphere. With the onset of Alpine collision at c. 35 Ma, the slabs became gravitationally unstable and ruptured. N-ward subduction of a fragment of Adriatic continental lithosphere beneath the Eastern Alps in Miocene time was probably initiated by push from Africa and possibly enhanced by neutral to negative buoyancy of the slab itself which included dense lower crust of the Adriatic continental margin.

Adriatic indentation of the Eastern Alps - nature vs. analogue models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Favaro, S.; Scharf, A.; Schuster, R.; Handy, M. R.

2013-12-01

The Eastern Alps underwent late Oligocene-Miocene indentation by the Adriatic microplate, followed by rapid Miocene exhumation in the Tauern Window and orogen-parallel escape. Analogue models of indentation in the Eastern Alps indicate that exhumation of orogenic crust in front of the Adriatic indenter was coeval, with faults and post-nappe folds forming an asymmetrical conjugate pattern in front of the indenting block (Ratschbacher et al 1991, Rosenberg et al 2007). The amount and rate of exhumation is greatest at this location, but decrease laterally towards an unconfined boundary of the models that represents the retreating Carpathian subduction orogen. In nature, however, isotopic age patterns of deeply buried and exhumed basements rocks in the Tauern Window of the Eastern Alps indicate that cooling and possibly also exhumation were diachronous along strike of the orogen. In the westernmost Tauern Window, previous thermal modeling of fission-track ages (Fügenschuh et al 1997) revealed that rapid exhumation (≥ 1mm/a) lasted from 20-13 Ma and appears to have been triggered by sinistral transpression along the Guidicarie Belt beginning in Late Oligocene time. Rapid cooling (≥25°C/Ma) from 550 to 270°C lasted from 18-12 Ma (von Blanckenburg et al 1989; Fügenschuh et al 1997). In the easternmost part, however, rapid cooling from a similar peak temperature lasted from 23-20 Ma and ended no later than 17 Ma. Thus, rapid exhumation cannot have begun later than 23-21 Ma. Cooling patterns in the eastern central part of the Tauern Window are more complex and reflect the combined effects of doming and extensional exhumation. New Rb-Sr mica ages in post-nappe basement domes generally decrease from NW (muscovite: 26 Ma; biotite: 22 Ma) to SE (muscovite: 22 Ma; biotite: 18 Ma). We interpret these trends to show that doming began in the south-central part of the Tauern Window and then migrated to the SE while the entire basement nappe pile underwent orogen-parallel stretching. Tectonic thinning and excision of nappe units is greatest in the footwalls of low-angle normal faults at either end of the Tauern Window, indicating that the contribution of tectonic unroofing to the total amount of denudation increased going from the center to the ends of the Tauern Window. Although the map pattern of folding, faulting and exhumation looks similar in nature as in analogue models of Adriatic indentation, the actual timing of deformation in front of the indenter is not coeval. We attribute this discrepancy to one or a combination of two factors: (1) counterclockwise N-ward subduction of Adriatic lithosphere below the Tauern Window such that indentation migrated from E to W; (2) the irregular geometry of the leading edge of the indenter, with more rigid crustal units in the east leading to earlier strain localization than in the west.

UNESCO World Heritage Site Hallstatt: Rockfall hazard and risk assessment as basis for a sustainable land-use planning- a case study from the Eastern Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melzner, Sandra; Mölk, Michael; Schiffer, Michael; Gasperl, Wolfgang

2015-04-01

In times of decreasing financial resources, the demand for the investment in protection measures with a positive return on investment is of high importance. Hazard and risk assessments are essential tools in order to ensure an economically justifiable application of money in the implementation of preventive measures. Many areas in the Eastern Alps are recurrently affected by rockfall processes which pose a significant hazard to settlements and infrastructures. Complex tectonic, lithological and geomorphologic settings require a sufficient amount of effort to map and collect high quality data to perform a reliable hazard and risk analysis. The present work summarizes the results of a detailed hazard and risk assessment performed in a community in the Northern Calcareous Alps (Upper Austroalpine Unit). The community Hallstatt is exposed to very steep limestone cliffs, which are highly susceptible towards future, in many parts high magnitude rock failures. The analysis of the record of former events shows that since 1652 several rockfall events damaged or destroyed houses and killed or injured some people. Hallstatt as a Unesco World Heritage Site represents a very vulnerable settlement, the risk being elevated by a high frequency tourism with greater one million visitors per year. Discussion will focus on the applied methods to identify and map the rockfall hazard and risk, including a magnitude-frequency analysis of events in the past and an extrapolation in the future as well as a vulnerability analysis for the existing infrastructure under the assumed events for the determined magnitude-frequency scenarios. Furthermore challenges for a decision making in terms of a sustainable land use planning and implementation of preventive measures will be discussed.

Identification of rat serum alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme by means of wheat germ agglutinin.

PubMed

Wada, H; Niwa, N; Hayakawa, T; Tsuge, H

1997-01-01

Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) precipitates bone type serum alkaline phosphatase (sALP) isoenzyme specifically. The precipitates are composed of the macromolecules of WGA and "bone type sALP" (WGA-ALP complex). In order to use bone type sALP as a marker in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), a method to separate "bone type sALP" from the "WGA-ALP complex" was established by using N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc)-Sepharose 6E column chromatography. It was concluded that this method is useful for clinical examination in the rat.

Evidences for the austroalpine - southalpine up-doming after the end of the variscan orogenesis (central and eastern alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, S.; Tumiati, S.

2003-04-01

The structural and petrographic studies of the basement units in the Alpine region, independently from their present tectonic setting in the nappe pile, suggest that at the end of the Variscan orogenesis they were in such a position that they suffered relevant up-doming and cooling since Late Carboniferous (Thöni, 1981; Mottana et al., 1985; Martin et al., 1996; Bertotti et al., 1999). This up-doming has been interpreted as due to an isostatic rebound related to the detachment of the slab after the cessation of the subduction at the end of the Variscan orogenesis (Neubauer and Handler, 2000; Ranalli, 2003). The metamorphic setting of the Southalpine basement between the Tonale pass and Lake Maggiore in the Southern Alps, is due to processes which, by extension denudation and erosion, locally took to the surface portions of middle-to-high grade basement, within a horst-graben environment (Cassinis et al., 1997). The basements of the Orobic, Lake Como and Lake Maggiore areas are composed of kyanite-garnet or sillimanite-bearing schists (e.g., Gneiss di Morbegno, Scisti di Edolo, Scisti dei Laghi; Boriani et al., 1990; Siletto et al., 1993), or of low grade schists (e.g., Filladi di Ambria) intruded by Early Permian plutons, covered by continental and volcanic deposits of Late Carboniferous to Permian age, after a marked unconformity (Cadel et al., 1996). The thickness of this clastic cover ranges between a few hundreds to thousands of meters; the clast compositions suggest a low-grade basement as a dominant source; the structures indicate alternance of uplift and collapse and continue deformation during sedimentation (Cassinis et al., 1974). Most of the Upper Austroalpine units of the central and eastern Alps (e.g., Tonale nappe, Languard, Ortles and Campo units) have structural and lithological similarities with the Orobic, Lake Como and Lake Maggiore basement units confirming their appartenance to the same pre-Alpine paleogeographic environment which suffered up-doming and collapse (Martin et al., 1996). The Austroalpine units have a sedimentary cover including basal clastic sediments younger (Late Permian, Verrucano; Furrer, 1985), than the Orobic ones (Late Carboniferous-Permian) indicating erosion and sedimentation diachronous in respect to the Orobic and Lake Como areas. Most of the lower Austroalpine basement units are composed of middle-to-high grade rocks (e.g., Margna) and are covered by very thin Permian sediments, or directly by carbonatic sequences (Campo and Bernina units) typical of a rapid drowning of the passive margin after erosion (Froitzheim and Manatschal, 1996). In this picture, the Variscan basement of the central and eastern Alps suffered a relevant, even if diachronous, up-doming during Late Carboniferous-Permian time. This involved the basement which at present corresponds to the Lower Austroalpine (e.g., Err, Bernina and Margna) and to the Upper Austroalpine units (e.g.; Ortles, Languard and Campo). The up-doming is mostly evidenced by structural and petrographic observations rather than the geochronology because these basements have been thermally re-setted by intrusion of several Early Permian plutons which altered their cooling history. In some places the magmatic activity continued up to Trias with hydrothermal veins and pegmatites, which slowed the cooling evolution down to the Jurassic time. Rb-Sr cooling ages from high grade Austroalpine and Southalpine basements cumulate around Late Jurassic confirming this time as the end of the pre-alpine thermal evolution of the Variscan basement in the Alps (Sanders et al., 1996). References: BERTOTTI G., SEWARD D., WIJBRANS J., VOORDE M.TER, HURFORD A.J. (1999) - Crustal thermal regime prior to, during, and after rifting: A geochronological and modeling study of the Mesozoic South Alpine rifted margin. Tectonics, 18-2: 185-200 BORIANI A., GIOBBI ORIGONI E., BORGHI A., CAIRONI V. (1990) - The evolution of the "Serie dei Laghi" (Strona-Ceneri and Scisti dei Laghi): upper component of the Ivrea-Verbano crustal section; Southern Alps, North Italy and Ticino, Switzerland. Tectonophysics, 182: 103-118 CADEL G., COSI M., PENNACCHIONI G., SPALLA M.I. (1996) - A new map of the Permo-Carboniferous cover and Variscan metamorphic basement in the central Orobic Alps, Southern Alps, Italy: Structural and stratigraphical data. Mem. Sci. Geol., Padova, 48:1-53 CASSINIS G., MONTRASIO A., POTENZA R., VON RAUMER J.F., SACCHI R., ZANFERRARI A. (1974) - Tettonica ercinica nelle Alpi. Mem. Soc. Geol. Ital., Vol. XIII, suppl. 1, 289-318 CASSINIS G., PEROTTI C.R., VENTURINI C. (1997) - Examples of late Hercynian transtensional tectonics in the Southern Alps (Italy). In: Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic Circum Pacific Events and Their Global Correlation (Ed. Dickins J.M., Yang Z., Yin H., Lucas S.G., Acharyya S.K.), Cambridge University Press. DEL MORO A., NOTARPIETRO A. (1987) - Rb-Sr Geochemistry of some Hercynian granitoids overprinted by eo-Alpine metamorphism in the Upper Valtellina, Central Alps. Schweiz. Mineral. Petrogr. Mitt., 67: 295-306 FROITZHEIM N., MANATSCHAL G. (1996) - Kinematics of Jurassic rifting, mantle exhumation, and passive-margin formation in the Austroalpine and Penninic nappes (eastern Switzerland). GSA Bull., 108-9: 1120-1133 FURRER H. ed. (1985) - Field workshop on Triassic and Jurassic sediments in the Eastern Alps of Switzerland. Mitt. Geol. Inst. ETH u. Univ. Zürich, N.F., v. 248, 82 p. MARTIN S., ZATTIN M., DEL MORO A., MACERA P. (1996) - Chronologic constraints for the evolution of the Giudicarie belt (Eastern Alps, NE Italy). Annales Tectonicae, Vol. X, N. 1-2, 60-79 MOTTANA A., NICOLETTI M., PETRUCCIANI C., LIBORIO G., DE CAPITANI L., BOCCHIO R. (1985) - Pre-alpine and alpine eolution of the South-alpine basement of the Orobic Alps. Geol. Rundsch., 74-2: 353-366 NEUBAUER F., HANDLER R. (2000) - Variscan orogeny in the Eastern Alps and Bohemian Massif: How do these units correlate?. Mitt. Österr. Geol. Ges., 92:35-39 RANALLI G. (2003) - A model of Palaeozoic subduction and exhumation of continental crust: Ulten unit, Tonale Nappe, Eastern Austroalpine. Transalp workshop, Trieste 10-12 February. SANDERS C.A.E., BERTOTTI G., TOMMASINI S., DAVIES G.R., WIJBRANS J.R. (1996) - Triassic pegmatites in the Mesozoic middle crust of the Southern Alps (Italy): Fluid inclusions, radiometric dating and tectonic implications. Eclogae Geol. Helv., 89-1: 505-525 SILETTO G.B., SPALLA M.I., TUNESI A., LARDEAUX J.M., COLOMBO A. (1993) - Pre-Alpine structural and metamorphic histories in the Orobic Southern Alps, Italy. In: Pre-Mesozoic geology in the Alps (Ed. By von Raumer J.F. &Neubauer F.), 585-598 THÖNI M. (1981) - Degree and Evolution of the Alpine Metamorphism in the Austroalpine Unit W of the Hohe Tauern in the light of K/Ar and Rb/Sr Age Determinations on Micas. Jahrb. Geol. B.-A., 124-1: 111-174

Age and Prematurity of the Alps Derived from Topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hergarten, S.; Wagner, T.; Stüwe, K.

2010-09-01

The European Alps are one of the best studied mountain ranges on Earth, but yet the age of their topography is almost unknown. Even their relative stage of evolution is unclear: Are the Alps still growing, in a steady state or already decaying, and is there a significant difference between Western and Eastern Alps? Using a new geomorphic parameter we analyze the topography of the Alps and provide one of the first quantitative constraints demonstrating that the range is still in its infancy: In contrast to several other mountain ranges, the Alps have still more than half of their evolution to a geomorphic steady state to go. Combining our results with sediment budget data from the surrounding basins we infer that the formation of the present topography began only 5-6 million years ago. Our results question the apparent consensus that the topographic evolution is distributed over much of the Miocene and might give new impulses to the reconstruction of paleoclimate in Central Europe.

Average snowcover density values in Eastern Alps mountain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valt, M.; Moro, D.

2009-04-01

The Italian Avalanche Warning Services monitor the snow cover characteristics through networks evenly distributed all over the alpine chain. Measurements of snow stratigraphy and density are very frequently performed with sampling rates of 1 -2 times per week. Snow cover density values are used to compute the dimensions of the building roofs as well as to design avalanche barriers. Based on the measured snow densities the Electricity Board can predict the amount of water resources deriving from snow melt in high relieves drainage basins. In this work it was possible to compute characteristic density values of the snow cover in the Eastern Alps using the information contained in the database from the ARPA (Agenzia Regionale Protezione Ambiente)-Centro Valanghe di Arabba, and Ufficio Valanghe- Udine. Among the other things, this database includes 15 years of stratigraphic measurements. More than 6,000 snow stratigraphic logs were analysed, in order to derive typical values as for geographical area, altitude, exposure, snow cover thickness and season. Computed values were compared to those established by the current Italian laws. Eventually, experts identified and evaluated the correlations between the seasonal variations of the average snow density and the variations related to the snowfall rate in the period 1994-2008 in the Eastern Alps mountain range

Isotopic composition of sulfate accumulations, Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bojar, Ana-Voica; Halas, Stanislaw; Bojar, Hans-Peter; Trembaczowski, Andrzej

2015-04-01

The Eastern Alps are characterised by the presence of three main tectonic units, such as the Lower, Middle and Upper Austroalpine, which overlie the Penninicum (Tollmann, 1977). The Upper Austroalpine unit consists of the Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA) overlying the Greywacke zone and corresponding to the Graz Paleozoic, Murau Paleozoic and the Gurktal Nappe. Evaporitic rocks are lacking in the later ones. The Northern Calcareous Alps are a detached fold and thrust belt. The sedimentation started in the Late Carboniferous or Early Permian, the age of the youngest sediments being Eocene. The NCA are divided into the Bajuvaric, Tirolic and Juvavic nappe complexes. The evaporitic Haselgebirge Formation occurs in connection with the Juvavic nappe complex at the base of the Tirolic units (Leitner et al., 2013). The Haselgebirge Formation consists mainly of salt, shales, gypsum and anhydrite and includes the oldest sediments of the NCA. The age of the Haselgebirge Formation, established by using spors and geochronological data, is Permian to Lower Triassic. For the Northern Calcareous Alps, the mineralogy of sulphate accumulations consists mainly of gypsum and anhydrite and subordonates of carbonates. The carbonates as magnesite, dolomite and calcite can be found either as singular crystals or as small accumulations within the hosting gypsum. Sulfides (sphalerite, galena, pyrite), sulfarsenides (enargite, baumhauerite) and native sulphur enrichments are known from several deposits (Kirchner, 1987; Postl, 1990). The investigated samples were selected from various gypsum and halite rich deposits of the Northern Calcareous Alps. A total of over 20 samples were investigated, and both oxygen and sulfur isotopic composition were determined for anhydrite, gyps, polyhalite, blödite and langbeinite. The sulfur isotopic values vary between 10.1 to 14 ‰ (CDT), with three values higher than 14 ‰. The Oxygen isotopic values show a range from 9 to 23 ‰ (SMOW). The sulfur isotopic compositon of 14 sulfides as galena, sphalerite, pyrite and native sulfure were determined as well, with values ranging between -17.5 and 2.8 ‰ (CDT). For the investigated sulfates, the sulfur isotopic values show generally low values, which are characteristic for the late Permian. The broad distribution of sulfide values point toward bacterial reduction, fact also reflected by some higher isotopic values of sulfates. The oxygen values show a larger scatter from 9 to 23‰, which is even larger than that found for the Zechstein anhydrites of northern Germany, north-eastern Italian Alps or western Poland. The associated carbonates, as calcite, dolomite and magnesite are in disequilibrium with the sulfates indicating rather primary marine isotopic signature than re-equlibration with the sulfates at higher temperatures. References Leitner, C., Neubauer, F., Genser, J., Borojevic-Sostaric, B., Rantitsch, G., 2013. 40Ar/39Ar ages of recrystallization of rock-forming polyhalite in Alpine rocksalt deposits. In Jordan, F., Mark, D.F., Verati C. (eds.) Advances in 40Ar/39Ar Dating: from Archaeology to Planetary Sciences. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 378, 207-244. Kirchner, E., 1987: Die Mineral- und Gesteinsvorkommen in den Gipslagerstätten der Lammermasse, innerhalb der Hallstattzone, Salzburg. Jahrbuch Haus der Natur. 10, 156-167. Postl, W., 1990. Enargit und Parnauit aus dem Gips- und Anhydritbergbau Tragöß-Oberort, Steiermark. In: Niedermayr, G. et al. (1990): Neue Mineralfunde aus Österreich XXXIX. Carinthia II, 180/100, 277. Tollmann, A., 1977. Geologie von Österreich. Band 1. Die Zentralalpen. Deuticke, Wien, 766 pp.

Relationship of orogen-parallel exhumation in the Tauern and Rechnitz Windows to eastward lateral escape of the Eastern Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Favaro, Silvia; Schuster, Ralf; Scharf, Andrea; Handy, Mark R.

2013-04-01

Neogene orogen-parallel extensional in the Tauern and Rechnitz Windows and eastward lateral extrusion of the Eastern Alps are manifested, respectively, by exhumation and cooling and by subsidence of pull-apart basins. These events overlap in time, giving rise to the question of their relationship. The Tauern Window exposes relics of the European continental margin (Subpenninic units) and Alpine Tethys Ocean (Penninic units) beneath units derived from the Adriatic microplate (Austroalpine nappes). In the eastern part of the Tauern Window, the Subpenninic and Penninic nappes are deformed by two domes (Sonnblick and Hochalm domes) and the intervening tight Mallnitz synform. Reddy et al. (1996) proposed that the Sonnblick dome cooled first based on a trend of decreasing Rb-Sr and Ar-Ar white mica and biotite ages from the northwestern part of the Sonnblick Dome to the southeastern part of the Hochalm dome. When combined with this existing dataset, new Rb/Sr biotite ages point to simultaneous cooling of the domes to below the closure temperature of this isotopic system. Rb-Sr muscovite ages decrease from 26-30 Ma in the northwest to 20-25 Ma in the southeast. Rb-Sr biotite ages young in the same direction from 20-23 Ma to 16-19 Ma. The biotite ages do not vary in a transect of the Mallnitz synform and are therefore inferred to post-date this structure. Apatite fission track data follow this same NW to SE trend. A SE increase in intensity of mylinitic shearing along strike of the Mallnitz synform is interpreted to be a manifestation of stretch faulting related to normal faulting along the central part of the Katschberg Shear Zone system at the eastern end of the Tauern Window (Scharf et al., submitted). We attribute the SE decrease of the biotite cooling ages to an increased component of tectonic unroofing towards the eastern margin of the Tauern Window. Three new Rb-Sr biotite ages in the range of 16-26 Ma from the lowermost Austroalpine units (Wechsel and Semmering nappes) immediately above the Rechnitz Window are also interpreted to reflect cooling during extensional exhumation. This age range overlaps with that of rapid subsidence and sedimentation in pull-apart basins of the Eastern Alps (17-12 Ma) and opening of the Pannonian Basin (21-15 Ma) behind the retreating Carpathian subduction orogen. This suggests that exhumation in the Rechnitz Window and lateral escape of the Eastern Alps were broadly coeval with both Adriatic indentation and Carpathian rollback subduction.

Seismically-triggered soft-sediment deformation structures close to a major strike-slip fault system in the Eastern Alps (Hirlatz cave, Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salomon, Martina Lan; Grasemann, Bernhard; Plan, Lukas; Gier, Susanne; Schöpfer, Martin P. J.

2018-05-01

We investigate episodic soft-sediment deformation structures cross-cut by normal faults preserved in unlithified finely laminated calcite rich sediments in the Hirlatz cave in the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria). These sediments comprise varve-like alternations of brighter carbonate/quartz rich layers, and darker clay mineral rich layers. The deformed sediments contain abundant millimeter to centimeter-scale soft-sediment structures (load casts, ball-and-pillow structures), sheet slumps (thrust faults and folds), erosive channels filled with slides and chaotic slumps. After deposition and soft-sediment deformation normal faults developed within the entire sedimentary succession, an event that probably correlates with an offset of c. 10 cm of the passage wall above the outcrop. Our major conclusions are: (i) The sediments have a glacial origin and were deposited in the Hirlatz cave under phreatic fluvio-lacustrine conditions. The deposition and the soft-sediment deformation occurred most likely during the last glaciation (i.e. around 25 ka ago); (ii) The liquefaction and formation of the soft-sediment structures in water-saturated stratified layers was triggered by episodic seismic events; (iii) The internally deformed sediments were later displaced by normal faults; (iv) A possible source for the seismic events is the active sinistral Salzach-Ennstal-Mariazeller-Puchberger (SEMP) strike-slip fault which is located about 10 km south of the outcrop and plays a major role in accommodating the extrusion of the Eastern Alps towards the Pannonian Basin. To our knowledge, the described structures are the first report of liquefaction and seismically induced soft-sediment deformations in Quaternary sediments in the Eastern Alps.

The XMAP215 Ortholog Alp14 Promotes Microtubule Nucleation in Fission Yeast.

PubMed

Flor-Parra, Ignacio; Iglesias-Romero, Ana Belén; Chang, Fred

2018-06-04

The organization and number of microtubules (MTs) in a cell depend on the proper regulation of MT nucleation. Currently, the mechanism of nucleation is the most poorly understood aspect of MT dynamics. XMAP215/chTOG/Alp14/Stu2 proteins are MT polymerases that stimulate MT polymerization at MT plus ends by binding and releasing tubulin dimers. Although these proteins also localize to MT organizing centers and have nucleating activity in vitro, it is not yet clear whether these proteins participate in MT nucleation in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the XMAP215 ortholog Alp14 is critical for efficient MT nucleation in vivo. In multiple assays, loss of Alp14 function led to reduced nucleation rate and numbers of interphase MT bundles. Conversely, activation of Alp14 led to increased nucleation frequency. Alp14 associated with Mto1 and γ-tubulin complex components, and artificially targeting Alp14 to the γ-tubulin ring complexes (γ-TuRCs) stimulated nucleation. In imaging individual nucleation events, we found that Alp14 transiently associated with a γ-tubulin particle shortly before the appearance of a new MT. The transforming acidic coiled-coil (TACC) ortholog Alp7 mediated the localization of Alp14 at nucleation sites but not plus ends, and was required for efficient nucleation but not for MT polymerization. Our findings provide the strongest evidence to date that Alp14 serves as a critical MT nucleation factor in vivo. We suggest a model in which Alp14 associates with the γ-tubulin complex in an Alp7-dependent manner to facilitate the assembly or stabilization of the nascent MT. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Seismic signature of the Alpine indentation, evidence from the Eastern Alps

PubMed Central

Bianchi, I.; Bokelmann, G.

2014-01-01

The type of collision between the European and the Adriatic plates in the easternmost Alps is one of the most interesting questions regarding the Alpine evolution. Tectonic processes such as compression, escape and uplift are interconnected and shape this area. We can understand these ongoing processes better, if we look for signs of the deformation within the Earth's deep crust of the region. By collecting records from permanent and temporary seismic networks, we assemble a receiver function dataset, and analyze it with the aim of giving new insights on the structure of the lower crust and of the shallow portion of the upper mantle, which are inaccessible to direct observation. Imaging is accomplished by performing common conversion depth stacks along three profiles that crosscut the Eastern Alpine orogen, and allow isolating features consistently persistent in the area. The study shows a moderately flat Moho underlying a seismically anisotropic middle-lower crust from the Southern Alps to the Austroalpine nappes. The spatial progression of anisotropic axes reflects the orientation of the relative motion and of the stress field detected at the surface. These observations suggest that distributed deformation is due to the effect of the Alpine indentation. In the shallow upper mantle right below the Moho interface, a further anisotropic layer is recognized, extended from the Bohemian Massif to the Northern Calcareous Alps. PMID:26525181

Seismic signature of the Alpine indentation, evidence from the Eastern Alps.

PubMed

Bianchi, I; Bokelmann, G

2014-12-01

The type of collision between the European and the Adriatic plates in the easternmost Alps is one of the most interesting questions regarding the Alpine evolution. Tectonic processes such as compression, escape and uplift are interconnected and shape this area. We can understand these ongoing processes better, if we look for signs of the deformation within the Earth's deep crust of the region. By collecting records from permanent and temporary seismic networks, we assemble a receiver function dataset, and analyze it with the aim of giving new insights on the structure of the lower crust and of the shallow portion of the upper mantle, which are inaccessible to direct observation. Imaging is accomplished by performing common conversion depth stacks along three profiles that crosscut the Eastern Alpine orogen, and allow isolating features consistently persistent in the area. The study shows a moderately flat Moho underlying a seismically anisotropic middle-lower crust from the Southern Alps to the Austroalpine nappes. The spatial progression of anisotropic axes reflects the orientation of the relative motion and of the stress field detected at the surface. These observations suggest that distributed deformation is due to the effect of the Alpine indentation. In the shallow upper mantle right below the Moho interface, a further anisotropic layer is recognized, extended from the Bohemian Massif to the Northern Calcareous Alps.

Numerical analysis of the creeping behavior of the S. Andrea di Perarolo secondary landslide (Italian Eastern Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cioli, C.; Genevois, R.; Iafelice, M.; Zorzi, L.

2012-04-01

The S. Andrea landslide is a complex secondary phenomenon characterized by continuous movements causing a very high hazard condition for the near Perarolo di Cadore village (Italian Eastern Alps). A significant amount of geological and geotechnical investigations has been carried out in the past allowing the detection of the basal sliding surface. In specific, the sliding surface coincides with the contact between the bedrock and the overlying mass of an old landslides, involving a volume of about 180.000 cubic meters. A numerical approach has been adopted to analyze the stability of slope. This method is able to simulate the formation and development of shear zones as areas of strain localization in the model. Indeed, the S. Andrea landslide has been, then, investigated using FLAC, a two-dimensional explicit finite difference program, particularly useful in case of slopes with complex geometry. In order to build up a suitable model, variation of geological, hydrogeological and geotechnical parameters have been identified from the interpretation of all available data. In a preliminary stage, a Mohr-Coulomb plasticity model has been adopted except for the bedrock, which was characterized by an isotropic elastic model. Groundwater flow condition has been performed evaluating the change in pore pressure coupled to the mechanical deformation calculation. Numerical results show that this model cannot simulate real displacement behavior of the slope mainly due to both the complex material behavior and lithological heterogeneity, and due to geotechnical spatial complexity of different soils and mechanical parameters. It has been assumed that it was necessary to improve the model in the light of a time dependent behavior of existing soils. An elastic-viscoplastic model has been then used to reproduce the observed creeping behavior, and only in viscoplastic region time effects have been considered. Discussion of results points out on: i) the evolution of the ``mechanical damage'' within the moving mass; ii) the identification of possible causes of the displacements recorded in the field; iii) the utility of the computational approach for the creeping response of the soil slopes under constant load conditions and for two dimensional applications.

High-altitude forest sensitivity to global warming: results from long-term and short-term analyses in the eastern italian alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrer, Marco; Anfodillo, Tommaso; Urbinati, Carlo; Carraro, Vinicio

Dendroecological (long-term) analysis and ecophysiological (short-term) monitoring were used interactively to study the responses of tree-ring growth to climate in timberline mixed forests (consisting of Larix decidua Mill., Picea abies (L.) Karst. and Pinus cembra (L.)) in the Italian Eastern Alps (2000-2100 m a.s.l.). Climate-growth linear response functions (LRF) revealed that warm temperatures in June and July have a positive effect on radial growth whereas precipitation during the vegetation period has no effect. Monitoring of the intra-annual radial growth dynamics using band dendrometers confirmed that the radial growth rate of the three species in June and July was greater when air temperatures were higher. Tree-ring formation lasted about 50-60 days (from mid-June to the beginning of August).

Analysis of topography and relief as a function of the tectonic - geomorphologic evolution of the Eastern Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bungies, Nadin; Rosenberg, Claudio

2014-05-01

Alpine topography and relief vary regionally (Frisch et al., 1997), even on the scale of tens of kilometers. The causes of these differences are the aim of this work that is based on a geomorphological study of the eastern Alps. Earlier investigations on the topography of the Central Alps (Rosenberg & Garcia, 2013) show, by using 50 km, 75 km, and 100 km swath profiles, that the relief northward of the Insubric Line increases westward, whereas the relief southwards of the Insubric Line decreases eastward. This trend reflects collisional shortening trends recently observed in the Central Alps (Rosenberg & Kissling, 2013). In this work, we analyse the topography of the eastern Alps from the Brenner Area in the west to the Steiermark Area in the east, based on satellite images and digital terrain models, that cover an area of 36 000 km2 in the Austrian and Italian Alps. Based on these data, new GIS-aided datasets containing selected relief factors have been derived. These data are set in relationship to the eastward decrease in collisional shortening to test whether the latter trend has a geomorphic expression. In order to assess such a relationship north-south striking profiles, subparallel to the shortening direction and in addition to an E-W profile are investigated. It can be shown that the total relief of 3100 m (500-3600 m asl.) in the west of the working area is more pronounced than the total relief of 2300 m (700-3000 m asl) in the east of the working area. Furthermore slopes have higher amplitudes in the west when compared to the east. In the west approximately 65% of the slope profile show slopes larger than 50° while in the east approximately 40% of slopes are larger than 50° (based on 30 m topographic data). The evaluation of potential influencing factors will be achieved by conducting spatial and statistical data analysis and interpretation and is complemented by local studies investigating the evolution of relief for selected geologic units. Here, morphometrical indices play a major role in order to draw conclusions on the interdependencies of controlling factors (e.g. isostatic uplift, erosion and climate, resistance to weathering) and relief evolution. [1] Frisch et al. 1997, Tectonophysics, 297,1-15. [2] Rosenberg and Garcia, 2013, Geophys. Res. Abs. 15, EGU2013-9905. [3] Rosenberg and Kissling, 2013, Geophys. Res. Abs. 15, EGU2013-ASC-2013-7946.

Holocene climate dynamics in the Eastern Italian Alps: a multi-proxy study from ice and peat bogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poto, Luisa; Gabrieli, Jacopo; Segnana, Michela; Festi, Daniela; Oeggl, Klaus; Barbante, Carlo

2014-05-01

The Eastern Italian Alps are located near one of the areas in the world with some of the longest records of extreme environmental use by human activity. In this area, paleo-climate studies are hampered by the lack of high-resolution multi-proxy records with adequate chronological control. With this project, we propose to reconstruct Holocene climatic and environmental variations in the Eastern Italian Alps using terrestrial and glaciological archives. We aim to study the characteristics of different climate stages in this sector of the Alps using an ice core drilled on the top of the Ortles glacier (46°30' N, 10°32 E, 3850 m a.s.l.) and ombrotrophic peat bog records from the Dolomites (Danta di Cadore, 46°34' N, 12°33 E, 1400 m a.s.l. and Coltrondo 46°39'28.37''N 12°26'59.17''E, 1800 m a.s.l., Belluno province). The study of global climatic change require a holistic and multi-proxy approach to better understand several complex and often non-linear relationships. In the Italian Alps our study on peat cores represents the first attempt where a multi-proxy approach is applied, and here we report our first results. A 7.0 m peat sequence was extracted in Danta di Cadore. The depth-age scale, based upon independent 14C and 210Pb dates and modeled with the Clam method (Blaauw, 2010), demonstrates that the archive covers more than 13,200 years (cal BP). We determined physical proprieties, Ca and Ti trends, pore water pH, conductivity, and Ca/Mg ratios to identify changes in trophic conditions. The results confirm that the uppermost 400 cm are composed of ombrotrophic peat representing the longest Eastern Alpine ombrotrophic record yet obtained, covering the last 7,000 years. The oldest radiocarbon age (13,200 years cal BP) provides evidence that, during the Bölling-Alleröd interstadial, the upper part of the Piave Glacier was ice-free up to 1400 m a.s.l.. At that time pollen assemblages show that a conifer forest characterized the local vegetation. This forest was then affected by the climatic cooling of the Younger Dryas, which caused an opening of the vegetation. The climatic amelioration occurring at the onset of the Holocene favored the local expansion of warmth-demanding species. X-ray Fluorescence Core Scanner (XRF-CS) analysis was applied for the first time on Eastern Alpine peat sequences. XRF-CS signals were calibrated with ICP-MS, showing very high correlation and demonstrating that the XRF-CS technique provides reliable quantitative data. Results provide information about geochemical processes occurring in the bog. The impact of mining activity was also evaluated. Concentration levels and enrichment factors (EFs) of several trace elements such as Pb, Ag and Cd correspond to the historical data about mining activities in the Cadore region. Lead isotopes ratios were measured to identify natural and anthropogenic sources of Pb emissions. Results show an increase of Pb deriving from fuel combustion over the last decades that gradually overlie the impacts of mining activity. The decreasing 206Pb/207Pb trend reached its minimum value of 1.153 in the 1990s and then increased again. In these years, Italy started to follow EU rules to limit global pollutants in the atmosphere, and finally banned leaded fuels in 2002. Both 206Pb/207Pb ratio and Pb fluxes show a particular event between 1975 and 1980: this behavior is characteristic of the ILE (Isotopic Lead Experiment), a large-scale isotopic tracer experiment which was carried out in the Piedmont region (N-W Italy). This multi-proxy approach that integrates, using new chronological insights, chemical physical and biological features of the core, improves our understanding of Eastern Alpine Holocene climate, helping to delineate biotic and abiotic responses to climate dynamics during the present interglacial. Blaauw, M. 2010. Methods and code for 'classical' age modeling of radiocarbon sequences. Quarternary Geochronology, 5: 512-518.

European springtime temperature synchronises ibex horn growth across the eastern Swiss Alps

PubMed Central

Büntgen, Ulf; Liebhold, Andrew; Jenny, Hannes; Mysterud, Atle; Egli, Simon; Nievergelt, Daniel; Stenseth, Nils C; Bollmann, Kurt

2014-01-01

Direct effects of climate change on animal physiology, and indirect impacts from disruption of seasonal synchrony and breakdown of trophic interactions are particularly severe in Arctic and Alpine ecosystems. Unravelling biotic from abiotic drivers, however, remains challenging because high-resolution animal population data are often limited in space and time. Here, we show that variation in annual horn growth (an indirect proxy for individual performance) of 8043 male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) over the past four decades is well synchronised among eight disjunct colonies in the eastern Swiss Alps. Elevated March to May temperatures, causing premature melting of Alpine snowcover, earlier plant phenology and subsequent improvement of ibex food resources, fuelled annual horn growth. These results reveal dependency of local trophic interactions on large-scale climate dynamics, and provide evidence that declining herbivore performance is not a universal response to global warming even for high-altitude populations that are also harvested. PMID:24341995

The topography of a continental indenter: The interplay between crustal deformation, erosion, and base level changes in the eastern Southern Alps

PubMed Central

Heberer, B.; Prasicek, G.; Neubauer, F.; Hergarten, S.

2017-01-01

Abstract The topography of the eastern Southern Alps (ESA) reflects indenter tectonics causing crustal shortening, surface uplift, and erosional response. Fluvial drainages were perturbed by Pleistocene glaciations that locally excavated alpine valleys. The Late Miocene desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea and the uplift of the northern Molasse Basin led to significant base level changes in the far field of the ESA and the Eastern Alps (EA), respectively. Among this multitude of mechanisms, the processes that dominate the current topographic evolution of the ESA and the ESA‐EA drainage divide have not been identified. We demonstrate the expected topographic effects of each mechanism in a one‐dimensional model and compare them with observed channel metrics. We find that the normalized steepness index increases with uplift rate and declines from the indenter tip in the northwest to the foreland basin in the southeast. The number and amplitude of knickpoints and the distortion in longitudinal channel profiles similarly decrease toward the east. Changes in slope of χ‐transformed channel profiles coincide spatially with the Valsugana‐Fella fault linking crustal stacking and uplift induced by indenter tectonics with topographic evolution. Gradients in χ across the ESA‐EA drainage divide imply an ongoing, north directed shift of the Danube‐ESA watershed that is most likely driven by a base level rise in the northern Molasse basin. We conclude that the regional uplift pattern controls the geometry of ESA‐EA channels, while base level changes in the far field control the overall architecture of the orogen by drainage divide migration. PMID:28344912

The topography of a continental indenter: The interplay between crustal deformation, erosion, and base level changes in the eastern Southern Alps.

PubMed

Robl, J; Heberer, B; Prasicek, G; Neubauer, F; Hergarten, S

2017-01-01

The topography of the eastern Southern Alps (ESA) reflects indenter tectonics causing crustal shortening, surface uplift, and erosional response. Fluvial drainages were perturbed by Pleistocene glaciations that locally excavated alpine valleys. The Late Miocene desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea and the uplift of the northern Molasse Basin led to significant base level changes in the far field of the ESA and the Eastern Alps (EA), respectively. Among this multitude of mechanisms, the processes that dominate the current topographic evolution of the ESA and the ESA-EA drainage divide have not been identified. We demonstrate the expected topographic effects of each mechanism in a one-dimensional model and compare them with observed channel metrics. We find that the normalized steepness index increases with uplift rate and declines from the indenter tip in the northwest to the foreland basin in the southeast. The number and amplitude of knickpoints and the distortion in longitudinal channel profiles similarly decrease toward the east. Changes in slope of χ -transformed channel profiles coincide spatially with the Valsugana-Fella fault linking crustal stacking and uplift induced by indenter tectonics with topographic evolution. Gradients in χ across the ESA-EA drainage divide imply an ongoing, north directed shift of the Danube-ESA watershed that is most likely driven by a base level rise in the northern Molasse basin. We conclude that the regional uplift pattern controls the geometry of ESA-EA channels, while base level changes in the far field control the overall architecture of the orogen by drainage divide migration.

Interdependency of Fission Yeast Alp14/TOG and Coiled Coil Protein Alp7 in Microtubule Localization and Bipolar Spindle FormationD⃞

PubMed Central

Sato, Masamitsu; Vardy, Leah; Angel Garcia, Miguel; Koonrugsa, Nirada; Toda, Takashi

2004-01-01

The Dis1/TOG family plays a pivotal role in microtubule organization. In fission yeast, Alp14 and Dis1 share an essential function in bipolar spindle formation. Here, we characterize Alp7, a novel coiled-coil protein that is required for organization of bipolar spindles. Both Alp7 and Alp14 colocalize to the spindle pole body (SPB) and mitotic spindles. Alp14 localization to these sites is fully dependent upon Alp7. Conversely, in the absence of Alp14, Alp7 localizes to the SPBs, but not mitotic spindles. Alp7 forms a complex with Alp14, where the C-terminal region of Alp14 interacts with the coiled-coil domain of Alp7. Intriguingly, this Alp14 C terminus is necessary and sufficient for mitotic spindle localization. Overproduction of either full-length or coiled-coil region of Alp7 results in abnormal V-shaped spindles and stabilization of interphase microtubules, which is induced independent of Alp14. Alp7 may be a functional homologue of animal TACC. Our results shed light on an interdependent relationship between Alp14/TOG and Alp7. We propose a two-step model that accounts for the recruitment of Alp7 and Alp14 to the SPB and microtubules. PMID:14742702

Interdependency of fission yeast Alp14/TOG and coiled coil protein Alp7 in microtubule localization and bipolar spindle formation.

PubMed

Sato, Masamitsu; Vardy, Leah; Angel Garcia, Miguel; Koonrugsa, Nirada; Toda, Takashi

2004-04-01

The Dis1/TOG family plays a pivotal role in microtubule organization. In fission yeast, Alp14 and Dis1 share an essential function in bipolar spindle formation. Here, we characterize Alp7, a novel coiled-coil protein that is required for organization of bipolar spindles. Both Alp7 and Alp14 colocalize to the spindle pole body (SPB) and mitotic spindles. Alp14 localization to these sites is fully dependent upon Alp7. Conversely, in the absence of Alp14, Alp7 localizes to the SPBs, but not mitotic spindles. Alp7 forms a complex with Alp14, where the C-terminal region of Alp14 interacts with the coiled-coil domain of Alp7. Intriguingly, this Alp14 C terminus is necessary and sufficient for mitotic spindle localization. Overproduction of either full-length or coiled-coil region of Alp7 results in abnormal V-shaped spindles and stabilization of interphase microtubules, which is induced independent of Alp14. Alp7 may be a functional homologue of animal TACC. Our results shed light on an interdependent relationship between Alp14/TOG and Alp7. We propose a two-step model that accounts for the recruitment of Alp7 and Alp14 to the SPB and microtubules.

Holocene temperature variations at a high-altitude site in the Eastern Alps: a chironomid record from Schwarzsee ob Sölden, Austria

PubMed Central

Ilyashuk, Elena A.; Koinig, Karin A.; Heiri, Oliver; Ilyashuk, Boris P.; Psenner, Roland

2011-01-01

Few well-dated, quantitative Holocene temperature reconstructions exist from high-altitude sites in the Central Eastern Alps. Here, we present a chironomid-based quantitative reconstruction of mean July air temperatures (TJuly) throughout the Holocene for a remote high-mountain lake, Schwarzsee ob Sölden, situated above the treeline at 2796 m a.s.l. in the Austrian Alps. Applying a chironomid-temperature inference model developed from lakes of the Alpine region to a high-resolution chironomid record from the lake provides evidence for early Holocene (ca 10000–8600 cal yr BP) TJuly of up to 8.5 °C, i.e. >4 °C above the modern (1977–2006) mean July temperature. The reconstruction reveals the so-called ‘8.2-ka cold event’ centered at ca 8250–8000 cal yr BP with temperatures ca 3 °C below the early-Holocene thermal maximum. Rather warm (ca 6 °C) and productive conditions prevailed during ca 7900–4500 cal yr BP. The chironomid record suggests a climate transition between ca 5200 and 4500 cal yr BP to cooler TJuly. A distinct cooling trend is evident from ca 4500 until ca 2500 cal yr BP. Thereafter, the study site experienced its coldest conditions (around 4 °C or less) throughout the rest of the Holocene, with the exception of the warming trend during the late 20th century. Beside other factors, the Northern Hemisphere summer insolation seems to be the major driving force for the long-term trends in TJuly at high altitudes in the Eastern Alps. Due to the extreme location of the lake and the limited temperature range represented by the applied calibration data set, the chironomid-based temperature reconstruction fails to track phases of the late-Holocene climatic history with TJuly cooler than 4 °C. Further chironomid-based palaeoclimate model and down-core studies are required to address this problem, provide more realistic TJuly estimates from undisturbed high-altitude lakes in the Alps, and extract a reliable regional temperature signal. PMID:21317974

Tannin Degradation by a Novel Tannase Enzyme Present in Some Lactobacillus plantarum Strains

PubMed Central

Jiménez, Natalia; Esteban-Torres, María; Mancheño, José Miguel; de las Rivas, Blanca

2014-01-01

Lactobacillus plantarum is frequently isolated from the fermentation of plant material where tannins are abundant. L. plantarum strains possess tannase activity to degrade plant tannins. An L. plantarum tannase (TanBLp, formerly called TanLp1) was previously identified and biochemically characterized. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of a novel tannase (TanALp). While all 29 L. plantarum strains analyzed in the study possess the tanBLp gene, the gene tanALp was present in only four strains. Upon methyl gallate exposure, the expression of tanBLp was induced, whereas tanALp expression was not affected. TanALp showed only 27% sequence identity to TanBLp, but the residues involved in tannase activity are conserved. Optimum activity for TanALp was observed at 30°C and pH 6 in the presence of Ca2+ ions. TanALp was able to hydrolyze gallate and protocatechuate esters with a short aliphatic alcohol substituent. Moreover, TanALp was able to fully hydrolyze complex gallotannins, such as tannic acid. The presence of the extracellular TanALp tannase in some L. plantarum strains provides them an advantage for the initial degradation of complex tannins present in plant environments. PMID:24610854

Tannin degradation by a novel tannase enzyme present in some Lactobacillus plantarum strains.

PubMed

Jiménez, Natalia; Esteban-Torres, María; Mancheño, José Miguel; de Las Rivas, Blanca; Muñoz, Rosario

2014-05-01

Lactobacillus plantarum is frequently isolated from the fermentation of plant material where tannins are abundant. L. plantarum strains possess tannase activity to degrade plant tannins. An L. plantarum tannase (TanBLp, formerly called TanLp1) was previously identified and biochemically characterized. In this study, we report the identification and characterization of a novel tannase (TanALp). While all 29 L. plantarum strains analyzed in the study possess the tanBLp gene, the gene tanALp was present in only four strains. Upon methyl gallate exposure, the expression of tanBLp was induced, whereas tanALp expression was not affected. TanALp showed only 27% sequence identity to TanBLp, but the residues involved in tannase activity are conserved. Optimum activity for TanALp was observed at 30°C and pH 6 in the presence of Ca(2+) ions. TanALp was able to hydrolyze gallate and protocatechuate esters with a short aliphatic alcohol substituent. Moreover, TanALp was able to fully hydrolyze complex gallotannins, such as tannic acid. The presence of the extracellular TanALp tannase in some L. plantarum strains provides them an advantage for the initial degradation of complex tannins present in plant environments.

Brittle deformation and exhumation mechanisms in the core of the Eastern Alps, The Tauern Window

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertrand, Audrey; Garcia, Sebastian; Rosenberg, Claudio

2010-05-01

The Tauern Window (TW) is a Tertiary structural and thermal dome located in the core of the Eastern Alpine orogen and in front of the Dolomite indenter. The Penninic basement and cover units within the TW attained their thermal peak about 30 Myr ago (e.g., Selverstone et al., 1992) followed by cooling and exhumation from Early Oligocene to late Miocene time (e.g., Grundmann and Morteani, 1985). Most exhumation was partly accommodated by two normal faults at the western and eastern ends of the TW (Brenner and Katschberg faults, respectively). Although these normal faults are well described in the literature, their roles in the exhumation of the TW are still under debate: Exhumation accommodated primarily by folding and erosion (e.g., Rosenberg et al., 2004) versus exhumation mainly accommodated by Brenner and Katschberg normal faulting (e.g., Selverstone, 1988; Ratschbacher et al., 1989). New fault-slip data from the TW allow us to reconstruct paleostress axes by inversion and to constrain the relative roles of the folding and orogen-parallel extension during the late deformation history of the TW, in the brittle-field. Our results show little evidence of compression and a clear zoning of the paleostress field in the TW. In the central part of the TW, the σ1 direction is sub-horizontal N-S to NE-SW (strike-slip), whereas it is steep in the footwall of the Brenner and the Katschberg normal faults. Local variability of the σ3 direction are observed; indeed, the σ3 direction varies from E-W to WNW-ESE along the Brenner fault, to NW-SE along the Jaufen fault, the inferred southern continuation of the Brenner fault (Schneider et al., this session). Along the Katschberg fault, the σ3 direction is mainly NNW-SSE oriented, which is consistent with extension in front of a triangular dead zone shape induced by the WSW-striking Dolomites indenter. Nearly no evidence of a stress field compatible with upright folding (D2 phase of deformation) was found in the brittle domain. Taken together, our results suggest that the brittle crust of the TW was mostly affected by a strike-slip state of stress, which grades into extension at the eastern and western margins of the dome. This suggests that the inverse regime associated with the upright folds terminated before these structures entered the brittle field. Hence, the strike-slip regime postdates in a short time-span the reverse one. The brittle crust of the TW affected by the pure-compressional regime may have been eroded or perhaps there was never any compression after the crust was exhumed to above the ductile-brittle transition. References Grundmann, G., and Morteani, G., 1985, The young uplift and thermal history of the central Eastern Alps (Austria/Italy), evidence from apatite fission track ages. Jahrb. der Geo. Bundesanstalt, 128, 197-216. Ratschbacher, L., Frisch, W., Neubauer, F., Schmid, S. M., and Neugebauer, J., 1989, Extension in compressional orogenic belts: The eastern Alps. Geology, 17, 404-407. Rosenberg, C. L., Brun, J.-P., and Gapais, D., 2004, An indentation model of the Eastern Alps and the origin of the Tauern Window. Geology, 32, 997-1000. Schneider, S., Bertrand, A. & Rosenberg, C.L. The Jaufental Fault: a kinematic link between the Tauern Window and south-Alpine Indentation. Abstract EGU2010. Selverstone, J., 1988, Evidence for East-West crustal extension in the eastern Alps: implications for the unroofing history of the Tauern Window. Tectonics, 7, 87-105. Selverstone, J., Franz, G., Thomas, S., Getty, S., 1992. Fluid variability in 2 GPa eclogites as an indicator of fluid behavior during subduction. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology 112, 341-357.

Magnetic fabric study of rock deformation during alpine tectonic evolution on a cross section through the Eastern Alps (Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruber, K.; Scholger, R.; Pueyo, E. L.

2010-05-01

Measurements of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) were carried out on samples from more than seventy sites collected in the Eastern Alps. The sites were taken alongside a North-South transect (about 15°30` East Longitude) from Scheibbs in the North to Kapfenberg in the South, comprising most of the Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA) nappes, Helvetic and Penninic Flysh units as well as the greywacke zone. Samples were taken in detail mostly in Mesozoic rocks of the NCA, from North to South: Bajuvaric (Frankenfels, Lunz, Sulzbach and Reisalpen nappes), Tirolic (Ötscher, Göller, Rotwald-Gindelstein nappes) and Juvavic (Mürzalpen nappe) system. Two to six sites per thrust sheet or nappe were analysed for a structural investigation of the relationship between magnetic fabric and tectonic strain. Standard paleomagnetic drill cores were taken. All measurements were performed in the Petrophysics and Paleomagnetic laboratories of the University of Leoben using AGICO MFK1-Kappabridge susceptibility system and a 2-G cryogenic magnetometer. Statistical evaluation of the AMS data was perfomed using the software package AGICO ANISOFT 4.2. (Chadima et al., 2009). Throughout the Eastern Alps transect distinct changes of the magnetic fabric are observed. Primary sedimentary fabrics and very low susceptibility values are dominant in most cases in the northernmost and southernmost part of the transect. Some inverse fabrics were found in few sites of the nappes and the percentage increases towards the south which might be related to tectonic events. Contrastingly, isotropic fabrics dominate in the middle part. The Helvetic and Penninic Flysh units yield in general weak oblate fabrics. A few sites show a tendency to inverse fabrics which indicate the presence of a certain amount of strain within this unit. The oblate fabrics of the Helvetic and Flysh units show either shallow NE dipping or slightly steeper SW dipping k1-axis orientation. Within the inverse fabrics, even steeper NE or SW dipping k1-axis are present. In a previous paleomagnetic study of the same samples (Pueyo et al., 2002) both, primary and secondary remanent magnetization vectors were observed. No significant rotations were detected in the Flysh units. All samples from the Bajuvaric system show dominantly very low susceptibility values and isotropic fabrics and were therefore excluded from further investigations. Bajuvaric nappes hardly show any significant rotations based on paleomagnetic data (Pueyo et al., 2002). The nappes of the Tirolic and Juvavic systems have very low susceptibility values but they increase slightly towards the south. The shape of the anisotropy ellipsoid remains oblate (group A) in most cases and the degree of anisotropy is very weak. Also more prolate fabrics (group B) are present. Group A and B show a trend to shallow N or S dipping k1-axis in the North. Further in the south the k1-axis of group A tend to dip steeply NE. Shallow NE or SW dipping and slightly steeper NE or SW dipping oriented prolate susceptibility ellipsoids are dominant in group B. Tirolic and Juvavic units display clockwise rotation ranging between 30 and more than 100° (Pueyo et al., 2002), which was assigned to block rotation. Shallow E dipping and NNW dipping oblate susceptibility ellipsoids are dominant in the Basement. A general increase of the degree of rotation (Pueyo et al., 2002) as well as better defined susceptibility ellipsoids with mainly oblate fabrics towards the south can be observed. Six Tertiary deviatoric paleostress tensor groups are described by Peresson & Decker (1997). The new AMS data will be presented and correlated to the young tectonic history of the Eastern Alps. The study was funded by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW) in the frame of the Geophysics of the Earths Crust Programme. Peresson, H. and Decker, K., 1997. The Tertiary dynamics of the northern Eastern Alps (Austria): Changing palaeostresses in a collisional plate boundary, Tectonophysics, 272, 125 - 157. Pueyo, E.L., Schneider, M., Mauritsch, H.J., Scholger, R., Lein, R., 2002. A paleomagnetic cross section through the Eastern Northern Calcareous Alps: preliminary data in the Mariazell meridian. Pangeo poster.

The Ortles ice cores: uncovering an extended climate archive from the Eastern Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dreossi, Giuliano; Barbante, Carlo; Bertò, Michele; Carturan, Luca; De Blasi, Fabrizio; Gabrieli, Jacopo; Gabrielli, Paolo; Seppi, Roberto; Spolaor, Andrea; Stenni, Barbara; Zanoner, Thomas

2017-04-01

During the last half century, oxygen and hydrogen stable isotope content of ice cores has been extensively used for air temperature reconstructions. The most suitable glaciers of the Alpine area, most exclusively in the Western Alps, have been utilized for ice coring for more than four decades. The paleoclimatic potential of the Eastern Alps is still largely unexploited and was scarcely utilized in the past mainly because of the lower elevation (compared to Western Alps) and hence the difficulty to find glaciers in cold conditions. The warming temperature trend appears to be particularly pronounced in the Alps, threatening the preservation of the glaciated areas and creating a sense of urgency in retrieving climatic archives before it is too late. In autumn 2011, four deep cores were drilled on Mt Ortles, South Tyrol, Italy, at 3859 m a.s.l. An extensive reconstructed temperature record for the Ortles summit, based on the surrounding meteorological station data, is available for the last 150 years, while an automatic weather station had been operating from 2011 to 2015 in proximity of the drilling site. The new ice core chronology, based on 210Pb, tritium, beta emissions analysis and 14C measurements of the particulate organic carbon, indicates that the bottom ice is 7000 years old, making it the second most extended glaciological archive ever retrieved in the Alps. The three equally long ice cores have been analyzed for oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes throughout their length, and the goal is to create an Ortles stacked record for d18O and dD and compare the isotopic data to instrumental temperatures and to other Alpine records. Since 2008, several snow pits were dug in proximity of the drilling site during summer, when the temperature can often exceed the melting point. The isotopic profiles of the 2015 snow pit, dug at the end of an exceptionally warm summer, show how the isotope signal is now affected by the post-depositional processes that have occurred during that summer.

Urbanization and depopulation in the Alps.

PubMed

Batzing, W; Perlik, M; Dekleva, M

1996-11-01

Demographic developments in the European Alpine region are analyzed over the period 1870-1990. The region is defined as including parts of Germany, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Switzerland, and Slovenia. "Studies of growth, stagnation, decline, commune size, and altitude in almost 6,000 communes are presented on three colored maps.... It is apparent that two highly divergent processes are at work and, accordingly, statistical mean values reveal little of importance. Approximately one-half of Alpine Europe is undergoing general economic and demographic growth and has experienced significant increase in population since the end of the agricultural era. This development has taken place primarily in low-lying valleys and basins and in areas bordering the Alps that have good access to transport routes. Tourism is not as widespread as generally assumed and is usually characterized by a punctate pattern. Only in the western part of the Eastern Alps does tourism account for widespread population growth at higher altitudes; elsewhere the Alps have not been affected by modern development and the economy and population are declining, with some areas in danger of becoming completely abandoned. The results challenge the earlier concept of the Alps as a rural region, once populated by peasants, where tourism now plays a major role." (EXCERPT)

Comparison of recent sedimentation patterns in Mondsee and Hallstätter See (Upper Austria) and implications for palaeoflood reconstructions in the Eastern European Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lauterbach, Stefan; Kämpf, Lucas; Swierczynski, Tina; Tjallingii, Rik; Brauer, Achim

2017-04-01

Rainfall-triggered flood events represent one of the most serious societal and economic threats in Central Europe. Nevertheless, the thorough assessment of this hazard is still limited by the restricted knowledge about the long-term spatio-temporal recurrence patterns and complex climatic trigger mechanisms of extreme flood events. As instrumental and documentary flood time series rarely exceed a few hundred years, long and precisely dated palaeoflood records from natural archives, e.g. lake sediments, offer an excellent opportunity to gain important information about long-term flood dynamics. This can improve the understanding of flood occurrence under different climatic boundary conditions as well as flood-generating processes and thus allow a more reliable assessment of future flood scenarios. However, the spatial coverage of lake sediment palaeoflood records across Europe is still limited and individual lakes are very heterogeneous in their sedimentological response and sensitivity to flooding. It therefore remains questionable whether single lake sediment palaeoflood records are representative on a larger spatial scale. Investigating adjacent lakes in terms of their individual flood response can therefore (1) help to improve the understanding of key hydro-climatological variables and lake internal processes, both controlling flood layer deposition, and (2) allow to assess the completeness and representativeness of single palaeoflood records, particularly with regard to different flood seasonality. Here we present first data from a project aiming at establishing a new palaeoflood record for the Eastern Alps by investigating the sediments of Hallstätter See in the Calcareous Alps of Upper Austria. These are compared with results from adjacent Mondsee (ca. 35 km to the northwest), located at the northern fringe of the Calcareous Alps. The recent sediments from these two lakes have been investigated with respect to their reflection of large flood events by using detailed sediment microfacies analysis on large-scale thin sections and high-resolution µ-XRF scanning. The depositional environment in Hallstätter See is mainly controlled by seasonally variable and largely runoff-triggered input of allochthonous clastic-detrital material by the Traun River, a major tributary of the Danube. In consequence, the sediments reveal a complex cm- to sub-mm-scale lamination, reflecting detrital input by frequent individual runoff events that are not necessarily extreme floods. This largely contrasts the depositional environment in Mondsee, where detrital material delivered through the relatively small tributaries is intercalated within the regular endogenic calcite varves only during major flood events. This comparison highlights that both lake systems are very different in their response to flooding, depending on catchment geology and morphology, tributary characteristics as well as flood seasonality. Hence, even for lakes in the same climatic domain, the comparison of resulting palaeoflood records is not necessarily straightforward since every lake sediment record only reflects certain aspects of regional flood history, strongly influenced by the individual characteristics of the lake system.

European springtime temperature synchronises ibex horn growth across the eastern Swiss Alps.

PubMed

Büntgen, Ulf; Liebhold, Andrew; Jenny, Hannes; Mysterud, Atle; Egli, Simon; Nievergelt, Daniel; Stenseth, Nils C; Bollmann, Kurt

2014-03-01

Direct effects of climate change on animal physiology, and indirect impacts from disruption of seasonal synchrony and breakdown of trophic interactions are particularly severe in Arctic and Alpine ecosystems. Unravelling biotic from abiotic drivers, however, remains challenging because high-resolution animal population data are often limited in space and time. Here, we show that variation in annual horn growth (an indirect proxy for individual performance) of 8043 male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) over the past four decades is well synchronised among eight disjunct colonies in the eastern Swiss Alps. Elevated March to May temperatures, causing premature melting of Alpine snowcover, earlier plant phenology and subsequent improvement of ibex food resources, fuelled annual horn growth. These results reveal dependency of local trophic interactions on large-scale climate dynamics, and provide evidence that declining herbivore performance is not a universal response to global warming even for high-altitude populations that are also harvested. © 2013 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and CNRS.

Laser scan of the Grimming Mts. (Austria) with the latest LiDAR VZ-4000 equipment: preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Harald; Hatzenbichler, Georg; Amon, Philipp; Fallah, Mohammad; Tari, Gabor; Grasemann, Bernhard

2013-04-01

As part of a cooperation project between OMV, RIEGL and the University of Vienna the new LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) VZ-4000 laser scanner was tested at the Grimming Mts. of the Eastern Alps in Austria. The prominent Grimming Mts. lies in the eastern part of the Dachstein Massif at the southern margin of the Northern Calcareous Alps. The Grimming, with a peak of 2,351 m above sea level, is one of the highest isolated mountains in Europe. Because of its spectacular topography, the Grimming has been used as an important surface reference mark since 1822. From a structural geology standpoint, the Grimming forms a huge antiform made up of dominantly well-bedded Triassic Dachstein Limestone. Because of the relatively well exposed bedrock surfaces above the tree-line and the fairly complex internal structure, the Grimming Mts. provides an ideal target for testing new high resolution laser scan techniques and devices. The maximum distance from the scanning positions on the nearby valley floor to the mountain face was about 4,500 m and the generated point cloud has an average resolution of 25 points per square meter. The purpose of this work was to test the latest version of the high resolution LiDAR laser equipment in a setting which falls beyond the capabilities of most existing LiDAR devices. The results of the pilot study include high-resolution spatial data on bedding planes, fault planes and the thickness variations of individual beds within the Dachstein Limestone. For the first time, the data obtained can be directly used to generate the proper 3D geometry of folds and faults observed on the Grimming Mts. This leads to a modern understanding of this prominent Alpine anticline in terms of structural geology.

Serpentinite slices within a tectonic zone at the base of the Juvavic nappe system in the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria): characterization and origin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boehm, Katharina; Schuster, Ralf; Wagreich, Michael; Koller, Friedrich; Wimmer-Frey, Ingeborg

2014-05-01

The investigated serpentinites are present in an ENE-WSW orientated tectonic zone at the base of Juvavic nappes (Northern Calcareous Alps), situated at the eastern margin of the Eastern Alps (Lower Austria). They form small tectonically squeezed slices, which are embedded in Permotriassic schists and Middle to Upper Triassic limestones. These serpentinites play an important, but not yet understood role in reconstructing Neotethys evolution, Alpine Orogeny and the correlation of Dinarides and Alps. The largest serpentinite body near to Unterhöflein is 400 to 100 meters in size and was investigated by mineralogical (XRD) and petrological/geochemical (XRF) methods. The primary mineral composition is olivine + orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + chrome spinel. Pseudomorphs of pyroxenes are visible macroscopically, but almost all primary minerals are replaced by serpentine minerals. Former olivine is converted to chrysotile minerals, which show typical reticulate textures, orthopyroxene turned into lizardite pseudomorphs and chrome spinel is almost completely altered to magnetite. Major contents of chrysotile-α, chrysotile-γ and lizardite and minor antigorite, as well as secondary minerals like talc, chlorite and hydrogrossular were identified with XRD. Results from whole rock geochemistry indicate harzburgitic precursor rocks for the serpentinites. According to the low antigorite content, the rocks have only a weak metamorphic imprint and therefore an obduction rather than a subduction history is likely. This leads to the assumption that these serpentinites possibly originate from the Neotethys and not from the Penninic oceanic realm. Further, the tectonic position of the serpentinite slices is in close vicinity to sediments of the Meliata unit which also occur between Juvavic and underlying Tirolic nappe system (Mandl & Ondrejickova, 1993). Additionally, remnants from ophiolite nappes are found reworked into the surrounding Upper Cretaceous Gosau Group. In the latter also chrome spinel detritus is present. In contrast to the altered chrome spinels in the investigated serpentinites, the spinels from Gosau Group are well preserved and they show similarities to those of Dinaric Cretaceous basins, concerning their harzburgitic and lherzolitic sources (Stern & Wagreich, 2013). If the investigated serpentinites belong to obducted material from Neothetys oceanic realm, a tectonic model of a slab-tearing induced sinistral strike-slip zone could explain the position in the Eastern Alps. However, the relationship to other basic magmatic rocks from several other localities in similar positions, mostly occurring within evaporitic sediments of Permian Haselgebirge (Schorn et al., 2013), has to be clarified.

Glacial isostatic uplift of the European Alps

PubMed Central

Mey, Jürgen; Scherler, Dirk; Wickert, Andrew D.; Egholm, David L.; Tesauro, Magdala; Schildgen, Taylor F.; Strecker, Manfred R.

2016-01-01

Following the last glacial maximum (LGM), the demise of continental ice sheets induced crustal rebound in tectonically stable regions of North America and Scandinavia that is still ongoing. Unlike the ice sheets, the Alpine ice cap developed in an orogen where the measured uplift is potentially attributed to tectonic shortening, lithospheric delamination and unloading due to deglaciation and erosion. Here we show that ∼90% of the geodetically measured rock uplift in the Alps can be explained by the Earth’s viscoelastic response to LGM deglaciation. We modelled rock uplift by reconstructing the Alpine ice cap, while accounting for postglacial erosion, sediment deposition and spatial variations in lithospheric rigidity. Clusters of excessive uplift in the Rhône Valley and in the Eastern Alps delineate regions potentially affected by mantle processes, crustal heterogeneity and active tectonics. Our study shows that even small LGM ice caps can dominate present-day rock uplift in tectonically active regions. PMID:27830704

Glacial isostatic uplift of the European Alps.

PubMed

Mey, Jürgen; Scherler, Dirk; Wickert, Andrew D; Egholm, David L; Tesauro, Magdala; Schildgen, Taylor F; Strecker, Manfred R

2016-11-10

Following the last glacial maximum (LGM), the demise of continental ice sheets induced crustal rebound in tectonically stable regions of North America and Scandinavia that is still ongoing. Unlike the ice sheets, the Alpine ice cap developed in an orogen where the measured uplift is potentially attributed to tectonic shortening, lithospheric delamination and unloading due to deglaciation and erosion. Here we show that ∼90% of the geodetically measured rock uplift in the Alps can be explained by the Earth's viscoelastic response to LGM deglaciation. We modelled rock uplift by reconstructing the Alpine ice cap, while accounting for postglacial erosion, sediment deposition and spatial variations in lithospheric rigidity. Clusters of excessive uplift in the Rhône Valley and in the Eastern Alps delineate regions potentially affected by mantle processes, crustal heterogeneity and active tectonics. Our study shows that even small LGM ice caps can dominate present-day rock uplift in tectonically active regions.

Pre-Alpine evolution of the Seckau Complex (Austroalpine basement/Eastern Alps): Constraints from in-situ LA-ICP-MS Usbnd Pb zircon geochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandl, Magdalena; Kurz, Walter; Hauzenberger, Christoph; Fritz, Harald; Klötzli, Urs; Schuster, Ralf

2018-01-01

The Variscan European Belt is a complex orogen with its southern margin partly obscured by Alpine tectonics and metamorphism. We present a study of one of the units, the Seckau Complex, that constitute the southern part of the Variscan European Belt in the Eastern Alps in order to clarify its origin, age and lithostratigraphy. The magmatic and geochronological evolution of this Complex in the northwestern part of the Seckau Nappe (as part of the Austroalpine Silvretta-Seckau Nappe System) was investigated by zircon Usbnd Pb dating of paragneisses and metagranitoids coupled with petrological and geochemical data. This reveals the distinction of three newly defined lithostratigraphic/lithodemic sub-units: (1) Glaneck Metamorphic Suite, (2) Hochreichart Plutonic Suite and (3) Hintertal Plutonic Suite. The Glaneck Metamorphic Suite is mainly composed of fine-grained paragneisses that yield Usbnd Pb zircon ages in the range between 2.7 Ga and 2.0 Ga, as well as concordia ages from 572 ± 7 Ma to 559 ± 11 Ma. All of these ages are interpreted as detrital zircon ages originating from an igneous source. The paragneisses are the host rock for the large volumes of metagranitoids of the Hochreichart Plutonic Suite and the Hintertal Plutonic Suite. The Hochreichart Plutonic Suite comprises highly fractionated melts with mainly S-type characteristics and late Cambrian to Early Ordovician Usbnd Pb zircon ages (508 ± 9 Ma to 486 ± 9 Ma), interpreted as magmatic protolith ages. The Hintertal Plutonic Suite is composed of metagranitoids with Late Devonian to early Carboniferous (365 ± 11 Ma and 331 ± 10 Ma) protolith ages, that intruded during an early phase of the Variscan tectonometamorphic event. The metagranitoids of the Hintertal Plutonic Suites define a magmatic fractionation trend, seen in variable Rb/Sr ratios. On this base they can be further subdivided into (a) the Griessstein Pluton characterized by S-type metagranitoids and (b) the Pletzen Pluton distinguished by intermediate to acidic metagranitoids with I-type affinity. The detrital zircon age spectra suggest a Neoproterozoic ancestry of the Glaneck Metamorphic Suite, which was located west of the Arabian Nubian Shield, probably next to the Trans-Saharan Belt. The early Paleozoic evolution of the recent Seckau Complex shows similarities to basement units of the Southalpine Unit, parts of the Austroalpine Unit and the Tatric and Veporic units of the Central Western Carpathians.

Induction of rat alkaline phosphatase isozymes bearing a glycan-phosphatidylinositol anchor modified by in vivo treatment with a benzimidazole derivative linked to ethylbenzene.

PubMed

Harada, T; Koyama, I; Sato, K; Komoda, T

2000-10-01

Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is detected in soluble-form as a result of translocation from the membrane site by cleavage at the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol moiety (GPI anchor). It is known that membrane-bound ALP (mALP) can be detected in serum in certain pathological and physiological conditions, and that it can be solubilized in vitro to soluble-ALP (sALP) by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PIPLC), phospholipase D, bile salt, detergent, etc. We observed a marked increase in ALP activity in the serum of rats given a benzimidazole derivative by gavage, and detected it as slow-migrating ALPs (SM-ALPs), which were mALP-like but resistant to PIPLC and n-butanol treatment on disc PAGE. On the other hand, ficin treatment made SM-ALPs shift to the sALP position. The molecular size of the SM-ALPs was smaller than that of sALP on sodium dodecyl sulphide-polyacrylamide slab-gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and immunoreactivity revealed the intestinal type. SM-ALPs were also detected in the duodenum and jejunum. The main sugar chain structure of SM-ALPs was the biantennary complex-type, which was coincided with intestinal sALP sugar chain. These results suggest that intestinal ALPs induced by the benzimidazole derivative were modified in their C-terminus or GPI anchor region and modification of this region may also participate in translocation into the bloodstream.

Quantifying the Eocene to Pleistocene topographic evolution of the southwestern Alps, France and Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fauquette, Séverine; Bernet, Matthias; Suc, Jean-Pierre; Grosjean, Anne-Sabine; Guillot, Stéphane; van der Beek, Peter; Jourdan, Sébastien; Popescu, Speranta-Maria; Jiménez-Moreno, Gonzalo; Bertini, Adele; Pittet, Bernard; Tricart, Pierre; Dumont, Thierry; Schwartz, Stéphane; Zheng, Zhuo; Roche, Emile; Pavia, Giulio; Gardien, Véronique

2015-02-01

We evaluate the topographic evolution of the southwestern Alps using Eocene to Pleistocene pollen data combined with existing sedimentological, petrographic and detrital geo- and thermochronological data. We report 32 new pollen analyses from 10 sites completed by an existing dataset of 83 samples from 14 localities situated across the southwestern Alps, including both the pro- and the retro-foreland basins. The presence of microthermic tree pollen (mainly Abies, Picea) indicates that this part of the mountain belt attained elevations over 1900 m as early as the Oligocene. Inferred rapid surface uplift during the mid-Oligocene coincided with a previously documented brief phase of rapid erosional exhumation, when maximum erosion rates may have reached values of up to 1.5-2 km/Myr. Slower long-term average exhumation rates of ∼0.3 km/Myr since the Late Oligocene helped maintaining the high Alpine topography of the southwestern Alps until today. The relative abundances of meso-microthermic tree pollen (Cathaya, Cedrus and Tsuga) and microthermic tree pollen (Abies, Picea) in the pro- and retro-foreland basin deposits, indicate that the present-day asymmetric topography, with a relatively gentle western flank and steeper eastern flank, was established early in the southwestern Alps, at least since the Early Miocene, and possibly since the Oligocene or Late Eocene. Therefore, the high topography and asymmetric morphology of this part of the Alps has been maintained throughout the past ∼30 Ma.

Lichenized and lichenicolous fungi from the valley ‘Ochsental’ (Eastern Alps, Vorarlberg, Austria)

PubMed Central

Bilovitz, Peter Othmar; Mayrhofer, Helmut

2016-01-01

A list of 100 lichen species and 4 lichenicolous fungi from the valley ‘Ochsental’ is presented. Lecidea laboriosa is new to Austria. Lecanora swartzii, Orphniospora moriopsis, Protothelenella corrosa and the lichenicolous fungus Cercidospora stereocaulorum are new to the province of Vorarlberg. PMID:26869748

Antigenic Determinants of Alpha-Like Proteins of Streptococcus agalactiae

PubMed Central

Maeland, Johan A.; Bevanger, Lars; Lyng, Randi Valsoe

2004-01-01

The majority of group B streptococcus (GBS) isolates express one or more of a family of surface-anchored proteins that vary by strain and that form ladder-like patterns on Western blotting due to large repeat units. These proteins, which are important as GBS serotype markers and as inducers of protective antibodies, include the alpha C (Cα) and R4 proteins and the recently described alpha-like protein 2 (Alp2), encoded by alp2, and Alp3, encoded by alp3. In this study, we examined antigenic determinants possessed by Alp2 and Alp3 by testing of antibodies raised in rabbits, mainly by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and an ELISA absorption test. The results showed that Alp2 and Alp3 shared an antigenic determinant, which may be a unique immunological marker of the Alp variants of GBS proteins. Alp2, in addition, possessed an antigenic determinant which showed specificity for Alp2 and a third determinant which showed serological cross-reactivity with Cα. Alp3, in addition to the determinant common to Alp2 and Alp3, harbored an antigenic site which also was present in the R4 protein, whereas no Alp3-specific antigenic site was detected. These ELISA-based results were confirmed by Western blotting and a fluorescent-antibody test. The results are consistent with highly complex antigenic structures of the alpha-like proteins in a fashion which is in agreement with the recently described structural mosaicism of the alp2 and alp3 genes. The results are expected to influence GBS serotyping, immunoprotection studies, and GBS vaccine developments. PMID:15539502

On the age of sinistral shearing along the southern border of the Tauern Window (Eastern Alps).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitzig, C.; Schneider, S.; Hammerschmidt, K.

2009-04-01

The first-order structure of the western Tauern Window consists of three upright, ENE-striking antiforms of large amplitude, whose flanks are overprinted by sinistral shear zones, striking parallel to the axial planes of the antiforms. Analogue modelling suggests that these shear zones accommodate part of the shortening of the South Alpine indenter (Rosenberg et al., 2004). The age of sinistral shearing in the western Tauern Window and immediately south of it is still controversial. Mancktelow et al. (2001) suggested that sinistral shearing at the southern border of the Tauern Window terminated at 30 Ma. Based on monazite spot dates ranging between 29.0-20.3 Ma (n=10) of dextral shear zones, which cross-cut the sinistral Greiner shear zone, Barnes et al. (2004) argued that the switch from sinistral to dextral shear occurred shortly after the thermal peak of the Alpine orogeny (c.~ 30 Ma). Recent dating of mica-bearing marble suggested that the activity of the southernmost sinistral shear zone of the Tauern Window (the Ahrntal shear zone) was 19.8±0.4 Ma ago (Glodny et al. 2008). Sinistral shearing is commonly interpreted as part of the 2nd Alpine phase of deformation that affected the Tauern Window. The main foliation (S1) of the Tauern Window was acquired during a first phase, which resulted in the present day nappe stack. Only along some of the later shear zones a second Alpine foliation (S2) was formed. At present no attempt has been made, to distinguish the two and directly date the S2 mylonitic foliation. In the present work we use the Rb/Sr method to date mineral pairs formed under greenschist to lower amphibolite facies conditions from the tonalitic Zentral Gneiss. We dated four samples, two from the inferred undeformed tonalite protolith, one from the strongly foliated tonalitic gneiss and one from an outcrop-scale sinistral shear zone within the foliated tonalitic gneiss. Generally biotite and feldspar define isochrones for the four samples. The undeformed tonalites yield an age of 26.4±0.1 Ma and of 11.1±0.1 Ma, the strongly foliated tonalitic gneiss yields an age of 19.8±0.1 Ma, which is close to the age of the outcrop-scale shear zone of 18.0±0.1 Ma. It is difficult to interpret the 11 Ma age of one undeformed sample, because it is significantly younger than the ages obtained from zircon fission tracks from neighbouring areas. The older age of 26 Ma for the undeformed tonalite sample is interpreted as cooling age below the closure temperature of biotite, based on the following arguments: 1) This age is consistent with the inferred regional thermochronological distribution of cooling (Luth and Willingshofer, 2008); 2) The rock fabric is undeformed; 3) The age is older than the two deformed samples collected within a distance of a few hundreds of meters. The mineral assemblage of the deformed samples (green biotite and albite crystallisation) differs from the one of the undeformed rocks (red-brown biotite and K-feldspar clasts). Therefore, the albite-biotite isochrons of the deformed samples are inferred to date the deformation event. This age of deformation is consistent with the age determination of Glodny et al. (2008) from deformed marbles of the Schieferhülle, and with previous dating of sinistral shearing along the northern border of the western Tauern Window (Schneider et al., 2007), which yielded an average (n=5) age of 21.9±1.6 Ma. Therefore, sinistral deformation appears to have affected contemporaneously both the northern and the southern margins of the Zentral Gneiss in the western Tauern Window. References: Barnes, J. D., Selverstone, J. & Sharp, Z.D., 2004. Interactions between serpentinite devolatilization, metasomatism and strike-slip strain localization during deep-crustal shearing in the Eastern Alps. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 22, 283-300. Glodny, J., Ring, U. Kühn. A., 2008. Coeval high-pressure metamorphism, thrusting, strike slip, and extensional shearing in the Tauern Window, Eastern Alps, Tectonics, 27, TC4004, DOI:10.1029/2007TC002193. Luth, S.W., & Willingshofer, E. 2008. Mapping of the Post-Collisional Cooling History of the Eastern Alps, Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel DOI:10.1007/s00015-008-1294-9 Mancktelow, N.S., Stöckli, D., Grollimund, B., Müller, W., Fügenschuh, B., Viola, G., Seward, D. & Villa, I., 2001. The DAV and Periadriatic fault systems in the eastern Alps south of the Tauern Window. International Journal of Earth Sciences, 90, 593-622. Rosenberg, C.L., Brun, J.-P., Cagnard, F., and Gapais, D., 2007. Oblique indentation in the Eastern Alps: Insights from laboratory experiments, Tectonics, 26, TC2003, doi:10.1029/2006TC001960. Schneider, S., Hammerschmidt, K., and Rosenberg, C.L., 2007. In-situ Rb-Sr dating of the SEMP mylonites, western Tauern Window, Eastern Alps Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 9, 09136. SRef-ID: 1607-7962/gra/EGU2007-A-09136

Molecular and biochemical evidences on the protective effects of triiodothyronine against phosphine-induced cardiac and mitochondrial toxicity.

PubMed

Abdolghaffari, Amir Hossein; Baghaei, Amir; Solgi, Reza; Gooshe, Maziar; Baeeri, Maryam; Navaei-Nigjeh, Mona; Hassani, Shokoufeh; Jafari, Abbas; Rezayat, Seyed Mehdi; Dehpour, Ahmad Reza; Mehr, Shahram Ejtemaei; Abdollahi, Mohammad

2015-10-15

Aluminum phosphide (AlP) is a widely used fumigant and rodenticide. While AlP ingestion leads to high mortality, its exact mechanism of action is unclear. There are ample evidences suggesting cardioprotective effects of triiodothyronine (T3). In this study, we aimed to examine the potential of T3 in the protection of a rat model of AlP induced cardiotoxicity. In order to induce AlP intoxication animals were intoxicated with AlP (12 mg/kg; LD50) by gavage. In treatment groups, T3 (1, 2 and 3 μg/kg) was administered intra-peritoneally 30 min after AlP administration. Animals were connected to the electronic cardiovascular monitoring device simultaneously after T3 administration. Then, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure (BP), and heart rate (HR) were monitored for 180 min. Additionally, 24h after AlP intoxication, rats were deceased and the hearts were dissected out for evaluation of oxidative stress, cardiac mitochondrial function (complexes I, II and IV), ATP/ADP ratio, caspases 3 & 9, and apoptosis by flow cytometry. The results demonstrated that AlP intoxication causes cardiac toxicity presenting with changes in ECG patterns such as decrement of HR, BP and abnormal QRS complexes, QTc and ST height. T3 at a dose of 3 μg/kg significantly improved ECG and also oxidative stress parameters. Furthermore, T3 administration could increase mitochondrial function and ATP levels within the cardiac cells. In addition, administration of T3 showed a reduction in apoptosis through diminishing the caspase activities and improving cell viability. Overall, the present data demonstrate the beneficial effects of T3 in cardiotoxicity of AlP. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of streamflow variability in Alpine catchments at multiple spatial and temporal scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez Ciria, T.; Chiogna, G.

2017-12-01

Alpine watersheds play a pivotal role in Europe for water provisioning and for hydropower production. In these catchments, temporal fluctuations of river discharge occur at multiple temporal scales due to natural as well as anthropogenic driving forces. In the last decades, modifications of the flow regime have been observed and their origin lies in the complex interplay between construction of dams for hydro power production, changes in water management policies and climatic changes. The alteration of the natural flow has negative impacts on the freshwater biodiversity and threatens the ecosystem integrity of the Alpine region. Therefore, understanding the temporal and spatial variability of river discharge has recently become a particular concern for environmental protection and represents a crucial contribution to achieve sustainable water resources management in the Alps. In this work, time series analysis is conducted for selected gauging stations in the Inn and the Adige catchments, which cover a large part of the central and eastern region of the Alps. We analyze the available time series using the continuous wavelet transform and change-point analyses for determining how and where changes have taken place. Although both catchments belong to different climatic zones of the Greater Alpine Region, streamflow properties share some similar characteristics. The comparison of the collected streamflow time series in the two catchments permits detecting gradients in the hydrological system dynamics that depend on station elevation, longitudinal location in the Alps and catchment area. This work evidences that human activities (e.g., water management practices and flood protection measures, changes in legislation and market regulation) have major impacts on streamflow and should be rigorously considered in hydrological models.

Two new species of sympatric Fergusonina flies (Diptera: Fergusoninidae) from bud galls on high elevation snow gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora Sieb. ex Spreng. complex) in the Australian Alps

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Two species of Fergusonina Malloch fly, F. daviesae Nelson sp.n. and F. taylori Nelson sp.n. (Diptera: Fergusoninidae), are described from terminal leaf bud galls on high elevation snow gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora complex) in the Australian Alps. These species occur in sympatry at the six locations...

Ziwundaschg - 10Be dating an Older Dryas cirque glacier moraine in the middle of the Eastern Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, Andrew; Ivy-Ochs, Susan; Kerschner, Hanns

2017-04-01

Alpine glacier extents during the Oldest Dryas period (>14.7 ka) are still largely unknown. Moraines from that period are comparatively rare and usually attributed to the "Gschnitz Stadial", which marks the alpine glacier reaction to the first part of Heinrich event 1. In many valleys, in the absence of clear geomorphological evidence, estimates for the glacier extent during that period range between large dendritic valley glacier systems with a well defined, albeit unknown glacier end on the one hand and numerous local valley and cirque glaciers on the other hand. In this context well dated local glacier extents may play an important role, as they provide boundary conditions for the altitude of the equilibrium line (an important palaeoclimatic parameter) and thus limit possible speculations about glacier extents in their vicinity. "Ziwundaschg" is the place name for a cirque in the western Ötztal Mountains near the upper Inn valley and Reschenpass. It is situated more or less in the centre of the Eastern Alps. The cirque floor is at an altitude of about 2000 m and the highest mountains in the back of the cirque are around 2750 m. They were not glacierized during the Little Ice Age, and even a glacierization during the Younger Dryas cold phase was likely limited to a few small ice patches. Further down at the cirque floor, a beautifully developed end moraine with lateral moraines is preserved. 10Be ages from boulders on the moraine cluster around the transition from the Oldest Dryas to the Bølling Interstadial, suggesting moraine stabilization due to the rapid warming at that time. The ELA of the glacier was at about 2200 m a.s.l., roughly 600 - 650 m lower than during the LIA. This value can be taken as representative for the mountain ranges in its vicinity and can form the basis for estimates of glacier extent during the early Lateglacial period in the central Eastern Alps.

Phylogeography and recolonization of the Swiss Alps by the Valais shrew (Sorex antinorii), inferred with autosomal and sex-specific markers.

PubMed

Yannic, G; Basset, P; Hausser, J

2008-09-01

Using one male-inherited, one female-inherited and eight biparentally inherited markers, we investigate the population genetic structure of the Valais shrew (Sorex antinorii) in the Swiss Alps. Bayesian analysis on autosomal microsatellites suggests a clear genetic differentiation between two groups of populations. This geographically based structure is consistent with two separate postglacial recolonization routes of the species into Switzerland from Italian refugia after the last Pleistocene glaciations. Sex-specific markers also confirm genetic structuring among western and eastern areas, since very few haplotypes for either Y chromosome or mtDNA genome are shared between the two regions. Overall, these results suggest that two already well-differentiated genetic lineages colonized the Swiss Alps and came into secondary contact in the Rhône Valley. Low level of admixture between the two lineages is likely explained by the mountainous landscape structure of lateral valleys orthogonal to the main Rhône valley.

Kicking against the PRCs – A Domesticated Transposase Antagonises Silencing Mediated by Polycomb Group Proteins and Is an Accessory Component of Polycomb Repressive Complex 2

PubMed Central

Perera, Pumi; Mora-García, Santiago; de Leau, Erica; Thornton, Harry; de Alves, Flavia Lima; Rapsilber, Juri; Yang, Suxin; James, Geo Velikkakam; Schneeberger, Korbinian; Finnegan, E. Jean; Turck, Franziska; Goodrich, Justin

2015-01-01

The Polycomb group (PcG) and trithorax group (trxG) genes play crucial roles in development by regulating expression of homeotic and other genes controlling cell fate. Both groups catalyse modifications of chromatin, particularly histone methylation, leading to epigenetic changes that affect gene activity. The trxG antagonizes the function of PcG genes by activating PcG target genes, and consequently trxG mutants suppress PcG mutant phenotypes. We previously identified the ANTAGONIST OF LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN1 (ALP1) gene as a genetic suppressor of mutants in the Arabidopsis PcG gene LIKE HETEROCHROMATIN PROTEIN1 (LHP1). Here, we show that ALP1 interacts genetically with several other PcG and trxG components and that it antagonizes PcG silencing. Transcriptional profiling reveals that when PcG activity is compromised numerous target genes are hyper-activated in seedlings and that in most cases this requires ALP1. Furthermore, when PcG activity is present ALP1 is needed for full activation of several floral homeotic genes that are repressed by the PcG. Strikingly, ALP1 does not encode a known chromatin protein but rather a protein related to PIF/Harbinger class transposases. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that ALP1 is broadly conserved in land plants and likely lost transposase activity and acquired a novel function during angiosperm evolution. Consistent with this, immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry (IP-MS) show that ALP1 associates, in vivo, with core components of POLYCOMB REPRESSIVE COMPLEX 2 (PRC2), a widely conserved PcG protein complex which functions as a H3K27me3 histone methyltransferase. Furthermore, in reciprocal pulldowns using the histone methyltransferase CURLY LEAF (CLF), we identify not only ALP1 and the core PRC2 components but also plant-specific accessory components including EMBRYONIC FLOWER 1 (EMF1), a transcriptional repressor previously associated with PRC1-like complexes. Taken together our data suggest that ALP1 inhibits PcG silencing by blocking the interaction of the core PRC2 with accessory components that promote its HMTase activity or its role in inhibiting transcription. ALP1 is the first example of a domesticated transposase acquiring a novel function as a PcG component. The antagonistic interaction of a modified transposase with the PcG machinery is novel and may have arisen as a means for the cognate transposon to evade host surveillance or for the host to exploit features of the transposition machinery beneficial for epigenetic regulation of gene activity. PMID:26642436

Polyphase tertiary fold-and-thrust tectonics in the Belluno Dolomites: new mapping, kinematic analysis, and 3D modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chistolini, Filippo; Bistacchi, Andrea; Massironi, Matteo; Consonni, Davide; Cortinovis, Silvia

2014-05-01

The Belluno Dolomites are comprised in the eastern sector of the Southern Alps, which corresponds to the fold-and-thrust belt at the retro-wedge of the Alpine collisional orogen. They are characterized by a complex and polyphase fold-and-thrust tectonics, highlighted by multiple thrust sheets and thrust-related folding. We have studied this tectonics in the Vajont area where a sequence of Jurassic, Cretaceous and Tertiary units have been involved in multiple deformations. The onset of contractional tectonics in this part of the Alps is constrained to be Tertiary (likely Post-Eocene) by structural relationships with the Erto Flysch, whilst in the Mesozoic tectonics was extensional. We have recognized two contractional deformation phases (D1 and D2 in the following), of which only the second was mentioned in previous studies of the area and attributed to the Miocene Neoalpine event. D1 and D2 are characterized by roughly top-to-WSW (possibly Dinaric) and top-to-S (Alpine) transport directions respectively, implying a 90° rotation of the regional-scale shortening axis, and resulting in complex thrust and fold interference and reactivation patterns. Geological mapping and detailed outcrop-scale kinematic analysis allowed us to characterize the kinematics and chronology of deformations. Particularly, relative chronology was unravelled thanks to (1) diagnostic fold interference patterns and (2) crosscutting relationships between thrust faults and thrust-related folds. A km-scale D1 syncline, filled with the Eocene Erto Flysch and "decapitated" by a D2 thrust fault, provides the best map-scale example of crosscutting relationships allowing to reconstruct the faulting history. Due to the strong competence contrast between Jurassic carbonates and Tertiary flysch, in this syncline spectacular duplexes were also developed during D2. In order to quantitatively characterize the complex interference pattern resulting from two orthogonal thrusting and folding events, we performed a dip-domain analysis that allowed to categorize the different fold limbs and reduce the uncertainty in the reconstruction of the fault network topology in map view. This enabled us to reconstruct a high-quality, low-uncertainty 3D structural and geological model, which unambiguously proves that deformations with a top-to-WSW Dinaric transport direction propagate farther to the west than previously supposed in this part of the Southern Alps. Our new structural reconstruction of the Vajont valley have also clarified the structural control on the 1963 catastrophic landslide (which caused over 2000 losses). Besides being a challenging natural laboratory for testing analysis and modelling methodologies to be used when reconstructing in 3D this kind of complex interference structures, the Vajont area also provides useful clues on the still-enigmatic structures in the frontal part of the Friuli-Venetian Southern Alps, buried in the Venetian Plain foredeep. These include active seismogenic thrust-faults and, at the same time, represent a growing interest for the oil industry.

Polyploidisation and Geographic Differentiation Drive Diversification in a European High Mountain Plant Group (Doronicum clusii Aggregate, Asteraceae)

PubMed Central

Pachschwöll, Clemens; Escobar García, Pedro; Winkler, Manuela; Schneeweiss, Gerald M.; Schönswetter, Peter

2015-01-01

Range shifts (especially during the Pleistocene), polyploidisation and hybridization are major factors affecting high-mountain biodiversity. A good system to study their role in the European high mountains is the Doronicum clusii aggregate (Asteraceae), whose four taxa (D. clusii s.s., D. stiriacum, D. glaciale subsp. glaciale and D. glaciale subsp. calcareum) are differentiated geographically, ecologically (basiphilous versus silicicolous) and/or via their ploidy levels (diploid versus tetraploid). Here, we use DNA sequences (three plastid and one nuclear spacer) and AFLP fingerprinting data generated for 58 populations to infer phylogenetic relationships, origin of polyploids—whose ploidy level was confirmed by chromosomally calibrated DNA ploidy level estimates—and phylogeographic history. Taxonomic conclusions were informed, among others, by a Gaussian clustering method for species delimitation using dominant multilocus data. Based on molecular data we identified three lineages: (i) silicicolous diploid D. clusii s.s. in the Alps, (ii) silicicolous tetraploid D. stiriacum in the eastern Alps (outside the range of D. clusii s.s.) and the Carpathians and (iii) the basiphilous diploids D. glaciale subsp. glaciale (eastern Alps) and D. glaciale subsp. calcareum (northeastern Alps); each taxon was identified as distinct by the Gaussian clustering, but the separation of D. glaciale subsp. calcareum and D. glaciale subsp. glaciale was not stable, supporting their taxonomic treatment as subspecies. Carpathian and Alpine populations of D. stiriacum were genetically differentiated suggesting phases of vicariance, probably during the Pleistocene. The origin (autopolyploid versus allopolyploid) of D. stiriacum remained unclear. Doronicum glaciale subsp. calcareum was genetically and morphologically weakly separated from D. glaciale subsp. glaciale but exhibited significantly higher genetic diversity and rarity. This suggests that the more widespread D. glaciale subsp. glaciale originated from D. glaciale subsp. calcareum, which is restricted to a prominent Pleistocene refugium previously identified in other alpine plant species. PMID:25749621

Terricolous Lichens in the Glacier Forefield of the Morteratsch Glacier (Eastern Alps, Graubünden, Switzerland)

PubMed Central

Bilovitz, Peter O.; Nascimbene, Juri; Mayrhofer, Helmut

2016-01-01

Summary Three sampling sites were established at increasing distance from the Morteratsch glacier to investigate lichen communities on soil in the glacier forefield. The survey yielded 13 lichen species and one lichenicolous fungus. Peltigera extenuata (Nyl. ex Vain.) Lojka (Peltigerales) is new to the canton of Graubünden. PMID:26877564

Altitudinal and chiral signature of persistent organochlorine pesticides in air, soil, and spruce needles (Picea abies) of the Alps.

PubMed

Shen, Heqing; Henkelmann, Bernhard; Levy, Walkiria; Zsolnay, Adam; Weiss, Peter; Jakobi, Gert; Kirchner, Manfred; Moche, Wolfgang; Braun, Katharina; Schramm, Karl-Werner

2009-04-01

The present study investigated the distribution, transportation, and biodegradation of the selected chiral persistent organochlorine pesticides (OCP) in the Alps. In the complex environment, we found the movement and fate of OCP could be defined by many factors. Taking HCE as an example, below the timberline its accumulation from air into SPMD increased with altitude and seasonally changed, but the trends reversed above the timberline. In soil, the tendency of HCE concentrations vs organic materials followed a sigmoid curve, and HCE concentration-altitude correlations are positive in central Alps but negative in southern Alps. The HCE enantiomeric ratios (ERs) in soil correlated to HCE isomers concentrations, the humus pH values, and the sampling site altitudes. HCE shift from humus to mineral soil can also be traced by ERs. The altitudinal and longitudinal trends in needles suggested that alpha-HCH has a more complex movementthan HCE in Alps. In conclusion, altitude conducted condensation, plant canopies, organic material in soil, and geographic specific precipitations may affect OCP distributions and transportation, whereas altitude conducted temperature and soil pH could dictate their fate in the environment.

The genetic structure of the mountain forest butterfly Erebia euryale unravels the late Pleistocene and postglacial history of the mountain coniferous forest biome in Europe.

PubMed

Schmitt, Thomas; Haubrich, Karola

2008-05-01

The distribution of the mountain coniferous forest biome in Europe throughout time is not sufficiently understood. One character species of this habitat type is the large ringlet, Erebia euryale well reflecting the extension of this biome today, and the genetic differentiation of this species among and within mountain systems may unravel the late Pleistocene history of this habitat type. We therefore analysed the allozyme pattern of 381 E. euryale individuals from 11 populations in four different European mountain systems (Pyrenees, Alps, Carpathians, Rila). All loci analysed were polymorphic. The mean F(ST) over all samples was high (20%). Furthermore, the mean genetic distance among samples was quite high (0.049). We found four different groups well supported by cluster analyses, bootstraps and hierarchical variance analyses: Pyrenees, western Alps, eastern Alps and southeastern Europe (Carpathians and Rila). The genetic diversity of the populations was highest in the southeastern European group and stepwise decreased westwards. Interestingly, the populations from Bulgaria and Romania were almost identical; therefore, we assume that they were not separated by the Danube Valley, at least during the last ice age. On the contrary, the differentiation among the three western Alps populations was considerable. For all these reasons, we assume that (i) the most important refugial area for the coniferous mountain forest biome in Europe has been located in southeastern Europe including at least parts of the Carpathians and the Bulgarian mountains; (ii) important refugial areas for this biome existed at the southeastern edge of the Alps; (iii) fragments of this habitat types survived along the southwestern Alps, but in a more scattered distribution; and (iv) relatively small relicts have persisted somewhere at the foothills of the Pyrenees.

Hail frequency estimation across Europe based on a combination of overshooting top detections and the ERA-INTERIM reanalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Punge, H. J.; Bedka, K. M.; Kunz, M.; Reinbold, A.

2017-12-01

This article presents a hail frequency estimation based on the detection of cold overshooting cloud tops (OTs) from the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) operational weather satellites, in combination with a hail-specific filter derived from the ERA-INTERIM reanalysis. This filter has been designed based on the atmospheric properties in the vicinity of hail reports registered in the European Severe Weather Database (ESWD). These include Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE), 0-6-km bulk wind shear and freezing level height, evaluated at the nearest time step and interpolated from the reanalysis grid to the location of the hail report. Regions highly exposed to hail events include Northern Italy, followed by South-Eastern Austria and Eastern Spain. Pronounced hail frequency is also found in large parts of Eastern Europe, around the Alps, the Czech Republic, Southern Germany, Southern and Eastern France, and in the Iberic and Apennine mountain ranges.

From Tethyan Oceans to the Western Mediterranean I - Plate reconstructions from the Present back to the Early Mesozoic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmid, Stefan; Handy, Mark; Bousquet, Romain; Kissling, Eduard; Bernoulli, Daniel

2010-05-01

A new reconstruction of the branches of Alpine Tethys combines available plate kinematic models of Africa-Europe motion with a wealth of new geological and geophysical data (seismic tomography and paleomagnetics) to shed light the evolution of the Western Mediterranean-Alps system, from sea-floor spreading through subduction to collision. Unlike previous models which relate the fate of Alpine Tethys solely to relative motions of the African plate with respect to Europe during opening of the Atlantic, our reconstruction invokes motions and rotations of four additional and temporarily independent microplates: Adria, Iberia, Alcapia and Alkapecia. Translations and rotations of these microplates with respect to Europe are constrained in the following way: (1) The retro-translations of Adria back to 94 Ma are obtained from shortening estimates in the Alps along geological-geophysical transects of the Alpine orogen and from geobarometric estimates of subduction depth in tectonic units that underwent high-pressure and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism. Rotations are based on paleomagnetic data of Márton et al. (in press); (2) Iberia follows the motion paths of Savostin et al. (1986), based on magnetic anomalies in the Central and Northern Atlantic; the Corsica-Sardinia block later rifted from Iberia leading to Burdigalian opening of the Liguria-Provençal basin (Serranne 1999). (3) The Alcapia microplate, whose name is derived from the acronym ALCAPA (Alps-Carpathians-Pannonian Basin), separated from Adria in Cretaceous times. Its movement with respect to Adria was absorbed by Cretaceous orogeny in the Eastern Alps, constrained by the Adria-Europe displacement and rotation path; later, during Cenozoic orogeny in the Alps, associated with the closing of the Alpine Tethys, it became part of the Adria microplate again. (4) The introduction of an independent Alkapekia continental fragment and independent microplate during the Late Cenozoic only (Alboran-Kabylia-Peloritani-Calabria; Michard et al. 2002) is rendered necessary for two principal reasons: (a) the contrasting tectonometamorphic evolution of the West Ligurian Ocean (future Alps-Corsica-Betics) and the East Ligurian Ocean (future Apennine) make it necessary to kinematically decouple the fate of these two branches of Alpine Tethys located on opposite sides of the Alkapekia continental block; (b) Alkapecia that was formerly part of the African and/or Adriatic plate overrode parts of the Iberian, African and Adria plates as an independent continental microplate during Late Cenozoic rollback subduction leading to the present-day Betic-Rif arc and the Calabrian Trench-Arc system. Our complex five-plate model provides an explanation of the equally complex evolution of the Western Mediterranean-Alps system, as discussed in part II of this contribution (Handy et al.). Márton, E., Zampieri, D., Grandesso, P., Ćosović, V., Moro, A., submitted to Tectonophysics. New Cretaceous paleomagnetic results from the foreland of the Southern Alps and the refined apparent polar wander path for stable Adria. Savostin, L.A., Sibuet, J.-C., Zonenshain, L.P., Le Pichon, X., Roulet, M.-J., 1986. Kinematic evolution of the Tethys belt from the Atlantic ocean to the Pamire since the Triassic. Tectonophysics 123: 1-35. Séranne, M., 1999. The Gulf of Lion continental margin (NW Mediterranean) revisited by IBS: an overview. In: B. Durand, L. Jolivet, F. Horvath, M. Séranne (Editors), The Mediterranean Basins: Tertiary Extension within the Alpine Orogen. Geological Society, London, Special Publications 156: 15-36. Michard, A., Chalouan, A., Feinberg, H., Goffé, B., Montigny, R., 2002. How does the Alpine belt end between Spain and Morocco? Bullétin Societé géologique de France 173: 3-15.

Intracellular accumulation and oligosaccharide processing of alkaline phosphatase under disassembly of the Golgi complex caused by brefeldin A.

PubMed

Takami, N; Oda, K; Fujiwara, T; Ikehara, Y

1990-12-27

Electron microscopic observations showed that the fungal metabolite brefeldin A caused disassembly of the Golgi complex in human choriocarcinoma cells and accumulation of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and nuclear envelope, where ALP was not apparently detectable in control cells. Pulse/chase experiments with [35S]methionine demonstrated that in the control cells, ALP synthesized as a 63-kDa precursor form was rapidly converted to a 66-kDa form, by processing of its N-linked oligosaccharides from the high-mannose type to the complex type, which was expressed on the cell surface after 30 min of chase. In contrast, in the brefeldin-A-treated cells the precursor was gradually converted to a 65-kDa form, slightly smaller than the control mature form, which was not expressed on the cell surface even after a prolonged time of chase. Kinetics of the ALP processing in the brefeldin-A-treated cells demonstrated that the precursor was initially converted to an intermediate form, partially sensitive to endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H (endo H), then to an endo-H-resistant 65-kDa form. In addition, this form was found to be sensitive to neuraminidase digestion, though its sialylation was not so complete as that of the control mature form. Taken together, these results suggest that under disassembly of the Golgi complex caused by brefeldin A, oligosaccharide-processing enzymes including sialyltransferase, an enzyme in the trans Golgi cisterna(e) and/or the trans Golgi network, might be redistributed into the ER and involved in processing of the oligosaccharides of ALP accumulating there.

Ophiolitic detritus in Kimmeridgian resedimented limestones and its provenance from an eroded obducted ophiolitic nappe stack south of the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gawlick, Hans-Jürgen; Aubrecht, Roman; Schlagintweit, Felix; Missoni, Sigrid; Plašienka, Dušan

2015-12-01

The causes for the Middle to Late Jurassic tectonic processes in the Northern Calcareous Alps are still controversially discussed. There are several contrasting models for these processes, formerly designated "Jurassic gravitational tectonics". Whereas in the Dinarides or the Western Carpathians Jurassic ophiolite obduction and a Jurassic mountain building process with nappe thrusting is widely accepted, equivalent processes are still questioned for the Eastern Alps. For the Northern Calcareous Alps, an Early Cretaceous nappe thrusting process is widely favoured instead of a Jurassic one, obviously all other Jurassic features are nearly identical in the Northern Calcareous Alps, the Western Carpathians and the Dinarides. In contrast, the Jurassic basin evolutionary processes, as best documented in the Northern Calcareous Alps, were in recent times adopted to explain the Jurassic tectonic processes in the Carpathians and Dinarides. Whereas in the Western Carpathians Neotethys oceanic material is incorporated in the mélanges and in the Dinarides huge ophiolite nappes are preserved above the Jurassic basin fills and mélanges, Jurassic ophiolites or ophiolitic remains are not clearly documented in the Northern Calcareous Alps. Here we present chrome spinel analyses of ophiolitic detritic material from Kimmeridgian allodapic limestones in the central Northern Calcareous Alps. The Kimmeridgian age is proven by the occurrence of the benthic foraminifera Protopeneroplis striata and Labyrinthina mirabilis, the dasycladalean algae Salpingoporella pygmea, and the alga incertae sedis Pseudolithocodium carpathicum. From the geochemical composition the analysed spinels are pleonastes and show a dominance of Al-chromites (Fe3+-Cr3+-Al3+ diagram). In the Mg/(Mg+ Fe2+) vs. Cr/(Cr+ Al) diagram they can be classified as type II ophiolites and in the TiO2 vs. Al2O3 diagram they plot into the SSZ peridotite field. All together this points to a harzburgite provenance of the analysed spinels as known from the Jurassic suprasubduction ophiolites well preserved in the Dinarides/Albanides. These data clearly indicate Late Jurassic erosion of obducted ophiolites before their final sealing by the Late Jurassic-earliest Cretaceous carbonate platform pattern.

Little Ice Age mapping as a tool for identifying hazard in the paraglacial environment: The case study of Trentino (Eastern Italian Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanoner, Thomas; Carton, Alberto; Seppi, Roberto; Carturan, Luca; Baroni, Carlo; Salvatore, Maria Cristina; Zumiani, Matteo

2017-10-01

The Little Ice Age (LIA) is a well-recognized climatic event during which the glaciers in the Alps advanced and reached their maximum Holocene extent. During their retreat following the LIA, the glaciers left large areas of loose or poorly consolidated glacial deposits in their forelands, which are subject to paraglacial reworking and may represent potential hazards for human infrastructures. In this study, we present a regional scale mapping of the LIA and post-LIA glacial deposits and a reconstruction of the maximum LIA extents of glaciers in the same area. This work is motivated by a local law requiring the classification of areas subject to natural hazards in Trentino (Italian Alps). Results highlight that glaciers shrunk by 63% from the LIA maximum, leaving 30 km2 of unconsolidated deposits, which are subject to geomorphic paraglacial processes. Potentially hazardous consequences can occur, in particular, during high-magnitude instantaneous events, causing debris and mud flows, mass wasting from debris-covered ice, and floods from small moraine-dammed lakes.

An exploratory analysis of alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, and prostate-specific antigen dynamics in the phase 3 ALSYMPCA trial with radium-223

PubMed Central

Sartor, O.; Coleman, R. E.; Nilsson, S.; Heinrich, D.; Helle, S. I.; O’Sullivan, J. M.; Vogelzang, N. J.; Bruland, Ø.; Kobina, S.; Wilhelm, S.; Xu, L.; Shan, M.; Kattan, M. W.; Parker, C.

2017-01-01

Background Baseline clinical variables are prognostic for overall survival (OS) in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Their prognostic and predictive value with agents targeting bone metastases, such as radium-223, is not established. Patients and methods The radium-223 ALSYMPCA trial enrolled patients with CRPC and symptomatic bone metastases. Prognostic potential of baseline variables was assessed using Cox models. Percentage changes in biomarker levels from baseline were evaluated during the trial period; changes from baseline to week 12 were evaluated for association with OS and surrogacy. Results Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, total alkaline phosphatase (tALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) at baseline were associated with OS (P ≤ 0.0003) in the intent-to-treat population (radium-223, N = 614; placebo, N = 307). tALP declined from baseline within 4 weeks after beginning radium-223, by week 12 declining in 87% of radium-223 and 23% of placebo patients (P < 0.001). LDH declined in 51% and 34% (P = 0.003), whereas PSA declined in 27% and 14% (P = 0.160). Mean tALP change from baseline was 32.2% decrease with radium-223 and 37.2% increase with placebo. Radium-223 patients with tALP decline from baseline to week 12 (confirmed ≥3 weeks from week 12) had 55% lower risk of death (hazard ratio = 0.45; 95% CI 0.34–0.61) versus those with no confirmed tALP decline. Proportional treatment effect (PTE) values for tALP, LDH, and PSA changes from baseline at week 12 as OS surrogate markers were 0.34 (95% CI: 0–0.746), 0.07 (95% CI: 0–0.211), and 0 (95% CI: 0–0.082), respectively. Conclusions Significant tALP declines (versus placebo) occurred as early as 4 weeks after beginning radium-223 therapy. tALP or LDH declines at 12 weeks correlated with longer OS, but did not meet statistical surrogacy requirements. Dynamic changes in tALP and LDH during radium-223 treatments may be useful to monitor, but do not serve as surrogates for survival. PMID:28453701

Post-20 Ma Motion of the Adriatic Plate: New Constraints From Surrounding Orogens and Implications for Crust-Mantle Decoupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Breton, Eline; Handy, Mark R.; Molli, Giancarlo; Ustaszewski, Kamil

2017-12-01

A new kinematic reconstruction that incorporates estimates of post-20 Ma shortening and extension in the Apennines, Alps, Dinarides, and Sicily Channel Rift Zone (SCRZ) reveals that the Adriatic microplate (Adria) rotated counterclockwise as it subducted beneath the European Plate to the west and to the east, while indenting the Alps to the north. Minimum and maximum amounts of rotation are derived by using, respectively, estimates of crustal extension along the SCRZ (minimum of 30 km) combined with crustal shortening in the Eastern Alps (minimum of 115 km) and a maximum amount (140 km) of convergence between Adria and Moesia across the southern Dinarides and Carpatho-Balkan orogens. When combined with Neogene convergence in the Western Alps, the best fit of available structural data constrains Adria to have moved 113 km to the NW (azimuth 325°) while rotating 5 ± 3° counterclockwise relative to Europe since 20 Ma. Amounts of plate convergence predicted by our new model exceed Neogene shortening estimates of several tens of kilometers in both the Apennines and Dinarides. We attribute this difference to crust-mantle decoupling (delamination) during rollback in the Apennines and to distributed deformation related to the northward motion of the Dacia Unit between the southern Dinarides and Europe (Moesia). Neogene motion of Adria resulted from a combination of Africa pushing from the south, the Adriatic-Hellenides slab pulling to the northeast, and crustal wedging in the Western Alps, which acted as a pivot and stopped farther northwestward motion of Adria relative to Europe.

No erosional control on the lateral growth of the Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, C. L.; Berger, A.

2009-04-01

On the base of literature data, we estimated the paleowidth of the Central Alps and the changing location of the inferred active fronts of the orogen from the Oligocene to the present. These compilations indicate that the absolute change of width, defined as the distance between the most external, but not necessarily active thrusts of the orogen was modest, amounting to less than 15 %, from 32 Ma to the present. This value lies within the error of estimate, and hence it is no sound evidence for lateral growth or retreat of the orogen. On the other hand the width of the active orogen, defined as the distance between the most external active thrusts, did increase in the early Miocene. This increase started already in the Oligocene as also concluded on the base of sedimentological findings, suggesting a continuous growth of thrusts through the Oligocene-Early Miocene interval (e.g. Schumacher et al., 1996). In the Late Miocene the active width of the Southern Alps decreased, as documented by a pre-Messinian out-of-sequence phase of thrusting (Lecco thrust; Schönborn, 1992) younger than the Milan Belt (Schönborn 1992). Increasing erosion rates are expected to reduce the width of the orogen, whereas decreasing rates are expected to increase its width (Beaumont et al., 1992). Therefore, following the example of previous investigations (Schlunegger et al., 2001; Schlunegger and Simpson, 2002; Willett et al., 2006) we compare the reconstructed changes of width of the Alps with the depositional budgets of the Alpine foreland basins (Kuhlemann, 2000) inferred to be a proxy for the erosion rates of the Alpine belt. This comparison shows that the most significant increases in erosion efficiency do not lead to a decrease in the active width of the orogen. This is indicated by the pronounced foreland-directed growth of the Alps after the Messinian, i.e., during the phase of greatest increase in the erosion rates of the orogen. The best regional examples are the northward shift of the deformation front of the Jura Mountains (Nivière and Winter, 2000; Giamboni et al., 2004; Madritsch et al., 2008), the westward shift of the Chaines Subalpines (Lickorisch and Ford, 1998) on the western side of the orogen, and the southward migration of the active front in the eastern sector of the Southern Alps (Benedetti et al., 2000). The reduced erosional efficiency of the orogen, which started at 17 Ma and continued until the Messinian (Kuhlemann, 2000) also did not coincide to a phase of lateral growth of the orogen. Out-of sequence thrusting in the Southern Alps (Schönborn, 1992) reduced the width of the chain well before the Messinian crisis, i.e. during the phase of fading erosion efficiency. Therefore, erosion does not seem to have been the prime control on the changes of width of the orogen. Alternatively, the effect of erosion on the lateral growth of the orogen can be tested by comparing the timing and the type of shifts of the active deformation front from different parts of the orogen. If climate changes are inferred to control changes in the erosional efficiency of the Alps (Willett et al., 2006), the tectonic response to a given change of climate is expected to be coeval and of similar type in all parts of the chain. This is especially true for an orogen as small as the Alps, whose different portions are all affected by the same climatic conditions. However, the mode of exhumation of the Eastern Alps is very different than that of the Western and Central Alps. The exhumation front progressively shifted towards the foreland in the latter case, whereas it remained focused in the axial zone of the orogen in the former case (Rosenberg and Berger, 2009). As a consequence, a broad metamorphic belt, with cooling ages younging from the axial zone towards the foreland formed in the western Alps, and a narrow metamorphic belt with cooling ages younging towards the axial zone of the orogen formed in the Eastern Alps. These first-order differences indicate that processes other than erosion and climate change controlled the migration of the deformation and exhumation fronts of the Alps. References: Beaumont, C., P. Fullsack, and J. Hamilton (1992). In: K.R. McKlay (ed.), Thrust Tectonics, pp. 19-31, Chapman and Hall, New York. Benedetti, L., P. Tapponnier, G.C.P. King, B. Meyer, and I. Manighetti (2000). J. Geophys. Res., 105, 739-766. Giamboni, M., K. Ustaszewski, S.M. Schmid, M. Schumacher, and A. Wetzel (2004). Int. J. Earth Sci., 93, 207-223. Kuhlemann, J. (2000). Mem. Sci. Geol. Padova, 52, 1-91. Lickorisch, W. H., Ford, M., (1998). In: Mascle et al. (eds.), Cenozoic foreland basin of Western Europe, Geol. Soc. London, Spec. Publ., 134, 189-211. Madritsch, H., S. M. Schmid, and O. Fabbri (2008). Tectonics, 27, TC5005, doi:10.1029/2008TC002282 Rosenberg, C.L. and Berger, A. (2009).Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 11, EGU2009-2906, 2009 EGU General Assembly 2009Schlunegger, F., J. Melzer, and G.E. Tucker (2001). Int. J. Earth Sci., 90, 484-499. Schlunegger, F., and G. Simpson (2002), Geology 30, 907-910. Schönborn, G. (1992) Mem. Scienze Sci. Geolog. Padova, 44, 229-393. Schumacher, M.E., G. Schönborn, D. Bernoulli, and H.P. Laubscher (1996), In: O.A. Pfiffner et al. (eds.), Deep Structure of the Swiss Alps — Results from the National Research Program 20 (NRP 20), 186-204, Birkhäuser, Basel. Willett, S.D., F. Schlunegger, and V. Picotti (2006). Geology, 34, 613-616.

Palaeomagnetic time and space constraints of the Early Cretaceous Rhenodanubian Flysch zone (Eastern Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dallanave, Edoardo; Kirscher, Uwe; Hauck, Jürgen; Hesse, Reinhard; Bachtadse, Valerian; Wortmann, Ulrich Georg

2018-06-01

The Rhenodanubian Flysch zone (RDF) is a Lower Cretaceous-lower Palaeocene turbidite succession extending for ˜500 km from the Danube at Vienna to the Rhine Valley (Eastern Alps). It consists of calcareous and siliciclastic turbidite systems deposited in a trench abyssal plain. The age of deposition has been estimated through micropalaeontologic dating. However, palaeomagnetic studies constraining the age and the palaeolatitude of deposition of the RDF are still missing. Here, we present palaeomagnetic data from the Early Cretaceous Tristel and Rehbreingraben Formations of the RDF from two localities in the Bavarian Alps (Rehbrein Creek and Lainbach Valley, southern Germany), and from the stratigraphic equivalent of the Falknis Nappe (Liechtenstein). The quality of the palaeomagnetic signal has been assessed by either fold test (FT) or reversal test (RT). Sediments from the Falknis Nappe are characterized by a pervasive syntectonic magnetic overprint as tested by negative FT, and are thus excluded from the study. The sediments of the Rehbreingraben Formation at Rehbrein Creek, with positive RT, straddle magnetic polarity Chron M0r and the younger M΄-1r΄ reverse event, with an age of ˜127-123 Ma (late Barremian-early Aptian). At Lainbach Valley, no polarity reversals have been observed, but a positive FT gives confidence on the reliability of the data. The primary palaeomagnetic directions, after correction for inclination shallowing, allow to precisely constrain the depositional palaeolatitude of the Tristel and Rehbreingraben Formations around ˜28°N. In a palaeogeographic reconstruction of the Alpine Tethys at the Barremian/Aptian boundary, the RDF is located on the western margin of the Briançonnais terrain, which was separated from the European continent by the narrow Valais Ocean.

ATM Coastal Topography-Florida 2001: Eastern Panhandle

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yates, Xan; Nayegandhi, Amar; Brock, John C.; Sallenger, A.H.; Bonisteel, Jamie M.; Klipp, Emily S.; Wright, C. Wayne

2009-01-01

These remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements of Lidar-derived first surface (FS) topography were produced collaboratively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC), St. Petersburg, FL, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Wallops Flight Facility, VA. This project provides highly detailed and accurate datasets of the eastern Florida panhandle coastline, acquired October 2, 2001. The datasets are made available for use as a management tool to research scientists and natural resource managers. An innovative scanning Lidar instrument originally developed by NASA, and known as the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM), was used during data acquisition. The ATM system is a scanning Lidar system that measures high-resolution topography of the land surface and incorporates a green-wavelength laser operating at pulse rates of 2 to 10 kilohertz. Measurements from the laser-ranging device are coupled with data acquired from inertial navigation system (INS) attitude sensors and differentially corrected global positioning system (GPS) receivers to measure topography of the surface at accuracies of +/-15 centimeters. The nominal ATM platform is a Twin Otter or P-3 Orion aircraft, but the instrument may be deployed on a range of light aircraft. Elevation measurements were collected over the survey area using the ATM system, and the resulting data were then processed using the Airborne Lidar Processing System (ALPS), a custom-built processing system developed in a NASA-USGS collaboration. ALPS supports the exploration and processing of Lidar data in an interactive or batch mode. Modules for presurvey flight line definition, flight path plotting, Lidar raster and waveform investigation, and digital camera image playback have been developed. Processing algorithms have been developed to extract the range to the first and last significant return within each waveform. ALPS is routinely used to create maps that represent submerged or first surface topography.

Can deep seated gravitational slope deformations be activated by regional tectonic strain: First insights from displacement measurements in caves from the Eastern Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baroň, Ivo; Plan, Lukas; Grasemann, Bernhard; Mitroviċ, Ivanka; Lenhardt, Wolfgang; Hausmann, Helmut; Stemberk, Josef

2016-04-01

Tectonic elastic strain and ground deformations are documented as the most remarkable environmental phenomena occurring prior to local earthquakes in tectonically active areas. The question arises if such strain would be able to trigger mass movements. We discuss a directly observed fault slip and a subsequent minor activation of a deep-seated gravitational slope deformation prior to the M = 3 Bad Fischau earthquake between end of November and early December 2013 in NE Austria. The data originate from two faults in the Emmerberg and Eisenstein Caves in the transition zone between the Eastern Alps and the Vienna Basin, monitored in the framework of the FWF "Speleotect" project. The fault slips have been observed at the micrometer-level by means of an opto-mechanical 3D crack gauge TM-71. The discussed event started with the fault activation in the Emmerberg Cave on 25 November 2013 recorded by measurements of about 2 μm shortening and 1 μm sinistral parallel slip, which was fully in agreement with the macroscopically documented past fault kinematics. One day later, the mass (micro) movement activated on the opposite side of the mountain ridge in the Eisenstein Cave and it continued on three consecutive days. Further, the fault in the Emmerberg Cave experienced also a subsequent gravitational relaxation on 2/3 December 2013, when the joint opened and the southern block subsided towards the valley, while the original sinistral displacement remained irreversible. The process was followed by the M = 3 earthquake in Bad Fischau on 11 December 2013. Our data suggest that tectonic strain could play a higher role on the activation of slow mass movements in the area than expected. Although we cannot fully exclude the co-activation of the mass movement in the Eisenstein Cave by water saturation, the presented data bring new insight into recent geodynamics of the Eastern Alps and the Vienna Basin. For better interpretations and conclusions however, we need a much longer period of observations.

Younger Dryas equilibrium line altitudes and precipitation patterns in the Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kerschner, Hanns; Moran, Andrew; Ivy-Ochs, Susan

2016-04-01

Moraine systems of the "Egesen Stadial" are widespread and easily identifiable features in the Alps. Absolute dating with terrestrial cosmogenic radionuclides shows that the maximum extent was reached during the early Younger Dryas (YD), probably as a reaction to the intense climatic downturn subsequent to Lateglacial Interstadial. In recent years, several new studies and the availability of high-quality laser-scan hillshades and orthophotos allowed a significant extension of the database of YD glaciers as "palaeoprecipitation gauges" to large hitherto unmapped regions in the Austrian and Swiss Alps. The equilibrium line altitude (ELA) of the glaciers and its lowering relative to the Little Ice Age ELA (dELA) shows a distinct and systematic spatial pattern. Along the northern slope of the Alps, dELAs are usually large (around 400 m and perhaps even more), while dELAs range around 200 m in the well sheltered areas of the central Alps, e.g. in the Engadine and in western Tyrol. Both stochastic glacier-climate models (e.g. Ohmura et al. 1992) and the heat- and mass balance equation (Kuhn 1981) allow the reconstruction of precipitation change under the assumption of a spatially constant summer temperature depression, which in turn can be estimated from biological proxies. This allows to draw the spatial pattern of precipitation change with considerable detail. Precipitation change is clearly controlled by the local relief like high mountain chains, deeply incised and long valleys and mountain passes. Generally the contrast between the northern fringe of the Alps and the interior was more pronounced than today. Climate in the Northern and and Northwestern Alps was rather wet with precipitation totals eventually exceeding modern annual sums. The central Alps received 20 - 30% less precipitation than today, mainly due to reduced winter precipitation. In the southern Alps, still scarce spatial information points to precipitation sums which were approximately similar to modern values. As winter precipitation was probably much smaller than today, seasonal contrasts were more pronounced. In total, the pattern of YD precipitation change is remarkably similar to precipitation patterns caused by westerly and northwesterly cyclonic airflow during the present-day hydrologic winter (October - March). Kerschner, H., G. Kaser, R. Sailer (2000): Alpine Younger Dryas glaciers as paleo-precipitation gauges. Annals of Glaciology 31, 80-84. Kerschner, H. and S. Ivy-Ochs (2007): Palaeoclimate from glaciers: Examples from the Eastern Alps during the Alpine Lateglacial and early Holocene. Global and Planetary Change 60, 58-71.

A new late glacial to early Holocene palaeobotanical and archaeological record in the Eastern Pre-Alps: the Palughetto basin (Cansiglio Plateau, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avigliano, Roberto; di Anastasio, Giulio; Improta, Salvatore; Peresani, Marco; Ravazzi, Cesare

2000-12-01

A late glacial to early Holocene lacustrine and peat succession, rich in conifer remains and including some palaeolithic flint artefacts, has been investigated in the Palughetto intermorainic basin (Venetian Pre-Alps). The geomorphological and stratigraphical relationships, 14C dates and pollen analyses allow a reconstruction of the environmental history of the basin and provide significant insights into the reforestation and peopling of the Pre-Alps. The onset of peat accumulation is dated to 14.4-14.1 kyr cal. BP, coinciding with reforestation at middle altitudes that immediately post-dates the immigration of Larix decidua and Picea abies subsp. europaea. Plant macrofossils point to the expansion of spruce about 14.3 kyr cal. BP, so far one of the earliest directly dated in the late glacial period of southern Europe. The previous hypothesis of an early Holocene spruce immigration in the Southern Alps from Slovenia needs reconsideration. Organic sedimentation stopped at the end of the Younger Dryas and was followed by the evolution of hydromorphic soils containing lithic artefacts, anthropic structures and wood charcoal. The typological features of the flint implements refer human occupation of the site to the end of the recent Epigravettian. Charcoals yielded dates either consistent with, or younger than, the archaeological chronology, in the early and middle Holocene.

Climate anomalies associated with the occurrence of rockfalls at high-elevation in the Italian Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paranunzio, Roberta; Laio, Francesco; Chiarle, Marta; Nigrelli, Guido; Guzzetti, Fausto

2016-09-01

Climate change is seriously affecting the cryosphere in terms, for example, of permafrost thaw, alteration of rain / snow ratio, and glacier shrinkage. There is concern about the increasing number of rockfalls at high elevation in the last decades. Nevertheless, the exact role of climate parameters in slope instability at high elevation has not been fully explored yet. In this paper, we investigate 41 rockfalls listed in different sources (newspapers, technical reports, and CNR IRPI archive) in the elevation range 1500-4200 m a.s.l. in the Italian Alps between 1997 and 2013 in the absence of an evident trigger. We apply and improve an existing data-based statistical approach to detect the anomalies of climate parameters (temperature and precipitation) associated with rockfall occurrences. The identified climate anomalies have been related to the spatiotemporal distribution of the events. Rockfalls occurred in association with significant temperature anomalies in 83 % of our case studies. Temperature represents a key factor contributing to slope failure occurrence in different ways. As expected, warm temperatures accelerate snowmelt and permafrost thaw; however, surprisingly, negative anomalies are also often associated with slope failures. Interestingly, different regional patterns emerge from the data: higher-than-average temperatures are often associated with rockfalls in the Western Alps, while in the Eastern Alps slope failures are mainly associated with colder-than-average temperatures.

A molecular phylogeny of Alpine subterranean Trechini (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The Alpine region harbours one of the most diverse subterranean faunas in the world, with many species showing extreme morphological modifications. The ground beetles of tribe Trechini (Coleoptera, Carabidae) are among the best studied and widespread groups with abundance of troglobionts, but their origin and evolution is largely unknown. Results We sequenced 3.4 Kb of mitochondrial (cox1, rrnL, trnL, nad1) and nuclear (SSU, LSU) genes of 207 specimens of 173 mostly Alpine species, including examples of all subterranean genera but two plus a representation of epigean taxa. We applied Bayesian methods and maximum likelihood to reconstruct the topology and to estimate divergence times using a priori rates obtained for a related ground beetle genus. We found three main clades of late Eocene-early Oligocene origin: (1) the genus Doderotrechus and relatives; (2) the genus Trechus sensu lato, with most anisotopic subterranean genera, including the Pyrenean lineage and taxa from the Dinaric Alps; and (3) the genus Duvalius sensu lato, diversifying during the late Miocene and including all subterranean isotopic taxa. Most of the subterranean genera had an independent origin and were related to epigean taxa of the same geographical area, but there were three large monophyletic clades of exclusively subterranean species: the Pyrenean lineage, a lineage including subterranean taxa from the eastern Alps and the Dinarides, and the genus Anophthalmus from the northeastern Alps. Many lineages have developed similar phenotypes independently, showing extensive morphological convergence or parallelism. Conclusions The Alpine Trechini do not form a homogeneous fauna, in contrast with the Pyrenees, and show a complex scenario of multiple colonisations of the subterranean environment at different geological periods and through different processes. Examples go from populations of an epigean widespread species going underground with little morphological modifications to ancient, geographically widespread lineages of exclusively subterranean species likely to have diversified once fully adapted to the subterranean environment. PMID:24225133

Reconciling late fracturing over the entire Alpine belt: from structural analysis to geochronological constrains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Audrey, Bertrand; Sue, Christian

2016-04-01

Brittle deformations allow assessing the late stage of deformation of an orogenic chain. We reappraised the meaning of the late fracturing over the entire Alps in a global geodynamic context. The closure temperature of ZFT corresponds to the brittle-ductile transition in quartz. Therefore, ZFT ages are a proxy for the maximal age of brittle deformation. Combined analyses of ZFT ages with paleostresses data allow the comparison of the brittle deformations over the belt. In the Western Alps, paleostress indicate a major occurrence of orogen-paralell extension and associated strike-slip regimes (Champagnac et al. 2006; Sue et al. 2007 ; Sue and Tricart, 2003). Indeed, paleostress data show a rotation of the main σ3 stress axes along the arc. Those structures are of Miocene age and are related to the propagation of the Alpine front toward the external zone. In the Central Alps, Paleostress fields are dominated by orogen-parrallel extensional regimes both in the Bergell area (Ciancaleoni and Marquer 2008) and the Lepontie dome (Allanic, 2012). In the Eastern Alps, the only area where ZFT ages are of Tertiary ages is the Tauern Window. The brittle deformation is here dominated by orogen-parallel extension at the eastern and western borders of the dome and by strike-slip faulting in the central parts (Bertrand et al., 2015), and inferred to be driven by the combined collapse and lateral escape of the orogenic wedge, due to indentation on the Adriatic indenter (Ratschbacher et al., 1991). Major orogen-parallel extensional signal is closely linked with transcurrent deformation's component. It appears extremely stable all over the Alps and coeval with the propagation of the alpine front top the W-NW. Looking deeper, SKS splitting over the Alps [Qorbani et al., 2015] roughly indicates an orogen-parallel anisotropy pattern in the upper mantle. Indeed, the scheme of the SKS is very comparable with faulting data along-strike of the Alps. In this frame, we can compare both kinds of data, a priori disconnected, but which exhibit similar patterns. How about connecting deep processes in the upper alpine mantel, and its ductile flow, and upper crustal Miocene dynamics, as seen by brittle deformation? There is a very good correlation between the two pattern of deformation, related to two structural levels, the upper crust and the upper mantle, suggesting that the orogen-parallel extension could be an answer to lithospheric-scale processes. In this geodynamic model we may propose that the overall orogen-parallel Miocene extension observed in the upper crust of the internal Alps may be driven by mantel flow and slab retreat processes implying the Panonian slab to the East and the Apennine slab to the SW. REF: Allanic, C., 2013. PhD, Orléans, 272p - Bertrand, A. et al., 2015. Tectonophysics, 649, 1-17 - Champagnac J-D. et al. Tectonics. doi: 10.1029/2004TC001779 - Ciancaleoni, L. and Marquer, D., 2008 Tectonics, 27, 1-22. Ratschbacher, L. et al. 1989 Geology 17:404-407 - Schmid, S.M. et al. 1996. Tectonics, 15, 1036-1064 - Sue, C. and Tricart, P., 2003 Tectonics 22:1-25 - Sue, C. et al. 2007, IJES, 96, 1101-1129.

Genome-wide association study on serum alkaline phosphatase levels in a Chinese population

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a complex phenotype influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Recent Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have identified several loci affecting ALP levels; however, such studies in Chinese populations are limited. We performed a GWAS analyzing the association between 658,288 autosomal SNPs and serum ALP in 1,461 subjects, and replicated the top SNPs in an additional 8,830 healthy Chinese Han individuals. The interactions between significant locus and environmental factors on serum ALP levels were further investigated. Results The association between ABO locus and serum ALP levels was replicated (P = 2.50 × 10-21, 1.12 × 10-56 and 2.82 × 10-27 for SNP rs8176720, rs651007 and rs7025162 on ABO locus, respectively). SNP rs651007 accounted for 2.15% of the total variance of serum ALP levels independently of the other 2 SNPs. When comparing our findings with previously published studies, ethnic differences were observed across populations. A significant interaction between ABO rs651007 and overweight and obesity was observed (FDR for interaction was 0.036); for individuals with GG genotype, those with normal weight and those who were overweight or obese have similar serum ALP concentrations; minor allele A of rs651007 remarkably reduced serum ALP levels, but this effect was attenuated in overweight and obese individuals. Conclusions Our findings indicate that ABO locus is a major determinant for serum ALP levels in Chinese Han population. Overweight and obesity modifies the effect of ABO locus on serum ALP concentrations. PMID:24094242

Early Holocene (8.6 ka) rock avalanche deposits, Obernberg valley (Eastern Alps): Landform interpretation and kinematics of rapid mass movement.

PubMed

Ostermann, Marc; Sanders, Diethard; Ivy-Ochs, Susan; Alfimov, Vasily; Rockenschaub, Manfred; Römer, Alexander

2012-10-15

In the Obernberg valley, the Eastern Alps, landforms recently interpreted as moraines are re-interpreted as rock avalanche deposits. The catastrophic slope failure involved an initial rock volume of about 45 million m³, with a runout of 7.2 km over a total vertical distance of 1330 m (fahrböschung 10°). 36 Cl surface-exposure dating of boulders of the avalanche mass indicates an event age of 8.6 ± 0.6 ka. A 14 C age of 7785 ± 190 cal yr BP of a palaeosoil within an alluvial fan downlapping the rock avalanche is consistent with the event age. The distal 2 km of the rock-avalanche deposit is characterized by a highly regular array of transverse ridges that were previously interpreted as terminal moraines of Late-Glacial. 'Jigsaw-puzzle structure' of gravel to boulder-size clasts in the ridges and a matrix of cataclastic gouge indicate a rock avalanche origin. For a wide altitude range the avalanche deposit is preserved, and the event age of mass-wasting precludes both runout over glacial ice and subsequent glacial overprint. The regularly arrayed transverse ridges thus were formed during freezing of the rock avalanche deposits.

Extra-Mediterranean glacial refugia in a Mediterranean faunal element: the phylogeography of the chalk-hill blue Polyommatus coridon (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae)

PubMed Central

Kühne, Gero; Kosuch, Joachim; Hochkirch, Axel; Schmitt, Thomas

2017-01-01

Most warm-adapted Central European species are thought to have survived ice ages exclusively in Mediterranean refugia. During recent years, this point of view has been questioned. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that extra-Mediterranean refugia also played a role in warm-adapted insect species and selected the chalk-hill blue, Polyommatus coridon. We sequenced two mitochondrial loci (COI, CR) in 150 individuals from 30 populations covering nearly the complete range. Minimum spanning networks and other statistical analyses concordantly revealed four genetic lineages with strong phylogeographic signal: a western group in Italy, France and western/central Germany, an eastern lineage in the Balkan Peninsula, the Carpathian Basin and eastern Central Europe, an Alpine group with populations in the Alps and southern Germany and a Pyrenean group. Our results are generally consistent with previous analyses for P. coridon based on allozymes and DNA sequences, but provide additional insights. We propose that these four lineages have evolved during allopatry in different glacial refugia, two in typical Mediterranean refugia (Apennines and Balkan Peninsulas), but two in extra-Mediterranean areas south of the Alps and Pyrenees. This supports survival of warm-adapted organisms in these regions in close geographic proximity to the refugia of high mountain species.

New constraints on the thermochronologic evolution at the boundary between the Eastern and Western Alps - Vorarlberg, Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertrand, Audrey; Pomella, Hannah; Fügenschuh, Bernhard; Zerlauth, Michael; Ortner, Hugo

2013-04-01

The study area in the westernmost part of Austria is marked by the limit between the Western and the Eastern Alps that takes place along the Rhine Valley, south of the Lake Constance. The area is composed, form the north to the south and from lowermost to uppermost structural position, by the European basement together with its autochthonous Mesozoic cover, autochthonous Molasse, subalpine Molasse, the Helvetic and Ultra-Helvetic, the Penninic and the Austroalpine nappes. These units are stacked in a succession of nappes separated by large south-trending overthrusts. This study presenting new apatite and zircon fission track ages, together with a crustal-scale cross-section (Pomella et al., this session) addresses the thermotectonic evolution of this nappe stack. In comparison with similar studies from eastern Switzerland the boundary between Western and Eastern Alps should be enlightened. Zircon fissions track ages from the lower freshwater Molasse reveal different age populations. Since all zircon fission track ages are older than the stratigraphic age this clearly indicates that post-depositional temperatures were well below the zircon partial annealing zone (i.e. below 200 °C) and the different age populations can be attributed to different source areas derived from the coevally forming and eroding alpine chain. Preliminary fission track results on apatite from the lower freshwater Molasse indicate a strong dependence of apatite fission track single-grain ages on their annealing kinetics as inferred from Dpar analyses (Gleadow and Duddy, 1981). F-rich apatites systematically yielded younger ages compared to the Cl-rich grains. The younger ages derived from the F-rich apatites are consistently younger than the stratigraphic age and thus fully annealed while Cl-rich apatites display older ages than the stratigraphic one. The difference in annealing temperatures between Cl- and F-rich apatites (Ravenhurst and Donelick, 1992) thus constrains the maximum temperature to < 100 °C, most likely reached between 20 Ma and 14 Ma by combined sediment and tectonic overburden. References Gleadow, A.J.W., and Duddy, I.R., 1981, A natural long-term annealing experiment for apatite. Nuclear Tracks Radiation Experiments, 5, 169-174. Pomella et al., this session. Alpine nappe stack in western Austria: A crustal-scale cross-section. Ravenhurst, C.E., and Donelick, R.A., 1992. Fission track thermochronology. In Short Course. Handbook on Low Temperature Thermochronology, ed. M. Zentilli & P.H. Reynolds. pp.21-42.

Alp7/TACC recruits kinesin-8–PP1 to the Ndc80 kinetochore protein for timely mitotic progression and chromosome movement

PubMed Central

Tang, Ngang Heok; Toda, Takashi

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Upon establishment of proper kinetochore–microtubule attachment, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) must be silenced to allow onset of anaphase, which is when sister chromatids segregate equally to two daughter cells. However, how proper kinetochore–microtubule attachment leads to timely anaphase onset remains elusive. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms of chromosome movement during anaphase A remain unclear. In this study, we show that the fission yeast Alp7/TACC protein recruits a protein complex consisting of the kinesin-8 (Klp5–Klp6) and protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) to the kinetochore upon kinetochore–microtubule attachment. Accumulation of this complex at the kinetochore, on the one hand, facilitates SAC inactivation through PP1, and, on the other hand, accelerates polewards chromosome movement driven by the Klp5–Klp6 motor. We identified an alp7 mutant that had specific defects in binding to the Klp5–Klp6–PP1 complex but with normal localisation to the microtubule and kinetochore. Consistent with our proposition, this mutant shows delayed anaphase onset and decelerated chromosome movement during anaphase A. We propose that the recruitment of kinesin-8–PP1 to the kinetochore through Alp7/TACC interaction plays a crucial role in regulation of timely mitotic progression and chromosome movement during anaphase A. PMID:25472718

Allostratigraphic approach on the Alpine Lateglacial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monegato, Giovanni; Reitner, Jürgen M.

2017-04-01

The reconstruction of the Alpine deglaciation after the Last Glacial Maximum is the one-of-a-kind chance of understanding glaciers dynamics in a period of climate warming. Long-lasting studies beginning in the 19th Century resulted in the definition of five major phases established on the base of Δ ELA values. However, they have been recently re-discussed on the base of dating results and field evidence. Field based reconstructions in some areas of the Alps (Tyrol, Julian Alps) utilizing allostratigraphy i.e. the use of unconformity-bounded units, provide pinpoint in total to a plausible tripartite subdivision of Lateglacial deposits (Colucci et al., 2014; Bichler et al., 2016; Reitner et al., 2016). From the chronological point no consensus on the start of the Alpine Lateglacial exists: The major Garda and Ticino glaciers persisted until about 17.5 ka (e.g. Ravazzi et al., 2014), whereas the tongue basins and, moreover, even major valleys inside the Alps where ice-free already around 18.5 ka (e.g., Schmidt et al., 2012). For the short phase of ice-decay, as the first expression of activity of rather small local glaciers in contact to dead ice, only luminescence datings are available so far centered around 19 ka. The Gschnitz stadial, at about 16-17 ka, and the Egesen stadial corresponding to the Younger Dryas, are the only two remarkable phases of advance of glacier tongues into the valleys, which stabilized for considerable time. The reconstructions suggest that more effort is needed, in term of sedimentological and (allo-)stratigraphic investigations together with geochronology to understand if this tripartite stratigraphic scheme can be exported in the whole Alpine area, or if stabilization of glacier fronts could have taken place somewhere also due to local mechanisms. References Bichler, M. G., Reindl, M., Reitner, J. M., Drescher-Schneider, R., Wirsig, C., Christl, M., Hajdas, I. & Ivy-Ochs, S., 2016: Landslide deposits as stratigraphical markers for a sequence-based glacial stratigraphy: a case study of a Younger Dryas system in the Eastern Alps. Boreas, 45: 537-551. Colucci, R. R., Monegato, G., Žebre, M. (2014). Glacial and proglacial deposits of the Resia Valley (NE Italy): New insights on the onset and decay of the last alpine glacial maximum in the Julian Alps. Alpine and Mediterranean Quaternary, 27: 85-104. Ravazzi, C., Pini, R., Badino, F., De Amicis, M., Londeix, L., Reimer, P.J. (2014). The latest LGM culmination of the Garda Glacier (Italian Alps) and the onset of glacial termination. Age of glacial collapse and vegetation chronosequence. Quaternary Science Reviews, 105: 26-47. Reitner, J.M., Ivy-Ochs, S., Drescher-Schneider, R., Hajdas, I., Linner, M. (2016). Reconsidering the current stratigraphy of the Alpine Lateglacial: Implications of the sedimentary and morphological record of the Lienz area (Tyrol/Austria). E&G Quaternary Science Journal, 65: 113-144. Schmidt, R., Weckström, K., Lauterbach, S., Tessadri, R., Huber, K. (2012). North Atlantic climate impact on early late-glacial climate oscillations in the south-eastern Alps inferred from a multi-proxy lake sediment record. Journal of Quaternary Science, 27: 40-50.

Jungfrau and Interlaken, Switzerland

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The Bernese Alps form the centerpiece of this late summer view of Switzerland; Jungfrau (J - 4158 m), Moench (M - 4089 m), and Eiger (E - 3970 m) are among the higher peaks of the Central Alps. North of the range is the city of Interlaken, flanked by the Thune See and Brienzer See (lakes); the long, straight-segmented valley of the Rhone lies to the south. On the southern flank of the Jungfrau massif is the Aletsch glacier, meltwaters of which feed the upper Rhone; another source is the Rhone glacier at the eastern end of the valley. One estimate holds that roughly half the ice in glaciers of the European Alps has melted since 1850 (http://www.geographical.co.uk/geographical/features/feb_2001_climate.html). U-shaped valleys carved by glaciers are clearly visible; some, such as that of the Rhone, have been modified by through-flowing rivers. The Swiss Alps are elements of a great mountain system that was constructed as Africa and Eurasia collided, starting more than 90 million years ago. Ancient basement rocks (>325 million years old) of the Bernese Alps were uplifted, folded, and forced northward between 29 and 10 million years ago. Reference: Trumpy, R., 1997, Alpine orogeny, in Moores, E. M. and Fairbridge, R. W., editors, Encyclopedia of European and Asian Regional Geology: London, Chapman and Hall, pages 16-26. STS106-718-09 was taken in September, 2001 by the crew of Space Shuttle mission 106 using a Hasselblad camera with 250-mm lens. The image is provided by the Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory at Johnson Space Center. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA-JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth.

Imaging the slab structure in the Alpine region by high-resolution P-wave tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guillot, Stéphane; Zhao, Liang; Paul, Anne; Malusà, Marco G.; Xu, Xiaobing; Zheng, Tianyu; Solarino, stefano; Schwartz, Stéphane; Dumont, Thierry; Salimbeni, Simone; Aubert, Coralie; Pondrelli, Silvia; Wang, Qingchen; Zhu, Rixiang

2017-04-01

Based upon a finite-frequency inversion of traveltimes, we computed a new high-resolution tomography model using P-wave data from 527 broadband seismic stations, both from permanent networks and temporary experiments (Zhao et al., 2016). This model provides an improved image of the slab structure in the Alpine region, and fundamental pin-points for the analysis of Cenozoic magmatism, (U)HP metamorphism and Alpine topography. Our results document the lateral continuity of the European slab from the Western to the Central Alps, and the down-dip slab continuity beneath the Central Alps, ruling out the hypothesis of slab breakoff to explain Cenozoic Alpine magmatism. A low velocity anomaly is observed in the upper mantle beneath the core of the Western Alps, pointing to dynamic topography effects (Malusà et al., this meeting). A NE-dipping Adriatic slab, consistent with Dinaric subduction, is possibly observed beneath the Eastern Alps, whereas the laterally continuous Adriatic slab of the Northern Apennines shows major gaps at the boundary with the Southern Apennines, and becomes near vertical in the Alps-Apennines transition zone. Tear faults accommodating opposite-dipping subductions during Alpine convergence may represent reactivated lithospheric faults inherited from Tethyan extension. Our results suggest that the interpretations of previous tomography results that include successive slab breakoffs along the Alpine-Zagros-Himalaya orogenic belt might be proficiently reconsidered. Malusà M.G. et alii (2017) On the potential asthenospheric linkage between Apenninic slab rollback and Alpine topographic uplift: insights from P wave tomography and seismic anisotropy analysis. EGU 2017. Zhao L. et alii (2016), Continuity of the Alpine slab unraveled by high-resolution P wave tomography. J. Geophys. Res., doi:10.1002/2016JB013310.

Geological setting of the southern termination of Western Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

d'Atri, Anna; Piana, Fabrizio; Barale, Luca; Bertok, Carlo; Martire, Luca

2016-09-01

A revision of the stratigraphic and tectonic setting of the southern termination of the Western Alps, at the junction of the Maritime Alps with the westernmost Ligurian Alps, is proposed. In response to the Alpine kinematic evolution, a number of tectonic units formed on the deformed palaeo-European continental margin and were arranged in a NW-SE striking anastomosed pattern along the north-eastern boundary of the Argentera Massif. Because these tectonic units often cut across the palaeogeographic subdivision of the Alpine literature and show only partial affinity with their distinctive stratigraphic features, new attributions are proposed. The Subbriançonnais domain is here intended as a "deformation zone", and its tectonic units have been attributed to Dauphinois and Provençal domains; furthermore, the Eocene Alpine Foreland Basin succession has been interpreted, based on the affinity of its lithologic characters and age, as a single feature resting above all the successions of the different Mesozoic domains. The Cretaceous tectono-sedimentary evolution of the studied domains was characterized by intense tectonic controls on sedimentation inducing lateral variations of stratigraphic features and major hydrothermal phenomena. Since the early Oligocene, transpressional tectonics induced a NE-SW shortening, together with significant left-lateral movements followed by (late Oligocene-middle Miocene) right-lateral movements along E-W to SE-NW striking shear zones. This induced the juxtaposition and/or stacking of Briançonnais, Dauphinois and Ligurian tectonic units characterized by different metamorphic histories, from anchizonal to lower greenschist facies. This evolution resulted in the arrangement of the tectonostratigraphic units in a wide "transfer zone" accommodating the Oligocene WNW-ward movement of portions of the palaeo-European margin placed at the south-western termination of Western Alps and the Miocene dextral shearing along SE striking faults that bound the Argentera Massif on its NE side.

New constraints on Neogene counter-clockwise rotation of Adria relative to Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Breton, Eline; Handy, Mark R.; Molli, Giancarlo; Ustaszewski, Kamil

2017-04-01

The Adriatic microplate (Adria) is a key player in the geodynamics of Alpine-Mediterranean belts because of its location between two converging plates, Europe and Africa. Most of Adria has been subducted and is presently surrounded by deformed margins comprising the Alps, Apennines, Dinarides and the Calabrian Arc. The Alps-Apennines and Alps-Dinarides junctions are marked by switches in subduction polarity, with Adria being the indenting upper plate in the Alps and the lower plate in the Apennines and Dinarides. Reconstructing Neogene motion and rotation of Adria is therefore key to understanding how such contrasting orogenic styles develop within a similar convergent tectonic regime. We propose a new kinematic reconstruction that balances shortening and extension in the northern Apennines; it reveals that Adria rotated counter-clockwise as it subducted beneath the European Plate to the west and to the east, while indenting the Alps to the north. Syn-collisional back-arc extension in the Liguro-Provençal and northern Tyrrhenian basins exceeds collisional shortening in the northern Apennines, indicating that after 20 Ma Adria and Europe diverged. When combined with existing estimates of Neogene shortening in the Western and Eastern Alps, this overall divergence in the Apennines constrains Adria to have moved to the NW while rotating counter-clockwise relative to Europe. We furthermore consider the length of the present Adriatic slab (135 km) imaged by P-wave tomography in the southern Dinarides to represent the maximum convergence since late Paleogene slab-breakoff, constraining Adria to have rotated 6.5˚ counter-clockwise about an axis in northwestern Italy. Thus, the best fit of available structural data from the Apennines, Alps and Dinarides constrains Adria to have moved 113 km to the NW (azimuth 325˚ ) while rotating 6.5˚ counter-clockwise relative to Europe since 20 Ma. Our model predicts some 80-100 km of Neogene extension between Adria and Africa, most likely accommodated along a NW-SE striking rift system on the African margin and by transtension along NW-SE striking transform faults in the Ionian Sea. We propose that this Neogene motion of Adria resulted from a combination of Africa pushing from the south, the Adriatic-Hellenic slab pulling to the northeast and crustal wedging in the Western Alps, which acted as a pivot and stopped further northwestward motion of Adria.

Last Glacial Maximum Dated by Means of 10Be in the Maritime Alps (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granger, D. E.; Spagnolo, M.; Federici, P.; Pappalardo, M.; Ribolini, A.; Cyr, A. J.

2006-12-01

Relatively few exposure dates of LGM moraines boulders are available for the European Alps, and none on the southern flank. Ponte Murato (PM) is a frontal moraine at 860 m asl in the Gesso Basin (Maritime Alps, SW European Alps). The PM moraine dams the 157 km2 Gesso della Barra Valley and it represents the lowermost frontal moraine of the entire Gesso Valley, near the outlet of the valley in the Po Plain. Its ELA, determined from the paleo- shape of the supposed Gesso della Barra glacier, is 1746 m asl. Tetti Bandito (TB) is a small and badly preserved glacial deposit, tentatively attributed to a lateral-frontal moraine, that is positioned 5 km downvalley from the PM deposit at 800 m asl. There are no other glacial deposits downvalley from the TB moraine in the Gesso Basin or farther NE in the piedmont region of the upper Po Plain. Boulders sampled on the PM and on the TB moraine crests gave a 10Be cosmogenic age of respectively 16300 ± 880 ka (average value) and 18798 ± 973 ka. This result constrains the PM frontal moraine within the LGM interval but also suggests that the maximum expansion of the Gesso Basin glacier was more downvalley at some point during the last glaciation. If the TB is a lateral-frontal moraine as supposed, the two TB and PM moraines would represent the outer and inner moraine crests of the same LGM stadial, with the outer moraine much less pronounced than the inner moraine, similarly to the maximalstand and the hochstand described in the Eastern Alps (Van Husen, 1997). Within this perspective, the PM and TB dates are consistent with a European Alps LGM corresponding to MIS 2 (Ivy-Ochs et al., 2004). This study of the Maritime Alps moraines is also in agreement with the Upper Würm climatic theory (Florineth and Schlüchter, 2000) of a stronger influence of the W and SW incoming humid airflows in the European Alps, differently from the nearby Vosges and Pyrenees mountain chains where more dry conditions were probably responsible for a very little glacial expansion during MIS 2 (Seret et al., 1990; Garcia-Ruiz et al., 2003).

External micro-PIXE analysis of fluid inclusions: Test of the LABEC facility on samples of quartz veins from Apuan Alps (Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massi, M.; Calusi, S.; Giuntini, L.; Ruggieri, G.; Dini, A.

2008-05-01

Fluid inclusions are small portions, usually smaller than 100 μm, of fluid trapped within minerals during or after growth. Their characteristics provide therefore fundamental information on nature and evolution of fluids present in the past in different geological environments. At the LABEC laboratory in Firenze, high-salinity fluid inclusions in quartz crystals, coming from the Apuan Alps metamorphic complex, were analysed at the external scanning microbeam. Results, although still preliminary, have already provided us with hints on fluid-rock interaction processes during the metamorphism of the Apuan Alps.

Preliminary comparative study of middle Anisian vertebrate ichnoassociation from South-Eastern Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valdiserri, D.; Todesco, R.; Avanzini, M.

2009-04-01

Anisian vertebrate tracks from the south-eastern Alps are known since the first decades of 1900s (Abel, 1926). The sedimentary units yielding footprints are characterized by the alternation of limestone influenced by terrigenous supply with mere marine and volcanic layers allowing a precise dating. In this study, we compare four different ichnoassociations from three different outcrops in the South-Eastern Alps correlating them chronologically and sedimentologically. They were found to be subsequent in time from Lower Pelsonian (Bad Gfrill-Voltago Conglomerate; Todesco, 2007) through middle Pelsonian (Bad Gfrill- Giovo Formation) (Valdiserri et al., 2006) and basal Illyrian (Piz da Peres- Richthofen Conglomerate; Todesco et al., 2008) to the middle Illyrian (Val Duron-Morbiac Limestone; Avanzini et al., 2007). In all these ichno-associations, Rhynchosauroides, an ichno-genus referable to a lizard - like trackmaker well known in the European Anisian, is dominant. Within this group at least four different morphotypes are known, probably reflecting both intraspecific variation (i.e. sexual dimorphism) and different ichnospecies. Although the Chirotheridae group, referred to Archosaurian trackmakers Synaptichnium is represented in both Pelsonian ichnoassociation of the Bad Gfrill outcrop, while Chirotherium , Isochirotherium and Brachichirotherium are recognized both in Pelsonian and in Illyrian ichnosites with a incremental presence in the Illyrian The ichofamiliae Rotodactylidae und Procolophonidae seem well represented in the Pelsonian strata but absent in the Illyrian ones. The preliminarly comparative analysis of these four correlated ichnosites and the comparision with the yet known ones (Avanzini and Mietto 2008) pointed out the expected predominance of the Lepidosaurian-Archosaurian association typical for the middle Triassic ichnofauna. The incremental presence of the Chirotherian track in Illyrian and the presence of the Procolophonichium just in the Pelsonian ichno-association seem to corroborate the hypothesis of two different ichoassemblages in the late Middle Triassic (Lucas, 2007). Further studies could allow a better understanding of the evolution of the Chirotherian tracks group and the systematics of the Rhynchosauroidae ichnofamily. References Abel, O. 1926. Der erste Fund einer Tetrapodenfährte in den unteren alpinen Trias. Paläontologische Zeitschrift, 7: 22-24. Avanzini, M., Mietto, P. 2008. Lower and Middle Triassic footprint-based Biochronology in the Italian Southern Alps. Oryctos, Vol. 8, 2008: 3-13. Avanzini, M., Wachtler, M., Dellantonio, E. & Todesco, R. 2007. A new Late Anisian vertebrate ichnosite from Dolomites (Val Duron, Val di Fassa). Geoitalia 2007, Abstract Vol. 10.1474/ Epitome 02.1081. Lucas, S. G. 2007. Tetrapod Footprint Biostratigraphy and Biochronology, Ichnos, 14,1:5-38 Todesco, R. 2007. Studio paleontologico delle orme di rettili triassici (Pelsonico) nel Conglomerato di Voltago (Valle di Prissiano, Trentino-Alto Adige). Degree thesis, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Todesco, R.; Wachtler, M; Kustatscher, E. & Avanzini, M. 2008. Preliminary reporton a new vertebrate track and flora site from Piz da Peres (Anisian-Illyrian): Olang Dolomites, Northern Italy. Geo. Alp, 5: 121-137 Valdiserri, D. & Avanzini, M. 2006: A tetrapod ichnoassociation from the Middle Triassic (Anisian, Pelsonian) of Northern Italy. Ichnos, 14: 105-116.

Membrane Curvature Sensing by Amphipathic Helices Is Modulated by the Surrounding Protein Backbone.

PubMed

Doucet, Christine M; Esmery, Nina; de Saint-Jean, Maud; Antonny, Bruno

2015-01-01

Membrane curvature is involved in numerous biological pathways like vesicle trafficking, endocytosis or nuclear pore complex assembly. In addition to its topological role, membrane curvature is sensed by specific proteins, enabling the coordination of biological processes in space and time. Amongst membrane curvature sensors are the ALPS (Amphipathic Lipid Packing Sensors). ALPS motifs are short peptides with peculiar amphipathic properties. They are found in proteins targeted to distinct curved membranes, mostly in the early secretory pathway. For instance, the ALPS motif of the golgin GMAP210 binds trafficking vesicles, while the ALPS motif of Nup133 targets nuclear pores. It is not clear if, besides curvature sensitivity, ALPS motifs also provide target specificity, or if other domains in the surrounding protein backbone are involved. To elucidate this aspect, we studied the subcellular localization of ALPS motifs outside their natural protein context. The ALPS motifs of GMAP210 or Nup133 were grafted on artificial fluorescent probes. Importantly, ALPS motifs are held in different positions and these contrasting architectures were mimicked by the fluorescent probes. The resulting chimeras recapitulated the original proteins localization, indicating that ALPS motifs are sufficient to specifically localize proteins. Modulating the electrostatic or hydrophobic content of Nup133 ALPS motif modified its avidity for cellular membranes but did not change its organelle targeting properties. In contrast, the structure of the backbone surrounding the helix strongly influenced targeting. In particular, introducing an artificial coiled-coil between ALPS and the fluorescent protein increased membrane curvature sensitivity. This coiled-coil domain also provided membrane curvature sensitivity to the amphipathic helix of Sar1. The degree of curvature sensitivity within the coiled-coil context remains correlated to the natural curvature sensitivity of the helices. This suggests that the chemistry of ALPS motifs is a key parameter for membrane curvature sensitivity, which can be further modulated by the surrounding protein backbone.

Soil mineral alters the effect of Cd on the alkaline phosphatase activity.

PubMed

Tan, Xiangping; He, Yike; Wang, Ziquan; Li, Chenghui; Kong, Long; Tian, Haixia; Shen, Weijun; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; He, Wenxiang

2018-05-30

The toxicity of heavy metals (HMs) to soil enzymes is directly influenced by the status of the enzyme (free vs. immobilized on minerals) and the duration of exposure. However, little information is available on the interaction effect of HMs, mineral, and exposure time on soil enzyme activities. We investigated the interaction mechanism of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) with minerals (montmorillonite and goethite) and the response of free and immobilized ALP to cadmium (Cd) toxicity under different exposure times. The adsorption isotherms of ALP on both minerals were L-type. The maximum adsorption capacity of goethite for ALP was 3.96 times than montmorillonite, although both had similar adsorption constant (K). Goethite showed a greater inhibitory effect on ALP activity than montmorillonite. The toxicity of Cd to free- and goethite-ALP was enhanced with increasing exposure time, indicating a time-dependent inhibition. However, Cd toxicity to montmorillonite-ALP was not affected by the exposure time. The inhibition of Cd to soil enzyme activity is influenced by the properties of mineral complexes and the duration of exposure. A further understanding of the time pattern of HMs toxicity is helpful for accurately assessing the hazards of HMs to soil enzyme activity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Structure and evolution of a rocksalt-mudrock-tectonite: The haselgebirge in the Northern Calcareous Alps.

PubMed

Leitner, Christoph; Neubauer, Franz; Urai, János L; Schoenherr, Johannes

2011-05-01

The Northern Calcareous Alps are part of the Eastern Alps in Austria and Germany. The Mesozoic units of this fold-and-thrust belt were detached, thrusted and stacked along the evaporitic Haselgebirge Formation. Exposed in salt mines, rocksalt and mudrock form a two component tectonite: The rock type "haselgebirge" consists of 10-70 wt % halite with silt- to gravel- or block-sized components within a halite matrix, and the "kerngebirge" with >70 wt % halite. All rock types studied are fault rocks. By use of a temperature-independent subgrain size piezometer, the paleo-differential stress of halite was calculated at ca. 2.5 MPa in Altaussee and ca. 4.5 MPa in Berchtesgaden. Including data from a grain-size piezometer, temperatures were estimated at ca. 150 ± 20 °C and 110 ± 10 °C. This implies very high strain rates, which are about 10 -10 -10 -9  s -1 . During the tectonic movement, the halite deformed, recrystallized, and crystallized as veins in mudrock fractures. We interpret high overpressure of the pore fluid to have significantly contributed to fracturing of the mudrock.

Topographic evolution of a continental indenter: The eastern Southern Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robl, Jörg; Heberer, Bianca; Prasicek, Günther; Neubauer, Franz; Hergarten, Stefan

2017-04-01

The topographic evolution of the eastern Southern Alps (ESA) is controlled by the Late Oligocene - Early Miocene indentation of the Adriatic microplate into an overthickened orogenic wedge emplaced on top of the European plate. Rivers follow topographic gradients that evolve during continental collision and in turn incise into bedrock counteracting the formation of topography. In principle, erosional surface processes tend to establish a topographic steady state so that an interpretation of topographic metrics in terms of the latest tectonic history should be straightforward. However, a series of complications impede deciphering the topographic record of the ESA. The Pleistocene glaciations locally excavated alpine valleys and perturbed fluvial drainages. The Late Miocene desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea and the uplift of the northern Molasse Basin led to significant base level changes in the far field of the ESA and the Eastern Alps (EA), respectively. Among this multitude of mechanisms, the processes that dominate the current topographic evolution of the ESA and the ESA-EA drainage divide have not been identified and a number of questions regarding the interaction of crustal deformation, erosion and climate in shaping the present-day topography remain. We demonstrate the expected topographic effects of each mechanism in a 1-dimensional model and compare them with observed channel metrics. Modern uplift rates are largely consistent with long-term exhumation in the ESA and with variations in the normalized steepness index (ksn) indicating a stable uplift and erosion pattern since Miocene times. We find that ksn increases with uplift rate and declines from the indenter tip in the northwest to the foreland basin in the southeast. The number and magnitude of knickpoints and the distortion in longitudinal channel profiles similarly decrease towards the east. Most knickpoints probably evolved during Pleistocene glaciation cycles, but may represent the incrementally reactivated, buried incision signal triggered by the Messinian desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea. Changes in slope of χ-transformed channel profiles coincide spatially with the Valsugana - Fella fault linking crustal stacking and uplift induced by indenter tectonics with topographic evolution. Gradients in χ across the ESA-EA drainage divide imply an ongoing, north-directed shift of the Danube-ESA watershed. This implies that ESA streams spread to the domain of the EA by drainage divide migration and river capture events. As already observed in the Adige catchment, the Periadriatic fault system loses its significance for the morphological evolution of the EA-ESA. The observed northward migration of the ESA-EA drainage divide is most likely driven by a base level rise in the northern Molasse basin, which leads to a growth of the ESA and Rhine catchments at the expense of the Danube drainage area. We conclude that the regional uplift pattern controls the geometry of ESA-EA channels, while base level changes in the far field control the overall architecture of the orogen by drainage divide migration (Robl et al., 2016). Robl, J., B. Heberer, G. Prasicek, F. Neubauer, and S. Hergarten (2016), The topography of a continental indenter: The interplay between crustal deformation, erosion and base level changes in the eastern Southern Alps, J. Geophys. Res. Earth Surf., 121, doi:10.1002/2016JF003884.

Evolution of the eastern Austrian Molasse Basin: The Lower Miocene (Burdigalian) as a key to the understanding of the Eastern Alps - Molasse Basin system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palzer, Markus; Knierzinger, Wolfgang; Wagreich, Michael; Meszar, Maria E.; Gier, Susanne; Soliman, Ali; -Elena Kallanxhi, Mǎdǎlina

2016-04-01

The eastern Austrian Molasse Basin is situated between the Bohemian Massif, the Waschberg-Zone and the Alps. There, sands of the Lower Miocene (Upper Ottnangian) Traisen Formation represent a clastic interval at the top of pelitic Schlier successions, which is correlated with the global sea level drop Bur3 (Burdigalian). North of the Danube River, the continuation of the Traisen-Formation is overlain by the Karpatian Laa-Formation. Drill cores from OMV-wells predominantly from the continuation of the Traisen Formation in deep parts in the NE of the basin show hundreds of meters of pelites with intersections of sands. Contrary to the exposed, mainly brackish TF, a turbiditic and predominantly fully marine deep-water environment is inferred from the cores. Profiles of carbonate content, XRD, XRF, whole rock chemistry, clay minerals, calcareous nannoplankton and dinoflagellate cysts of 7 wells were investigated representing a NE-SW transect through the LAMB. Based on these data, a new stratigraphy for the Burdigalian distal parts of the LAMB can be defined and correlated with the proximal units. The Traisen Formation and its equivalents are characterized at their base by an increased clastic input in the south and by increasing mica content in the northern parts. The complete interval is characterized by the decreased carbonate content. The XRD data show strongly reduced calcite contents which goe hand in hand with the absence of nannoplankton. Whether the signal is related to a crisis in primary production or to carbonate dissolution remains unclear. The absence of dinoflagellate cysts and the chemical data (reduced B/Al* ratios indicate reduced salinity) are considered as an argument for an environmental crisis. However, the absence of resedimented Cretaceous to Paleocene nannofossils, which usually occur together with the autochthonous NN4-nannofossils, indicates carbonate dissolution. These results enable us to define a basinal interval as equivalent to the proximal Traisen Formation which may serve as a key section for the stratigraphy of the deep basinal part. Sediments of this section were influenced by a low salinity crisis that was caused by the closure of the connection to the Upper Austrian Molasse Basin. This led to a partly or completely isolated basin in Lower Austria with a probably strongly reduced water circulation and strong freshwater influence. The closure is probably connected to the Miocene lateral extrusion of the Alps, the fast uplift of the Northern Calcareous Alps and accelerated sediment input from the south. This isolation may be terminated by the deepening of the Vienna Basin during Karpatian/Badenian times.

Aerosol deposition (trace elements and black carbon) over the highest glacier of the Eastern European Alps during the last centuries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertò, Michele; Barbante, Carlo; Gabrieli, Jacopo; Gabrielli, Paolo; Spolaor, Andrea; Dreossi, Giuliano; Laj, Paolo; Zanatta, Marco; Ginot, Patrick; Fain, Xavier

2016-04-01

Ice cores are an archive of a wide variety of climatic and environmental information from the past, retaining them for hundreds of thousands of years. Anthropogenic pollutants, trace elements, heavy metals and major ions, are preserved as well providing insights on the past atmospheric circulations and allowing evaluating the human impact on the environment. Several ice cores were drilled in glaciers at mid and low latitudes, as in the European Alps. The first ice cores drilled to bedrock in the Eastern Alps were retrieved during autumn 2011 on the "Alto dell`Ortles glacier", the uppermost glacier of the Ortles massif (3905m, South Tirol, Italy), in the frame of the "Ortles Project". A preliminary dating of the core suggests that it should cover at least 300-400 years. Despite the summer temperature increase of the last decades this glacier still contain cold ice. Indeed, O and H isotopes profiles well describe the atmospheric warming as well as the low temperatures recorded during the Little Ice Age (LIA). Moreover, this glacier is located close to densely populated and industrialized areas and can be used for reconstructing for the first time past and recent air pollution and the human impact in the Eastern European Alps. The innermost part of the core is under analysis by means of a "Continuous Flow Analysis" system. This kind of analysis offers a high resolution in data profiles. The separation between the internal and the external parts of the core avoid any kind of contamination. An aluminum melting head melts the core at about 2.5 cm min-1. Simultaneous analyses of conductivity, dust concentration and size distribution (from 0.8 to 80 μm), trace elements with Inductive Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS, Agilent 7500) and refractory black carbon (rBC) with the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2, Droplet Measurement Technologies) are performed. A fraction of the melt water is collected by an auto-sampler for further analysis. The analyzed elements are Li, Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Rb, Ag, Cd, Sb, I, Ba, Pt, Tl, Pb and U. Trace elements concentrations in the Ortles snow are related to the emissions from the Po Valley, one of the most polluted region of Europe. The results show an increase in the concentration of many heavy metals due to anthropogenic emissions, mainly from the onset of the Industrial Revolution. rBC is one of the most important aerosol species affecting the climate system, particularly the glaciers, by modifying the radiative energy balance. A significant increase of rBC was found in the ice identifying this kind of aerosol as a responsible in forcing the end of the LIA.

Evidence of organic matter in the Ocean-Continent Transition of Alpine Tethys from Totalp, Eastern Swiss Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mateeva, Tsvetomila; Kusznir, Nick; Wolff, George; Wheeler, John; Manatschal, Gianreto

2015-04-01

Evidence from ocean ridge drilling and dredging and from the exhumed Tethyan continental margin in the Alps demonstrates that mantle serpentinization occurs at slow-spreading ocean ridges and magma-poor rifted continental margins. Observations at white smokers suggest that methane produced by serpentinization can support methanotrophic bio-systems which use methane as their only source of carbon. An important question is whether such biosystems are more generally pervasive in their association with serpentinized mantle in the subsurface. The answer to this question has important global implications for the importance of the hidden sub-surface bio-systems, the fate of methane and the carbon cycle. We examine whether serpentinized exhumed mantle at magma-poor rifted continental margins shows evidence for methanotrophy. Fieldwork sampling of km scale exposure of orogenically exhumed serpentinized mantle in the eastern Swiss Alps allows 3D mantle sampling not possible at ocean ridges and has the potential to answer the question regarding localized versus pervasive sub-surface methanotrophic biosystems. The Totalp massif in the eastern Swiss Alps has been chosen for an initial study to investigate the presence or absence of methanotrophic biosystem within serpentinized exhumed mantle in the Tethyan OCT. Totalp has little Alpine deformation and its metamorphism is no more than prehnite-pumpellyite grade. Hands specimens and cores have been taken from the Totalp area in order to sample serpentinization and its lithological diversity in the search for presence or absence of biomarkers. Thin sections analysis reveals multiple serpentinization events. XRD analysis shows complete serpentinization of the olivines and orthopyroxenes. The samples for bio-geochemical analysis were cut and ground to powder, processed by soxhlet extraction and then analysed by GC and GCMS in order to determine the full range of biomarkers. Total carbon and total organic carbon was also determined for the samples. Samples collected from the Totalp area show evidence of organic hydrocarbon in the form of alkanes. The majority of the samples contain n-alkanes in the range C20 - C32. Some samples contain isoprenoids in different concentrations dependent on their lithology, for example pristane and phytane are found in Totalp's sediments. The organic molecular distribution is consistent with the temperature history of the basin. Totalp samples are characterized by TC contents of 0.03% to 12.90% and TOC contents of 0.10% to 1.90%. This large range of values correlates with the large lithological diversity of this area. These first results from Totalp showing evidence for preserved organic matter and biosystems in the serpentinized mantle of the ancient Tethyan OCT are encouraging. Much more work is required to understand whether the organic matter is generated from methane-driven biosystems, and if so whether the methane originated from an organic or inorganic source?

Copper(II) complexes of methimazole, an anti Grave's disease drug. Synthesis, characterization and its potential biological behavior as alkaline phosphatase inhibitor.

PubMed

Urquiza, Nora M; Manca, Silvia G; Moyano, María A; Dellmans, Raquel Arrieta; Lezama, Luis; Rojo, Teófilo; Naso, Luciana G; Williams, Patricia A M; Ferrer, Evelina G

2010-04-01

Methimazole (MeimzH) is an anti-thyroid drug and the first choice for patients with Grave's disease. Two new copper(II) complexes of this drug: [Cu(MeimzH)(2)(NO(3))(2)]*0.5H(2)O and [Cu(MeimzH)(2)(H(2)O)(2)](NO(3))(2)*H(2)O were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, dissolution behavior, thermogravimetric analysis and UV-vis, diffuse reflectance, FTIR and EPR spectroscopies. As it is known that copper(II) cation can act as an inhibitor of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), the inhibitory effect of methimazole and its copper(II) complexes on ALP activity has also been investigated.

Ivrea mantle wedge and arc of the Western Alps (II): Kinematic evolution of the Alps-Apennines orogenic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmid, Stefan; Kissling, Eduard; van Hinsbergen, Douwe J. J.; Molli, Giancarlo

2017-04-01

Integration of geological and geophysical data on the deep structure of the Alps (Kissling et al. 2017) reveals that the deep-seated Ivrea mantle played a crucial role during the formation of the arc of the Western Alps. Exhumation of the mantle beneath the Ivrea Zone to shallow crustal depths during Mesozoic rifting led to the formation of a strong Ivrea mantle wedge; its strength exceeds that of surrounding mostly quartz-bearing units, and consequently allows for indentation and wedging of a quasi-rigid Ivrea mantle wedge into the Western Alps during Alpine orogeny. A first early stage (pre-35 Ma) of the West-Alpine orogenic evolution is characterized by top-NNW thrusting in sinistral transpression causing at least some 260km displacement of internal Western Alps and E-W-striking Alps farther east, together with the Adria micro-plate, towards N to NNW with respect to stable Europe. It is during the second stage (35-25 Ma) that the Ivrea mantle wedge played a crucial role by accentuating the arc. This stage is associated with top-WNW thrusting in the external zones of the central portion of the arc and lateral indentation and wedging of the Ivrea mantle slice beneath the already existing nappe pile towards WNW by some 100-150km. The final stage of arc formation (25-0 Ma) is associated with orogeny in the Apennines leading to oroclinal bending in the southernmost Western Alps that by now became parts of the Apenninic orogen, in connection with the 50° counterclockwise rotation of the Corsica-Sardinia block and the Ligurian Alps. The lithological composition of some tectonic units originating from the Alpine Tethys (Piemont-Liguria Ocean) found in the Alps and the northern Apennines has much in common. The non-metamorphic parts of the Piemont-Liguria derived units form the upper plate of the Western Alps that is devoid of Austroalpine elements, while the lower plate includes highly metamorphic units derived from the same Piemont-Liguria Ocean. This points to a lateral transition from continent-continent collision in the Central and Eastern Alps to intra-oceanic subduction in the Western Alps during Alpine orogeny, leaving large parts of the Piemont-Liguria Ocean that belong to the Adria microplate open until about 25 Ma. It is these parts that from now on formed the highest tectonic units in the Apennines, namely the Ligurides. However, internal units of the Northern Apennines previously suffered Alpine-type shortening associated with an E-dipping Alpine subduction zone. They became " backthrusted" to the NE during Apenninic orogeny commencing in the Late Oligocene. Apenninic orogeny is associated with a change in subduction polarity from Alpine E-directed subduction, previously affecting the Internal Ligurides and other parts of the Northern Apennines, towards NW-directed subduction and roll back of the Adria slab beneath Northern Apennines, pulled by the negative buoyancy of those parts of the old oceanic lithosphere of the Piemont-Liguria Ocean that remained unaffected by Alpine orogeny. Reference: Edi Kissling, Stefan M. Schmid, Tobias Diehl (2017). Ivrea mantle wedge and arc of the Western Alps (1): Geophysical evidence for the deep structure. Abstract Volume EGU 2017.

DNA–PKcs–SIN1 complexation mediates low-dose X-ray irradiation (LDI)-induced Akt activation and osteoblast differentiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Yong; Fang, Shi-ji; Zhu, Li-juan

Highlights: • LDI increases ALP activity, promotes type I collagen (Col I)/Runx2 mRNA expression. • LDI induces DNA–PKcs activation, which is required for osteoblast differentiation. • Akt activation mediates LDI-induced ALP activity and Col I/Runx2 mRNA increase. • DNA–PKcs–SIN1 complexation mediates LDI-induced Akt Ser-473 phosphorylation. • DNA–PKcs–SIN1 complexation is important for osteoblast differentiation. - Abstract: Low-dose irradiation (LDI) induces osteoblast differentiation, however the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we explored the potential role of DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA–PKcs)–Akt signaling in LDI-induced osteoblast differentiation. We confirmed that LDI promoted mouse calvarial osteoblast differentiation, which wasmore » detected by increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity as well as mRNA expression of type I collagen (Col I) and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2). In mouse osteoblasts, LDI (1 Gy) induced phosphorylation of DNA–PKcs and Akt (mainly at Ser-473). The kinase inhibitors against DNA–PKcs (NU-7026 and NU-7441) or Akt (LY294002, perifosine and MK-2206), as well as partial depletion of DNA–PKcs or Akt1 by targeted-shRNA, dramatically inhibited LDI-induced Akt activation and mouse osteoblast differentiation. Further, siRNA-knockdown of SIN1, a key component of mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2), also inhibited LDI-induced Akt Ser-473 phosphorylation as well as ALP activity increase and Col I/Runx2 expression in mouse osteoblasts. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assay results demonstrated that LDI-induced DNA–PKcs–SIN1 complexation, which was inhibited by NU-7441 or SIN1 siRNA-knockdown in mouse osteoblasts. In summary, our data suggest that DNA–PKcs–SIN1 complexation-mediated Akt activation (Ser-473 phosphorylation) is required for mouse osteoblast differentiation.« less

Extreme Historical Droughts in the South-Eastern Alps — Analyses Based on Standardised Precipitation Index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brenčič, Mihael

2016-10-01

Droughts are natural phenomena affecting the environment and human activities. There are various drought definitions and quantitative indices; among them is the Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI). In the drought investigations, historical events are poorly characterised and little data are available. To decipher past drought appearances in the southeastern Alps with a focus on Slovenia, precipitation data from HISTALP data repository were taken to identify extreme drought events (SPI ≤ -2.00) from the second half of the 19th century to the present day. Several long-term extreme drought crises were identified in the region (between the years 1888 and 1896; after World War I, during and after World War II). After 1968, drought patterns detected with SPI changed: shorter, extreme droughts with different time patterns appeared. SPI indices of different time spans showed correlated structures in space and between each other, indicating structured relations.

An electrocardiographic, molecular and biochemical approach to explore the cardioprotective effect of vasopressin and milrinone against phosphide toxicity in rats.

PubMed

Jafari, Abbas; Baghaei, Amir; Solgi, Reza; Baeeri, Maryam; Chamanara, Mohsen; Hassani, Shokoufeh; Gholami, Mahdi; Ostad, Seyed Nasser; Sharifzadeh, Moahmmad; Abdollahi, Mohammad

2015-06-01

The present study was conducted to identify the protective effect of vasopressin (AVP) and milrinone on cardiovascular function, mitochondrial complex activities, cellular ATP reserve, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in rats poisoned by aluminum phosphide (AlP). Rats were divided into five groups (n = 12) including control, AlP (12.5 mg/kg), AlP + AVP (2.0 Units/kg), AlP + milrinone (0.25 mg/kg) and AlP + AVP + milrinone. After treatment, the animals were connected to an electronic cardiovascular monitoring device to monitor electrocardiographic (ECG) parameter. Finally, oxidative stress biomarkers, mitochondrial complex activities, ADP/ATP ratio and apoptosis were evaluated on the heart tissues. Results indicated that AlP administration induced ECG abnormalities along with a decline in blood pressure and heart rate. AVP and milrinone significantly ameliorated these changes in all treated groups. Considerable protective effects on oxidative stress biomarkers, complex IV activity, ADP/ATP ratio and caspase-3 and -9 activities in treated groups were also found. These findings were supported by flow cytometry assay of cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, administration of AVP and milrinone, not only improve cardiovascular functions in AlP poisoned rats in the short time, but after a long time can also restore mitochondrial function and ATP level and reduce the oxidative damage, which prevent cardiomyocytes from entering the apoptotic phase. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic composition of zircons in Austrian last glacial loess: constraints on heavy mineral sources and sediment transport pathways

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Újvári, Gábor; Klötzli, Urs

2015-07-01

Loess sediments in Austria deposited ca. 30-20 ka ago yield different zircon age signatures for samples collected around Krems (SE Bohemian Massif; samples K23 and S1) and Wels (halfway between the Bohemian Massif and the Eastern Alps; sample A16). Cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging reveals both old, multistage zircons with complex growth histories and inherited cores, and young, first-cycle magmatic zircons. Paleoproterozoic ages between 2,200 and 1,800 Ma (K23 and S1), an age gap of 1,800-1,000 Ma for S1 and abundant Cadomian grains, indicate NW African/North Gondwanan derivation of these zircons. Also, A16 yields ages between 630 and 600 Ma that can be attributed to "Pan-African" orogenic processes. Significant differences are seen for the <500 Ma part of the age spectra with major age peaks at 493-494 and 344-335 Ma (K23 and S1), and 477 and 287 Ma (A16). All three samples show negative initial ɛHf signatures (-25 to -10, except one grain with +9.4) implying zircon crystallization from magmas derived by recycling of older continental crust. Hf isotopic compositions of 330- to 320-Ma-old zircons from S1 and K23 preclude a derivation from Bavarian Forest granites and intermediate granitoids. Rather, all the data suggest strong contributions of eroded local rocks (South Bohemian pluton, Gföhl unit) to loess material at the SE edge of the Bohemian Massif (K23 and S1) and sourcing of zircons from sediment donor regions in the Eastern Alps for loess at Wels (A16). We tentatively infer primary fluvial transport and secondary eolian reworking and re-deposition of detritus from western/southwestern directions. Finally, our data highlight that loess zircon ages are fundamentally influenced by fluvial transport, its directions, the interplay of sediment donor regions through the mixing of detritus and zircon fertility of rocks, rather than Paleowind directions.

Morphological expression of active tectonics in the Southern Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robl, Jörg; Heberer, Bianca; Neubauer, Franz; Hergarten, Stefan

2015-04-01

Evolving drainage pattern and corresponding metrics of the channels (e.g. normalized steepness index) are sensitive indicators for tectonic or climatic events punctuating the evolution of mountain belts and their associated foreland basins. The analysis of drainage systems and their characteristic properties represents a well-established approach to constrain the impact of tectonic and climatic drivers on mountainous landscapes in the recent past. The Southern Alps (SA) are one of the seismically most active zones in the periphery of northern Adria. Recent deformation is caused by the ongoing convergence of the Adriatic and European plate and is recorded by numerous earthquakes in the domain of the SA. Deformation in the SA is characterized by back-thrusting causing crustal thickening and should therefore result in uplift and topography formation. The vertical velocity field determined by GPS-data clearly indicates a belt of significant uplift in the south South alpine indenter between Lake Garda in the west and the Triglav in the east and strong subsidence of the foreland basin surrounding the Mediterranean Sea near Venice, although subsidence is often related to ongoing subduction of the Adriatic microplate underneath Appennines. Despite of these short term time series, timing, rates and drivers of alpine landscape evolution are not well constrained and the linkage between crustal deformation and topographic evolution of this highly active alpine segment remains unclear for the following reasons: (1) The eastern Southern Alps were heavily overprinted by the Pleistocene glaciations and tectonic signals in the alpine landscape are blurred. Only the transition zone to the southern foreland basin remained unaffected and allows an analysis of a glacially undisturbed topography. (2) The major part of this domain is covered by lithology (carbonatic rocks) which is unsuitable for low temperature geochronology and cosmogenic isotope dating so that exhumation and erosion rates are not well constrained for the entire domain. Despite of that, extensive karstification in some areas limits the validity of a morphometric analysis in particular of the upper reaches of the drainage system and leads to a long term persistence of landforms (e.g. plateaus). In this study we focus on the drainage pattern of the eastern Southern Alps and the adjacent southern foreland basin. We use a high-resolution digital elevation model and a novel numerical approach to extract characteristic parameters of the morphology for the entire eastern Southern Alps with a high spatial resolution. We explore deviations in the steepness of channels from an equilibrium state and knick-points in longitudinal channel profiles and interpret these features in terms of (a) active tectonics, and variable uplift rates, (b) lithological effects like erodibility contrasts and karstification, and (c) base level lowering caused by glacial erosion and Messinian preconditioning. The drainage system of the Adige shows the most significant deviations from a fluvial equilibrium. This is documented in the normalized steepness index of the main channel and all tributaries as well as in the longitudinal channel profile. The main channel shows several sections of downstream steepening and extremely low channel gradients in the lower reach. Similar deviations are also observed in the Brenta catchment situated east of the Adige drainage system. In contrast to the two large western catchments of the study region, the Piave and particularly the Tagliamento catchment show well graded channel profiles and uniform normalized steepness indices despite of the glacial history. This clear west to east trend from highly disturbed to overall well graded channels has never been documented before and may be explained in the light of increased uplift rates in the east and differences in onset and timing of topography formation between the western and eastern sector of the study region.

From the valley floor to the peaks: Stratigraphy and landscape evolution of the Alpine Lateglacial in the Kitzbühel Alps (Tyrol, Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dippenaar, Elijah; Reitner, Jürgen

2017-04-01

Our understanding of Alpine landscape evolution and more specifically, chronology of glacier activity during the Alpine Lateglacial (ALG; c. 19 - 11.7 ka) i.e. the timespan between the Würmian Pleniglacial (= Alpine Last Glacial Maximum; AlpLGM) and the beginning of the Holocene, is based on the evidence of only few areas in the Alps. In order to get a better understanding of glaciation and palaeoclimate during this phase, N-S and E-W transects are needed. The Kitzbühel Alps, which are currently not glaciated, span an area of 1700km2 and have peaks that reach c. 2400m a.s.l. They lie at the center of the Eastern Alps on the northern rim, which is more humid than the relatively dry central parts. A modern geological investigation of the ALG record is missing in the Kitzbühel Alps. In order to overcome this gap of knowledge and to gain a more complete understanding of the ALG landscape development, a pioneering study has been performed in the area of Langer Grund Valley, a tributary valley of the Kelchsau Valley. This was done through detailed field mapping, thereby describing the shape and sediment composition of Quaternary morphological features, such as moraines, landslides and rock glacier deposits. Sedimentary evidence of one short glacial advance and two glacial stadials were identified. In chronological order they were named the: Frommbach advance, the Arnbach (glacier) halt and the Küharn halt. Where possible, palaeoglaciers were constructed using ArcGIS. With the palaeoglaciers, equlibrium line altitudes (ELA) were calculated and compared to ELA values of known glacial stadials in an attempt to correlate the relative local stratigraphy to the Lateglacial stratigraphy. Four methods to calculate ELAs were used; Maximum Elevation of Lateral Moraines (MELM), Toe to Headwall Altitude Ratio (THAR), Area x Altitude (AA) and Accumulation Area Ratio (AAR). Furthermore, the glacial sedimentary sequence of the study area was compared to that of the Gschnitz Valley (following the approach of Reitner et al. 2016). The result of which was that the glacial sedimentary sequences were very similar. Through the comparison of ELAs and sedimentary sequences, the Frommbach advance is correlated to the Phase of Ice-decay. Compared to the data of Reitner (2007) the Frommbach advance represents a second glacier advance in the Kelchsau Valley within this short-lasting phase around 19 ka. The Arnbach halt represents most likely the Gschnitz stadial (16-17 ka). The Küharn halt is correlated to the Younger Dryas-aged Egesen stadial (Younger Dryas; 12.8-11.7 ka). In addition, the relative timing of the activity of (nowadays relict) rock glaciers and of the onset of deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSDs) could be constrained based on the overlap of those features with the reconstructed glacial record. References: Reitner J.M., 2007: Glacial dynamics at the beginning of Termination I in the Eastern Alps and their stratigraphic implications. Quaternary International 164-165: 64-84. Reitner, J.M., Ivy-Ochs, S., Drescher-Schneider, R., Hajdas, I., Linner, M., 2016: Reconsidering the current stratigraphy of the Alpine Lateglacial: Implications of the sedimentary and morphological record of the Lienz area (Tyrol/Austria). E&G Quaternary Science Journal 65: 113-144.

Microstructural record of pressure solution and crystal plastic deformation in carbonate fault rocks from a shallow crustal strike-slip fault, Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Helene; Rogowitz, Anna; Grasemann, Benhard; Decker, Kurt

2017-04-01

This study presents microstructural investigations of natural carbonate fault rocks that formed by a suite of different deformation processes, involving hydro-fracturing, dissolution-precipitation creep and cataclasis. Some fault rocks show also clear indications of crystal plastic deformation, which is quite unexpected, as the fault rocks were formed in an upper crustal setting, raising the question of possible strongly localised, low temperature ductile deformation in carbonate rocks. The investigated carbonate fault rocks are from an exhumed, sinistral strike-slip fault at the eastern segment of the Salzachtal-Ennstal-Mariazell-Puchberg (SEMP) fault system in the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria). The SEMP fault system formed during eastward lateral extrusion of the Eastern Alps in the Oligocene to Lower Miocene. Based on vitrinite reflectance data form intramontane Teritary basins within the Northern Calcareous Alps, a maximum burial depth of 4 km for the investigated fault segment is estimated. The investigated fault accommodated sinistral slip of several hundreds of meters. Microstructural analysis of fault rocks includes scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and electron backscattered diffraction mapping. The data show that fault rocks underwent various stages of evolution including early intense veining (hydro-fracturing) and stylolite formation reworked by localised shear zones. Cross cutting relationship reveals that veins never cross cut clay seams accumulated along stylolites. We conclude that pressure solution processes occured after hydro-fracturing. Clay enriched zones localized further deformation, producing a network of small-scale clay-rich shear zones of up to 1 mm thickness anastomosing around carbonate microlithons, varying from several mm down to some µm in size. Clay seams consist of kaolinit, chlorite and illite matrix and form (sub) parallel zones in which calcite was dissolved. Beside pressure solution, calcite microlithons show also ductile deformation microstructures, including deformation twinning, undulose extinction, subgrain rotation recrystallization and even grain boundary migration. Especially coarse grained calcites from veins localized ductile deformation and record dislocation glide. The investigated fault rocks are excellent examples of frictional, pressure solution and crystal plastic deformation processes. We speculated that crystal plastic deformation typical for higher metamorphic shear zones in marbles, can be either produced under much lower temperature conditions or the temperature necessary for crystal plastic deformation was generated by frictional slip or strain heating within the fault zone.

Molecular Characterization of Streptococcus agalactiae Isolated from Bovine Mastitis in Eastern China

PubMed Central

Yang, Yongchun; Liu, Yinglong; Ding, Yunlei; Yi, Li; Ma, Zhe; Fan, Hongjie; Lu, Chengping

2013-01-01

One hundred and two Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus [GBS]) isolates were collected from dairy cattle with subclinical mastitis in Eastern China during 2011. Clonal groups were established by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), respectively. Capsular polysaccharides (CPS), pilus and alpha-like-protein (Alp) family genes were also characterized by molecular techniques. MLST analysis revealed that these isolates were limited to three clonal groups and were clustered in six different lineages, i.e. ST (sequence type) 103, ST568, ST67, ST301, ST313 and ST570, of which ST568 and ST570 were new genotypes. PFGE analysis revealed this isolates were clustered in 27 PFGE types, of which, types 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, 18, 23 and 25 were the eight major types, comprising close to 70% (71/102) of all the isolates. The most prevalent sequence types were ST103 (58% isolates) and ST568 (31% isolates), comprising capsular genotype Ia isolates without any of the detected Alp genes, suggesting the appearance of novel genomic backgrounds of prevalent strains of bovine S. agalactiae. All the strains possessed the pilus island 2b (PI-2b) gene and the prevalent capsular genotypes were types Ia (89% isolates) and II (11% isolates), the conserved pilus type providing suitable data for the development of vaccines against mastitis caused by S. agalactiae. PMID:23874442

Early Holocene (8.6 ka) rock avalanche deposits, Obernberg valley (Eastern Alps): Landform interpretation and kinematics of rapid mass movement

PubMed Central

Ostermann, Marc; Sanders, Diethard; Ivy-Ochs, Susan; Alfimov, Vasily; Rockenschaub, Manfred; Römer, Alexander

2012-01-01

In the Obernberg valley, the Eastern Alps, landforms recently interpreted as moraines are re-interpreted as rock avalanche deposits. The catastrophic slope failure involved an initial rock volume of about 45 million m³, with a runout of 7.2 km over a total vertical distance of 1330 m (fahrböschung 10°). 36Cl surface-exposure dating of boulders of the avalanche mass indicates an event age of 8.6 ± 0.6 ka. A 14C age of 7785 ± 190 cal yr BP of a palaeosoil within an alluvial fan downlapping the rock avalanche is consistent with the event age. The distal 2 km of the rock-avalanche deposit is characterized by a highly regular array of transverse ridges that were previously interpreted as terminal moraines of Late-Glacial. ‘Jigsaw-puzzle structure’ of gravel to boulder-size clasts in the ridges and a matrix of cataclastic gouge indicate a rock avalanche origin. For a wide altitude range the avalanche deposit is preserved, and the event age of mass-wasting precludes both runout over glacial ice and subsequent glacial overprint. The regularly arrayed transverse ridges thus were formed during freezing of the rock avalanche deposits. PMID:24966447

Solar dimming above temperate forests and its impact on local climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tudoroiu, M.; Genesio, L.; Gioli, B.; Schume, H.; Knohl, A.; Brümmer, C.; Miglietta, F.

2018-06-01

Vegetation has a substantial impact on the local climate. Land cover changes through afforestation or deforestation can amplify or mitigate climate warming by changes in biophysical and biogeochemical mechanisms. In the montane to subalpine area of the Eastern Alps in Europe, where forests have constantly expanded in the last four decades, data of meteorological stations show a consistent reduction in incoming global radiation for the period 2000–2015. To assess the potential role of forests in contributing to such a reduction, three site pairs in Central Europe with neighbouring forest and non-forest sites were analysed. In all the pairs, a lower amount of incoming radiation was recorded at the forest site. When biophysical mechanisms such as albedo, surface roughness and Bowen ratio changes were modelled together with changes in global radiation, the total radiative forcing accounted for a rate of change in air temperature was equal to 0.032 °C ± 0.01 °C per Wm‑2. These results suggest that local climate is influenced by land cover change through afforestation both via albedo and radiation feedbacks but also by means of indirect biophysical and species-dependent mechanisms. The data obtained for the site pairs in Central Europe are finally discussed to infer the occurrence of similar forest-driven effects in the Eastern Alps which may explain part of the solar dimming observed in high elevation weather stations.

Approaches to Managing Autoimmune Cytopenias in Novel Immunological Disorders with Genetic Underpinnings Like Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome

PubMed Central

Rao, V. Koneti

2015-01-01

Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is a rare disorder of apoptosis. It is frequently caused by mutations in FAS (TNFRSF6) gene. Unlike most of the self-limiting autoimmune cytopenias sporadically seen in childhood, multi lineage cytopenias due to ALPS are often refractory, as their inherited genetic defect is not going to go away. Historically, more ALPS patients have died due to overwhelming sepsis following splenectomy to manage their chronic cytopenias than due to any other cause, including malignancies. Hence, current recommendations underscore the importance of avoiding splenectomy in ALPS, by long-term use of corticosteroid-sparing immunosuppressive agents like mycophenolate mofetil and sirolimus. Paradigms learnt from managing ALPS patients in recent years is highlighted here and can be extrapolated to manage refractory cytopenias in patients with as yet undetermined genetic bases for their ailments. It is also desirable to develop international registries for children with rare and complex immune problems associated with chronic multilineage cytopenias in order to elucidate their natural history and long-term comorbidities due to the disease and its treatments. PMID:26258116

Formation of distinct inclusion bodies by inhibition of ubiquitin-proteasome and autophagy-lysosome pathways.

PubMed

Lee, Junho; Yang, Kyu-Hwan; Joe, Cheol O; Kang, Seok-Seong

2011-01-14

Accumulation of misfolded proteins is caused by the impairment of protein quality control systems, such as ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP) and autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP). In this study, the formation of inclusion bodies was examined after the blockade of UPP and/or ALP in A549 cells. UPP inhibition induced a single and large inclusion body localized in microtubule-organizing center. Interestingly, however, ALP inhibition generated dispersed small inclusion bodies in the cytoplasm. Tuberous sclerosis complex 2 was selectively accumulated in the inclusion bodies of UPP-inhibited cells, but not those of ALP-inhibited cells. Blockade of transcription and translation entirely inhibited the formation of inclusion body induced by UPP inhibition, but partially by ALP inhibition. Moreover, the simultaneous inhibition of two protein catabolic pathways independently developed two distinct inclusion bodies within a single cell. These findings clearly demonstrated that dysfunction of each catabolic pathway induced formation and accumulation of unique inclusion bodies on the basis of morphology, localization and formation process in A549 cells. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microstructural record of cataclastic and dissolution-precipitation processes from shallow crustal carbonate strike-slip faults, Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Helene; Grasemann, Bernhard; Decker, Kurt

2015-04-01

The concept of coseismic slip and aseismic creep deformation along faults is supported by the variability of natural fault rocks and their microstructures. Faults in carbonate rocks are characterized by very narrow principal slip zones (cm to mm wide) containing (ultra)cataclastic fault rocks that accommodate most of the fault displacement. Fluidization of ultracataclastic sub layers and thermal decomposition of calcite due to frictional heating have been proposed as possible indicators for seismic slip. Dissolution-precipitation (DP) processes are possible mechanism of aseismic sliding, resulting in spaced cleavage solution planes and associated veins, indicating diffusive mass transfer and precipitation in pervasive vein networks. We investigated exhumed, sinistral strike-slip faults in carbonates of the Northern Calcareous Alps. The study presents microstructural investigations of natural carbonate fault rocks that formed by cataclastic and dissolution-precipitation related deformation processes. Faults belong to the eastern segment of the Salzachtal-Ennstal-Mariazell-Puchberg (SEMP) fault system that was formed during eastward lateral extrusion of the Eastern Alps in Oligocene to Lower Miocene. The investigated faults accommodated sinistral slip between several tens and few hundreds of meters. Microstructural analysis of fault rocks was done with scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy. Deformation experiments of natural fault rocks are planned to be conducted at the Sapienza University of Roma and should be available at the meeting. The investigated fault rocks give record of alternating cataclastic deformation and DP creep. DP fault rocks reveal various stages of evolution including early stylolites, pervasive pressure solution seams and cleavage, localized shear zones with syn-kinematic calcite fibre growth and mixed DP/cataclastic microstructures, involving pseudo sc- and scc'-fabrics. Pressure solution seams host fine grained kaolinit, chlorite and illite while the protolith shows only weak evidence of detrital clay content. Our studies suggest that velocity weakening and strengthening mechanisms alternated during the accumulation of displacement along the SEMP fault zone.

Love and Rayleigh wave dispersion from regional Ambient Noise Tomography in the Eastern Alps of Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behm, Michael; Nakata, Nori; Bianchi, Irene; Bokelmann, Götz

2014-05-01

ALPASS is an international passive seismic monitoring experiment aimed at understanding the upper mantle structure in the in the European Eastern Alps. Data were collected from May 2005 to June 2006 at about 50 locations with an average spacing of 20 km, and have been used for teleseismic travel time tomography and receiver function analysis in previous studies. We combine the ALPASS data from 23 broadband stations with additional data from the temporary CBP (Carpathian Basin Project) network (15 stations), and present results from ambient noise tomography applied to the region covering the easternmost part of the Alps and its transition to the adjacent tectonic provinces (Vienna Basin, Bohemian Massif, Dinarides). By turning each station into a virtual source, we are able to recover surface waves in the frequency range of 0.05 - 0.5 Hz, which are sensitive to depths of approximately 2 - 15 kilometers. The three-component recordings allow distinguishing between Rayleigh waves on the vertical/radial components and Love waves on the transverse component. On average, the Love waves have higher apparent velocity by about 15%. Owing to dense receiver spacing and high S/N ratio of the obtained interferograms, we are able to derive a large set of dispersion curves. The complicated 3D structure of the investigated region calls for a tomographic approach to transform these dispersion curves to be representative of local 1D structures. The results correlate well with surface geology and provide the input to inversion for the vertical shear-wave velocity distribution. Compared to data from active source experiments, we derive lower average shear wave velocities. This observation is comparable to receiver functions analysis which show a high Vp/Vs ratio for the area of the Molasse basin, where the shear wave velocities retrieved from the surface wave inversion are in particular low.

Recognition of hyper-extended rifted margin remnants in the internal zone of the Alpine belt: A tribute to Marco Beltrando

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohn, Geoffroy; Manatschal, Gianreto

2016-04-01

Marco Beltrando was part of the young generation of Alpine geologists who challenged the interpretation of the Western Alps by combining a classical field approach and modern techniques (e.g. 40Ar/39Ar and (U-Th)/He thermochronology). His work provides the foundation to re-interpret some of the classical sections through the Alpine belt and may impact the way of thinking about the nature and structure of internal parts of collisional orogens. This contribution will present the main outcomes of the work of Marco Beltrando and their implications for the understanding of Alpine type orogens. Since his PhD, Marco Beltrando focused most of his work on the study of the internal parts of the Western Alps. He investigated in great details the complex, multiphase structural and metamorphic evolution of the Penninic units in the Western Alps. He concluded that these units went through several cycles of shortening and extension during the Alpine orogeny, with major implications for the Alps but also other orogenic belts. After his PhD, he focused his research on the pre-orogenic evolution of the Alpine belt. He first worked on the Petit St. Bernard area, where he identified relics of the former hyper-extended Tethyan rifted margin. Thanks to his work and his amazing knowledge of the Western Alps, he understood the potential importance of rift-inheritance in controlling the architecture and evolution of the Alpine belt. In parallel to the study of the orogenic evolution, he developed a new methodology to recognize rift-related lithostratigraphic units in highly deformed and metamorphosed parts of the Alps. His innovative work allowed a re-assessment of several areas in the Western Alps and demonstrates the importance of rift inheritance. Recently, he started a new research project on the evolution of the Southern Alps highlighting the importance of heating and cooling cycles resulting from complex successions of rifting events. In spite of his young age, Marco Beltrando was at the forefront of new techniques, ideas and concepts that ultimately will improve our understanding of mountain belts and rift systems. Eventually more than anything, his motivation and enthusiasm were a constant source of inspiration.

Co-purification of arrestin like proteins with alpha-enolase from bovine myocardial tissues and the possible role in heart diseases as an autoantigen

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mirshahi, M., E-mail: massoud.mirshahi@inserm.fr; Le Marchand, S.

Aim: Previously, we reported that visual arrestin co-purified with glycolytic enzymes. The aim of this study was to analyze the co-purification of arrestin like proteins (ALP) in bovine cardiac tissues with enolases. Methods: The soluble extract of bovine myocardial tissues from different regions such as left and right atriums and ventricles of the bovine heart (n = 3) was analyzed by ACA-34 gel filtration, immuno-affinity column, SDS-PAGE, ELISA, western blot and a sandwich immune assay for quantification of ALP and sequence analysis. Results: We observed that; 1) The cardiac muscle contained a 50 kDa ALP at a concentration of 751 pg/mg of soluble proteinmore » extract, 2) ALP purified, by immunoaffinity, contained alpha-enolase of 48 kDa confirmed by protein sequence analysis; 3) Cardiomyocyte cells exposed to anti arrestin and anti enolase monoclonal antibodies showed decreased proliferation in vitro, 4) High level of autoantibodies were detected by ELISA (3.57% for arrestin and 9.12% for α-enolase) in serum of patients with infarcted heart disease. Conclusion: We suggest a possible interaction between ALP and alpha-enolases yielding a complex that may be involved in the induction of cardiac autoimmune diseases. - Highlights: • We examine a possible interaction between arrestin like protein and alpha-enolases in cardiomyocyte. • We demonstrated the effect of antibodies against arrestin and enolase on cardiomyocyte cell proliferation. • We suggest that this proteins complex may be involved in the induction of cardiac autoimmune diseases.« less

Structure and evolution of a rocksalt-mudrock-tectonite: The haselgebirge in the Northern Calcareous Alps

PubMed Central

Leitner, Christoph; Neubauer, Franz; Urai, János L.; Schoenherr, Johannes

2011-01-01

The Northern Calcareous Alps are part of the Eastern Alps in Austria and Germany. The Mesozoic units of this fold-and-thrust belt were detached, thrusted and stacked along the evaporitic Haselgebirge Formation. Exposed in salt mines, rocksalt and mudrock form a two component tectonite: The rock type “haselgebirge” consists of 10–70 wt % halite with silt- to gravel- or block-sized components within a halite matrix, and the “kerngebirge” with >70 wt % halite. All rock types studied are fault rocks. By use of a temperature-independent subgrain size piezometer, the paleo-differential stress of halite was calculated at ca. 2.5 MPa in Altaussee and ca. 4.5 MPa in Berchtesgaden. Including data from a grain-size piezometer, temperatures were estimated at ca. 150 ± 20 °C and 110 ± 10 °C. This implies very high strain rates, which are about 10−10–10−9 s−1. During the tectonic movement, the halite deformed, recrystallized, and crystallized as veins in mudrock fractures. We interpret high overpressure of the pore fluid to have significantly contributed to fracturing of the mudrock. PMID:26523077

Investigating cold based summit glaciers through direct access to the glacier base: a case study constraining the maximum age of Chli Titlis glacier, Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohleber, Pascal; Hoffmann, Helene; Kerch, Johanna; Sold, Leo; Fischer, Andrea

2018-01-01

Cold glaciers at the highest locations of the European Alps have been investigated by drilling ice cores to retrieve their stratigraphic climate records. Findings like the Oetztal ice man have demonstrated that small ice bodies at summit locations of comparatively lower altitudes may also contain old ice if locally frozen to the underlying bedrock. In this case, constraining the maximum age of their lowermost ice part may help to identify past periods with minimum ice extent in the Alps. However, with recent warming and consequent glacier mass loss, these sites may not preserve their unique climate information for much longer. Here we utilized an existing ice cave at Chli Titlis (3030 m), central Switzerland, to perform a case study for investigating the maximum age of cold-based summit glaciers in the Alps. The cave offers direct access to the glacier stratigraphy without the logistical effort required in ice core drilling. In addition, a pioneering exploration had already demonstrated stagnant cold ice conditions at Chli Titlis, albeit more than 25 years ago. Our englacial temperature measurements and the analysis of the isotopic and physical properties of ice blocks sampled at three locations within the ice cave show that cold ice still exists fairly unchanged today. State-of-the-art micro-radiocarbon analysis constrains the maximum age of the ice at Chli Titlis to about 5000 years before present. By this means, the approach presented here will contribute to a future systematic investigation of cold-based summit glaciers, also in the Eastern Alps.

Cretaceous to Tertiary paleogeographic reconstructions of the Alps-Pyrenees linking zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frasca, Gianluca; Dielforder, Armin; Ford, Mary; Vergés, Jaume

2017-04-01

The northwestern Mediterranean subduction systems underwent an important phase of reorganization between Late Cretaceous and Eocene. The mode and timing of this reorganization are still under debate. Great uncertainties mainly derive from the poorly preserved record of the early phases of orogenic evolution in both the Alps and Pyrenees and the distruction of the orogenic system between the Pyrenees and Alps by the Oligo-Miocene opening of the Gulf of Lion due to backarc rifting. Vestiges are nevertheless preserved in the Pyreneo-Provençal fold-and-thrust belt and associated basins in southern France and Corsica-Sardinia. In this work we first review published plate kinematic models for Iberia, Apulia and Europe from 83 Ma, focusing in particular on the restoration of the Corso-Sardinia block using the free software GPlates. Second, we characterize the Upper Cretaceous to Eocene depositional systems at the junction between the Alps, Pyrenees and Apennines, reviewing previous paleogeographic restorations for the Western Alpine and Eastern Pyrenean foreland basins. Last, we compare the kinematic models with reconstructed basin dynamics. We critically assess the implications of newly proposed paleogeographic reconstructions (at 83, 65, 50, 37 and 30 Ma) for the validity of various plate kinematic models. The information derived from the sedimentary basins help to define the mode and timing of the subduction reorganization that occurred between 83 and 30 Ma in the northwestern Mediterranean. This study is part of the Orogen research program funded by Total, the BRGM (Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières), the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique).

Anatomy of an ancient subduction interface at 40 km depth: Insights from P-T-t-d data, and geodynamic implications (Dent Blanche, Western Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angiboust, Samuel; Glodny, Johannes; Oncken, Onno; Chopin, Christian

2014-05-01

An exhumed metamorphic suture zone over 40 km long is exposed in the Dent Blanche Region of the Western Alps belt, along the Swiss-Italian border. In this region, the metasediment-bearing ophiolitic remnants of the Liguro-Piemontese ocean (Tsaté complex) are overthrusted by a continental, km-sized complex (Dent Blanche Tectonic System: DBTS) of Austro-Alpine affinity. The DBTS represents a strongly deformed composite terrane with independent tectonic slices of continental and oceanic origin. In order to better understand the nature and the geodynamic meaning of the shear zone at the base of the DBTS (Dent Blanche Thrust, DBT) we re-evaluated the pressure-temperature-time-deformation (P-T-t-d) history of these two units using modern thermobarometric tools, Rb/Sr deformation ages and field relationships. Our results show that the Tsaté complex is formed by a stack of km-thick calcschists-bearing tectonic slices, having experienced variable maximum burial temperatures of between 360°C and 490°C at depths of ca. 25-40 km, between 41 Ma and 37 Ma. The Arolla gneissic mylonites constituting the base of the DBTS experienced a continuous record of protracted high-pressure (12-14 kbar), top-to-NW D1 deformation at 450-500°C between 43 and 55 Ma. Some of these primary, peak metamorphic fabrics have been sheared (top-to-SE D2) and backfolded during exhumation and collisional overprint (20 km depth, 35-40 Ma) leading to the regional greenschist facies retrogression particularly prominent within Tsaté metasediments. The final juxtaposition of the DBTS with the Tsaté complex occurred between 350 and 500°C during this later, exhumation-related D2 event. Although some exhumation-related deformation partially reworked D1 primary features, we emphasize that the DBT can be viewed as a remnant of the Alpine early Eocene blueschist-facies subduction interface region. The DBT therefore constitutes the deeper equivalent of some shallower portions of the Alpine subduction interface exposed 200 km eastwards in eastern Switzerland (e.g. Bachmann et al., 2009). Our results shed light on deep (25-45 km) subduction zone structures and dynamics and are therefore of major interest for geophysical studies imaging the plate interface region in active subduction zones.

Pleistocene alterations of drainage network between the Alps and the Pannonian Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovács, G.

2012-04-01

The investigated study area is situated in the transition zone between the still uplifting Eastern Alps and the subsiding Little Hungarian Plain (Joó 1992), bordered by Lafnitz (Lapincs), Répce (Rabnitz) and Rába (Raab) rivers. The contrasting forcing of the regions of differential uplift created a distinctive surface morphology of typically low relief that has a characteristic drainage network pattern as well. Our study is aimed at the reconstruction of the surface evolution by separation of individual geomorphic domains delineated by their geomorphometric characteristics. The hilly area is mostly covered by Miocene sediments. The mesoscale geomorphological units of the study area are influenced by the uplifting metamorphic core complex of Koszeg-Rechnitz Mountains (Tari - Horváth 1995), by the also metamorphic and relatively uplifting Vas Hill as well as by the subsiding grabens. There are two dominant flow directions alternating downstream. Valley segments are often bordered by steep scarps, which were identified by previous research as listric normal faults and grabens. Largely, the investigated area consists of tilted blocks bordered by 30-60 m high and steep, fault-related escarpments as it was demonstrated by the analysis of lignite layers, topographic sections and topographic swath analyses (Kovács et al. 2010, Kovács et al. 2011). Drainage network reorganizations occurred in several steps during the Pleistocene. Corresponding landforms are abrupt changes in stream direction, wind gaps, uplifted terrace levels built up of sedimentary rocks and wide alluvial valleys. Terraces are best developed along the Strem stream, which has a strikingly small drainage area at present, due to the Pinka River, which captured the upper parts of the drainage basin. The widest valley belongs to Pinka River. Drainage reorganizations are most likely due to the uplifting scarps that diverted the streams. Remainders of previous cross-valleys are wind gaps. Using these markers (wide alluvial valleys with relatively small streams, terrace levels and wind gaps) and the different height of the scarps we roughly elaborated the geomorphological development of the area, including relative age of drainage network elements, tectonic features and river captures. Results indicate a detailed but still regionally dissected timeline about drainage network alterations, including phases of gravel sedimentation, incision and beheadings. The abstract titled "Pleistocene alteration of drainage network and surface morphology caused by basement structure in the foreland of Eastern Alps" determine the origin of the investigated scarps. This paper was supported by Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA NK83400). Joó, I. (1992): Recent vertical surface movements in the Carpathian Basin. Tectonophysics 202: 129-134. Kovács, G., Telbisz, T., Székely, B. (2010) Faulted and eroded gravel deposit in western Hungary. - Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 12. EGU General Assembly 2010. Kovács, G., Telbisz, T., Székely, B. (2011) Quaternary alterations of drainage network in a transition area between the Alps and the Pannonian Basin. - Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13. EGU General Assembly 2011. Tari, G. and Horváth, F. (1995): Middle Miocene extensional collapse in the Alpine-Pannonian transitional zone, in: Horváth, F., Tari, G., and Bokor, K. (Eds.): Extensional collapse of the Alpine orogene and hydrocarbon prospects in the basement and fill of the western Pannonian Basin, AAPG Inter. Conf. and Exhib., Nice, France, Guidebook to fieldtrip No. 6, 75-105

Adria/Europe collision effects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Balla, Z.

1988-08-01

In the Senonian, the Adriatic promontory of the African plate lay between two transform faults which joined the north-vergent Alpine-Carpathian front with the south-vergent Apenninic and Hellenic fronts. In the late Eocene it collided with the European continent. The head of the promontory was crushed by compression in the Oligocene and lengthened in a west-east direction. This initiated formation of the West Alpine and West Carpathian arcs. A bay of thin European crust in the area now occupied by the Carpathians facilitated a more pronounced advance of the eastern arc. A wedge-shaped body with the Bakony Mountains in its rigidmore » core was pressed out from the Alpine region. The eastern Alps and the West Carpathians as well as the Southern Alps and the middle Pannonian units suffered sinistral and dextral shear, respectively, which resulted in their lengthening and zonality. In the early-middle Miocene in the Adriatic promontory was broken up. Its northern part suffered counterclockwise rotation in connection with the opening of the Ligurian Sea while the southern part only shifted relative to Africa. Rotation of the northern microplate forced the Dinaric-Hellenic arc to change its shape from convex to concave, and the intra-Carpathian units advanced toward the northeast and rotated toward each other. This completed the Carpathian arc and initiated subsidence in the Pannonian basin. Since the late Miocene the Adriatic promontory has acted again as a part of Africa with a maximum 60-km shift toward the west, caused by the escaping Turkish microplate.« less

Detecting Human Presence at the Border of the Northeastern Italian Pre-Alps. 14C Dating at Rio Secco Cave as Expression of the First Gravettian and the Late Mousterian in the Northern Adriatic Region

PubMed Central

Talamo, Sahra; Peresani, Marco; Romandini, Matteo; Duches, Rossella; Jéquier, Camille; Nannini, Nicola; Pastoors, Andreas; Picin, Andrea; Vaquero, Manuel; Weniger, Gerd-Christian; Hublin, Jean-Jacques

2014-01-01

In the northern Adriatic regions, which include the Venetian region and the Dalmatian coast, late Neanderthal settlements are recorded in few sites and even more ephemeral are remains of the Mid-Upper Palaeolithic occupations. A contribution to reconstruct the human presence during this time range has been produced from a recently investigated cave, Rio Secco, located in the northern Adriatic region at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps. Chronometric data make Rio Secco a key site in the context of recording occupation by late Neanderthals and regarding the diffusion of the Mid-Upper Palaeolithic culture in a particular district at the border of the alpine region. As for the Gravettian, its diffusion in Italy is a subject of on-going research and the aim of this paper is to provide new information on the timing of this process in Italy. In the southern end of the Peninsula the first occupation dates to around 28,000 14C BP, whereas our results on Gravettian layer range from 29,390 to 28,995 14C years BP. At the present state of knowledge, the emergence of the Gravettian in eastern Italy is contemporaneous with several sites in Central Europe and the chronological dates support the hypothesis that the Swabian Gravettian probably dispersed from eastern Austria. PMID:24759802

Detecting human presence at the border of the Northeastern Italian Pre-Alps. 14C dating at Rio Secco cave as expression of the first Gravettian and the late mousterian in the Northern Adriatic Region.

PubMed

Talamo, Sahra; Peresani, Marco; Romandini, Matteo; Duches, Rossella; Jéquier, Camille; Nannini, Nicola; Pastoors, Andreas; Picin, Andrea; Vaquero, Manuel; Weniger, Gerd-Christian; Hublin, Jean-Jacques

2014-01-01

In the northern Adriatic regions, which include the Venetian region and the Dalmatian coast, late Neanderthal settlements are recorded in few sites and even more ephemeral are remains of the Mid-Upper Palaeolithic occupations. A contribution to reconstruct the human presence during this time range has been produced from a recently investigated cave, Rio Secco, located in the northern Adriatic region at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps. Chronometric data make Rio Secco a key site in the context of recording occupation by late Neanderthals and regarding the diffusion of the Mid-Upper Palaeolithic culture in a particular district at the border of the alpine region. As for the Gravettian, its diffusion in Italy is a subject of on-going research and the aim of this paper is to provide new information on the timing of this process in Italy. In the southern end of the Peninsula the first occupation dates to around 28,000 14C BP, whereas our results on Gravettian layer range from 29,390 to 28,995 14C years BP. At the present state of knowledge, the emergence of the Gravettian in eastern Italy is contemporaneous with several sites in Central Europe and the chronological dates support the hypothesis that the Swabian Gravettian probably dispersed from eastern Austria.

Ecological differentiation, lack of hybrids involving diploids, and asymmetric gene flow between polyploids in narrow contact zones of Senecio carniolicus (syn. Jacobaea carniolica, Asteraceae).

PubMed

Hülber, Karl; Sonnleitner, Michaela; Suda, Jan; Krejčíková, Jana; Schönswetter, Peter; Schneeweiss, Gerald M; Winkler, Manuela

2015-03-01

Areas of immediate contact of different cytotypes offer a unique opportunity to study evolutionary dynamics within heteroploid species and to assess isolation mechanisms governing coexistence of cytotypes of different ploidy. The degree of reproductive isolation of cytotypes, that is, the frequency of heteroploid crosses and subsequent formation of viable and (partly) fertile hybrids, plays a crucial role for the long-term integrity of lineages in contact zones. Here, we assessed fine-scale distribution, spatial clustering, and ecological niches as well as patterns of gene flow in parental and hybrid cytotypes in zones of immediate contact of di-, tetra-, and hexaploid Senecio carniolicus (Asteraceae) in the Eastern Alps. Cytotypes were spatially separated also at the investigated microscale; the strongest spatial separation was observed for the fully interfertile tetra- and hexaploids. The three main cytotypes showed highly significant niche differences, which were, however, weaker than across their entire distribution ranges in the Eastern Alps. Individuals with intermediate ploidy levels were found neither in the diploid/tetraploid nor in the diploid/hexaploid contact zones indicating strong reproductive barriers. In contrast, pentaploid individuals were frequent in the tetraploid/hexaploid contact zone, albeit limited to a narrow strip in the immediate contact zone of their parental cytotypes. AFLP fingerprinting data revealed introgressive gene flow mediated by pentaploid hybrids from tetra- to hexaploid individuals, but not vice versa. The ecological niche of pentaploids differed significantly from that of tetraploids but not from hexaploids.

Orogen-scale anticline revealed in the Southern Alps of New Zealand by structural thermochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Renjie; Brandon, Mark

2017-04-01

A dense set of cooling ages from the Southern Alps reveals an orogen-scale anticline of cooling-age isosurfaces (isochrones) and provides an interesting example of structural thermochronology, where isochrones are used as structural markers. The isochrone concept is an integral aspect of the age-elevation method, but the latter implicitly assumes that all isochrones are horizontal. Our experience in New Zeland and elsewhere is that isochrones are commonly tilted after formation. We use a more general approach that solves for orientation of the isochrone surfaces, and also the slope of the age-elevation trend, where "elevation" is measured normal to the isochrone surfaces. In New Zealand, collision and convergence between the Pacific and Australian plates have resulted in the formation and continuing growth of the Southern Alps, a prototypical orogenic wedge. In the western side, the Southern Alps is bounded by the Alpine fault, along with deeply exhumed rocks from depths up to 25 km. There are 150 apatite and 200 zircon fission-track (AFT, ZFT) ages that cover the vast region of the South Island of New Zealand from Lake Summer to Lake Wanaka. The AFT ages range from <0.5 to 140 Ma, and the ZFT ages, from <0.5 to 400 Ma. Our approach was initiated by McPhillips and Brandon (Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2010, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2010.05.022). We use a least-squares method to solve for a best-fit sequence of dipping isochrone surfaces. The solution specifies the strike, dip and spacing of the parallel isochrones, the last of which indicates the velocity of the isochrones passing through the closure depth. We find that the calculation of the entire dataset failed to yield reasonable results, implying nonplanar structures at the regional scale. Using subsets of data, we observed three distinct zones of isochrones from E to W across the South Island. 1) The large area east of the Southern Alps in the central South Island contains ZFT isochrones that dip shallowly (< 1-5 degrees) to the east, with ages of 100 Ma and older. The spacing of the isochrones is narrow and indicates low ( 10-100 m/Ma) velocity crossing the closure depth of the samples. 2) In the eastern flank of the Southern Alps, the isochrone dip increases to 5-20 degrees with younger ages, 50 to < 5 Ma, and a much wide spacing of 1000-2000 m/Ma. 3) In the western flank of the Southern Alps around the Mount Cook, the isochrones have a similarly young age and spacing, but dip 10-30 degrees to the west. Collectively, these observations indicate an anticlinal structure across the Southern Alps. We have shown previously that cooling ages provide a kind of upside-down stratigraphy, with age surfaces (isochrones) formed at the closure isotherm and becoming older above that horizon. The isochrones first form as nearly horizontal surfaces and then serve as passive markers of deformation above the closure isotherm. We suggest that the isochrones exposed in the east flank of Southern Alps were formed and tilted to the east as they were advected through the large east-dipping retroshear zone that underlies the Southern Alps. In contrast, the west-dipping isochrones exposed in the west flank of the Southern Alps were formed within the retroshear zone, and their west dip is probably due to shear-induced rotation.

Provenance Analysis of Lower Miocene Sediments in the Lower Austrian Molasse Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knierzinger, Wolfgang; Palzer, Markus; Wagreich, Michael

2015-04-01

In the Early Miocene (Late Ottnangian) a global drop of the sea level and the continuous rise of the Alps caused a regression of the Paratethys. During this time interval the Traisen Formation (formerly Oncophora beds) was deposited in the Lower Austrian Molasse Basin. These yellowish-brownish to greyish mica-rich and carbonate-free sands and silts with clayish interlayers were originally named after a brackish water bivalve ("Oncophora"- now Rzehakia). The southeastern part of the TF partly interfingers with finer sands of the Dietersdorf Formation (DF). The Pixendorf Group combines the TF and the DF [coarse sands, conglomerates, blocks] of the Upper Ottnangian lithostratigraphic units in Lower Austria. West to the Waschberg Zone a deeper-water environment (so called Oncophora beds in former literature, herein [informally] renamed to Wildendürnbach Member) with sediment gravity flows (turbidites, muddy/sandy slumps) is inferred from OMV well data. Examinations of these fine sandstones, silts and laminated pelites have been carried out on the basis of the Wildendürnbach-4 OMV drilling core. Analyses of the TF revealed rather homogenous heavy mineral assemblages, dominated by high amounts of garnet (~65%) and relatively high amounts of epidote/zoisite (~10%) and amphiboles (~10%). Conducted surveys point towards a primary influence of metamorphic (metapelitic) source rocks of Austroalpine Crystalline Complexes of the rising Eastern Alps. Heavy mineral analysis of the WDK-4 drilling core showed even higher amounts of garnet (~80%) combined with minor amounts of rutile, staurolite, apatite, epidote/zoisite, tourmalines, zircon and amphiboles. Consistent heavy mineral assemblages and chemical data (EMPA) suggest a stratigraphical correlation with the Křepice Formation and the Ždánice-Hustopeče Formation in the Czech Republic and sedimentary influence from the Western Carpathian Flysch Belt.

The Geomorphological Evolution of a Landscape in a Tectonically Active Region: the Sennwald Landslide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aksay, Selçuk; Ivy-Ochs, Susan; Hippe, Kristina; Graemiger, Lorenz; Vockenhuber, Christof

2016-04-01

The Säntis nappe is a fold-and-thrust structure in eastern Switzerland consisting of numerous tectonic discontinuities that make rocks vulnerable to rock failure. The Sennwald landslide is one of those events that occurred due to the failure of Lower Cretaceous Helvetic limestones. This study reveals the surface exposure age of the event in relation to geological and tectonic setting, earthquake frequency of the Central Alps, and regional scale climate/weather influence. Our study comprises detailed mapping of landform features, thin section analysis of landslide boulder lithologies, landslide volume estimation, numerical DAN-3D run-out modelling, and the spatial and temporal relationship of the event. In the Sennwald landslide, 92 million m3 of limestones detached from the south-eastern wall of the Säntis nappe and slid with a maximum travel distance of ~4'500 m and a "fahrboeschung" angle of 15° along the SE-dipping sliding plane almost parallel to the orientation of the bedding plane. Numerical run-out modelling results match the extent and the thickness of landslide deposits as observed in the field. The original bedrock stratigraphy was preserved as geologically the top layer in the bedrock package travelled the farthest and the bottom layer came to rest closest to the release bedrock wall during the landslide. Velocities of maximum 90 m/s were obtained from the numerical run-out modelling. Total Cl and 36Cl were determined at ETH AMS facility with isotope dilution methods defined in the literature (Ivy-Ochs et al., 2004). Surface exposure ages of landslide deposits in the accumulation area are revealed from twelve boulders. The distribution of limestone boulders in the accumulation area, the exposure ages, and the numerical run-out modelling support the hypothesis that the Sennwald landslide was a single catastrophic event. The event is likely to have been triggered by at least light to moderate earthquakes (Mw=4.0-6.0). The historical and the last 40-year earthquake activity shows that this region is tectonically still active (Mosar, 1999) with numerous earthquakes. The exposure ages imply that the rock failure occurred during the middle Holocene, a period of increased neotectonic activity in Eastern Alps suggested by Prager et al. (2007). This time period also coincides with notably wet climate, which has been suggested as an important trigger for landslides around this age across the Alps (Zerathe et al., 2014).

Discovery of a landscape-wide drape of late-glacial aeolian silt in the western Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria): First results and implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gild, Charlotte; Geitner, Clemens; Sanders, Diethard

2018-01-01

Aeolian deposits record palaeoenvironmental conditions and may coin soil properties. Whereas periglacial loess is extensively investigated for 200 years, the study of the intramontane wind-blown deposits of the Alps has just stuttered along. Herein, we describe a drape of polymictic siliciclastic silt interpreted as an aeolian deposit that veneers extensive areas in the western Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA), from kames terraces near valley floors up to last-glacial nunataks. The NCA - part of the Eastern Alps mountain range - consist mainly of Triassic carbonate rocks; these are overlain by deposits of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and its deglacial-paraglacial aftermath (e.g., glacial tills, fluvio-lacustrine successions, alluvial fans, scree slopes) - and a regional drape of polymictic silt newly described herein. The drape is typically a few decimeters in thickness and slightly modified by soil formation; it consists mainly of well-sorted silt of quartz, feldspars, phyllosilicates (muscovite, chlorite, biotite), amphiboles and, rarely, calcite or dolomite. The drape is unrelated to the substrate: it overlies carbonate bedrock and - in lateral continuity - abandoned deposystems such as colluvial slopes of redeposited till, kames, alluvial fans, scree slopes, and rock avalanche deposits. The drape was spotted from near the present valley floors up to LGM nunataks, over a vertical range of some 2000 m; it is also present in catchments of the NCA that were not overridden by far-travelled ice streams and that lack metamorphic rock fragments. Two OSL quartz ages of the drape from two distinct locations (18.77 ± 1.55 ka; 17.81 ± 1.68 ka) fall into the early Alpine late-glacial interval shortly after the collapse of pleniglacial ice streams; this fits with geological and geomorphological evidence, respectively, that the drape should be of early late-glacial age, and that it accumulated during a specific interval of time. In the NCA, localized minor deposition of aeolian dust is documented - by other authors - from plateaus deglaciated only during the late-glacial to Holocene; no evidence, however, exists for another phase of similarly widespread aeolian deposition such as that which gave rise to the described regional drape of silt. Intense aeolian transport and deposition was probably a direct consequence of the liberation of huge amounts of unsorted sediment during deglacial ice collapse, perhaps combined with climatic aridification. This provides a hitherto unappreciated element of the deglacial to paraglacial phase: intramontane dust storms. Because of its large extent and the availability to OSL dating, the aeolian drape provides an excellent geochronological marker level identified in terrestrial post-glacial successions of the Eastern Alps. Because of its fine-grained siliciclastic composition, the drape gives rise to widespread development of atypical Cambisols (on carbonate bedrocks) with comparatively high water storage capacity and nutrient supply.

The relationship between alkaline phosphatase and bone alkaline phosphatase activity and the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 axis and vitamin D status in children with growth hormone deficiency.

PubMed

Witkowska-Sędek, Ewelina; Stelmaszczyk-Emmel, Anna; Majcher, Anna; Demkow, Urszula; Pyrżak, Beata

2018-04-13

The relationships between bone turnover, the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-1 (GH/IGF-1) axis and vitamin D are complex, but still not fully explained. The GH/IGF-1 axis and vitamin D can mutually modulate each other's metabolism and influence the activation of cell proliferation, maturation, and mineralization as well as bone resorption. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reciprocal associations between bone formation markers [alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP)], the GH/IGF-1 axis and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] in children with growth hormone deficiency at baseline and during recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) therapy. ALP, BALP, 25(OH)D and IGF-1 levels were evaluated in 53 patients included in this prospective three-year study. ALP, BALP and IGF-1 increased during rhGH therapy. Baseline ALP activity correlated positively with baseline height velocity (HV). ALP and BALP activity at 12 months correlated positively with HV in the first year of therapy. We found positive correlations between ALP and IGF-1 at baseline and during the first year of therapy, between BALP activity at 12 months and rhGH dose in the first year of therapy, and between doses of cholecalciferol in the first year of rhGH therapy and early changes in BALP activity during rhGH therapy. Our results indicate that vitamin D supplementation enhances the effect of rhGH on bone formation process, which could improve the effects of rhGH therapy. ALP and BALP activity are useful in the early prediction of the effects of rhGH therapy, but their utility as long-term predictors seemed insufficient.

Latest Pannonian and Quaternary evolution at the transition between Eastern Alps and Pannonian Basin: new insights from geophysical, sedimentological and geochronological data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zámolyi, A.; Salcher, B.; Draganits, E.; Exner, U.; Wagreich, M.; Gier, S.; Fiebig, M.; Lomax, J.; Surányi, G.; Diel, M.; Zámolyi, F.

2017-07-01

The transition zone between Eastern Alps and Pannonian Basin is a key area for the investigation of the interplay between regional uplift, local tectonic subsidence and depositional environment. Our study area, the western margin of the Little Hungarian Plain, is characterized by gentle hills, plateaus and depressions, of which several are filled by lakes—including one of Austria's largest and shallowest lakes, Lake Neusiedl. Geological investigation is hampered by the scarcity of outcrops, and thus direct observation of sedimentological or structural features is difficult. Despite a long research history in the area, a consistent landscape evolution model considering all relevant constraints is lacking so far. In this study, we apply multidisciplinary methods to decipher the complex tectonic and fluvial depositional evolution of the region. Local data from shallow-lake drilling and seismic investigation are combined with regional data from industrial seismics and core data to gain new insights into the latest Pannonian (Late Miocene) and Quaternary evolution. Shallow-lake seismic data show the erosionally truncated Pannonian sediments dipping and thickening toward southeast, toward the modern depocenter of the Little Hungarian Plain. Overlying Quaternary fluvial sediments show a very similar thickening trend except for the area on the plateau north of the lake indicating ongoing subsidence in major parts of the basin. Drill cores from locations along the lake seismic lines were analyzed concerning their age, mineralogy and heavy minerals and compared with outcrop samples from the surrounding plains and the plateau to derive indications on sediment provenance. A key observation is the apparent lack of a significant gravel layer on top of the tilted Pannonian sediments beneath Lake Neusiedl. Small-scale faults can be observed in the lake seismic sections along with key sedimentary features. Significant differences of the current elevation of the top Pannonian between the surrounding plains and the plateau indicate post-Pannonian normal faulting, which is a key process in shaping the present-day morphology of the region. Luminescence ages of samples from the Quaternary fluvial gravels on top of the Pannonian sediments are a significantly higher (>300 ka) compared to the gravels in the plain (102 ± 11 and 76 ± 8 ka), suggesting ongoing tectonic subsidence.

Linguistic, geographic and genetic isolation: a collaborative study of Italian populations.

PubMed

Capocasa, Marco; Anagnostou, Paolo; Bachis, Valeria; Battaggia, Cinzia; Bertoncini, Stefania; Biondi, Gianfranco; Boattini, Alessio; Boschi, Ilaria; Brisighelli, Francesca; Caló, Carla Maria; Carta, Marilisa; Coia, Valentina; Corrias, Laura; Crivellaro, Federica; De Fanti, Sara; Dominici, Valentina; Ferri, Gianmarco; Francalacci, Paolo; Franceschi, Zelda Alice; Luiselli, Donata; Morelli, Laura; Paoli, Giorgio; Rickards, Olga; Robledo, Renato; Sanna, Daria; Sanna, Emanuele; Sarno, Stefania; Sineo, Luca; Taglioli, Luca; Tagarelli, Giuseppe; Tofanelli, Sergio; Vona, Giuseppe; Pettener, Davide; Destro Bisol, Giovanni

2014-01-01

The animal and plant biodiversity of the Italian territory is known to be one of the richest in the Mediterranean basin and Europe as a whole, but does the genetic diversity of extant human populations show a comparable pattern? According to a number of studies, the genetic structure of Italian populations retains the signatures of complex peopling processes which took place from the Paleolithic to modern era. Although the observed patterns highlight a remarkable degree of genetic heterogeneity, they do not, however, take into account an important source of variation. In fact, Italy is home to numerous ethnolinguistic minorities which have yet to be studied systematically. Due to their difference in geographical origin and demographic history, such groups not only signal the cultural and social diversity of our country, but they are also potential contributors to its bio-anthropological heterogeneity. To fill this gap, research groups from four Italian Universities (Bologna, Cagliari, Pisa and Roma Sapienza) started a collaborative study in 2007, which was funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research and received partial support by the Istituto Italiano di Antropologia. In this paper, we present an account of the results obtained in the course of this initiative. Four case-studies relative to linguistic minorities from the Eastern Alps, Sardinia, Apennines and Southern Italy are first described and discussed, focusing on their micro-evolutionary and anthropological implications. Thereafter, we present the results of a systematic analysis of the relations between linguistic, geographic and genetic isolation. Integrating the data obtained in the course of the long-term study with literature and unpublished results on Italian populations, we show that a combination of linguistic and geographic factors is probably responsible for the presence of the most robust signatures of genetic isolation. Finally, we evaluate the magnitude of the diversity of Italian populations in the European context. The human genetic diversity of our country was found to be greater than observed throughout the continent at short (0-200 km) and intermediate (700-800km) distances, and accounted for most of the highest values of genetic distances observed at all geographic ranges. Interestingly, an important contribution to this pattern comes from the "linguistic islands"( e.g. German speaking groups of Sappada and Luserna from the Eastern Italian Alps), further proof of the importance of considering social and cultural factors when studying human genetic variation.

Imaging the local crustal structure of the European Eastern Alps through teleseismic reflections from the Earth's inner core recorded during an active source experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behm, M.

2016-12-01

The ALP2002 experiment was a large 3D active seismic experiment to reveal the crustal structure of the Eastern Alps and their neighboring tectonic provinces in Central Europe. The deployment comprised 993 autonomous Reftek Texan recorders equipped with vertical component geophones. The average station spacing was 4.5 km, and the recording instruments were distributed along 14 interlocking profiles with a total line length of 4313 km. During 5 days, 40 explosions in boreholes were fired and recorded within pre-programmed time windows. The limited memory capacity of the recorders allowed for just a few additional backup time windows. Despite the short total recording time of only 17.5 hours within 5 days, one of these backup time windows comprises the registration of the reflection from the earth's inner core (PKiKP phase) originating from an earthquake 130 km offshore Papa New Guinea. This magnitude 5.7 teleseimic event occurred in a depth of 33 km and its epicentral distance to the deployment area is 121.5°. Although the 1C geophones with a natural frequency of 4.5 Hz are not designed to capture the complete characteristics of low-frequency earthquake waveforms, the high-frequency part of the PKiKP wavelet is clearly recorded on all 993 stations. Thus the dataset represents a unique opportunity to study regional and local crustal structures from the analysis of teleseismic events, in particular since the results from the active source data provide calibration and validation. Arrival time analysis is facilitated by the sub-vertical emergence angle of the PKiKP phase. Time corrections for the near surface (< 10 km depth) and the upper mantle structure (50 - 400 km depth) are obtained from previously established seismic 3D models and allow focusing the interpretation on the lower crust and crust-mantle transition. Further, a recently developed blind deconvolution approach is applied to the data for imaging the crustal structure from surface reflections of the PKiKP phase.

Phylogeographic Insights into a Peripheral Refugium: The Importance of Cumulative Effect of Glaciation on the Genetic Structure of Two Endemic Plants

PubMed Central

Zecca, Giovanni; Minuto, Luigi

2016-01-01

Quaternary glaciations and mostly last glacial maximum have shaped the contemporary distribution of many species in the Alps. However, in the Maritime and Ligurian Alps a more complex picture is suggested by the presence of many Tertiary paleoendemisms and by the divergence time between lineages in one endemic species predating the Late Pleistocene glaciation. The low number of endemic species studied limits the understanding of the processes that took place within this region. We used species distribution models and phylogeographical methods to infer glacial refugia and to reconstruct the phylogeographical pattern of Silene cordifolia All. and Viola argenteria Moraldo & Forneris. The predicted suitable area for last glacial maximum roughly fitted current known distribution. Our results suggest that separation of the major clades predates the last glacial maximum and the following repeated glacial and interglacial periods probably drove differentiations. The complex phylogeographical pattern observed in the study species suggests that both populations and genotypes extinction was minimal during the last glacial maximum, probably due to the low impact of glaciations and to topographic complexity in this area. This study underlines the importance of cumulative effect of previous glacial cycles in shaping the genetic structure of plant species in Maritime and Ligurian Alps, as expected for a Mediterranean mountain region more than for an Alpine region. PMID:27870888

Present vertical movements in Central and Northern Italy from GPS data: Possible role of natural and anthropogenic causes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cenni, N.; Viti, M.; Baldi, P.; Mantovani, E.; Bacchetti, M.; Vannucchi, A.

2013-11-01

Insights into the present vertical kinematic pattern in Central and Northern Italy are gained by the analysis of GPS data acquired by a network of 262 permanent stations, working over various time intervals since 2001. Uplift is observed in the Alps (up to 5 mm/yr) and Apennines (1-2 mm/yr), whereas subsidence is recognized in the southern Venetian Plain (2-4 mm/yr) and the eastern Po Valley, where the highest rates are observed (up to 9 mm/yr between Reggio Emilia and Rimini). On the other hand, the western part of the Po Valley presents very low vertical rates. The boundary between subsiding and not subsiding Po Valley nearly corresponds to the Giudicarie tectonic discontinuity. It is argued that the different kinematic patterns of the eastern and western Padanian sectors may also be related to the underthrusting of the eastern domain beneath the western one. Some considerations are then reported on how the various causes of vertical movements (tectonic and sedimentological processes) may contribute to the observed kinematics.

Subgeneric division of the genus Orcula Held 1837 with remarks on Romanian orculid data (Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Orculidae)

PubMed Central

Páll-Gergely, Barna; Deli, Tamás; Irikov, Atanas; Harl, Josef

2013-01-01

Abstract The genital anatomy of Orcula jetschini (Romania), Orcula zilchi (Bulgaria), and Orcula wagneri (Albania) is described. Based on anatomical features (morphology of the penial caecum) shell characters (sculpture and shape) and unpublished molecular data the genus Orcula is subdivided into three subgenera. Orcula zilchi was classified within the monotypic subgenus Orcula (Hausdorfia) subgen. n.; Orcula jetschini, Orcula wagneri, and Orcula schmidtii were classified to Orcula (Illyriobanatica) subgen. n. (type species: Pupa schmidtii) whereas the other Orcula species remain in the nominotypical subgenus. Orcula (Hausdorfia) is known from South-Eastern Bulgaria and North-Western Turkey, Orcula (Illyriobanatica) inhabits Western Romania, North-Western Greece, Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, and Montenegro. The nine species of Orcula (Orcula) are known mainly from the Alps and the Western Carpathians (from Eastern France to Eastern Hungary and Slovakia). The occurrence of only one Orcula species namely Orcula jetschini is verified from Romania. Available information suggests that data on the Romanian occurrence of Orcula dolium and Orcula gularis were based on wrongly identified specimens. Sphyradium dobrogicum (=Orcula dobrogica) is considered as a synonym of Sphyradium doliolum. PMID:23794893

Filling the Eastern European gap in millennium-long temperature reconstructions

PubMed Central

Büntgen, Ulf; Kyncl, Tomáš; Ginzler, Christian; Jacks, David S.; Esper, Jan; Tegel, Willy; Heussner, Karl-Uwe; Kyncl, Josef

2013-01-01

Tree ring–based temperature reconstructions form the scientific backbone of the current global change debate. Although some European records extend into medieval times, high-resolution, long-term, regional-scale paleoclimatic evidence is missing for the eastern part of the continent. Here we compile 545 samples of living trees and historical timbers from the greater Tatra region to reconstruct interannual to centennial-long variations in Eastern European May–June temperature back to 1040 AD. Recent anthropogenic warming exceeds the range of past natural climate variability. Increased plague outbreaks and political conflicts, as well as decreased settlement activities, coincided with temperature depressions. The Black Death in the mid-14th century, the Thirty Years War in the early 17th century, and the French Invasion of Russia in the early 19th century all occurred during the coldest episodes of the last millennium. A comparison with summer temperature reconstructions from Scandinavia, the Alps, and the Pyrenees emphasizes the seasonal and spatial specificity of our results, questioning those large-scale reconstructions that simply average individual sites. PMID:23319641

How steep are the Alps?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robl, Jörg; Prasicek, Günther; Stüwe, Kurt; Hergarten, Stefan

2014-05-01

The topography of the European Alps reflects continental collision, crustal thickening and buoyancy driven surface uplift, overprinted by erosional processes. Topographic gradients generally steepen from the valley floors up to about 1500 m - 2000 m followed by an unexpected decrease in slope up to about 2900 m and a further increase to the highest summits of the range. Several studies have interpreted this pattern and the accompanied maximum in the hypsometric curve in terms of either the critical slope stability angle, the prematurity of the Alps caused by recent tectonic uplift, or the effect of the glacial "buzz saw" related to the Pleistocene glaciation cycles. There is consensus that the lithological inventory represents a first order parameter for the steepness of fluvial channels and the angle of hillslopes in steady state and that the response time of a transient landscape is controlled by lithology. In this study we systematically explore the slope-elevation distributions for several hundred continuous domains of the major structural units of the Alps. For this, we apply a novel numerical code to determine the predominant cause for the observed peculiar topography. We compare adjacent alpine domains with contrasting lithology to explore lithological effects on the limiting slope stability angle. We analyze domains with different lithology in the non-glaciated parts of the orogen to highlight the state of maturity related to a recent uplift event. We evaluate the glacial effects on the landscape by the comparison of areas belonging to the same structural units but affected by a variable amount of glacial imprint. The results show that lithology has a major impact on the morphometric characteristics of the European Alps. Adjacent but different structural units show a significant variability in their slope-elevation distributions although they have experienced the same uplift history and the same amount of glacial imprint. This suggests that the response time and process rates in transient landscapes are predominantly governed by the lithological inventory. Areas belonging to the same structural unit show similar characteristics in the slope-elevation distribution independent from their spatial position within the orogen (e.g. external massifs). These similarities are probably caused by the vertical position of the Pleistocene equilibrium line altitude - an observation well in line with the glacial "buzz saw" hypothesis. However, several non-glaciated regions at the eastern and south-western border of the Alps show a slope-elevation relation similar to formerly glaciated domains. However, in contrast to the glaciated realm, the inflection point in the slope-elevation distribution is located at various elevation levels and is consistent with a reported recent pulse of uplift with spatial and/or temporal variations in uplift rate and initiation. Therefore, we interpret the slope-elevation distribution of the European Alps to be mainly caused by glacial erosion. The morphological record of a recent uplift event in the Alps has probably been overprinted by Pleistocene glaciations and may therefore only be detectable in non-glaciated regions of the peripheral parts of the Alps and in subsurface structures.

Integrative Structure–Function Mapping of the Nucleoporin Nup133 Suggests a Conserved Mechanism for Membrane Anchoring of the Nuclear Pore Complex

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Seung Joong; Fernandez-Martinez, Javier; Sampathkumar, Parthasarathy

2014-08-19

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is the sole passageway for the transport of macromolecules across the nuclear envelope. Nup133, a major component in the essential Y-shaped Nup84 complex, is a large scaffold protein of the NPC's outer ring structure. Here, we describe an integrative modeling approach that produces atomic models for multiple states of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sc) Nup133, based on the crystal structures of the sequence segments and their homologs, including the related Vanderwaltozyma polyspora (Vp) Nup133 residues 55 to 502 (VpNup133 55–502) determined in this study, small angle X-ray scattering profiles for 18 constructs of ScNup133 and one constructmore » of VpNup133, and 23 negative-stain electron microscopy class averages of ScNup1332–1157. Using our integrative approach, we then computed a multi-state structural model of the full-length ScNup133 and validated it with mutational studies and 45 chemical cross-links determined via mass spectrometry. Finally, the model of ScNup133 allowed us to annotate a potential ArfGAP1 lipid packing sensor (ALPS) motif in Sc and VpNup133 and discuss its potential significance in the context of the whole NPC; we suggest that ALPS motifs are scattered throughout the NPC's scaffold in all eukaryotes and play a major role in the assembly and membrane anchoring of the NPC in the nuclear envelope. Our results are consistent with a common evolutionary origin of Nup133 with membrane coating complexes (the protocoatomer hypothesis); the presence of the ALPS motifs in coatomer-like nucleoporins suggests an ancestral mechanism for membrane recognition present in early membrane coating complexes.« less

Integrative Structure–Function Mapping of the Nucleoporin Nup133 Suggests a Conserved Mechanism for Membrane Anchoring of the Nuclear Pore Complex*

PubMed Central

Kim, Seung Joong; Fernandez-Martinez, Javier; Sampathkumar, Parthasarathy; Martel, Anne; Matsui, Tsutomu; Tsuruta, Hiro; Weiss, Thomas M.; Shi, Yi; Markina-Inarrairaegui, Ane; Bonanno, Jeffery B.; Sauder, J. Michael; Burley, Stephen K.; Chait, Brian T.; Almo, Steven C.; Rout, Michael P.; Sali, Andrej

2014-01-01

The nuclear pore complex (NPC) is the sole passageway for the transport of macromolecules across the nuclear envelope. Nup133, a major component in the essential Y-shaped Nup84 complex, is a large scaffold protein of the NPC's outer ring structure. Here, we describe an integrative modeling approach that produces atomic models for multiple states of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Sc) Nup133, based on the crystal structures of the sequence segments and their homologs, including the related Vanderwaltozyma polyspora (Vp) Nup133 residues 55 to 502 (VpNup13355–502) determined in this study, small angle X-ray scattering profiles for 18 constructs of ScNup133 and one construct of VpNup133, and 23 negative-stain electron microscopy class averages of ScNup1332–1157. Using our integrative approach, we then computed a multi-state structural model of the full-length ScNup133 and validated it with mutational studies and 45 chemical cross-links determined via mass spectrometry. Finally, the model of ScNup133 allowed us to annotate a potential ArfGAP1 lipid packing sensor (ALPS) motif in Sc and VpNup133 and discuss its potential significance in the context of the whole NPC; we suggest that ALPS motifs are scattered throughout the NPC's scaffold in all eukaryotes and play a major role in the assembly and membrane anchoring of the NPC in the nuclear envelope. Our results are consistent with a common evolutionary origin of Nup133 with membrane coating complexes (the protocoatomer hypothesis); the presence of the ALPS motifs in coatomer-like nucleoporins suggests an ancestral mechanism for membrane recognition present in early membrane coating complexes. PMID:25139911

Thermal stability of bioactive enzymatic papers.

PubMed

Khan, Mohidus Samad; Li, Xu; Shen, Wei; Garnier, Gil

2010-01-01

The thermal stability of two enzymes adsorbed on paper, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), was measured using a colorimetric technique quantifying the intensity of the product complex. The enzymes adsorbed on paper retained their functionality and selectivity. Adsorption on paper increased the enzyme thermal stability by 2-3 orders of magnitude compared to the same enzyme in solution. ALP and HRP enzymatic papers had half-lives of 533 h and 239 h at 23 degrees C, respectively. The thermal degradation of adsorbed enzyme was found to follow two sequential first-order reactions, indication of a reaction system. A complex pattern of enzyme was printed on paper using a thermal inkjet printer. Paper and inkjet printing are ideal material and process to manufacture low-cost-high volume bioactive surfaces.

Human impact on the geomorphic evolution of the HOAL catchment, Lower Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pöppl, Ronald; Kraushaar, Sabine; Strauss, Peter; Fuchs, Markus

2016-04-01

Since the beginning of human settlement extensive land cover and land use changes have induced significant geomorphic landscape changes as water and sediment dynamics have been transformed. The presented project focuses on the reconstruction of Holocene geomorphic landscape evolution and the assessment of recent geomorphic processes in the Northern foothills of the Eastern Alps in Austria - an area intensively agriculturally used since the middle ages and often overlooked in its geomorphic evolution. The study area is a small catchment (ca. 66 ha) which is located in the western part of Lower Austria comprising a land use history as well as environmental settings typical for wide regions across the Northern foothills of the Eastern Alps in Austria. The catchment elevation ranges from 268 to 323 m a.s.l. and has a mean slope angle of 8%. The climate in this region can be characterized as humid. The lithology mainly consists of Tertiary marly to sandy deposits which are superimposed by Quaternary sediments (e.g. loesses). Dominant soil types are Cambisols, Luvisols, and Planosols. Furthermore, the catchment is used as a Hydrological Open Air Laboratory (HOAL) implemented for the long-term research of water-related flow and transport processes in the landscape (http://hoal.hydrology.at). The main objective of this research project is to reconstruct Holocene landscape evolution by analyzing physical parameters of sediment cores taken from colluvial and alluvial sediment archives with additional 14C and OSL dating as well as by the measurement of truncated and covered standardized Luvisol profiles. First results will be presented at the EGU General Assembly 2016.

Sedimentary record of subsidence pulse at the Triassic/Jurassic boundary interval in the Slovenian Basin (eastern Southern Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rožič, Boštjan; Jurkovšek, Tea Kolar; Rožič, Petra Žvab; Gale, Luka

2017-08-01

In the Alpine Realm the Early Jurassic is characterized by the disintegration and partial drowning of vast platform areas. In the eastern part of the Southern Alps (present-day NW Slovenia), the Julian Carbonate Platform and the adjacent, E-W extending Slovenian Basin underwent partial disintegration, drowning and deepening from the Pliensbachian on, whereas only nominal environmental changes developed on the large Dinaric (Friuli, Adriatic) Carbonate Platform to the south (structurally part of the Dinarides). These events, however, were preceded by an earlier - and as yet undocumented extensional event - that took place near the Triassic/Jurassic boundary. This paper provides evidence of an accelerated subsidence from four selected areas within the Slovenian Basin, which show a trend of eastwardly-decreasing deformation. In the westernmost (Mrzli vrh) section - the Upper Triassic platform-margin - massive dolomite is overlain by the earliest Jurassic toe-of-slope carbonate resediments and further, by basin-plain micritic limestone. Further east (Perbla and Liščak sections) the Triassic-Jurassic transition interval is marked by an increase in resedimented carbonates. We relate this to the increasing inclination and segmentation of the slope and adjacent basin floor. The easternmost (Mt. Porezen) area shows a rather monotonous, latest Triassic-Early Jurassic basinal sedimentation. However, changes in the thickness of the Hettangian-Pliensbachian Krikov Formation point to a tilting of tectonic blocks within the basin area. Lateral facies changes at the base of the formation indicate that the tilting occurred at and/or shortly after the Triassic/Jurassic boundary

Linking orogen and peripheral foreland basin: conceptual model and application to the Southalpine-Dinaric (Friuli) orocline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heberer, Bianca; Neubauer, Franz

2010-05-01

Surface uplift and rock exhumation within an orogen are generally a consequence of convergence, and can often be linked with subsidence in a peripheral foreland. Since vertical loads act on the entire lithosphere, these processes can, therefore, be considered as plate-scale processes. Here, we propose a conceptual model for this linkage for the Friuli orocline and its surrounding units. The Friuli orocline stretches from the ENE-trending Southern Alps to the SE-trending Dinarides. There, two Neogene stages of convergence and associated deformation can be differentiated: (1) a Mid-Late Miocene phase of increased surface uplift and intra-orogenic subsidence of sedimentary basins reflecting intra-orogenic crustal-scale folding. Depocentres are e.g. the flexural Belluno, Ljubljana and Klagenfurt basins. (2) A second stage of convergence during Late Pliocene-Pleistocene times led to overall surface uplift in the orogen and contemporaneous pronounced subsidence in the peripheral foreland basin (Venetian platform and the northern Adriatic Sea). We propose, that the spatially variable extent of subsidence originates in variably strong orogen-basin coupling, i.e. weak coupling during stage 1 vs. strong coupling during stage 2. This interpretation is based on the apatite fission track age pattern, the distribution of intra-orogenic Neogene sediment basins and subsidence analyses in the foreland basin (Barbieri et al., 2007). Available low-temperature thermochronological data for the Southern Alps and the NW Dinarides are sparse, in contrast to a dense network of primarily apatite fission track ages north of the Periadriatic lineament (e.g. summarized by Luth & Willingshofer, 2008). AFT ages adjacent to the eastern Periadriatic Lineament mainly range from 15 to 25 Ma (Hejl, 1997; Fodor et al., 2008). Detrital studies on Oligocene to Miocene sediments from the Venetian foreland basin yielded dominant age groups clustering roughly around 20 and 30 Ma (Stefani et al., 2008). Bedrock ages from the vicinity of the Valsugana thrust indicate an important exhumational event at about 10 Ma (Zattin et al., 2006). The existing data already hint at decreasing rates of thermal overprint towards the foreland. Basement uplifts partly display AFT ages contemporaneous to subsidence in intra-orogenic basins. Consequently, existing AFT data and their relationships to intervening Neogene basins suggest a Neogene large-wavelength crustal-scale fold structure between the Klagenfurt basin and the Adriatic Sea. The main stage of subsidence in the Venetian-Adriatic foreland is younger and of Late Pliocene-Pleistocene age reflecting the final, still ongoing stage of shortening (Barbieri et al., 2007). In order to further test these observations, we aim at collecting more structural and low-T thermochronological data from the region. First results from the recently started project "AlDi-Adria" will be presented. References Barbieri, C. et al. 2007: Natural subsidence of the Venice area during the last 60 Myr. Basin Res., 19, 105-123. Fodor, L. et al. 2008: Miocene emplacement and rapid cooling of the Pohorje pluton at the Alpine-Pannonian-Dinaric junction: a geochronological and structural study. Swiss J. Geosci., 101 Suppl. 1, S255-S271. Hejl, E. 1997: 'Cold spots' during the Cenozoic evolution of the Eastern Alps: thermochronological interpretation of apatite fission-track data. Tectonophysics, 272, 159-172. Luth S. W. & Willingshofer, E. 2008: Mapping of the Post-Collisional Cooling History of the Eastern Alps. Swiss J. Geosci., 101, 207-223. Stefani, C. 2008: Provenance and Paleogeographic Evolution in a Multi-Source Foreland: The Cenozoic Venetian-Friulian Basin (NE Italy). J. Sediment. Res., 77, 867-887. Zattin, M. et al. 2006: From Middle Jurassic heating to Neogene cooling: The thermochronological evolution of the southern Alps. Tectonophysics, 414, 191-202.

Catalytic efficiency is a better predictor of arsenic toxicity to soil alkaline phosphatase.

PubMed

Wang, Ziquan; Tian, Haixia; Lu, Guannan; Zhao, Yiming; Yang, Rui; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; He, Wenxiang

2018-02-01

Arsenic (As) is an inhibitor of phosphatase, however, in the complex soil system, the substrate concentration effect and the mechanism of As inhibition of soil alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and its kinetics has not been adequately studied. In this work, we investigated soil ALP activity in response to As pollution at different substrate concentrations in various types of soils and explored the inhibition mechanism using the enzyme kinetics. The results showed that As inhibition of soil ALP activity was substrate concentration-dependent. Increasing substrate concentration decreased inhibition rate, suggesting reduced toxicity. This dependency was due to the competitive inhibition mechanism of As to soil ALP. The kinetic parameters, maximum reaction velocity (V max ) and Michaelis constant (K m ) in unpolluted soils were 0.012-0.267mMh -1 and 1.34-3.79mM respectively. The competitive inhibition constant (K ic ) was 0.17-0.70mM, which was lower than K m , suggesting higher enzyme affinity for As than for substrate. The ecological doses, ED 10 and ED 50 (concentration of As that results in 10% and 50% inhibition on enzyme parameter) for inhibition of catalytic efficiency (V max /K m ) were lower than those for inhibition of enzyme activity at different substrate concentrations. This suggests that the integrated kinetic parameter, catalytic efficiency is substrate concentration independent and more sensitive to As than ALP activity. Thus, catalytic efficiency was proposed as a more reliable indicator than ALP activity for risk assessment of As pollution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enhancement of lateral flow immunoassay by alkaline phosphatase: a simple and highly sensitive test for potato virus X.

PubMed

Panferov, Vasily G; Safenkova, Irina V; Varitsev, Yury A; Zherdev, Anatoly V; Dzantiev, Boris B

2017-12-06

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was used as an amplification tool in lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA). Potato virus Х (PVX) was selected as a target analyte because of its high economic importance. Two conjugates of gold nanoparticles were applied, one with mouse monoclonal antibody against PVX and one with ALP-labeled antibody against mouse IgG. They were immobilized to two fiberglass membranes on the test strip for use in LFIA. After exposure to the sample, a substrate for ALP (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate/nitro blue tetrazolium) was dropped on the test strip. The insoluble dark-violet diformazan produced by ALP precipitated on the membrane and significantly increased the color intensity of the control and test zones. The limit of detection (0.3 ng mL -1 ) was 27 times lower than that of conventional LFIA for both buffer and potato leaf extracts. The ALP-enhanced LFIA does not require additional preparation procedures or washing steps and may be used by nontrained persons in resource-limited conditions. The new method of enhancement is highly promising and may lead to application for routine LFIA in different areas. Graphical abstract Two gold nanoparticles (GNP) conjugates were used - the first with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) (GNP-mAb); the second - alkaline phosphatase-labeled antibody against mAb (GNP-anti-mAb-ALP). The immuno complexes are captured by the polyclonal antibodies (pAb) in the test zone. Addition of the substrate solution (BCIP/NBT) results in the accumulation of the insoluble colored product and in a significance increase in color intensity.

Mutation of FAS, XIAP, and UNC13D genes in a patient with a complex lymphoproliferative phenotype.

PubMed

Boggio, Elena; Aricò, Maurizio; Melensi, Matteo; Dianzani, Irma; Ramenghi, Ugo; Dianzani, Umberto; Chiocchetti, Annalisa

2013-10-01

This article presents a case report for a child presenting with mixed clinical features of autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS), familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL), and X-linked lymphoproliferative (XLP) disease. From 6 months, he exhibited splenomegaly and lymphoadenopathy and from 4 years, he showed recurrent severe autoimmune hemocytopenia and sepsislike bouts of fever, from which he eventually died at the age of 12. Intriguingly, the patient carried mutations in FAS, XIAP, and UNC13D genes, which are involved in ALPS, XLP disease, and FHL, respectively. These mutations were inherited from the mother, who had rheumatoid arthritis but no signs of ALPS. A role for other modifying genes was suggested by the finding that the healthy father exhibited defective Fas function, without mutation of the FAS gene, and had transmitted to the patient an osteopontin (OPN) gene variant previously associated with ALPS. Therefore, several genes might influence the disease outcome in this family. In vitro analyses revealed that the FAS and the XIAP mutations decreased expression of the corresponding proteins, and the UNC13D mutation decreased granule secretion and Munc interaction with Rab-27a. These findings suggest that overlap may exist between ALPS, FHL, and XLP disease, in accordance with the notion that FHL and XLP disease are due to defective natural killer (NK)/NK T-cell function, which involves Fas. Therefore, we propose that NK cell defects should be evaluated in patients with ALPS-like characteristics, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation should be considered in individuals with severe refractory cytopenia and FHL-like manifestations.

Superporous agarose--reticulated vitreous carbon electrodes for electrochemical sandwich bioassays.

PubMed

Rao, Ashwin K; Creager, Stephen E

2008-11-03

We report on the use of flow-through electrodes fabricated from a composite of superporous agarose (SPA) and reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) for carrying out sandwich bioassays via a model sandwich assay scheme. The flow-through design of the SPA-RVC electrodes allows for ease in solution handling with the use of micropipettors while allowing sandwich assays to be performed on the SPA matrix inside the RVC. A sandwich bioassay was devised for detecting biotinylated bovine serum albumin (b-BSA) as a proof-of-concept scheme to demonstrate applicability of SPA-RVC electrodes to carry out sandwich assays. In this bioassay scheme, SPA-RVC electrodes with avidin molecules immobilized on the SPA matrix were incubated with low quantities of b-BSA followed by incubation with avidinylated alkaline phosphatase (av-ALP). This construct creates a sandwich bioassay whereby b-BSA is sandwiched between the two avidin complexes. Av-ALP labels captured on the bound b-BSA catalytically hydrolyze conversion of 4-aminophenylphosphate (PAPP) to electrochemically active 4-aminophenol (PAP) which is then voltammetrically detected inside the RVC. The lower concentration detection limit for b-BSA was 0.32+/-0.1 ng mL(-1) and the absolute detection limit was 32+/-10 pg. Non-specific binding of av-ALP enzyme labels onto the avidin-activated SPA-RVC electrodes was low. Catalytic generation of PAP by non-specifically bound av-ALP occurs at a rate less than 2% of that for PAP generation by av-ALP in [(SPA-av)-(b-BSA-b)-(av-ALP)] sandwich constructs.

A microtubule polymerase cooperates with the kinesin-6 motor and a microtubule cross-linker to promote bipolar spindle assembly in the absence of kinesin-5 and kinesin-14 in fission yeast

PubMed Central

Yukawa, Masashi; Kawakami, Tomoki; Okazaki, Masaki; Kume, Kazunori; Tang, Ngang Heok; Toda, Takashi

2017-01-01

Accurate chromosome segregation relies on the bipolar mitotic spindle. In many eukaryotes, spindle formation is driven by the plus-end–directed motor kinesin-5 that generates outward force to establish spindle bipolarity. Its inhibition leads to the emergence of monopolar spindles with mitotic arrest. Intriguingly, simultaneous inactivation of the minus-end–directed motor kinesin-14 restores spindle bipolarity in many systems. Here we show that in fission yeast, three independent pathways contribute to spindle bipolarity in the absence of kinesin-5/Cut7 and kinesin-14/Pkl1. One is kinesin-6/Klp9 that engages with spindle elongation once short bipolar spindles assemble. Klp9 also ensures the medial positioning of anaphase spindles to prevent unequal chromosome segregation. Another is the Alp7/TACC-Alp14/TOG microtubule polymerase complex. Temperature-sensitive alp7cut7pkl1 mutants are arrested with either monopolar or very short spindles. Forced targeting of Alp14 to the spindle pole body is sufficient to render alp7cut7pkl1 triply deleted cells viable and promote spindle assembly, indicating that Alp14-mediated microtubule polymerization from the nuclear face of the spindle pole body could generate outward force in place of Cut7 during early mitosis. The third pathway involves the Ase1/PRC1 microtubule cross-linker that stabilizes antiparallel microtubules. Our study, therefore, unveils multifaceted interplay among kinesin-dependent and -independent pathways leading to mitotic bipolar spindle assembly. PMID:29021344

Spectroscopic and molecular modeling study on the separate and simultaneous bindings of alprazolam and fluoxetine hydrochloride to human serum albumin (HSA): With the aim of the drug interactions probing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dangkoob, Faeze; Housaindokht, Mohmmad Reza; Asoodeh, Ahmad; Rajabi, Omid; Rouhbakhsh Zaeri, Zeinab; Verdian Doghaei, Asma

2015-02-01

The objective of the present research is to study the interaction of separate and simultaneous of alprazolam (ALP) and fluoxetine hydrochloride (FLX) with human serum albumin (HSA) in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) using different kinds of spectroscopic, cyclic voltammetry and molecular modeling techniques. The absorbance spectra of protein, drugs and protein-drug showed complex formation between the drugs and HSA. Fluorescence analysis demonstrated that ALP and FLX could quench the fluorescence spectrum of HSA and demonstrated the conformational change of HSA in the presence of both drugs. Also, fluorescence quenching mechanism of HSA-drug complexes both separately and simultaneously was suggested as static quenching. The analysis of UV absorption data and the fluorescence quenching of HSA in the binary and ternary systems showed that FLX decreased the binding affinity between ALP and HSA. On the contrary, ALP increased the binding affinity of FLX and HSA. The results of synchronous fluorescence and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra indicated that the binding of drugs to HSA would modify the microenvironment around the Trp and Tyr residues and the conformation of HSA. The distances between Trp residue and the binding sites of the drugs were estimated according to the Förster theory, and it was demonstrated that non-radiative energy transfer from HSA to the drugs occurred with a high probability. Moreover, according to CV measurements, the decrease of peak current in the cyclic voltammogram of the both drugs in the presence of HSA revealed that they interacted with albumin and binding constants were calculated for binary systems which were in agreement with the binding constants obtained from UV absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The prediction of the best binding sites of ALP and FLX in binary and ternary systems in molecular modeling approach was done using of Gibbs free energy.

Spectroscopic and molecular modeling study on the separate and simultaneous bindings of alprazolam and fluoxetine hydrochloride to human serum albumin (HSA): with the aim of the drug interactions probing.

PubMed

Dangkoob, Faeze; Housaindokht, Mohmmad Reza; Asoodeh, Ahmad; Rajabi, Omid; Rouhbakhsh Zaeri, Zeinab; Verdian Doghaei, Asma

2015-02-25

The objective of the present research is to study the interaction of separate and simultaneous of alprazolam (ALP) and fluoxetine hydrochloride (FLX) with human serum albumin (HSA) in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) using different kinds of spectroscopic, cyclic voltammetry and molecular modeling techniques. The absorbance spectra of protein, drugs and protein-drug showed complex formation between the drugs and HSA. Fluorescence analysis demonstrated that ALP and FLX could quench the fluorescence spectrum of HSA and demonstrated the conformational change of HSA in the presence of both drugs. Also, fluorescence quenching mechanism of HSA-drug complexes both separately and simultaneously was suggested as static quenching. The analysis of UV absorption data and the fluorescence quenching of HSA in the binary and ternary systems showed that FLX decreased the binding affinity between ALP and HSA. On the contrary, ALP increased the binding affinity of FLX and HSA. The results of synchronous fluorescence and three-dimensional fluorescence spectra indicated that the binding of drugs to HSA would modify the microenvironment around the Trp and Tyr residues and the conformation of HSA. The distances between Trp residue and the binding sites of the drugs were estimated according to the Förster theory, and it was demonstrated that non-radiative energy transfer from HSA to the drugs occurred with a high probability. Moreover, according to CV measurements, the decrease of peak current in the cyclic voltammogram of the both drugs in the presence of HSA revealed that they interacted with albumin and binding constants were calculated for binary systems which were in agreement with the binding constants obtained from UV absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The prediction of the best binding sites of ALP and FLX in binary and ternary systems in molecular modeling approach was done using of Gibbs free energy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The AlpArray Seismic Network: A Large-Scale European Experiment to Image the Alpine Orogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hetényi, György; Molinari, Irene; Clinton, John; Bokelmann, Götz; Bondár, István; Crawford, Wayne C.; Dessa, Jean-Xavier; Doubre, Cécile; Friederich, Wolfgang; Fuchs, Florian; Giardini, Domenico; Gráczer, Zoltán; Handy, Mark R.; Herak, Marijan; Jia, Yan; Kissling, Edi; Kopp, Heidrun; Korn, Michael; Margheriti, Lucia; Meier, Thomas; Mucciarelli, Marco; Paul, Anne; Pesaresi, Damiano; Piromallo, Claudia; Plenefisch, Thomas; Plomerová, Jaroslava; Ritter, Joachim; Rümpker, Georg; Šipka, Vesna; Spallarossa, Daniele; Thomas, Christine; Tilmann, Frederik; Wassermann, Joachim; Weber, Michael; Wéber, Zoltán; Wesztergom, Viktor; Živčić, Mladen

2018-04-01

The AlpArray programme is a multinational, European consortium to advance our understanding of orogenesis and its relationship to mantle dynamics, plate reorganizations, surface processes and seismic hazard in the Alps-Apennines-Carpathians-Dinarides orogenic system. The AlpArray Seismic Network has been deployed with contributions from 36 institutions from 11 countries to map physical properties of the lithosphere and asthenosphere in 3D and thus to obtain new, high-resolution geophysical images of structures from the surface down to the base of the mantle transition zone. With over 600 broadband stations operated for 2 years, this seismic experiment is one of the largest simultaneously operated seismological networks in the academic domain, employing hexagonal coverage with station spacing at less than 52 km. This dense and regularly spaced experiment is made possible by the coordinated coeval deployment of temporary stations from numerous national pools, including ocean-bottom seismometers, which were funded by different national agencies. They combine with permanent networks, which also required the cooperation of many different operators. Together these stations ultimately fill coverage gaps. Following a short overview of previous large-scale seismological experiments in the Alpine region, we here present the goals, construction, deployment, characteristics and data management of the AlpArray Seismic Network, which will provide data that is expected to be unprecedented in quality to image the complex Alpine mountains at depth.

Summer mistral at the exit of the Rhône valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drobinski, P.; Bastin, S.; Guenard, V.; Caccia, J. L.; Dabas, A. M.; Delville, P.; Protat, A.; Reitebuch, O.; Werner, C.

2005-01-01

The paper examines the three-dimensional structure and dynamics of the mistral at the Rhône valley exit on 28 June 2001. The mistral refers to a severe wind that develops along the Rhône valley in southern France. This summer mistral event was documented in the framework of the ESCOMPTE field experiment. The dynamical processes driving the circulation of the mistral in the Rhône valley and particularly wake formation and planetary boundary layer (PBL) inhomogeneity at the scale of Rhône valley delta are investigated. Several important data sources are used (airborne Doppler lidar, radiosondes and surface stations) as well as non-hydrostatic mesoscale simulations. This paper analyses experimentally, numerically and theoretically the mechanism of wake formation. It shows that the flow impinging on the Alpine range and the Massif Central becomes supercritical all along the ridge line, including the Rhône valley and continues to accelerate in the lee regions until a hydraulic jump occurs. It leads to the formation of wakes behind and close to the mountain peaks. Compared to the Massif Central wake, the origin of the western Alps wake is rather complicated. In this study, the observations and simulations suggest a combined wall separation/gravity wave breaking mechanism to explain the western Alps wake. Indeed, it is shown that in addition to the flow descending the western Alps slopes and experiencing a strong hydraulic jump, the point where the mistral flow separates from the eastern flank of the Rhône valley located at about 44°N is associated with a 'flank-shock' which is an oblique hydraulic jump (i.e.the downstream Froude number is supercritical). Wake formation in the lee of the Alps and the Massif Central causes large inhomogeneity of the PBL with differences between land and sea. In the Massif Central and western Alps wakes, the continental PBL is deeper (1.8 km) than in the mistral flow (1 km), which is consistent with a subcritical regime associated with enhanced turbulent mixing. The supercritical air flow, descending the Massif Central and Alps slopes and transitioning to subcritical flow, increases the near-surface air temperature due to the föhn effect. Over the Mediterranean, the surface heat fluxes are slightly negative (between-50 and 0 W m -2) and the main source of PBL turbulence is mechanical (wind shear). The PBL depth within the mistral flow does not vary over land (1 km), whereas the absence of convection but also of strong winds prevent PBL development over the sea in the wakes of the Massif Central and the Alps (PBL depth of about 0.5 km).

Accessory factors promote AlfA-dependent plasmid segregation by regulating filament nucleation, disassembly, and bundling

PubMed Central

Polka, Jessica K.; Kollman, Justin M.; Mullins, R. Dyche

2014-01-01

In bacteria, some plasmids are partitioned to daughter cells by assembly of actin-like proteins (ALPs). The best understood ALP, ParM, has a core set of biochemical properties that contributes to its function, including dynamic instability, spontaneous nucleation, and bidirectional elongation. AlfA, an ALP that pushes plasmids apart in Bacillus, relies on a different set of underlying properties to segregate DNA. AlfA elongates unidirectionally and is not dynamically unstable; its assembly and disassembly are regulated by a cofactor, AlfB. Free AlfB breaks up AlfA bundles and promotes filament turnover. However, when AlfB is bound to the centromeric DNA sequence, parN, it forms a segrosome complex that nucleates and stabilizes AlfA filaments. When reconstituted in vitro, this system creates polarized, motile comet tails that associate by antiparallel filament bundling to form bipolar, DNA-segregating spindles. PMID:24481252

New constraints on the mechanism for the formation of the Pannonian basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horváth, Ferenc; Fodor, László; Balázs, Attila; Musitz, Balázs; Koroknai, Balázs

2013-04-01

The epoch making cooperation with the MIT group (especially Wiki Royden) in the 1980's on the Pannonian basin arrived at two main conclusions: i) modest to medium value of synrift crustal extension was accompanied by dramatic attenuation of the mantle lithosphere, and ii) subduction and rollback of the Alpine Tethys controlled the extrusion of Alcapa and Tisza-Dacia terranes into the Carpathian embayment. These early results already went beyond a thermomechanical model and suggested the importance of dynamic influences exerted by upper mantle flows. Recent results of SKS anisotropy determinations (Kovács et al. 2012) has been interpreted in terms of a west-east directed flow sub-parallel with the main strike of the Eastern Alps at the western and central part of the basin, and a toroidal flow around the subducted Carpathian slab more towards the east. Horváth and Faccenna (2011) have put forward the idea that inflow of upper mantle material into the Pannonian basin was derived from the sub-Adriatic lithosphere via the northern Dinaric slab window since the late Oligocene, when rollback of oceanic lithosphere commenced on the western and eastern side of Adria. The importance of Dinaric subduction in the evolution of the Pannonian basin has been spectacularly demonstrated recently by the recognition of a number of metamorphic core complexes in the Sava-zone, which were exhumed during the synrift phase of the Pannonian basin (e.g. Ustaszewski et al. 2010, Matenco et al. 2012). Inside the basin the Sava zone represents a complex transfer fault system between the Alcapa and Tisza-Dacia terranes. High quality seismic sections will be presented with new interpretation to show the complicated structural features and the massive volcanism interpreted in terms of leaky transforms. The seismic sections will also show new time constraint for the postrift fill of the basin, which shed new light on the dramatically anomalous subsidence and uplift pattern during the late Miocene to Present history of the Pannonian basin.

Structures, microfabrics and textures of the Cordilleran-type Rechnitz metamorphic core complex, Eastern Alps☆

PubMed Central

Cao, Shuyun; Neubauer, Franz; Bernroider, Manfred; Liu, Junlai; Genser, Johann

2013-01-01

Rechnitz window group represents a Cordilleran-style metamorphic core complex, which is almost entirely located within nearly contemporaneous Neogene sediments at the transition zone between the Eastern Alps and the Neogene Pannonian basin. Two tectonic units are distinguished within the Rechnitz metamorphic core complex (RMCC): (1) a lower unit mainly composed of Mesozoic metasediments, and (2) an upper unit mainly composed of ophiolite remnants. Both units are metamorphosed within greenschist facies conditions during earliest Miocene followed by exhumation and cooling. The internal structure of the RMCC is characterized by the following succession of structure-forming events: (1) blueschist relics of Paleocene/Eocene age formed as a result of subduction (D1), (2) ductile nappe stacking (D2) of an ophiolite nappe over a distant passive margin succession (ca. E–W to WNW–ESE oriented stretching lineation), (3) greenschist facies-grade metamorphism annealing dominant in the lower unit, and (4) ductile low-angle normal faulting (D3) (with mainly NE–SW oriented stretching lineation), and (5) ca. E to NE-vergent folding (D4). The microfabrics are related to mostly ductile nappe stacking to ductile low-angle normal faulting. Paleopiezometry in conjunction with P–T estimates yield high strain rates of 10− 11 to 10− 13 s− 1, depending on the temperature (400–350 °C) and choice of piezometer and flow law calibration. Progressive microstructures and texture analysis indicate an overprint of the high-temperature fabrics (D2) by the low-temperature deformation (D3). Phengitic mica from the Paleocene/Eocene high-pressure metamorphism remained stable during D2 ductile deformation as well as preserved within late stages of final sub-greenschist facies shearing. Chlorite geothermometry yields two temperature groups, 376–328 °C, and 306–132 °C. Chlorite is seemingly accessible to late-stage resetting. The RMCC underwent an earlier large-scale coaxial deformation accommodated by a late non-coaxial shear with ductile low-angle normal faulting, resulting in subvertical thinning in the extensional deformation regime. The RMCC was rapidly exhumed during ca. 23–18 Ma. PMID:27065502

Glaciers of Europe

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Richard S.; Ferrigno, Jane G.

1993-01-01

ALPS: AUSTRIAN: An overview is provided on the occurrence of the glaciers in the Eastern Alps of Austria and on the climatic conditions in this area, Historical documents on the glaciers have been available since the Middle Ages. Special glaciological observations and topographic surveys of individual glaciers were initiated as early as 1846. Recent data in an inventory based on aerial photographs taken in 1969 show 925 glaciers in the Austrian Alps with a total area of 542 square kilometers. Present research topics include studies of mass and energy balance, relations of glaciers and climate, physical glaciology, a complete inventory of the glaciers, and testing of remote sensing methods. The location of the glacier areas is shown on Landsat multispectral scanner images; the improved capabilities of the Landsat thematic mapper are illustrated with an example from the Oztaler Alpen group. ALPS: SWISS: According to a glacier inventory published in 1976, which is based on aerial photography of 1973, there are 1,828 glacier units in the Swiss Alps that cover a total area of 1fl42 square kilometers. The Rhonegletscher, currently the ninth largest in the country, was one of the first to be studied in detail. Its surface has been surveyed repeatedly; velocity profiles were measured, and the fluctuations of its terminus were mapped and recorded from 1874 to 1914. Recent research on the glacier has included climatological, hydrological, and massbalance studies. Glaciological research has been conducted on various other glaciers in Switzerland concerning glacier hydrology, glacier hazards, fluctuations of glacier termini, ice mechanics, ice cores, and mass balance. Good maps are available showing the extent of glaciers from the latter decades of the 19th century. More recently, the entire country has been mapped at scales of 1:25,000, 1:50,000, 1:100,000, 1:200,000, and 1:500,000. The 1:25,000-scale series very accurately represents the glaciers as well as locates supraglacial morainic debris and crevasses. The maps are revised every 6 years by use of aerial photogrammetric methods. The possibility of producing a glacier inventory by combining the topographic maps with Landsat digital and visual data is discussed. ALPS: FRENCH: The glaciers of the French Alps are distributed in four main groups and have a total area of 350 square kilometers. The northernmost group, on the Mont Blanc massif, has a glacier area of 110 square kilometers, which includes Met de Glace, which, with an area of 40 square kilometers, is the largest glacier in the Western Alps. Farther south, the Massif de la Vanoise contains 130 glaciers that have a total area of 85 square kilometers. The glaciers of the Grandes Rousses massif have a total area of 11 square kilometers. Lastly, the Massif du Pelvoux has a total glacier area of 120 square kilometers. Studies of glacier variations since 1600 A.D. have shown numerous fluctuations in glacier length. The glaciers on Mont Blanc that appear to show similar fluctuations in fact have different individual response times. Mass-balance measurements are presently being carried out on nine glaciers. The measurements on one of these glaciers, Glacier de Saint Sorlin, have been used to validate a linear statistical model for mass-balance variation. The model seems to give good results when extended over the entire region of French Alpine glaciers. New methods of mass-balance reconstructions by use of a continuity equation are discussed. Current satellite data have limited usefulness for glacier studies in the French Alps, with the exception of the method correlating changes in the elevation of snowline to changes in glacier mass balance. ALPS: ITALIAN: Research carried out by Italian glaciologists in support of the World Glacier Inventory project identified approximately 1,400 glaciers in the mountain groups of the Italian Alps. The total surface area of all glaciers, glacierets, and permanent snow fields in Italy with

Holocene geological records of flood regime in French Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnaud, Fabien; Wilhelm, Bruno; Giguet-Covex, Charline; Jenny, Jean-Philippe; Fouinat, Laurent; Sabatier, Pierre; Debret, Maxime; Révillon, Sidonie; Chapron, Emmanuel; Revel, Marie

2014-05-01

In this paper we present a review of a ca. 10-years research effort (1-9) aiming at reconstructing floods dynamics in in French Alps through the Holocene, based on lake sediment records. We will particularly discuss how such geological records can be considered as representative of past climate. This implies a wise interpretation of data in order to really understand "what does the core really says". Namely, we showed that different lake systems record different types of flood events. Low altitude lakes, fed by large-scale catchment areas are more sensitive to regional heavy rainfall events (2-5), whereas high altitude small lakes record local extreme rainfall events (6). Moreover, human societies' development must be taken into account as it is susceptible to modulate the climate-geological record relationship (7). Altogether our data permit the establishment of a Holocene-long perspective upon both regional heavy rainfall and torrential activities in high elevation sites. We hence show that both types of events frequency co-evolve in Northern as well as Southern French Alps where Holocene colder spells generally present higher flood frequencies (6-9). On the other hand, intensities of torrential events present a North-South opposite pattern: during warm spells (e.g. the Medieval Warm Period or nowadays), northern Alps are subject to rare but extremely intense heavy rainfall events, whereas in the southern Alps torrential floods are both rare and weak. During cold spells (e.g. the Little Ice Age), the inverse pattern is observed: torrential floods are more frequent everywhere and above-average intensity in Southern Alps. This point is particularly important for risk management in mountain areas in a context of global warming. Our results point out how complex can be the response of regional system to global climate changes. We are hence far from completely understanding this complexity which is moreover imperfectly simulated by climate models. As geological records represent the only way to reconstruct long-term trends in flood regimes, more efforts must still be pursued to get a more complete image of this complexity and further improve climate models. 1. Chapron et al. The Holocene 12, 177-185 (2002) 2. Arnaud et al. Quat. Sci. Rev. 51, 81-92 (2012) 3. Debret et al. Quat. Sci. Rev. 29, 2185-2200 (2010) 4. Arnaud et al. The Holocene 15, 420-428 (2005) 5. Revel-Rolland et al. Chem. Geol. 224, 183-200 (2005) 6. Wilhelm et al. Clim. Change 113, 563-581 (2012) 7. Giguet-Covex et al. Quat. Res. 77, 12-22 (2012) 8. Wilhelm et al. Quat. Res. 78, 1-12 (2012) 9. Wilhelm et al. J. Quat. Sci. 28, 189-199 (2013)

Characterization of soluble and membrane-bound alkaline phosphatase in Nilaparvata lugens and their potential relation to development and insecticide resistance.

PubMed

Wang, Zengxia; Liu, Shuhua; Yang, Baojun; Liu, Zewen

2011-09-01

Two forms (soluble and membrane-bound) of alkaline phosphatases (ALPs) were found in the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens. In order to further study ALPs in N. lugens, two putative ALP genes (Nl-ALP1 and Nl-ALP2) were identified in this pest. Both Nl-ALP1 and Nl-ALP2 show approximately the same degree of sequence identity (40-50%) to other insect soluble and membrane-bound forms of ALP. Correlation of ALP activity and mRNA levels at different developmental stages, or following application of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) and insecticide fenvalerate, suggests that Nl-ALP1 and Nl-ALP2 might encode a soluble (sALP) and a membrane-bound ALP (mALP), respectively. Nl-ALP1-specific antibody Nl1-I detected only a specific band in soluble protein preparations and Nl-ALP2 specific antibody Nl2-I only detected a specific band in insoluble protein preparations, which provided conclusive linkages between Nl-ALP1 and a sALP and between Nl-ALP2 and a m ALP. Then, Nl-ALP1 was denoted as Nl-sALP for a sALP and Nl-ALP2 was denoted as Nl-mALP for a mALP. Only sALP activity and Nl-sALP mRNA level were induced by 20E and fenvalerate, which was confirmed by the density of specific band detected by Nl1-I in Sus strain with or without fenvalerate treatment. Additionally, the sALP activity, as well as Nl-sALP mRNA level, was significantly higher in a fenvalerate resistant population, compared with Sus strain. These results indicate that the sALP is more responsive to chemical stimulus, such as hormone and insecticide, and might play dual roles in development and insecticide tolerance. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Bark beetles (Scolytidae, Coleoptera) in Slovenia with special regard to species in burnt pine forests

Treesearch

Maja Jurc

2003-01-01

Ecological conditions in Slovenia are very complex and heterogeneous due to the influence and interaction among the various climatic, tectonic, edaphic, orographic, lithologic - transitional (ecotonic) regions. Slovenia is a meeting-point of the Alps, the Mediterranean, the Dinaric Mountain Region and the Pannonian Lowland. This complexity of ecological factors has...

Cytogeography of Pilosella officinarum (Compositae): Altitudinal and Longitudinal Differences in Ploidy Level Distribution in the Czech Republic and Slovakia and the General Pattern in Europe

PubMed Central

Mráz, Patrik; Šingliarová, Barbora; Urfus, Tomáš; Krahulec, František

2008-01-01

Background and Aims Pilosella officinarum (syn. Hieracium pilosella) is a highly structured species with respect to the ploidy level, with obvious cytogeographic trends. Previous non-collated data indicated a possible differentiation in the frequency of particular ploidy levels in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Therefore, detailed sampling and ploidy level analyses were assessed to reveal a boundary of common occurrence of tetraploids on one hand and higher ploids on the other. For a better understanding of cytogeographic differentiation of P. officinarum in central Europe, a search was made for a general cytogeographic pattern in Europe based on published data. Methods DNA-ploidy level and/or chromosome number were identified for 1059 plants using flow cytometry and/or chromosome counting on root meristem preparations. Samples were collected from 336 localities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and north-eastern Hungary. In addition, ploidy levels were determined for plants from 18 localities in Bulgaria, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Romania and Ukraine. Key Results Four ploidy levels were found in the studied area with a contrasting pattern of distribution. The most widespread cytotype in the western part of the Czech Republic is tetraploid (4x) reproducing sexually, while the apomictic pentaploids and mostly apomictic hexaploids (5x and 6x, respectively) clearly prevail in Slovakia and the eastern part of the Czech Republic. The boundary between common occurrence of tetraploids and higher ploids is very obvious and represents the geomorphologic boundary between the Bohemian Massif and the Western Carpathians with the adjacent part of Pannonia. Mixed populations consisting of two different ploidy levels were recorded in nearly 11% of localities. A statistically significant difference in a vertical distribution of penta- and hexaploids was observed in the Western Carpathians and the adjacent Pannonian Plain. Hexaploid populations tend to occur at lower elevations (usually below 500 m), while the pentaploid level is more or less evenly distributed up to 1000 m a.s.l. For the first time the heptaploid level (7x) was found on one site in Slovakia. In Europe, the sexual tetraploid level has clearly a sub-Atlantic character of distribution. The plants of higher ploidy level (penta- and hexa-) with mostly apomictic reproduction prevail in the northern part of Scandinavia and the British Isles, the Alps and the Western Carpathians with the adjacent part of Pannonia. A detailed overview of published data shows that extremely rare records on existence of diploid populations in the south-west Alps are with high probability erroneous and most probably refer to the closely related diploid species P. peleteriana. Conclusions The recent distribution of P. officinarum in Europe is complex and probably reflects the climatic changes during the Pleistocene and consequent postglacial migrations. Probably both penta- and hexaploids arose independently in central Europe (Alps and Carpathian Mountains) and in northern Europe (Scandinavia, Great Britain, Ireland), where the apomictic plants colonized deglaciated areas. We suggest that P. officinarum is in fact an amphidiploid species with a basic tetraploid level, which probably originated from hybridizations of diploid taxa from the section Pilosellina. PMID:17998212

Hydro-chemical detection of permafrost degradation in the Eastern European Alps - Implications for geomorphological process studies and natural hazard assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraushaar, Sabine; Kamleitner, Sarah; Czarnowsky, Verena; Blöthe, Jan; Morche, David; Knöller, Kay; Lachner, Johannes

2017-04-01

The Gepatschferner glacier in the Upper Kaunertal valley is one of the fastest melting glaciers in the Eastern European Alps. With a retreat rate of around 110 m a-1 since the hydrological year 2012/ 2013, unconsolidated sediments of steep lateral moraines have been exposed to erosion, from which nowadays episodic and perennial springs well. We hypothesize that the springs indicate the melt out of dead ice lenses in areas below 2500 m, causing a potential significant morphological change in the moraines and a decrease of slope stability in the proglacial long after glacier retreat. However, permafrost degradation has not been considered so far in contemporary erosion measurements. The present study aims to identify the spring water's origin and displays first attempts of quantifying thermal erosion, which describes the matrix volume loss due to melting and drainage of ice water. Samples were routinely analyzed for temperature, electrical conductivity, δ2H, and δ18O. Results support the hypothesis that certain springs derive from melting ice of similar isotopic signature as the glacier. In a second step, chosen samples were examined for the long-lived anthropogenic nuclide 129I. Since the 1950s the atmospheric abundance of 129I has significantly increased. Its occurrence in the water samples hints a surface contact of the waters in the last 65 years. Springs of ice origin show little 129I content and are believed to derive from dead ice by the glacier. First electric resistivity measurements support the hydro-chemical results and suggest the existence of ice lenses in the subsurface. Ice ablation and discharge measurements allowed first estimates of the thermal erosion volume caused by the melt out and drainage of ice lenses.

Late Pleistocene climate change and landscape dynamics in the Eastern Alps: the inner-alpine Unterangerberg record (Austria)

PubMed Central

Starnberger, Reinhard; Drescher-Schneider, Ruth; Reitner, Jürgen M.; Rodnight, Helena; Reimer, Paula J.; Spötl, Christoph

2013-01-01

Drill cores from the inner-alpine valley terrace of Unterangerberg, located in the Eastern Alps of Austria, offer first insights into a Pleistocene sedimentary record that was not accessible so far. The succession comprises diamict, gravel, sand, lignite and thick, fine grained sediments. Additionally, cataclastic deposits originating from two paleo-landslide events are present. Multi-proxy analyses including sedimentological and palynological investigations as well as radiocarbon and luminescence data record the onset of the last glacial period (Würmian) at Unterangerberg at ∼120–110 ka. This first time period, correlated to the MIS 5d, was characterised by strong fluvial aggradation under cold climatic conditions, with only sparse vegetation cover. Furthermore, two large and quasi-synchronous landslide events occurred during this time interval. No record of the first Early Würmian interstadial (MIS 5c) is preserved. During the second Early Würmian interstadial (MIS 5a), the local vegetation was characterised by a boreal forest dominated by Picea, with few thermophilous elements. The subsequent collapse of the vegetation is recorded by sediments dated to ∼70–60 ka (i.e. MIS 4), with very low pollen concentrations and the potential presence of permafrost. Climatic conditions improved again between ∼55 and 45 ka (MIS 3) and cold-adapted trees re-appeared during interstadials, forming an open forest vegetation. MIS 3 stadials were shorter and less severe than the MIS 4 at Unterangerberg, and vegetation during these cold phases was mainly composed of shrubs, herbs and grasses, similar to what is known from today's alpine timberline. The Unterangerberg record ended at ∼45 ka and/or was truncated by ice during the Last Glacial Maximum. PMID:23805019

GPS tracking of non-breeding ravens reveals the importance of anthropogenic food sources during their dispersal in the Eastern Alps.

PubMed

Loretto, Matthias-Claudio; Schuster, Richard; Bugnyar, Thomas

2016-08-01

In many songbirds, the space use of breeders is well studied but poorly understood for non-breeders. In common ravens, some studies of non-breeders indicate high vagrancy with large individual differences in home range size, whereas others show that up to 40% of marked non-breeders can be regularly observed at the same anthropogenic food source over months to years. The aim of this study was to provide new insights on ravens' behavior during dispersal in the Eastern Alps. We deployed Global Positioning System (GPS) loggers on 10 individuals to gather accurate spatial and temporal information on their movements to quantify: 1) the dimension of the birds' space use (home range size with seasonal effects and daily/long-term travel distances), 2) how long they stayed in a dispersal stage of wandering as opposed to settling temporarily, and 3) their destination of movements. We recorded movements of up to 40 km per hour, more than 160 km within 1 day and more than 11,000 km within 20 months, indicating high vagrancy. Switching frequently between temporarily settling and travelling large distances in short time intervals leads to extensive home ranges, which also explains and combines the different findings in the literature. The destinations are rich anthropogenic food sources, where the birds spent on average 75% of their time. We discuss how ravens may find these "feeding hot spots" and which factors may influence their decision to stay/leave a site. The strong dependence on anthropogenic resources found in this population may have implications for site management and conservation issues.

Methodological framework for the probabilistic risk assessment of multi-hazards at a municipal scale: a case study in the Fella river valley, Eastern Italian Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussin, Haydar; van Westen, Cees; Reichenbach, Paola

2013-04-01

Local and regional authorities in mountainous areas that deal with hydro-meteorological hazards like landslides and floods try to set aside budgets for emergencies and risk mitigation. However, future losses are often not calculated in a probabilistic manner when allocating budgets or determining how much risk is acceptable. The absence of probabilistic risk estimates can create a lack of preparedness for reconstruction and risk reduction costs and a deficiency in promoting risk mitigation and prevention in an effective way. The probabilistic risk of natural hazards at local scale is usually ignored all together due to the difficulty in acknowledging, processing and incorporating uncertainties in the estimation of losses (e.g. physical damage, fatalities and monetary loss). This study attempts to set up a working framework for a probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) of landslides and floods at a municipal scale using the Fella river valley (Eastern Italian Alps) as a multi-hazard case study area. The emphasis is on the evaluation and determination of the uncertainty in the estimation of losses from multi-hazards. To carry out this framework some steps are needed: (1) by using physically based stochastic landslide and flood models we aim to calculate the probability of the physical impact on individual elements at risk, (2) this is then combined with a statistical analysis of the vulnerability and monetary value of the elements at risk in order to include their uncertainty in the risk assessment, (3) finally the uncertainty from each risk component is propagated into the loss estimation. The combined effect of landslides and floods on the direct risk to communities in narrow alpine valleys is also one of important aspects that needs to be studied.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Liwei; Yang, Jin Kuk; Kabaleeswaran, Venkataraman

The death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) formed by the death receptor Fas, the adaptor protein FADD and caspase-8 mediates the extrinsic apoptotic program. Mutations in Fas that disrupt the DISC cause autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS). Here we show that the Fas-FADD death domain (DD) complex forms an asymmetric oligomeric structure composed of 5-7 Fas DD and 5 FADD DD, whose interfaces harbor ALPS-associated mutations. Structure-based mutations disrupt the Fas-FADD interaction in vitro and in living cells; the severity of a mutation correlates with the number of occurrences of a particular interaction in the structure. The highly oligomeric structure explains the requirementmore » for hexameric or membrane-bound FasL in Fas signaling. It also predicts strong dominant negative effects from Fas mutations, which are confirmed by signaling assays. The structure optimally positions the FADD death effector domain (DED) to interact with the caspase-8 DED for caspase recruitment and higher-order aggregation.« less

How well do we really know the timing and extent of glaciers during the Last Glacial Maximum in the Alps?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivy-Ochs, Susan; Braakhekke, Jochem; Monegato, Giovanni; Gianotti, Franco; Forno, Gabriella; Hippe, Kristina; Christl, Marcus; Akçar, Naki; Schluechter, Christian

2017-04-01

The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the Alps saw much of the mountains inundated by ice. Several main accumulation areas comprising local ice caps and plateau icefields fit into a picture of transection glaciers flowing into huge valley glaciers. In the north the valley glaciers covered long distances (hundreds of kilometers) to reach the forelands where they spread out in fan-shaped piedmont lobes tens of kilometers across, e.g. the Rhine glacier. In the south travel distances to the mountain front were often shorter, the pathway steeper. Nevertheless, not all glaciers even reached beyond the front, as the temperatures were notably warmer in the south. For example at Orta the glacier snout remained within the mountains. Where glaciers reached the forelands they stopped abruptly and the moraine amphitheaters were constructed, e.g. at Ivrea and Rivoli-Avigliana. Sets of stacked moraines built-up as glacier advance was directly confined by the older moraines. We may temporally and spatially identify the culmination of the last glacial cycle by pinpointing the outermost moraines that date to the LGM (generally about 26-24 ka). On the other hand, the timing of abandonment of foreland positions is given by ages of the innermost, often lake-bounding, moraines (about 19-18 ka). Between the two, glacier fluctuations left the stadial moraines. In the Linth-Rhine system three stadials have been recognized: Killwangen, Schlieren and Zurich. Nevertheless, already in the Swiss sector correlation of the LGM stadials among the several foreland lobes is not unambiguous. Across the Alps, not only north to south but also west to east, how do the timing and extent of glaciers during the LGM vary? Recent glacier modelling by Seguinot et al. (2017) informs and suggests the possibility of differences in timing for reaching of the maximum extent and for the number of oscillations of individual lobes during the LGM. At present few sites in the Alps have detailed enough geomorphological constraints with well-dated ice-marginal positions for in depth discussion of outermost, innermost and in between moraines. Where locations of the LGM farthest extent are conflicting depending on author, we are trying to establish the precise location of the most extensive LGM position by directly dating moraine boulders with cosmogenic 10Be. Here we present 10Be data from the Orta and Rivoli-Avigliana amphitheatres. A key comparison is with the Tagliamento amphitheatre to the east, where dating testifies to a two-phase maximum (Monegato et al. 2007). Furthermore, comparison is made to sites north of the Alps including previously unpublished data. Monegato G. et al. 2007. Evidence of a two-fold glacial advance during the last glacial maximum in the Tagliamento end moraine system (eastern Alps). Quaternary Research 68: 284-302. Seguinot J. et al. 2017. Modelling last glacial cycle ice dynamics in the Alps. EGU2017-8982

Thinning of heterogeneous lithosphere: insights from field observations and numerical modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petri, B.; Duretz, T.; Mohn, G.; Schmalholz, S. M.

2017-12-01

The nature and mechanisms of formation of extremely thinned continental crust (< 10 km) and lithosphere during rifting remain debated. Observations from present-day and fossil continental passive margins document the heterogeneous nature of the lithosphere characterized, among others, by lithological variations and structural inheritance. This contribution aims at investigating the mechanisms of extreme lithospheric thinning by exploring in particular the role of initial heterogeneities by coupling field observations from fossil passive margins and numerical models of lithospheric extension. Two field examples from the Alpine Tethys margins outcropping in the Eastern Alps (E Switzerland and N Italy) and in the Southern Alps (N Italy) were selected for their exceptional level of preservation of rift-related structures. This situation enables us to characterize (1) the pre-rift architecture of the continental lithosphere, (2) the localization of rift-related deformation in distinct portion of the lithosphere and (3) the interaction between initial heterogeneities of the lithosphere and rift-related structures. In a second stage, these observations are integrated in high-resolution, two-dimensional thermo-mechanical models taking into account various patterns of initial mechanical heterogeneities. Our results show the importance of initial pre-rift architecture of the continental lithosphere during rifting. Key roles are given to high-angle and low-angle normal faults, anastomosing shear-zones and decoupling horizons. We propose that during the first stages of thinning, deformation is strongly controlled by the complex pre-rift architecture of the lithosphere, localized along major structures responsible for the lateral extrusion of mid to lower crustal levels. This extrusion juxtaposes mechanically stronger levels in the hyper-thinned continental crust, being exhumed by subsequent low-angle normal faults. Altogether, these results highlight the critical role of the extraction of mechanically strong layers of the lithosphere during the extreme thinning of the continental lithosphere and allows to propose a new model for the formation of continental passive margins.

Regulation of the Synthesis of the Angucyclinone Antibiotic Alpomycin in Streptomyces ambofaciens by the Autoregulator Receptor AlpZ and Its Specific Ligand▿

PubMed Central

Bunet, Robert; Mendes, Marta V.; Rouhier, Nicolas; Pang, Xiuhua; Hotel, Laurence; Leblond, Pierre; Aigle, Bertrand

2008-01-01

Streptomyces ambofaciens produces an orange pigment and the antibiotic alpomycin, both of which are products of a type II polyketide synthase gene cluster identified in each of the terminal inverted repeats of the linear chromosome. Five regulatory genes encoding Streptomyces antibiotic regulatory proteins (alpV, previously shown to be an essential activator gene; alpT; and alpU) and TetR family receptors (alpZ and alpW) were detected in this cluster. Here, we demonstrate that AlpZ, which shows high similarity to γ-butyrolactone receptors, is at the top of a pathway-specific regulatory hierarchy that prevents synthesis of the alp polyketide products. Deletion of the two copies of alpZ resulted in the precocious production of both alpomycin and the orange pigment, suggesting a repressor role for AlpZ. Consistent with this, expression of the five alp-located regulatory genes and of two representative biosynthetic structural genes (alpA and alpR) was induced earlier in the alpZ deletion strain. Furthermore, recombinant AlpZ was shown to bind to specific DNA sequences within the promoter regions of alpZ, alpV, and alpXW, suggesting direct transcriptional control of these genes by AlpZ. Analysis of solvent extracts of S. ambofaciens cultures identified the existence of a factor which induces precocious production of alpomycin and pigment in the wild-type strain and which can disrupt the binding of AlpZ to its DNA targets. This activity is reminiscent of γ-butyrolactone-type molecules. However, the AlpZ-interacting molecule(s) was shown to be resistant to an alkali treatment capable of inactivating γ-butyrolactones, suggesting that the AlpZ ligand(s) does not possess a lactone functional group. PMID:18296523

Regulation of the synthesis of the angucyclinone antibiotic alpomycin in Streptomyces ambofaciens by the autoregulator receptor AlpZ and its specific ligand.

PubMed

Bunet, Robert; Mendes, Marta V; Rouhier, Nicolas; Pang, Xiuhua; Hotel, Laurence; Leblond, Pierre; Aigle, Bertrand

2008-05-01

Streptomyces ambofaciens produces an orange pigment and the antibiotic alpomycin, both of which are products of a type II polyketide synthase gene cluster identified in each of the terminal inverted repeats of the linear chromosome. Five regulatory genes encoding Streptomyces antibiotic regulatory proteins (alpV, previously shown to be an essential activator gene; alpT; and alpU) and TetR family receptors (alpZ and alpW) were detected in this cluster. Here, we demonstrate that AlpZ, which shows high similarity to gamma-butyrolactone receptors, is at the top of a pathway-specific regulatory hierarchy that prevents synthesis of the alp polyketide products. Deletion of the two copies of alpZ resulted in the precocious production of both alpomycin and the orange pigment, suggesting a repressor role for AlpZ. Consistent with this, expression of the five alp-located regulatory genes and of two representative biosynthetic structural genes (alpA and alpR) was induced earlier in the alpZ deletion strain. Furthermore, recombinant AlpZ was shown to bind to specific DNA sequences within the promoter regions of alpZ, alpV, and alpXW, suggesting direct transcriptional control of these genes by AlpZ. Analysis of solvent extracts of S. ambofaciens cultures identified the existence of a factor which induces precocious production of alpomycin and pigment in the wild-type strain and which can disrupt the binding of AlpZ to its DNA targets. This activity is reminiscent of gamma-butyrolactone-type molecules. However, the AlpZ-interacting molecule(s) was shown to be resistant to an alkali treatment capable of inactivating gamma-butyrolactones, suggesting that the AlpZ ligand(s) does not possess a lactone functional group.

Response of benthic macroinvertebrates to whole-lake, non-native fish removals in mid-elevation lakes of the Trinity Alps, California

Treesearch

Karen Pope; Erin C. Hannelly

2013-01-01

Introduced fish reduce the abundance and diversity of native aquatic fauna, but the effect can be reduced in complex habitats. We manipulated fish populations in forested mountain lakes to determine whether or not fish affected benthic macroinvertebrate composition across lakes with differing habitat complexity. We compared abundance, biomass, body-length, and...

Effect of polymers on the retention and aging of enzyme on bioactive papers.

PubMed

Khan, Mohidus Samad; Haniffa, Sharon B M; Slater, Alison; Garnier, Gil

2010-08-01

The effect of polymer on the retention and the thermal stability of bioactive enzymatic papers was measured using a colorimetric technique quantifying the intensity of the enzyme-substrate product complex. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was used as model enzyme. Three water soluble polymers: a cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM), an anionic polyacrylic acid (PAA) and a neutral polyethylene oxide (PEO) were selected as retention aids. The model polymers increased the enzyme adsorption on paper by around 50% and prevented enzyme desorption upon rewetting of the papers. The thermal deactivation of ALP retained on paper with polymers follows two sequential first order reactions. This was also observed for ALP simply physisorbed on paper. The retention aid polymers instigated a rapid initial deactivation which significantly decreased the longevity of the enzymatic papers. This suggests some enzyme-polymer interaction probably affecting the enzyme tertiary structure. A deactivation mathematical model predicting the enzymatic paper half-life was developed. Crown Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Conception through build of an automated liquids processing system for compound management in a low-humidity environment.

PubMed

Belval, Richard; Alamir, Ab; Corte, Christopher; DiValentino, Justin; Fernandes, James; Frerking, Stuart; Jenkins, Derek; Rogers, George; Sanville-Ross, Mary; Sledziona, Cindy; Taylor, Paul

2012-12-01

Boehringer Ingelheim's Automated Liquids Processing System (ALPS) in Ridgefield, Connecticut, was built to accommodate all compound solution-based operations following dissolution in neat DMSO. Process analysis resulted in the design of two nearly identical conveyor-based subsystems, each capable of executing 1400 × 384-well plate or punch tube replicates per batch. Two parallel-positioned subsystems are capable of independent execution or alternatively executed as a unified system for more complex or higher throughput processes. Primary ALPS functions include creation of high-throughput screening plates, concentration-response plates, and reformatted master stock plates (e.g., 384-well plates from 96-well plates). Integrated operations included centrifugation, unsealing/piercing, broadcast diluent addition, barcode print/application, compound transfer/mix via disposable pipette tips, and plate sealing. ALPS key features included instrument pooling for increased capacity or fail-over situations, programming constructs to associate one source plate to an array of replicate plates, and stacked collation of completed plates. Due to the hygroscopic nature of DMSO, ALPS was designed to operate within a 10% relativity humidity environment. The activities described are the collaborative efforts that contributed to the specification, build, delivery, and acceptance testing between Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the automation integration vendor, Thermo Scientific Laboratory Automation (Burlington, ON, Canada).

First attempt to study rock glaciers in New Zealand using the Schmidt-hammer - framework and preliminary results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winkler, Stefan; Lambiel, Christophe; Sattler, Katrin; Büche, Thomas; Springer, Johanna

2016-04-01

Although not uncommon within the dryer eastern parts of the Southern Alps, New Zealand, comparatively few previous studies have previously focused on rock glacier dynamics and spatial distribution. Neither investigations of their chronological constraints nor any studies on actual rock glacier velocities have yet been carried out. Rock glaciers and periglacial processes still largely constitute a largely unexplored albeit potentially valuable field of research in the Southern Alps. The high-altitude valley head of Irishman Stream in the Ben Ohau Range between Lakes Ohau and Pukaki, roughly 30 km southeast of the Main Divide, contains a few morphologically intact rock glaciers and some appear to be active features (Sattler et al. 2016). Previous work focusing on the Late-glacial and early Holocene moraines in the valley head below the rock glaciers (Kaplan et al. 2010) provided 10Be-ages that could be utilised as fixed points for SHD (Schmidt-hammer exposure-age dating). Apart from detailed Schmidt-hammer sampling on the Late-glacial and early Holocene moraines, two altitudinal transects from the toe to their apex have been measured in detail on selected rock glaciers. On each of the multiple ridges of the rock glacier surface three sites of 50 boulders have been sampled with one impact each by the hammer (an N-type electronic SilverSchmidt by Proceq). Apart from getting some age constraints of these periglacial features in comparison to the well-dated moraines, the Schmidt-hammer measurements also had the aim to provide some insight into their genetic development resulting in a quite complex morphology of the rock glaciers and partial interaction with some of the moraines. Both altitudinal transects reveal a clear and continuous trend of increasing means (i.e. less weathered/younger exposure ages) towards their apex. The values for the individual ridges show, however, a transitional character with adjacent ridges albeit the abovementioned trend not statistically significant different in age, a phenomena known from similar studies on rock glaciers elsewhere. Already during sampling it became obvious that with increasing altitude and decreasing distance to the valley headwall the percentage of freshly appearing boulders vs. weathered boulders with a distinct micro-relief is getting higher. The means of the lowermost ridges of the rock glaciers show, however, no significant difference to the early Holocene moraines dated to c. 11.5 10Be ka ago. This may indicate that rock glacier formation initiated shortly after Termination 1 during the early Holocene and partly overrode some parts of the early Holocene moraines. During the field work, a network of 46 differential GPS points has been established to start future monitoring of any potential rock glacier movement. It will allow exploring the climatological control on rock glacier behaviour in in the Southern Alps, as well as comparisons with current velocities measured in the European Alps. References: Kaplan, M.R., Schaefer, J., Denton, G.H., Barrell, D.J.A., Chinn, T.J.H., Putnam, A.E., Anderson, B.G., Finkel, R.C., Schwartz, R. & Doughty, A.M. (2010): Glacier retreat in New Zealand during the Younger DryasStadial. Nature 467, 194-197. Sattler, K., Anderson, B., Mackintosh, A., Norton, K., de Róiste, M. (2016): Estimating permafrost distribution in the maritime SouthernAlps, New Zealand, based on climatic conditions at rock glacier sites. Frontiers in Earth Science - Section Cryospheric Sciences. doi: 10.3389/feart.2016.00004.

Badgastein spa—Austrian central Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zötl, J. G.

1995-12-01

The Badgastein spa shows almost all the special geological and hydrological features existing in the northeastern central Alps. Situated within the Tauern window, the open joint system enables the infiltration of surface water to great depths. There it becomes heated and loaded with radon and trace elements such as fluor. The water discharges as thermal water springs at the steep right flank of the cascade of the Gastein-Ache. This hydraulic process occurs during a span of 3600 3800 years. The springs are captured in galleries, and the largest discharge is in gallery IX (2518 m3/d-1). The spa became known worldwide in the 19th century by visiting aristocrats from Central and Eastern Europe. The most important event in the 20th century was the discovery of the heat joint in the Böckstein gallery. In 1940 an effort to reactivate gold mining in the Radhausberg near Böckstein south of Badgastein failed. However, the miners had the unexpected experience of being cured of rheumatism. A connection between the great depth and high temperature in the gallery was made by the discovery of the joint set with heat and radon emanation. In the medical stations of the Böckstein gallery treatment of polyarthritis has become especially successful.

A multi-taxon approach reveals the effect of management intensity on biodiversity in Alpine larch grasslands.

PubMed

Nascimbene, Juri; Fontana, Veronika; Spitale, Daniel

2014-07-15

In the Alps, larch grasslands form one of the most pleasing aspects of the landscape. However, their effectiveness in contributing to biodiversity conservation may depend on the intensity of their management. We used a multi-taxon approach to evaluate the effects of the intensification of management practices and those of abandonment on the biodiversity of the main autotrophic organisms hosted in this habitat, including vascular plants, bryophytes, and lichens. The study was carried out in the eastern part of South Tyrol, in the Italian Alps, where the diversity patterns of these three organismal groups were compared among intensively managed, extensively managed, and abandoned stands. The management intensity was found to strongly influence the biodiversity of the organisms, with a general pattern indicating the best conditions in extensively managed stands. Both abandonment and management intensification were detrimental to biodiversity through different mechanisms that led to species loss or to major shifts in species composition. However, the most negative effects were related to management intensification, mainly due to the high nitrogen supply, providing evidence for the increasing impact of eutrophication on Alpine environments. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Paleo-Ice flow and overdeepenings in an Alpine setting: Examples from the Tyrolian Alps (Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reitner, J. M.; Gruber, W.

2009-04-01

Overdeepened valleys and basins are the most interesting features of former glacial action in Alpine areas. Understanding the formation of such phenomena are not only a scientific task but also an important challenge for a society increasingly exploiting sustainable natural resources even in remote areas. The feasibility of hydrogeological or geothermal projects, for instance, depends on the bedrock depth and the sedimentary infill of such valleys. Generally, overdeepened valleys are formed in areas where the ice discharge was high, such as near the equilibrium line, at valley junctions, or at narrowings of the valley profile. The long known overdeepened tongue basins in the Eastern Alps are regarded as typical examples of the impact of high ice flow velocities combined with increased debris load and running water under hydrostatic pressure around the former (LGM, and older glaciations) equilibrium lines (e.g. van Husen, 2000). However, within a highly dissected mountain topography like that of the Eastern Alps the existence of overdeepened valleys-parts supposedly also reflects changes in ice flow direction and velocity during glacial history within one glacial event (like the LGM) as well as during the Pleistocene. For example, ice flow in the phase of ice build-up at the beginning of major glaciations is controlled by the topography and trend of the valleys whereas during the climax of the big glaciations a mountain ice cap exists with a continuous discharge across water divides. Thus, the onsets of ice transfluences as well as the valley orientation in relation to the changing ice flow direction are regarded as major conditions for overdeepenings in an inneralpine setting. Such a complex and changing pattern of ice flow will be shown by the example of the Inn valley and its tributary valleys in the S and E (valley of the Wildschönauer Ache and of the Brixentaler Ache). Based on extensive geological mapping and lithostratigraphy in combination with geophysical surveys, a model of the LGM ice flow, its variation and its effect on glacial erosion is developed. On the one hand the effect of topography on ice dynamics in terms of promoting ice build-up as well as restricting erosion is evident. For the tributary valleys, on the other hand, the biggest amount of glacial erosion most probably occurred during the phase of ice build-up. However, seismic data, especially seismic stratigraphy (Reitner et al., 2007), shows the limitations of paleo-glaciological models derived from the youngest sequence, in this case the LGM sequence, for explaining sedimentary remnants of older glaciations. According to our example shifts of, and changes in, the amount of glacial erosion in tributary valleys may best be explained by changes in the onset of ice transfluences during ice build-up. Hence, a step-by-step lowering of passes and cols (water divides) during pleniglacial conditions had a profound impact on the ice dynamics of the following glaciation and, thus, on the occurrence of overdeepenings. Our model for a dynamic evolution of morphology presents an inverse relationship between the shaping of the surface and the subsurface and may only hold for a restricted area. However, this non-static view on glacier constellation and its change through time can explain the occurrence of unexpected overdeepenings or changes in erratic clast content elsewhere in dissected, formerly glaciated, Alpine landscapes. References: Husen, D. van, 2000. Geological Processes during the Quaternary.- Mitteilungen der Österreichischen Geologischen Gesellschaft, 92 (1999), 135-156, Wien. Reitner, J.M., Gruber, W., Römer, A., Bieber, G., Schmid, C., 2007. Complex Pleistocene stratigraphy and structure within an inneralpine setting: The basin of Hopfgarten (Northern Tyrol/Austria).- Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 9, 09369, 2007, SRef-ID: 1607-7962/gra/EGU2007-A-09369, European Geosciences Union.

A microtubule polymerase cooperates with the kinesin-6 motor and a microtubule cross-linker to promote bipolar spindle assembly in the absence of kinesin-5 and kinesin-14 in fission yeast.

PubMed

Yukawa, Masashi; Kawakami, Tomoki; Okazaki, Masaki; Kume, Kazunori; Tang, Ngang Heok; Toda, Takashi

2017-12-01

Accurate chromosome segregation relies on the bipolar mitotic spindle. In many eukaryotes, spindle formation is driven by the plus-end-directed motor kinesin-5 that generates outward force to establish spindle bipolarity. Its inhibition leads to the emergence of monopolar spindles with mitotic arrest. Intriguingly, simultaneous inactivation of the minus-end-directed motor kinesin-14 restores spindle bipolarity in many systems. Here we show that in fission yeast, three independent pathways contribute to spindle bipolarity in the absence of kinesin-5/Cut7 and kinesin-14/Pkl1. One is kinesin-6/Klp9 that engages with spindle elongation once short bipolar spindles assemble. Klp9 also ensures the medial positioning of anaphase spindles to prevent unequal chromosome segregation. Another is the Alp7/TACC-Alp14/TOG microtubule polymerase complex. Temperature-sensitive alp7cut7pkl1 mutants are arrested with either monopolar or very short spindles. Forced targeting of Alp14 to the spindle pole body is sufficient to render alp7cut7pkl1 triply deleted cells viable and promote spindle assembly, indicating that Alp14-mediated microtubule polymerization from the nuclear face of the spindle pole body could generate outward force in place of Cut7 during early mitosis. The third pathway involves the Ase1/PRC1 microtubule cross-linker that stabilizes antiparallel microtubules. Our study, therefore, unveils multifaceted interplay among kinesin-dependent and -independent pathways leading to mitotic bipolar spindle assembly. © 2017 Yukawa et al. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). Two months after publication it is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Downscaling the Local Weather Above Glaciers in Complex Topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horak, Johannes; Hofer, Marlis; Gutmann, Ethan; Gohm, Alexander; Rotach, Mathias

2017-04-01

Glaciers have experienced a substantial ice-volume loss during the 20th century. To study their response to climate change, process-based glacier mass-balance models (PBGMs) are employed, which require a faithful representation of the state of the atmosphere above the glacier at high spatial and temporal resolution. Glaciers are usually located in complex topography where weather stations are scarce or not existent at all due to the remoteness of such sites and the associated high cost of maintenance. Furthermore. the effective resolution of global circulation models is too large to adequately capture the local topography and represent local weather, which is prerequisite for atmospheric input used by PBGMs. Dynamical downscaling is a physically consistent but computationally expensive approach to bridge the scale gap between GCM output and input needed by PBGMs, while statistical downscaling is faster but requires measurements for training. Both methods have their merits, however, a computationally frugal approach that does not rely on measurements is desirable, especially for long term studies of glacier response to future climate. In this study the intermediate complexity atmospheric research model (ICAR) is employed (Gutmann et al., 2016). It simplifies the wind field physics by relying on analytical solutions derived with linear theory. ICAR then advects atmospheric quantities within this wind field. This allows for computationally fast downscaling and yields a physically consistent set of atmospheric variables. First results obtained from downscaling air temperature, precipitation amount, relative humidity and wind speed to 4 × 4 km2 are presented. Preliminary ICAR is applied for a six month simulation period during five years and evaluated for three domains located in very distinct climates, namely the Southern Alps of New Zealand, the Cordillera Blanca in Peru and the European Alps using ERA Interim reanalysis data (ERAI) as forcing data set. The evaluation is based on determining the added value of the ICAR simulations - with ERAI output as a reference - in representing the local-scale weather measured at several automatic weather stations. For precipitation amount in particular, data by the Global Precipitation Measurement project are used in a fuzzy verification approach. The results indicate that ICAR provides added value for the Southern Alps of New Zealand in the case of precipitation and relative humidity, for the Cordillera Blanca and the European Alps for wind speed and, at certain locations in the European Alps, for precipitation. In order to more comprehensively investigate the physical plausibility of skill obtained for specific weather situations, the spatio-temporal evolution of the wind field resulting from the ICAR dynamics is analysed for individual case studies. To the authors knowledge this is the first study that specifically investigates the multi-variable consistency of ICAR for different climates, an important prerequisite for all applications which require multi-variable or multi-site input. References: Gutmann, E., Barstad, I., Clark, M., Arnold, J., and Rasmussen, R. (2016). The Intermediate Complexity Atmospheric Research Model (ICAR). Journal of Hydrometeorology, 17(3), 957-973.

Changing patterns of exhumation and denudation in front of an advancing crustal indenter, Tauern Window (Eastern Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Favaro, S.; Handy, M. R.; Scharf, A.; Schuster, R.

2017-06-01

The changing shape of indenting crustal blocks during northward motion of the Adriatic microplate induced migration of Miocene doming and orogen-parallel extension of orogenic crust in the Tauern Window. New structural and kinematic data indicate that initial shortening of the Penninic nappe pile in the Tauern Window by upright folding and strike-slip faulting was transitional to coeval north-south shortening and east-west extension; the latter was accommodated by normal faulting at the eastern and western margins of the window. Retrodeforming these post-nappe structures in map view yields a map-view reconstruction of the orogenic crust back to 30 Ma, including the onset of pronounced indentation at 21 Ma. This model supports the notion that indentation involved approximately equal amounts of north-south shortening and orogen-parallel stretching and extrusion toward the Pannonian Basin, as measured from the indenter tip to the European foreland in the north and Austroalpine units in the east. Comparison of areal denudation of the orogenic crust before and after indentation indicates that erosion associated with upright folding was the primary agent of denudation, whereas extensional unroofing and limited erosion along normal faults at the eastern and western ends of the Tauern Window accounted for only about a third of the total denudation.

Alpine Crossroads or Origin of Genetic Diversity? Comparative Phylogeography of Two Sympatric Microgastropod Species

PubMed Central

Weigand, Alexander M.; Pfenninger, Markus; Jochum, Adrienne; Klussmann-Kolb, Annette

2012-01-01

The Alpine Region, constituting the Alps and the Dinaric Alps, has played a major role in the formation of current patterns of biodiversity either as a contact zone of postglacial expanding lineages or as the origin of genetic diversity. In our study, we tested these hypotheses for two widespread, sympatric microgastropod taxa – Carychium minimum O.F. Müller, 1774 and Carychium tridentatum (Risso, 1826) (Gastropoda, Eupulmonata, Carychiidae) – by using COI sequence data and species potential distribution models analyzed in a statistical phylogeographical framework. Additionally, we examined disjunct transatlantic populations of those taxa from the Azores and North America. In general, both Carychium taxa demonstrate a genetic structure composed of several differentiated haplotype lineages most likely resulting from allopatric diversification in isolated refugial areas during the Pleistocene glacial periods. However, the genetic structure of Carychium minimum is more pronounced, which can be attributed to ecological constraints relating to habitat proximity to permanent bodies of water. For most of the Carychium lineages, the broader Alpine Region was identified as the likely origin of genetic diversity. Several lineages are endemic to the broader Alpine Region whereas a single lineage per species underwent a postglacial expansion to (re)colonize previously unsuitable habitats, e.g. in Northern Europe. The source populations of those expanding lineages can be traced back to the Eastern and Western Alps. Consequently, we identify the Alpine Region as a significant ‘hot-spot’ for the formation of genetic diversity within European Carychium lineages. Passive dispersal via anthropogenic means best explains the presence of transatlantic European Carychium populations on the Azores and in North America. We conclude that passive (anthropogenic) transport could mislead the interpretation of observed phylogeographical patterns in general. PMID:22606334

Glacial history affected phenotypic differentiation in the alpine plant, Campanula thyrsoides.

PubMed

Scheepens, J F; Frei, Eva S; Stöcklin, Jürg

2013-01-01

Numerous widespread Alpine plant species show molecular differentiation among populations from distinct regions. This has been explained as the result of genetic drift during glacial survival in isolated refugia along the border of the European Alps. Since genetic drift may affect molecular markers and phenotypic traits alike, we asked whether phenotypic differentiation mirrors molecular patterns among Alpine plant populations from different regions. Phenotypic traits can be under selection, so we additionally investigated whether part of the phenotypic differentiation can be explained by past selection and/or current adaptation. Using the monocarpic Campanula thyrsoides as our study species, a common garden experiment with plants from 21 populations from four phylogeographic groups located in regions across the Alps and the Jura Mountains was performed to test for differentiation in morphological and phenological traits. Past selection was investigated by comparing phenotypic differentiation among and within regions with molecular differentiation among and within regions. The common garden results indicated regional differentiation among populations for all investigated phenotypic traits, particularly in phenology. Delayed flowering in plants from the South-eastern Alps suggested adaptation to long sub-mediterranean summers and contrasted with earlier flowering of plants experiencing shorter growing seasons in regions with higher elevation to the West. Comparisons between molecular and phenotypic differentiation revealed diversifying selection among regions in height and biomass, which is consistent with adaptation to environmental conditions in glacial refugia. Within regions, past selection acted against strong diversification for most phenotypic traits, causing restricted postglacial adaptation. Evidence consistent with post-glacial adaptation was also given by negative correlation coefficients between several phenotypic traits and elevation of the population's origin. In conclusion, our study suggests that, irrespective of adaptation of plants to their current environment, glacial history can have a strong and long-lasting influence on the phenotypic evolution of Alpine plants.

Medical ethnobotany of the Albanian Alps in Kosovo

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Ethnobotanical studies are crucial in South-Eastern Europe for fostering local development and also for investigating the dynamics of Traditional Environmental Knowledge (TEK) related to plants in one of the most crucial European hotspots for biocultural diversity. The current medico-ethnobotanical survey was conducted in rural alpine communities in Kosovo. The aims of the study were twofold: 1) to document the state of TEK of medicinal plants in these communities; 2) to compare these findings with that of similar field studies previously conducted among local populations inhabiting the Montenegrin and Albanian side of the same Alpine range. Methods Field research was conducted in 36 villages on the Kosovar side of the Albanian Alps. Snowball sampling techniques were used to recruit 91 elderly informants (≥ 50 years-old) for participation in semi-structured interviews and structured surveys regarding the use of the local flora for medicinal and food purposes. Standard ethnobotanical methods were employed and prior informed consent was obtained for all study participants. Results and Conclusion The uses of 98 plants species belonging to 39 families were recorded; the most quoted botanical families were Rosaceae, Asteraceae, and Lamiaceae. Mainly decoctions and infusions were quoted as folk medicinal preparations and the most common uses referred to gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders, as well as illnesses of the uro-genital system. Among the most uncommon medicinal taxa quoted by the informants, Carduus nutans L., Echinops bannaticus Rochel ex Schrad., and Orlaya grandiflora Hoffm. may merit phytochemical and phytopharmacological investigations. Comparison of the data with other ethnobotanical field studies recently conducted on the Albanian and Montenegrin sides of the same Alps has shown a remarkable link between the medical ethnobotany of Montenegrin and Kosovar side of the Albanian Alps. Moreover, folk uses of the most quoted wild medicinal taxa recorded in Kosovo often include those recorded both in Albania and in Montenegro, thus suggesting a hybrid character of the Kosovar local plant knowledge. This may be also explained with the fact that Montenegro and Kosovo, despite their differences in the ethnic composition, have shared a common history during the last Century. PMID:22284581

Medical ethnobotany of the Albanian Alps in Kosovo.

PubMed

Mustafa, Behxhet; Hajdari, Avni; Krasniqi, Feriz; Hoxha, Esat; Ademi, Hatixhe; Quave, Cassandra L; Pieroni, Andrea

2012-01-28

Ethnobotanical studies are crucial in South-Eastern Europe for fostering local development and also for investigating the dynamics of Traditional Environmental Knowledge (TEK) related to plants in one of the most crucial European hotspots for biocultural diversity. The current medico-ethnobotanical survey was conducted in rural alpine communities in Kosovo. The aims of the study were twofold: 1) to document the state of TEK of medicinal plants in these communities; 2) to compare these findings with that of similar field studies previously conducted among local populations inhabiting the Montenegrin and Albanian side of the same Alpine range. Field research was conducted in 36 villages on the Kosovar side of the Albanian Alps. Snowball sampling techniques were used to recruit 91 elderly informants (≥ 50 years-old) for participation in semi-structured interviews and structured surveys regarding the use of the local flora for medicinal and food purposes. Standard ethnobotanical methods were employed and prior informed consent was obtained for all study participants. The uses of 98 plants species belonging to 39 families were recorded; the most quoted botanical families were Rosaceae, Asteraceae, and Lamiaceae. Mainly decoctions and infusions were quoted as folk medicinal preparations and the most common uses referred to gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders, as well as illnesses of the uro-genital system. Among the most uncommon medicinal taxa quoted by the informants, Carduus nutans L., Echinops bannaticus Rochel ex Schrad., and Orlaya grandiflora Hoffm. may merit phytochemical and phytopharmacological investigations.Comparison of the data with other ethnobotanical field studies recently conducted on the Albanian and Montenegrin sides of the same Alps has shown a remarkable link between the medical ethnobotany of Montenegrin and Kosovar side of the Albanian Alps. Moreover, folk uses of the most quoted wild medicinal taxa recorded in Kosovo often include those recorded both in Albania and in Montenegro, thus suggesting a hybrid character of the Kosovar local plant knowledge. This may be also explained with the fact that Montenegro and Kosovo, despite their differences in the ethnic composition, have shared a common history during the last Century.

Anticancer mechanisms and clinical application of alkylphospholipids.

PubMed

van Blitterswijk, Wim J; Verheij, Marcel

2013-03-01

Synthetic alkylphospholipids (ALPs), such as edelfosine, miltefosine, perifosine, erucylphosphocholine and erufosine, represent a relatively new class of structurally related antitumor agents that act on cell membranes rather than on DNA. They selectively target proliferating (tumor) cells, inducing growth arrest and apoptosis, and are potent sensitizers of conventional chemo- and radiotherapy. ALPs easily insert in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane and cross the membrane via an ATP-dependent CDC50a-containing 'flippase' complex (in carcinoma cells), or are internalized by lipid raft-dependent endocytosis (in lymphoma/leukemic cells). ALPs resist catabolic degradation, therefore accumulate in the cell and interfere with lipid-dependent survival signaling pathways, notably PI3K-Akt and Raf-Erk1/2, and de novo phospholipid biosynthesis. At the same time, stress pathways (e.g. stress-activated protein kinase/JNK) are activated to promote apoptosis. In many preclinical and clinical studies, perifosine was the most effective ALP, mainly because it inhibits Akt activity potently and consistently, also in vivo. This property is successfully exploited clinically in highly malignant tumors, such as multiple myeloma and neuroblastoma, in which a tyrosine kinase receptor/Akt pathway is amplified. In such cases, perifosine therapy is most effective in combination with conventional anticancer regimens or with rapamycin-type mTOR inhibitors, and may overcome resistance to these agents. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Phospholipids and Phospholipid Metabolism. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

On-demand Simulation of Atmospheric Transport Processes on the AlpEnDAC Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hachinger, S.; Harsch, C.; Meyer-Arnek, J.; Frank, A.; Heller, H.; Giemsa, E.

2016-12-01

The "Alpine Environmental Data Analysis Centre" (AlpEnDAC) develops a data-analysis platform for high-altitude research facilities within the "Virtual Alpine Observatory" project (VAO). This platform, with its web portal, will support use cases going much beyond data management: On user request, the data are augmented with "on-demand" simulation results, such as air-parcel trajectories for tracing down the source of pollutants when they appear in high concentration. The respective back-end mechanism uses the Compute Cloud of the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ) to transparently calculate results requested by the user, as far as they have not yet been stored in AlpEnDAC. The queuing-system operation model common in supercomputing is replaced by a model in which Virtual Machines (VMs) on the cloud are automatically created/destroyed, providing the necessary computing power immediately on demand. From a security point of view, this allows to perform simulations in a sandbox defined by the VM configuration, without direct access to a computing cluster. Within few minutes, the user receives conveniently visualized results. The AlpEnDAC infrastructure is distributed among two participating institutes [front-end at German Aerospace Centre (DLR), simulation back-end at LRZ], requiring an efficient mechanism for synchronization of measured and augmented data. We discuss our iRODS-based solution for these data-management tasks as well as the general AlpEnDAC framework. Our cloud-based offerings aim at making scientific computing for our users much more convenient and flexible than it has been, and to allow scientists without a broad background in scientific computing to benefit from complex numerical simulations.

Biochemical Predictors of Low Bone Mineral Density and Fracture Susceptibility in Maltese Postmenopausal Women.

PubMed

Formosa, Melissa M; Xuereb-Anastasi, Angela

2016-01-01

Osteoporosis and fractures are complex conditions influenced by an interplay of genetic and environmental factors. The aim of the study was to investigate three biochemical parameters including total serum calcium, total serum alkaline phosphatase (sALP) and albumin in relation to bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine and femoral neck (FN), and with all-type of low-trauma fractures in Maltese postmenopausal women. Levels were also correlated with age and physical activity. A case-control study of 1045 women was performed. Women who suffered a fracture were classified as cases whereas women without a fracture history were included as controls subdivided into normal, osteopenic, or osteoporotic according to their BMD measurements. Blood specimens were collected following good standard practice and testing was performed by spectrophotometry. Calcium and sALP levels were weakly correlated with FN BMD levels (calcium: r = -0.111, p = 0.002; sALP: r = 0.089, p = 0.013). Fracture cases had the lowest serum levels of calcium, sALP and albumin relative to all other control groups, which decreased with increasing age, possibly increasing fracture risk. Biochemical levels were lowest in women who sustained a hip fracture and more than one fracture. Biochemical parameters decreased with reduced physical activity; however, this was most evident for fracture cases. Reduced physical activity was associated with lower BMD levels at the hip, and to a lower extent at the spine. In conclusion, results suggest that levels of serum calcium and albumin could be indicative of fracture risk, whereas calcium levels and to lower extent sALP levels could be indicators of hip BMD.

Role of diabetes- and obesity-related protein in the regulation of osteoblast differentiation

PubMed Central

Linares, Gabriel R.; Xing, Weirong; Burghardt, Hans; Baumgartner, Bernhard; Chen, Shin-Tai; Ricart, Wifredo; Fernández-Real, José Manuel; Zorzano, Antonio

2011-01-01

Although thyroid hormone (TH) is known to exert important effects on the skeleton, the nuclear factors constituting the TH receptor coactivator complex and the molecular pathways by which TH mediates its effects on target gene expression in osteoblasts remain poorly understood. A recent study demonstrated that the actions of TH on myoblast differentiation are dependent on diabetes- and obesity-related protein (DOR). However, the role of DOR in osteoblast differentiation is unknown. We found DOR expression increased during in vitro differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells into osteoblasts and also in MC3T3-E1 cells treated with TH. However, DOR expression decreased during cellular proliferation. To determine whether DOR acts as a modulator of TH action during osteoblast differentiation, we examined whether overexpression or knockdown of DOR in MC3T3-E1 cells affects the ability of TH to induce osteoblast differentiation by evaluating alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. ALP activity was markedly increased in DOR-overexpressing cells treated with TH. In contrast, loss of DOR dramatically reduced TH stimulation of ALP activity in MC3T3-E1 cells and primary calvaria osteoblasts transduced with lentiviral DOR shRNA. Consistent with reduced ALP activity, mRNA levels of osteocalcin, ALP, and Runx2 were decreased significantly in DOR shRNA cells. In addition, a common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), DOR1 found on the promoter of human DOR gene, was associated with circulating osteocalcin levels in nondiabetic subjects. Based on these data, we conclude that DOR plays an important role in TH-mediated osteoblast differentiation, and a DOR SNP associates with plasma osteocalcin in men. PMID:21467300

Review of past and present geotectonic concepts of eastern indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katili, John A.

By the turn of the last century Dutch geoscientists already were comparing the Indonesian island arcs to the complicated structures of the European Alps and recognized that the Indonesian Archipelago possessed a dual character, both as the intersection of two of the largest and youngest mountain systems, and as an intercontinental zone between the Asiatic and Australian continents. About half a century ago they discovered in Indonesia the largest negative gravity anomalies at sea, and established that the depth of earthquake epicenters increases landward from the trenches. Despite the limited marine technology then, they discerned that the Indonesian island arcs represent a mountain belt in statu nascendi, exhibiting a systematic relationship of active tectonic and magmatic features to the deep submarine trenches. The geological and geophysical findings at sea by the first Snellius Expedition were integrated with the theories born out of the results of geological mapping on land. This is why the tectonic theories proposed by Dutch and other European geologists before the second World War were superior to those proposed by others. Though most of these theories can no longer be accepted without modification or refinement, they constitute part of the basis of the new global tectonics. Since the advent of the plate-tectonic concept, active subduction zones, transform faults and spreading centers have been recognized in Indonesia with reasonable confidence, by their physiographic, geologic and geophysical characteristics. In contrast to this, in much of the interior of the Eurasian continent the structural complexity of similar rock assemblages which have been folded, thrust and crumpled together by nearby subduction and collision is far more difficult to unravel. Consequently, the sort of geologic events deduced from the Indonesian Archipelago are of a type that should be recorded in older tectonic belts around the globe. The modern tectonic setting of the whole equatorial Indo-Pacific region, for example, has recently been compared to the terrane map of the North American Cordillera. The position of eastern Indonesia within the plate-tectonic framework is the key to resolving contradictory views on the tectonics of the Banda Sea. For example, did the Indonesian orogeny take place at the Gondwana margin or the Asian margin, are Timor and Seram a tectonic melange and thus part of the Tertiary Indonesian island arcs, or are these two islands a part of the passive Australian margin? Oceanic magnetic stripes from the Sulu, Celebes and Banda Seas all trend NE-SW. These new data suggest that the Sulu, Celebes and probably the Banda Sea represent areas of trapped Indian Ocean crust. Deep sea drilling in the Banda Sea can resolve much controversy. The Banda Sea occupies a critical position in the complex convergent zone between Australia, Southeast Asia and the Philippine Sea Plate. The determination of the stratigraphy and basement ages of the Banda Sea will constrain evolutionary models which have been proposed. Another unsolved question of key importance in our understanding of the evolution of Sulawesi and the Moluccas is the function and timing of events of the Birdhead 'bacon slicer', or the tectonic shaving in Irian Jaya. Once this mechanism is understood, the development and timing of the various structural features of Sulawesi, Halmahera and the Banda Arc will be classified. Opinions still differ regarding the 'birthplace' of the micro-continents in the Banda Sea. Some regard them as a result of Jurassic rifting of Gondwana in northwestern Australia while others consider them displaced westward from northern Irian Jaya along the Sorong transform fault. Several authors suggested that the eastern parts of Sulawesi, Buru and Seram represent micro-continents which originated from Irian Jaya, while others considered East Sulawesi and north Sulawesi remnants of ophiolite belts or fragments of island arcs that originate from the Pacific Ocean. Contrary to those who positioned Sulawesi close to Kalimantan in Miocene time or who separated the eastern and western arms of Sulawesi and placed them around continental Australia during its drift northwards, I maintain the view that in Miocene time Sulawesi emerged as a double island arc east of Kalimantan. For the Halmahera arc-trench system a similar origin during a younger phase of crustal movement could be advocated. The shape of the two eastern arms of Sulawesi and Halmahera can be compared with an 'arrowhead' pointing westward, with two larger slightly arcuate western arms as a 'wave front' proceeding from it. Thus Sulawesi and Halmahera were once north-south trending island arcs convex towards the Pacific with westward-dipping subduction zones. After collision with the irian Jaya plate, a reversal of polarity occurred as demonstrated by the trenches which developed northwest of Sulawesi and west of Halmahera. This controversy cannot be solved without determining the absolute ages of the eastern Sulawesi subduction complex. Marine research should also focus on the Sorong transform fault system between Sulawesi and Irian Jaya to elucidate its role in the westward displacement of the Sula-Banggai - Buton continental fragments. The nature, structure and history of the ridges in the Central Banda Sea, and their relationship to the oceanic crust of the adjacent North and South Banda Basin, should be investigated in more detail. Seram, Buru and Ambon require detailed studies to determine whether the arc-trench system predominates or whether micro-continent tectonics played the more significant role in their evolution. In the geological future, eastern Indonesia will be squashed between Australia and Asia, and the region will resemble the complex terrains now observed in the Alps and the Hercynian regions, a conclusion already drawn by the Dutch pioneers several decades ago.

13 CFR 120.840 - Accredited Lenders Program (ALP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... (ALP). (a) General. Under the ALP program, SBA designates qualified CDCs as ALP CDCs, gives them... approval and servicing actions. (b) Application. A CDC must apply for ALP status to the Lead SBA Office.... (c) Eligibility. In order for a CDC to be eligible to receive ALP status, its application must show...

13 CFR 120.840 - Accredited Lenders Program (ALP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... (ALP). (a) General. Under the ALP program, SBA designates qualified CDCs as ALP CDCs, gives them... approval and servicing actions. (b) Application. A CDC must apply for ALP status to the Lead SBA Office.... (c) Eligibility. In order for a CDC to be eligible to receive ALP status, its application must show...

13 CFR 120.840 - Accredited Lenders Program (ALP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... (ALP). (a) General. Under the ALP program, SBA designates qualified CDCs as ALP CDCs, gives them... approval and servicing actions. (b) Application. A CDC must apply for ALP status to the Lead SBA Office.... (c) Eligibility. In order for a CDC to be eligible to receive ALP status, its application must show...

13 CFR 120.840 - Accredited Lenders Program (ALP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... (ALP). (a) General. Under the ALP program, SBA designates qualified CDCs as ALP CDCs, gives them... approval and servicing actions. (b) Application. A CDC must apply for ALP status to the Lead SBA Office.... (c) Eligibility. In order for a CDC to be eligible to receive ALP status, its application must show...

13 CFR 120.840 - Accredited Lenders Program (ALP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... (ALP). (a) General. Under the ALP program, SBA designates qualified CDCs as ALP CDCs, gives them... approval and servicing actions. (b) Application. A CDC must apply for ALP status to the Lead SBA Office.... (c) Eligibility. In order for a CDC to be eligible to receive ALP status, its application must show...

4D-SFM Photogrammetry for Monitoring Sediment Dynamics in a Debris-Flow Catchment: Software Testing and Results Comparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cucchiaro, S.; Maset, E.; Fusiello, A.; Cazorzi, F.

2018-05-01

In recent years, the combination of Structure-from-Motion (SfM) algorithms and UAV-based aerial images has revolutionised 3D topographic surveys for natural environment monitoring, offering low-cost, fast and high quality data acquisition and processing. A continuous monitoring of the morphological changes through multi-temporal (4D) SfM surveys allows, e.g., to analyse the torrent dynamic also in complex topography environment like debris-flow catchments, provided that appropriate tools and procedures are employed in the data processing steps. In this work we test two different software packages (3DF Zephyr Aerial and Agisoft Photoscan) on a dataset composed of both UAV and terrestrial images acquired on a debris-flow reach (Moscardo torrent - North-eastern Italian Alps). Unlike other papers in the literature, we evaluate the results not only on the raw point clouds generated by the Structure-from- Motion and Multi-View Stereo algorithms, but also on the Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) created after post-processing. Outcomes show differences between the DTMs that can be considered irrelevant for the geomorphological phenomena under analysis. This study confirms that SfM photogrammetry can be a valuable tool for monitoring sediment dynamics, but accurate point cloud post-processing is required to reliably localize geomorphological changes.

Eastern mosquitofish resists invasion by nonindigenous poeciliids through agonistic behaviors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thompson, Kevin A.; Hill, Jeffrey E.; Nico, Leo G.

2012-01-01

Florida is a hotspot for nonindigenous fishes with over 30 species established, although few of these are small-bodied species. One hypothesis for this pattern is that biotic resistance of native species is reducing the success of small-bodied, introduced fishes. The eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki is common in many freshwater habitats in Florida and although small-bodied (<50 mm), it is a predator and aggressive competitor. We conducted four mesocosm experiments to examine the potential for biotic resistance by eastern mosquitofish to two small-bodied nonindigenous fishes, variable platyfish (Xiphophorus variatus) and swordtail (X. hellerii). Experiments tested: (1) effect of eastern mosquitofish density on adult survival, (2) effect of eastern mosquitofish on a stage-structured population, (3) role of habitat structural complexity on nonindigenous adult survival, and (4) behavioral effects of eastern mosquitofish presence and habitat complexity. Eastern mosquitofish attacked and killed non-native poeciliids with especially strong effects on juveniles of both species. Higher eastern mosquitofish density resulted in greater effects. Predation on swordtails increased with increasing habitat complexity. Eastern mosquitofish also actively drove swordtails from cover, which could expose non-native fish to other predators under field conditions. Our results suggest that eastern mosquitofish may limit invasion success.

Iodine-Mediated Etching of Gold Nanorods for Plasmonic ELISA Based on Colorimetric Detection of Alkaline Phosphatase.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhiyang; Chen, Zhaopeng; Wang, Shasha; Cheng, Fangbin; Chen, Lingxin

2015-12-23

Here, we propose a plasmonic enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on highly sensitive colorimetric detection of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), which is achieved by iodine-mediated etching of gold nanorods (AuNRs). Once the sandwich-type immunocomplex is formed, the ALP bound on the polystyrene microwells will hydrolyze ascorbic acid 2-phosphate into ascorbic acid. Subsequently, iodate is reduced to iodine, a moderate oxidant, which etches AuNRs from rod to sphere in shape. The shape change of AuNRs leads to a blue-shift of longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance. As a result, the solution of AuNRs changes from blue to red. Benefiting from the highly sensitive detection of ALP, the proposed plasmonic ELISA has achieved an ultralow detection limit (100 pg/mL) for human immunoglobulin G (IgG). Importantly, the visual detection limit (3.0 ng/mL) allows the rapid differential diagnosis with the naked eye. The further detection of human IgG in fetal bovine serum indicates its applicability to the determination of low abundance protein in complex biological samples.

Towards a first ground-based validation of aerosol optical depths from Sentinel-2 over the complex topography of the Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marinelli, Valerio; Cremonese, Edoardo; Diémoz, Henri; Siani, Anna Maria

2017-04-01

The European Space Agency (ESA) is spending notable effort to put in operation a new generation of advanced Earth-observation satellites, the Sentinel constellation. In particular, the Sentinel-2 host an instrumental payload mainly consisting in a MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) imaging sensor, capable of acquiring high-resolution imagery of the Earth surface and atmospheric reflectance at selected spectral bands, hence providing complementary measurements to ground-based radiometric stations. The latter can provide reference data for validating the estimates from spaceborne instruments such as Sentinel-2A (operating since October 2015), whose aerosol optical thickness (AOT) values, can be obtained from correcting SWIR (2190 nm) reflectance with an improved dense dark vegetation (DDV) algorithm. In the Northwestern European Alps (Saint-Christophe, 45.74°N, 7.36°E) a Prede POM-02 sun/sky aerosol photometer has been operating for several years within the EuroSkyRad network by the Environmental Protection Agency of Aosta Valley (ARPA Valle d'Aosta), gathering direct sun and diffuse sky radiance for retrieving columnar aerosol optical properties. This aerosol optical depth (AOD) dataset represents an optimal ground-truth for the corresponding Sentinel-2 estimates obtained with the Sen2cor processor in the challenging environment of the Alps (complex topography, snow-covered surfaces). We show the deviations between the two measurement series and propose some corrections to enhance the overall accuracy of satellite estimates.

The synthesis and structure of a chiral 1D aluminophosphate chain compound: d-Co(en) 3[AlP 2O 8]·6.5H 2O

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Peng; Li, Jiyang; Yu, Jihong; Wang, Yu; Pan, Qinhe; Xu, Ruren

2005-06-01

A new chiral one-dimensional (1D) aluminophosphate chain compound [ d-Co(en) 3][AlP 2O 8]·6.5H 2O (designated AlPO-CJ22) has been hydrothermally synthesized by using the optically pure d-Co(en) 3I 3 complex as the template. Single-crystal structural analysis reveals that its structure is built up from alternating connection of AlO 4 and PO 2(=O 2) tetrahedra to form corner-shared Al 2P 2 four-membered ring (4-MR) chains. The d-Co(en) 33+ complex cations extended along the 2 1 screw axis interact with the inorganic chains through hydrogen-bonds of N⋯O atoms in a helical fashion. Optical rotation measurement shows that AlPO-CJ22 is chiral as with d-Co(en) 33+ complex cations. Crystal data: orthorhombic, I2 12 12 1, a=8.5573(8) Å, b=22.613(2) Å, c=22.605(2) Å, Z=8, R1=0.067, wR2=0.1291, and Flack parameter: -0.02(3). CCDC number: 254179.

Segment-specific expression of alkaline phosphatase in the Tubifex embryo requires DNA replication and mRNA synthesis.

PubMed

Kitamura, Kaoru; Shimizu, Takashi

2002-04-15

During embryogenesis of the oligochaete annelid Tubifex, segments VII and VIII specifically express mesodermal alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in the ventrolateral region. In this study, using specific inhibitors, we examined whether this segment-specific expression of ALP activity depends on DNA replication and RNA transcription. BrdU-incorporation experiments showed that presumptive ALP-expressing cells undergo the last round of DNA replication at 12-24 hr prior to emergence of ALP activity. When this DNA replication was inhibited by aphidicolin, ALP development was completely abrogated in the ventrolateral mesoderm. Similar inhibition of ALP development was also observed in alpha-amanitin-injected embryos. While injection of alpha-amanitin at 24 hr prior to the emergence of ALP activity exerted inhibitory effects on ALP development, injection at 14 hr was no longer effective. In contrast, ALP activity developed normally in cytochalasin-D-treated embryos in which cytokinesis was prevented from occurring for 36 hs prior to appearance of ALP activity. These results suggest that the segment-specific development of ALP activity in the Tubifex embryo depends on DNA replication and mRNA transcription, both of which occur long before the emergence of ALP activity. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

New lakes in deglaciating high-mountain areas: Regional intercomparison of current and future risks from impact waves due to rock/ice avalanches in the Swiss Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaub, Y.; Huggel, C.; Serraino, M.; Haeberli, W.

2012-04-01

The changes in high-mountain environments are increasingly fast and complex. GIS-based models of the Swiss Alps show that numerous topographic overdeepenings are likely to appear on progressively exposed glacier beds, which are considered as potential sites of future lake formation. In many cases these newly forming lakes will be situated in an over-steepened and destabilized high-mountain environment and are, therefore, prone to impact waves from landslides. The risk of glacier lake outburst floods, endangering infrastructure, residential areas and persons further downvalley, is increasing with further lake formation and glacier recession. This risk may persist for many decades if not centuries. Future-oriented hazard assessments have to be integrative and must deal with all possible process chains. Reference studies and methodologies are still scarce, however. We present an approach to compare risks resulting from high-mountain lakes in the Swiss Alps amongst each other. Already existing lakes are thereby as much included in the analysis as future ones. The presented risk assessment approach integrates the envisaged high-mountain hazard process chain with present and future socio-economic conditions. Applying the concept of integral risk management, the hazard and damage potentials have to be analyzed. The areas that feature the topographic potential for rock/iceavalanches to reach a lake were analyzed regarding their susceptibility to slope failure including the factors slope inclination, permafrost occurrence, glacier recession and bedrock lithology. Together with the analysis of the lakes (volume and runout path of potential outburst floods), the hazard analysis of the process chain was completed. As an example, high long-term hazard potentials in the Swiss Alps have, for instance, to be expected in the area of the Great Aletsch glacier. A methodology for the assessment of the damage potential was elaborated and will be presented. In order to estimate the location of the largest damage potentials, driving forces of different spatial development scenarios for the Swiss Alps will be implemented in a land allocation model for the Swiss Alps. By bringing together hazard, exposure and vulnerability analyses, a risk assessment for the entire Swiss Alps regarding lake-outburst floods triggered by impacts of rock/ice avalanches can be conducted for today, the middle of the century and even beyond.

EAARL Coastal Topography-Eastern Louisiana Barrier Islands, Post-Hurricane Gustav, 2008: First Surface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bonisteel-Cormier, J.M.; Nayegandhi, Amar; Wright, C.W.; Sallenger, A.H.; Brock, J.C.; Nagle, D.B.; Vivekanandan, Saisudha; Fredericks, Xan

2010-01-01

These remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements of lidar-derived first-surface (FS) topography datasets were produced collaboratively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, FL, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Wallops Flight Facility, VA. This project provides highly detailed and accurate datasets of a portion of the eastern Louisiana barrier islands, acquired post-Hurricane Gustav (September 2008 hurricane) on September 6 and 7, 2008. The datasets are made available for use as a management tool to research scientists and natural-resource managers. An innovative airborne lidar instrument originally developed at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, and known as the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), was used during data acquisition. The EAARL system is a raster-scanning, waveform-resolving, green-wavelength (532-nanometer) lidar designed to map near-shore bathymetry, topography, and vegetation structure simultaneously. The EAARL sensor suite includes the raster-scanning, water-penetrating full-waveform adaptive lidar, a down-looking red-green-blue (RGB) digital camera, a high-resolution multispectral color infrared (CIR) camera, two precision dual-frequency kinematic carrier-phase GPS receivers, and an integrated miniature digital inertial measurement unit, which provide for sub-meter georeferencing of each laser sample. The nominal EAARL platform is a twin-engine Cessna 310 aircraft, but the instrument may be deployed on a range of light aircraft. A single pilot, a lidar operator, and a data analyst constitute the crew for most survey operations. This sensor has the potential to make significant contributions in measuring sub-aerial and submarine coastal topography within cross-environmental surveys. Elevation measurements were collected over the survey area using the EAARL system, and the resulting data were then processed using the Airborne Lidar Processing System (ALPS), a custom-built processing system developed in a NASA-USGS collaboration. ALPS supports the exploration and processing of lidar data in an interactive or batch mode. Modules for presurvey flight-line definition, flight-path plotting, lidar raster and waveform investigation, and digital camera image playback have been developed. Processing algorithms have been developed to extract the range to the first and last significant return within each waveform. ALPS is used routinely to create maps that represent submerged or sub-aerial topography. Specialized filtering algorithms have been implemented to determine the 'bare earth' under vegetation from a point cloud of last return elevations. For more information about similar projects, please visit the Decision Support for Coastal Science and Management website.

EAARL Coastal Topography-Eastern Florida, Post-Hurricane Jeanne, 2004: First Surface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fredericks, Xan; Nayegandhi, Amar; Bonisteel-Cormier, J.M.; Wright, C.W.; Sallenger, A.H.; Brock, J.C.; Klipp, E.S.; Nagle, D.B.

2010-01-01

These remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements of lidar-derived first-surface (FS) topography datasets were produced collaboratively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, FL, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Wallops Flight Facility, VA. This project provides highly detailed and accurate datasets of a portion of the eastern Florida coastline beachface, acquired post-Hurricane Jeanne (September 2004 hurricane) on October 1, 2004. The datasets are made available for use as a management tool to research scientists and natural-resource managers. An innovative airborne lidar instrument originally developed at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, and known as the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), was used during data acquisition. The EAARL system is a raster-scanning, waveform-resolving, green-wavelength (532-nanometer) lidar designed to map near-shore bathymetry, topography, and vegetation structure simultaneously. The EAARL sensor suite includes the raster-scanning, water-penetrating full-waveform adaptive lidar, a down-looking red-green-blue (RGB) digital camera, a high-resolution multispectral color-infrared (CIR) camera, two precision dual-frequency kinematic carrier-phase GPS receivers, and an integrated miniature digital inertial measurement unit, which provide for sub-meter georeferencing of each laser sample. The nominal EAARL platform is a twin-engine Cessna 310 aircraft, but the instrument may be deployed on a range of light aircraft. A single pilot, a lidar operator, and a data analyst constitute the crew for most survey operations. This sensor has the potential to make significant contributions in measuring sub-aerial and submarine coastal topography within cross-environmental surveys. Elevation measurements were collected over the survey area using the EAARL system, and the resulting data were then processed using the Airborne Lidar Processing System (ALPS), a custom-built processing system developed in a NASA-USGS collaboration. ALPS supports the exploration and processing of lidar data in an interactive or batch mode. Modules for presurvey flight-line definition, flight-path plotting, lidar raster and waveform investigation, and digital camera image playback have been developed. Processing algorithms have been developed to extract the range to the first and last significant return within each waveform. ALPS is used routinely to create maps that represent submerged or sub-aerial topography. Specialized filtering algorithms have been implemented to determine the 'bare earth' under vegetation from a point cloud of last return elevations. For more information about similar projects, please visit the Decision Support for Coastal Science and Management website.

Inferring LGM sedimentary and climatic changes in the southern Eastern Alps foreland through the analysis of a 14C ages database (Brenta megafan, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossato, Sandro; Mozzi, Paolo

2016-09-01

The analysis of a database of radiocarbon ages is proposed as a tool for investigating major glaciofluvial systems of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the Alpine foreland, and their relations with glacier dynamics and climatic fluctuations. Our research concerns the Brenta megafan (NE Italy), where 110 radiocarbon dates integrate a robust regional stratigraphic and palaeoclimatic framework. Age-depth models allowed us to calculate sedimentation rates, while the time distribution of peat layers, which recurrently formed in this region during the LGM, were estimated through meta-analysis. The reliability of statistical results was carefully evaluated using Pearson and Spearman coefficients. Sedimentation rates in the Brenta megafan markedly fluctuated during LGM: ≈1.8 m/ka between 40 and 26.7 ka cal BP; ≈3 m/ka between 26.7 and 23.8 ka cal BP and ≈1.4 m/ka from 23.8 to 17.5 ka cal BP, when the distributary system deactivated due to fan-head trenching. This is evidence that sediment input and routing in the glaciofluvial distributary system was particularly efficient during the central part of LGM, when glaciers were stable at their outermost position. Meta-analysis indicates an increase in peat formation in correspondence with global (Heinrich Event 3 and/or the Greenland Interstadial 5.1 and 4 for the 30.5, 29.6 and 28.8 ka cal BP peaks) and regional (23.5 ka cal BP) wet events. Other peaks at 22.2, 21.8, 20.2 and 19 ka cal BP correlate with fluctuations of south-eastern Alpine glaciers. Significant peat formation continued until ≈18 ka cal BP, when the last peak occurred. A marked decrease in peat formation is recorded concomitantly with the onset of Heinrich Event 2 (i.e. the 26 ka cal BP trough). The good correspondence of sedimentary events in the Brenta glaciofluvial system with the dynamics of glaciers and glaciofluvial and lacustrine systems in the southern Eastern Alps suggests a common climatic forcing on the whole region during the LGM. Peat layer formation in the floodplain fens increased significantly in correspondence with glacier withdrawals and/or wetter climatic episodes, constituting a good proxy for climatic fluctuations during glacial periods. It also allows correlations across different continental environments and regions in the northern hemisphere.

Correlations of cave levels, stream terraces and planation surfaces along the River Mur—Timing of landscape evolution along the eastern margin of the Alps

PubMed Central

Wagner, Thomas; Fritz, Harald; Stüwe, Kurt; Nestroy, Othmar; Rodnight, Helena; Hellstrom, John; Benischke, Ralf

2011-01-01

The transition zone of the Eastern Alps to the Pannonian Basin provides one of the best sources of information on landscape evolution of the Eastern Alpine mountain range. The region was non-glaciated during the entire Pleistocene. Thus, direct influence of glacial carving as a landscape forming process can be excluded and relics of landforms are preserved that date back to at least the Late Neogene. In this study, we provide a correlation between various planation surfaces across the orogen-basin transition. In particular, we use stream terraces, planation surfaces and cave levels that cover a vertical spread of some 700 m. Our correlation is used to show that both sides of the transition zone uplifted together starting at least about 5 Ma ago. For our correlation we use recently published terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) burial ages from cave sediments, new optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of a stream terrace and U–Th ages from speleothems. Minimum age constraints of cave levels from burial ages of cave sediments covering the last ~ 4 Ma are used to place age constraints on surface features by parallelizing cave levels with planation surfaces. The OSL results for the top section of the type locality of the Helfbrunn terrace suggest an Early Würm development (80.5 ± 3.7 to 68.7 ± 4.0 ka). The terrace origin as a penultimate gravel deposit (in classical Alpine terminology Riss) is therefore questioned. U-series speleothem ages from caves nearby indicate formation during Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 5c and 5a which are both interstadial warm periods. As OSL ages from the terrace also show a time of deposition during MIS 5a ending at the MIS 5/4 transition, this supports the idea of temperate climatic conditions at the time of deposition. In general, tectonic activity is interpreted to be the main driving force for the formation and evolution of these landforms, whilst climate change is suggested to be of minor importance. Obvious hiatuses in Miocene to Pleistocene sediments are related to ongoing erosion and re-excavation of an uplifting and rejuvenating landscape. PMID:22053124

Differential Properties of Human ALP+ Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells vs Their ALP- Counterparts

PubMed Central

Tran, Quynh T; El-Ayachi, Ikbale; Bhatti, Fazal-Ur-Rehman; Bahabri, Rayan; Al-Habib, Mey; Huang, George TJ

2015-01-01

Characterizing subpopulations of stem cells is important to understand stem cell properties. Tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is associated with mineral tissue forming cells as well as stem cells. Information regarding ALP subpopulation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) is limited. In the present study, we examined ALP+ and ALP− hPDLSC subpopulations, their surface markers STRO-1 and CD146, and the expression of stemness genes at various cell passages. We found that ALP+ subpopulation had higher levels of STRO-1 (30.6 ± 5.6%) and CD146 (90.4 ± 3.3%) compared to ALP− (STRO-1: 0.5 ± 0.1%; CD146: 75.3 ± 7.2%). ALP+ cells expressed significantly higher levels of stemness associated genes, NANOG, OCT4 and SOX than ALP− cells at low cell passages of 2-3 (p<0.05). ALP+ and ALP− cells had similar osteogenic, chondrogenic and neurogenic potential while ALP−, not ALP+ cells, lacked adipogenic potential. Upon continuous culturing and passaging, ALP+ continued to express higher stemness genes and STRO-1 and CD146 than ALP− cells at ≥passage 19. Under conditions (over-confluence and vitamin C treatment) when ALP+ subpopulation was increased, the stemness gene levels of ALP+ was no longer significantly higher than those in ALP− cells. In conclusion, ALP+ hPDLSCs possess differential properties from their ALP− counterparts. PMID:26807329

Extra-Mediterranean refugia: The rule and not the exception?

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Some decades ago, biogeographers distinguished three major faunal types of high importance for Europe: (i) Mediterranean elements with exclusive glacial survival in the Mediterranean refugia, (ii) Siberian elements with glacial refugia in the eastern Palearctic and only postglacial expansion to Europe and (iii) arctic and/or alpine elements with large zonal distributions in the periglacial areas and postglacial retreat to the North and/or into the high mountain systems. Genetic analyses have unravelled numerous additional refugia both of continental and Mediterranean species, thus strongly modifying the biogeographical view of Europe. This modified notion is particularly true for the so-called Siberian species, which in many cases have not immigrated into Europe during the postglacial period, but most likely have survived the last, or even several glacial phases, in extra-Mediterranean refugia in some climatically favourable but geographically limited areas of southern Central and Eastern Europe. Recently, genetic analyses revealed that typical Mediterranean species have also survived the Last Glacial Maximum in cryptic northern refugia (e.g. in the Carpathians or even north of the Alps) in addition to their Mediterranean refuge areas. PMID:22953783

QUANTIFICATION OF GLACIAL EROSION IN THE ALPS USING VERY LOW-TEMPERATURE THERMOCHRONOLOGY (OSL & AHe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champagnac, J.; Herman, F.; Rhodes, E. J.; Fellin, M.; Jaiswal, M.; Schwenninger, J.; Reverman, R. L.

2009-12-01

The impact of glaciations on the topography of the Alps is still unclear: Long-term denudation rate determined by low-T thermochronology are in the range of 0.2 to 1 mm/yr, and increased during the Plio-Quaternary by 3 fold (Vernon et al., 2008). Such an increase is also documented by peri-alpine sediment budget (Kuhleman, 2000), with a similar increase in sediment yields since 5-3 Ma. This increase was considered as evidence of a climatically-driven surface process change, attributed to increased precipitation (Cederbom et al., 2004) and erosion by glacial processes (Champagnac et al., 2007). The timing of the onset of intense glacial erosion as well as its rates are still ambiguous. The glacial erosion seems to have accelerated around 0.9 Ma as suggested by the ten fold increase of incision rates of a valley in the Central Alps (Häuselmann et al., 2007), and by information about vegetation and sedimentologic changes (Muttoni et al., 2003). There is however no direct quantification of topographic change during the Plio-Quaternary. We present here how we use OSL-thermochronology, a new thermochronometer of exceptionally low closure temperature (about 30°-40°C) (Herman et al subm.), new {U-Th}/He on apatites data, and a glacial erosion model (Herman and Braun 2008) to estimate topographic changes in the Alps in response to glaciations. Because of their low closure temperature, OSL and AHe thermochronology enables quantification of events of less than 1 Ma at very small wavelength of the topography. We collected two vertical profiles, one in the Zermatt Valley (Valais) and one in Maurienne Valley (Savoy). We infer from these results changes in topography, date and quantify relief creation under glacial-interglacial cycles. Cederbom, C.E, et al., Climate induced rebound and exhumation of the European Alps. Geology 32, 709-712 (2000). Champagnac, J.-D., et al., Quaternary erosion-induced isostatic rebound in the western Alps. Geology 35, 195-198 (2007). Haüselmann P., et al.,et al. Abrupt glacial valley incision at 0.8 Ma dated from cave deposits in Switzerland. Geology 35, 33-42 (2007). Herman F. and Braun J. Evolution of the glacial landscape of the Southern Alps of New Zealand: Insights from a glacial erosion model, J. Geophys. Res., 113, F02009, doi:10.1029/2007JF000807 (2008). Herman F., Rhodes E.J. and Braun J. A new thermochronometer reveals steady state relief and exhumation in a small active orogen during the last glacial cycle, submitted. Kuhlemann J., et al., Quantifying tectonic versus erosive denudation by the sediment budget: the Miocene core complexes of the Alps, Tectonophysics 330, 1-23 (2000). Muttoni G., et al., Onset of major Pleistocene glaciations in the Alps. Geology 31, 989-992 (2003). Vernon, A.J., et al., Increase in late Neogene denudation of the European Alps confirmed by analysis of a fission-track thermochronology database. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 270 (3-4), pp. 316-329 (2008).

Integrating expert opinion with modelling for quantitative multi-hazard risk assessment in the Eastern Italian Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lixia; van Westen, Cees J.; Hussin, Haydar; Ciurean, Roxana L.; Turkington, Thea; Chavarro-Rincon, Diana; Shrestha, Dhruba P.

2016-11-01

Extreme rainfall events are the main triggering causes for hydro-meteorological hazards in mountainous areas, where development is often constrained by the limited space suitable for construction. In these areas, hazard and risk assessments are fundamental for risk mitigation, especially for preventive planning, risk communication and emergency preparedness. Multi-hazard risk assessment in mountainous areas at local and regional scales remain a major challenge because of lack of data related to past events and causal factors, and the interactions between different types of hazards. The lack of data leads to a high level of uncertainty in the application of quantitative methods for hazard and risk assessment. Therefore, a systematic approach is required to combine these quantitative methods with expert-based assumptions and decisions. In this study, a quantitative multi-hazard risk assessment was carried out in the Fella River valley, prone to debris flows and flood in the north-eastern Italian Alps. The main steps include data collection and development of inventory maps, definition of hazard scenarios, hazard assessment in terms of temporal and spatial probability calculation and intensity modelling, elements-at-risk mapping, estimation of asset values and the number of people, physical vulnerability assessment, the generation of risk curves and annual risk calculation. To compare the risk for each type of hazard, risk curves were generated for debris flows, river floods and flash floods. Uncertainties were expressed as minimum, average and maximum values of temporal and spatial probability, replacement costs of assets, population numbers, and physical vulnerability. These result in minimum, average and maximum risk curves. To validate this approach, a back analysis was conducted using the extreme hydro-meteorological event that occurred in August 2003 in the Fella River valley. The results show a good performance when compared to the historical damage reports.

Correlation by Rb-Sr geochronology of garnet growth histories from different structural levels within the Tauern Window, Eastern Alps

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Christensen, John N.; Selverstone, Jane; Rosenfeld, John L.

1993-06-01

In order to evaluate rates of tectonometamorphic processes, growth rates of garnets from metamorphic rocks of the Tauern Window, Eastern Alps were measured using Rb-Sr isotopes. The garnet growth rates were determined from Rb-Sr isotopic zonation of single garnet crystals and the Rb-Sr isotopic compositions of their associated rock matrices. Garnets were analyzed from the Upper Schieferhulle (USH) and Lower Schieferhulle (LSH) within the Tauern Window. Two garnets from the USH grew at rates of 0.67(-0.13)+0.19 mm/million years and 0.88(-0.19)+0.34 mm/million years, respectively, indicating an average growth duration of 5.4 +- 1.7 million years. The duration of growth coupled withmore » the amount of rotation recorded by inclusion trails in the USH garnets yields an average shear-strain rate during garnet growth of 2.7(-0.7)+1.2 x 10(-14) s-1 . Garnet growth in the sample from the USH occurred between 35.4 +- 0.6 and 30 +- 0.8 Ma. The garnet from the LSH grew at a rate of 0.23 +- 0.015 mm/mil lion years, between 62 +- 1.5 Ma and 30.2 +- 1.5 Ma. Contemporaneous cessation of garnet growth in both units at approximately 30 Ma is in accord with previous dating of the thermal peak of metamorphism in the Tauern Window. Correlation with previously published pressure-temperature paths for garnets from the USH and LSH yields approximate rates of burial, exhumation and heating during garnet growth. Assuming that these P - T paths are applicable to the garnets in this study, the contemporaneous exhumation rates recorded by garnet in the USH and LSH were approximately 4(-2)+3 mm/year and 2 +- 1 mm/year, respectively. [References: 34]« less

Using forensic microsatellites to decipher the genetic structure of linguistic and geographic isolates: A survey in the eastern Italian Alps.

PubMed

Montinaro, Francesco; Boschi, Ilaria; Trombetta, Federica; Merigioli, Sara; Anagnostou, Paolo; Battaggia, Cinzia; Capocasa, Marco; Crivellaro, Federica; Destro Bisol, Giovanni; Coia, Valentina

2012-12-01

The study of geographically and/or linguistically isolated populations could represent a potential area of interaction between population and forensic genetics. These investigations may be useful to evaluate the suitability of loci which have been selected using forensic criteria for bio-anthropological studies. At the same time, they give us an opportunity to evaluate the efficiency of forensic tools for parentage testing in groups with peculiar allele frequency profiles. Within the frame of a long-term project concerning Italian linguistic isolates, we studied 15 microsatellite loci (Identifiler kit) comprising the CODIS panel in 11 populations from the north-eastern Italian Alps (Veneto, Trentino and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions). All our analyses of inter-population differentiation highlight the genetic distinctiveness of most Alpine populations comparing them either to each other or with large and non-isolated Italian populations. Interestingly, we brought to light some aspects of population genetic structure which cannot be detected using unilinear polymorphisms. In fact, the analysis of genotypic disequilibrium between loci detected signals of population substructure when all the individuals of Alpine populations are pooled in a single group. Furthermore, despite the relatively low number of loci analyzed, genetic differentiation among Alpine populations was detected at individual level using a Bayesian method to cluster multilocus genotypes. Among the various populations studied, the four linguistic minorities (Fassa Valley, Luserna, Sappada and Sauris) showed the most pronounced diversity and signatures of a peculiar genetic ancestry. Finally, we show that database replacement may affect estimates of probability of paternity even when the local database is replaced by another based on populations which share a common genetic background but which differ in their demographic history. These findings point to the importance of considering the demographic and cultural profile of populations in forensic applications, even in a context of substantial genetic homogeneity such as that of European populations. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preserved Organic Matter in the Alpine Tethyan Ocean Continental Transition (Totalp unit, Eastern Swiss Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mateeva, T.; Wolff, G. A.; Kusznir, N.; Wheeler, J.; Manatschal, G.

2015-12-01

Observations at hydrothermal systems in modern ocean settings suggest that methane produced by serpentinization can support methanotrophic bio-systems. An important question is whether such bio-systems are localised or are more pervasive in their association with serpentinized mantle in the subsurface. This has implications for the global importance of the hidden sub-surface bio-systems, the fate of methane and the carbon cycle. The Totalp unit, a remnant of a former Ocean Continent Transition (OCT) exposed in Alps of Eastern Switzerland, has been chosen to investigate the presence or absence of methanotrophic biosystems within serpentinized exhumed mantle in the Alpine Tethyan margin. The Totalp unit is made of serpentinized mantle and ophicalcites overlain by Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous post-rift sediments. The Totalp unit has undergone little Alpine deformation and only a low-grade metamorphic overprint (<200°C). Totalp samples are characterized by total carbon contents of 0.02% to 12.90% and organic carbon contents of 1x10-4 % to 8%. This large range of values reflects the large lithological diversity of this area. The serpentinized peridotite, ophicalcite and post-rift sediments contain hydrocarbons in the form of n-alkanes in the range C20 - C40; isoprenoids, for example pristane and phytane are present in sediments. The organic biological marker distribution is consistent with the temperature history of the OCT (i.e.lower maximum temperature than 200°C). First results from Totalp show evidence for preservation of marine organic matter in the serpentinized mantle and overlying sediments, although there is no evidence that any organic matter is generated from methanotrophic bio-systems. Nevertheless, focussing on Tethyan hydrothermal systems and preserved hydrocarbons will be critical in understanding whether methanotrophic biomarkers can be preserved and if so whether the methane originated from serpentenization.

Modeling four occurred debris flow events in the Dolomites area (North-Eastern Italian Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boreggio, Mauro; Gregoretti, Carlo; Degetto, Massimo; Bernard, Martino

2016-04-01

Four occurred debris flows in the Dolomites area (North-Eastern Italian Alps) are modeled by back-analysis. The four debris flows events are those occurred at Rio Lazer (Trento) on the 4th of November 1966, at Fiames (Belluno) on the 5th of July 2006, at Rovina di Cancia (Belluno) on the 18th of July 2009 and at Rio Val Molinara (Trento) on the 15th of August 2010. In all the events, runoff entrained sediments present on natural channels and formed a solid-liquid wave that routed downstream. The first event concerns the routing of debris flow on an inhabited fan. The second event the deviation of debris flow from the usual path due to an obstruction with the excavation of a channel in the scree and the downstream spreading in a wood. The third event concerns the routing of debris flow in a channel with an ending the reservoir, its overtopping and final spreading in the inhabited area. The fourth event concerns the routing of debris flow along the main channel downstream the initiation area until spreading just upstream a village. All the four occurred debris flows are simulated by modeling runoff that entrained debris flow for determining the solid-liquid hydrograph. The routing of the solid-liquid hydrograph is simulated by a bi-phase cell model based on the kinematic approach. The comparison between simulated and measured erosion and deposition depths is satisfactory. Nearly the same parameters for computing erosion and deposition were used for all the four occurred events. The maps of erosion and deposition depths are obtained by comparing the results of post-event surveys with the pre-event DEM. The post-event surveys were conducted by using different instruments (LiDAR and GPS) or the combination photos-single points depth measurements (in this last case it is possible obtaining the deposition/erosion depths by means of stereoscopy techniques).

Three occurred debris flows in North-Eastern Italian Alps: documentation and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boreggio, Mauro; Gregoretti, Carlo; Degetto, Massimo; Bernard, Martino

2015-04-01

Three occurred events of debris flows are documented and modeled by back-analysis. The three debris flows events are those occurred at Rio Lazer on the 4th of November 1966, at Fiames on the 5th of July 2006 and at Rovina di Cancia on the 18th of July 2009. All the three sites are located in the North-Eastern Italian Alps. In all the events, runoff entrained sediments present on natural channels and formed a solid-liquid wave that routed downstream. The first event concerns the routing of debris flow on an inhabited fan. Map of deposition pattern of sediments are built by using post-events photos through stereoscopy techniques. The second event concerns the routing of debris flow along the main channel descending from Pomagagnon Fork. Due to the obstruction of the cross-section debris flow deviated from the original path on the left side and routed downstream by cutting a new channel on the fan. It dispersed in multiple paths when met the wooden area. Map of erosion and deposition depths are built after using a combination of Lidar and GPS data. The third event concerns the routing of debris flow in the Rovina di Cancia channel that filled the reservoir built at the end of the channel and locally overtopped the retaining wall on the left side. A wave of mud and debris inundated the area downstream the overtopping point. Map of erosion and deposition depths are obtained by subtracting two GPS surveys, pre and post event. All the three occurred debris flows are simulated by modeling runoff that entrained debris flow for determining the solid-liquid hydrograph downstream the triggering areas. The routing of the solid-liquid hydrograph was simulated by a bi-phase cell model based on the kinematic approach. The comparison between simulated and measured erosion and deposition depths is satisfactory. The same parameters for computing erosion and deposition were used for the three occurred events.

Alps, Carpathians and Dinarides-Hellenides: about plates, micro-plates and delaminated crustal blocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmid, Stefan

2014-05-01

Before the onset of Europe-Africa continental collision in the Dinarides-Hellenides (around 60Ma) and in the Alps and Western Carpathians (around 35 Ma), and at a large scale, the dynamics of orogenic processes in the Mediterranean Alpine chains were governed by Europe-Africa plate convergence leading to the disappearance of large parts of intervening oceanic lithosphere, i.e. the northern branch of Neotethys along the Sava-Izmir-Ankara suture and Alpine Tethys along the Valais-Magura suture (Schmid et al. 2008). In spite of this, two major problems concerning the pre-collisional stage are still poorly understood: (1) by now we only start to understand geometry, kinematics and dynamics of the along-strike changes in the polarity of subduction between Alps-Carpathians and Dinarides-Hellenides, and (2) it is not clear yet during exactly which episodes and to what extent intervening rifted continental fragments such as, for example, Iberia-Briançonnais, Tisza, Dacia, Adria-Taurides moved independently as micro-plates, and during which episodes they remained firmly attached to Europa or Africa from which they broke away. As Europe-Africa plate convergence slowed down well below 1 cm/yr at around 30 Ma ago these pre-collisional processes driven by plate convergence on a global scale gave way to more local processes of combined roll-back and crustal delamination in the Pannonian basin of the Carpathian embayment and in the Aegean (as well as in the Western Mediterranean, not discussed in this contribution). In the case of the Carpathian embayment E-directed roll back totally unrelated to Europe-Africa N-S-directed convergence, started at around 20 Ma ago, due to the presence relict oceanic lithosphere in the future Pannonian basin that remained un-subducted during collision. Due to total delamination of the crust from the eastward rolling back European mantle lithosphere the anticlockwise rotating ALCAPA crustal block, consisting of Eastern Alps and Western Carpathian thickened crust ripped of the African plate, invaded the northern part of this oceanic embayment, virtually floating on asthenospheric mantle. The presently still surviving semi-detached Vrancea slab in Romania manifests of the combined effect of roll back and delamination of mantle lithosphere. On the other hand Tisza-Dacia, another crustal block formerly ripped off the European plate and forming a single entity since mid-Cretaceous times, also at least partly floating on asthenospheric mantle, invaded the Carpathian embayment from the south. Thereby the Tisza-Dacia crustal block underwent clockwise rotation by as much as 90° due to the corner effect of the Moesian platform firmly attached to Europe since mid-Cretaceous times (Ustaszewski et al. 2008). In the Dinaric-Aegean realm collision occurred much earlier than in the Alps and the Carpathians, i.e. at around the Cretaceous-Cenozoic boundary, provided that one accepts that there is yet no convincing evidence for the existence of a second "Pindos oceanic domain" closing later, i.e. in Eocene times. However, in spite of early collision, the old subduction zone that consumed the northern branch of Neotethys (Meliata-Vardar) since at least mid-Cretaceous times persisted in the eastern Hellenides (but not in the Dinarides) until now, penetrating the transition zone all the way to a depth of some 1500km (Bijwaard et al. 1998). Continued subduction of mantle lithosphere in the Aegean since 60 Ma was concomitant with complete delamination of lithospheric mantle and lower crust from non-subducted or re-exhumed high pressure crustal flakes of largely continental derivation that were piled up to form the subsequently extended Hellenic orogen (Jolivet & Brun 2010). At around 25 Ma when the southern branch of Neotethys (the present-day Eastern Mediterranean ocean) entered this subduction zone, massive extension and core complex formation in the upper plate combined with an acceleration of south-directed hinge retreat of the lower plate did set in (van Hinsbergen & Schmid 2012). Dinarides and northern Hellenides presently expose either a rather short (about 200km), or in case of northern Dalmatia, no mantle slab at all, due to recent slab break-off (Ustaszewski et al. 2008 and referenes therein). The slab gap in northern Dalmatia is instrumental in allowing for the flow of asthenospheric mantle into the Pannonian realm necessary to drive asthenospheric upwelling in the Pannonian basin. At the same time it allows for the roll back of the Aegean slab. Bijwaard, H., Spakman, W., and Engdahl, E.R., 1998. Closing the gap between regional and global travel time tomography: Journal of Geophysical Research, 103: 30'055-30'078. Jolivet, L., and J.-P. Brun, 2010. Cenozoic geodynamic evolution of the Aegean, Int. J. Earth Sci. 99: 109-138, doi:10.1007/s00531-008-0366-4. Schmid, S.M., Bernoulli, D., Fügenschuh, B., Matenco, L., Schefer, S., Schuster, R., Tischler, M. & Ustaszewski, K., 2008. The Alpine-Carpathian-Dinaridic orogenic system: correlation and evolution of tectonic units. Swiss Journal of Geosciences, 101(1): 139-183. Ustaszewski, K., Schmid, S.M., Fügenschuh, B., Tischler, M., Kissling, E. & Spakman, W. 2008. A map-view restoration of the Alpine-Carpathian-Dinaridic system for the Early Miocene. In: Orogenic processes in the Alpine collision zone (N. Froitzheim & S.M. Schmid, editors), Swiss Journal of Geosciences 101/Supplement 1: S273-S294. van Hinsbergen, D.J.J. & Schmid, S.M., 2012: Map view restoration of Aegean-West Anatolian accretion and extension since the Eocene. Tectonics 31: TC5005, doi:10.1029/2012TC003132.

Statistical downscaling of regional climate scenarios for the French Alps : Impacts on snow cover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rousselot, M.; Durand, Y.; Giraud, G.; Mérindol, L.; Déqué, M.; Sanchez, E.; Pagé, C.; Hasan, A.

2010-12-01

Mountain areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Owing to the complexity of mountain terrain, climate research at scales relevant for impacts studies and decisive for stakeholders is challenging. A possible way to bridge the gap between these fine scales and those of the general circulation models (GCMs) consists of combining high-resolution simulations of Regional Climate Models (RCMs) to statistical downscaling methods. The present work is based on such an approach. It aims at investigating the impacts of climate change on snow cover in the French Alps for the periods 2021-2050 and 2071-2100 under several IPCC hypotheses. An analogue method based on high resolution atmospheric fields from various RCMs and climate reanalyses is used to simulate local climate scenarios. These scenarios, which provide meteorological parameters relevant for snowpack evolution, subsequently feed the CROCUS snow model. In these simulations, various sources of uncertainties are thus considered (several greenhouse gases emission scenarios and RCMs). Results are obtained for different regions of the French Alps at various altitudes. For all scenarios, temperature increase is relatively uniform over the Alps. This regional warming is larger than that generally modeled at the global scale (IPCC, 2007), and particularly strong in summer. Annual precipitation amounts seem to decrease, mainly as a result of decreasing precipitation trends in summer and fall. As a result of these climatic evolutions, there is a general decrease of the mean winter snow depth and seasonal snow duration for all massifs. Winter snow depths are particularly reduced in the Northern Alps. However, the impact on seasonal snow duration is more significant in the Southern and Extreme Southern Alps, since these regions are already characterized by small winter snow depths at low elevations. Reference : IPCC (2007a). Climate change 2007 : The physical science basis. Contribution of working group I to the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In : Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K. B. Averyt, M. Tignor, and H.L. Miller (eds.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA. This work is performed in the framework of the SCAMPEI ANR (French research project).

Characterization and Manipulation of the Pathway-Specific Late Regulator AlpW Reveals Streptomyces ambofaciens as a New Producer of Kinamycins ▿ †

PubMed Central

Bunet, Robert; Song, Lijiang; Mendes, Marta Vaz; Corre, Christophe; Hotel, Laurence; Rouhier, Nicolas; Framboisier, Xavier; Leblond, Pierre; Challis, Gregory L.; Aigle, Bertrand

2011-01-01

The genome sequence of Streptomyces ambofaciens, a species known to produce the congocidine and spiramycin antibiotics, has revealed the presence of numerous gene clusters predicted to be involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Among them, the type II polyketide synthase-encoding alp cluster was shown to be responsible for the biosynthesis of a compound with antibacterial activity. Here, by means of a deregulation approach, we gained access to workable amounts of the antibiotics for structure elucidation. These compounds, previously designated as alpomycin, were shown to be known members of kinamycin family of antibiotics. Indeed, a mutant lacking AlpW, a member of the TetR regulator family, was shown to constitutively produce kinamycins. Comparative transcriptional analyses showed that expression of alpV, the essential regulator gene required for activation of the biosynthetic genes, is strongly maintained during the stationary growth phase in the alpW mutant, a stage at which alpV transcripts and thereby transcripts of the biosynthetic genes normally drop off. Recombinant AlpW displayed DNA binding activity toward specific motifs in the promoter region of its own gene and that of alpV and alpZ. These recognition sequences are also targets for AlpZ, the γ-butyrolactone-like receptor involved in the regulation of the alp cluster. However, unlike that of AlpZ, the AlpW DNA-binding ability seemed to be insensitive to the signaling molecules controlling antibiotic biosynthesis. Together, the results presented in this study reveal S. ambofaciens to be a new producer of kinamycins and AlpW to be a key late repressor of the cellular control of kinamycin biosynthesis. PMID:21193612

Potential weathering by freeze-thaw action in alpine rocks in the European Alps during a nine year monitoring period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kellerer-Pirklbauer, Andreas

2017-11-01

A quantification of rock weathering by freeze-thaw processes in alpine rocks requires at least rock temperature data in high temporal resolution, in high quality, and over a sufficient period of time. In this study up to nine years of rock temperature data (2006-2015) from eleven rock monitoring sites in two of the highest mountain ranges of Austria were analyzed. Data were recorded at a half-hourly or hourly logging interval and at rock depths of 3, 10, and 30-40 cm. These data have been used to quantify mean conditions, ranges, and relationships of the potential near-surface weathering by freeze-thaw action considering volumetric-expansion of ice and ice segregation. For the former, freeze-thaw cycles and effective freeze-thaw cycles for frost shattering have been considered. For the latter, the intensity and duration of freezing events as well as time within the 'frost cracking window' have been analyzed. Results show that the eleven sites are in rather extreme topoclimatic positions and hence represent some of the highest and coolest parts of Austria and therefore the Eastern Alps. Only four sites are presumably affected by permafrost. Most sites are influenced by a long-lasting seasonal snow cover. Freeze-thaw cycles and effective freeze-thaw cycles for frost shattering are mainly affecting the near-surface and are unimportant at few tens of centimeters below the rock surface. The lowest temperatures during freezing events and the shortest freezing events have been quantified at all eleven monitoring sites very close to the surface. The time within the frost cracking window decreases in most cases from the rock surface inwards apart from very cold years/sites with very low temperatures close to the surface. As shown by this study and predicted climate change scenarios, assumed warmer rock temperature conditions in the future at alpine rock walls in Austria will lead to less severe freezing events and to shorter time periods within the frost-cracking window. Statistical correlation analyses showed furthermore that the longer the duration of the seasonal snow cover, the fewer are freeze-thaw cycles, the fewer are effective freeze-thaw cycles, the longer is the mean and the maximum duration of freezing events, and the lower is the mean annual ground temperature. The interaction of the winter snow cover history and the winter thermal regime has a complex effect on the duration of the frost cracking window but also on the number of freeze-thaw cycles as shown by a conceptual model. Predicted future warmer and snow-depleted winters in the European Alps will therefore have a complex impact on the potential weathering of alpine rocks by frost action which makes potential weathering predictions difficult. Neglecting rock moisture and rock properties in determining rock weathering limits the usefulness of solely rock temperature data. However, rock temperature data allow getting an estimate about potential weathering by freeze-thaw action which is often substantially more than previously known.

Cloning and Expression Analysis of Genes Encoding Lytic Endopeptidases L1 and L5 from Lysobacter sp. Strain XL1

PubMed Central

Lapteva, Y. S.; Zolova, O. E.; Shlyapnikov, M. G.; Tsfasman, I. M.; Muranova, T. A.; Stepnaya, O. A.; Kulaev, I. S.

2012-01-01

Lytic enzymes are the group of hydrolases that break down structural polymers of the cell walls of various microorganisms. In this work, we determined the nucleotide sequences of the Lysobacter sp. strain XL1 alpA and alpB genes, which code for, respectively, secreted lytic endopeptidases L1 (AlpA) and L5 (AlpB). In silico analysis of their amino acid sequences showed these endopeptidases to be homologous proteins synthesized as precursors similar in structural organization: the mature enzyme sequence is preceded by an N-terminal signal peptide and a pro region. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis, endopeptidases AlpA and AlpB were assigned to the S1E family [clan PA(S)] of serine peptidases. Expression of the alpA and alpB open reading frames (ORFs) in Escherichia coli confirmed that they code for functionally active lytic enzymes. Each ORF was predicted to have the Shine-Dalgarno sequence located at a canonical distance from the start codon and a potential Rho-independent transcription terminator immediately after the stop codon. The alpA and alpB mRNAs were experimentally found to be monocistronic; transcription start points were determined for both mRNAs. The synthesis of the alpA and alpB mRNAs was shown to occur predominantly in the late logarithmic growth phase. The amount of alpA mRNA in cells of Lysobacter sp. strain XL1 was much higher, which correlates with greater production of endopeptidase L1 than of L5. PMID:22865082

Cloning and expression analysis of genes encoding lytic endopeptidases L1 and L5 from Lysobacter sp. strain XL1.

PubMed

Lapteva, Y S; Zolova, O E; Shlyapnikov, M G; Tsfasman, I M; Muranova, T A; Stepnaya, O A; Kulaev, I S; Granovsky, I E

2012-10-01

Lytic enzymes are the group of hydrolases that break down structural polymers of the cell walls of various microorganisms. In this work, we determined the nucleotide sequences of the Lysobacter sp. strain XL1 alpA and alpB genes, which code for, respectively, secreted lytic endopeptidases L1 (AlpA) and L5 (AlpB). In silico analysis of their amino acid sequences showed these endopeptidases to be homologous proteins synthesized as precursors similar in structural organization: the mature enzyme sequence is preceded by an N-terminal signal peptide and a pro region. On the basis of phylogenetic analysis, endopeptidases AlpA and AlpB were assigned to the S1E family [clan PA(S)] of serine peptidases. Expression of the alpA and alpB open reading frames (ORFs) in Escherichia coli confirmed that they code for functionally active lytic enzymes. Each ORF was predicted to have the Shine-Dalgarno sequence located at a canonical distance from the start codon and a potential Rho-independent transcription terminator immediately after the stop codon. The alpA and alpB mRNAs were experimentally found to be monocistronic; transcription start points were determined for both mRNAs. The synthesis of the alpA and alpB mRNAs was shown to occur predominantly in the late logarithmic growth phase. The amount of alpA mRNA in cells of Lysobacter sp. strain XL1 was much higher, which correlates with greater production of endopeptidase L1 than of L5.

Cloning of soluble alkaline phosphatase cDNA and molecular basis of the polymorphic nature in alkaline phosphatase isozymes of Bombyx mori midgut.

PubMed

Itoh, M; Kanamori, Y; Takao, M; Eguchi, M

1999-02-01

A cDNA coding for soluble type alkaline phosphatase (sALP) of Bombyx mori was isolated. Deduced amino acid sequence showed high identities to various ALPs and partial similarities to ATPase of Manduca sexta. Using this cDNA sequence as a probe, the molecular basis of electrophoretic polymorphism in sALP and membrane-bound type ALP (mALP) was studied. As for mALP, the result suggested that post-translational modification was important for the proteins to express activity and to represent their extensive polymorphic nature, whereas the magnitude of activities was mainly regulated by transcription. On the other hand, sALP zymogram showed poor polymorphism, but one exception was the null mutant, in which the sALP gene was largely lost. Interestingly, the sALP gene was shown to be transcribed into two mRNAs of different sizes, 2.0 and 2.4 Kb. In addition to the null mutant of sALP, we found a null mutant for mALP. Both of these mutants seem phenotypically silent, suggesting that the functional differentiation between these isozymes is not perfect, so that they can still work mutually and complement each other as an indispensable enzyme for B. mori.

Constraining axion-like-particles with hard X-ray emission from magnetars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortin, Jean-François; Sinha, Kuver

2018-06-01

Axion-like particles (ALPs) produced in the core of a magnetar will convert to photons in the magnetosphere, leading to possible signatures in the hard X-ray band. We perform a detailed calculation of the ALP-to-photon conversion probability in the magnetosphere, recasting the coupled differential equations that describe ALP-photon propagation into a form that is efficient for large scale numerical scans. We show the dependence of the conversion probability on the ALP energy, mass, ALP-photon coupling, magnetar radius, surface magnetic field, and the angle between the magnetic field and direction of propagation. Along the way, we develop an analytic formalism to perform similar calculations in more general n-state oscillation systems. Assuming ALP emission rates from the core that are just subdominant to neutrino emission, we calculate the resulting constraints on the ALP mass versus ALP-photon coupling space, taking SGR 1806-20 as an example. In particular, we take benchmark values for the magnetar radius and core temperature, and constrain the ALP parameter space by the requirement that the luminosity from ALP-to-photon conversion should not exceed the total observed luminosity from the magnetar. The resulting constraints are competitive with constraints from helioscope experiments in the relevant part of ALP parameter space.

Wind Resource Assessment in Complex Terrain with a High-Resolution Numerical Weather Prediction Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruber, Karin; Serafin, Stefano; Grubišić, Vanda; Dorninger, Manfred; Zauner, Rudolf; Fink, Martin

2014-05-01

A crucial step in planning new wind farms is the estimation of the amount of wind energy that can be harvested in possible target sites. Wind resource assessment traditionally entails deployment of masts equipped for wind speed measurements at several heights for a reasonably long period of time. Simplified linear models of atmospheric flow are then used for a spatial extrapolation of point measurements to a wide area. While linear models have been successfully applied in the wind resource assessment in plains and offshore, their reliability in complex terrain is generally poor. This represents a major limitation to wind resource assessment in Austria, where high-altitude locations are being considered for new plant sites, given the higher frequency of sustained winds at such sites. The limitations of linear models stem from two key assumptions in their formulation, the neutral stratification and attached boundary-layer flow, both of which often break down in complex terrain. Consequently, an accurate modeling of near-surface flow over mountains requires the adoption of a NWP model with high horizontal and vertical resolution. This study explores the wind potential of a site in Styria in the North-Eastern Alps. The WRF model is used for simulations with a maximum horizontal resolution of 800 m. Three nested computational domains are defined, with the innermost one encompassing a stretch of the relatively broad Enns Valley, flanked by the main crest of the Alps in the south and the Nördliche Kalkalpen of similar height in the north. In addition to the simulation results, we use data from fourteen 10-m wind measurement sites (of which 7 are located within valleys and 5 near mountain tops) and from 2 masts with anemometers at several heights (at hillside locations) in an area of 1600 km2 around the target site. The potential for wind energy production is assessed using the mean wind speed and turbulence intensity at hub height. The capacity factor is also evaluated, considering the frequency of wind speed between cut-in and cut-out speed and of winds with a low vertical velocity component only. Wind turbines do not turn on at wind speeds below cut-in speed. Wind turbines are taken off from the generator in the case of wind speeds higher than cut-out speed and inclination angles of the wind vector greater than 8o. All of these parameters were computed at each model grid point in the innermost domain in order to map their spatial variability. The results show that in complex terrain the annual mean wind speed at hub height is not sufficient to predict the capacity factor of a turbine; vertical wind speed and the frequency of horizontal wind speed out of the range of cut-in and cut-out speed contribute substantially to a reduction of the energy harvest and locally high turbulence may considerably raise the building costs.

Present-day Horizontal Mobility in the Serbian Part of the Pannonian Basin; Inferences from the Geometric Analysis of Deformations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sušić, Zoran; Toljić, Marinko; Bulatović, Vladimir; Ninkov, Toša; Stojadinović, Uroš

2016-10-01

In tectonically complex environments, such as the Pannonian Basin surrounded by the Alps-Dinarides and Carpathians orogens, monitoring of recent deformations represents very challenging matter. Efficient quantification of active continental deformations demands the use of a multidisciplinary approach, including neotectonic, seismotectonic and geodetic methods. The present-day tectonic mobility in the Pannonian Basin is predominantly controlled by the northward movement of the Adria micro-plate, which has produced compressional stresses that were party accommodated by the Alps-Dinarides thrust belt and partly transferred towards its hinterland. Influence of thus induced stresses on the recent strain field, deformations and tectonic mobility in the southern segment of the Pannonian Basin has been investigated using GPS measurements of the horizontal mobility in the Vojvodina area (northern Serbia).

Collider probes of axion-like particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Martin; Neubert, Matthias; Thamm, Andrea

2017-12-01

Axion-like particles (ALPs), which are gauge-singlets under the Standard Model (SM), appear in many well-motivated extensions of the SM. Describing the interactions of ALPs with SM fields by means of an effective Lagrangian, we discuss ALP decays into SM particles at one-loop order, including for the first time a calculation of the a → πππ decay rates for ALP masses below a few GeV. We argue that, if the ALP couples to at least some SM particles with couplings of order (0.01 - 1) TeV-1, its mass must be above 1 MeV. Taking into account the possibility of a macroscopic ALP decay length, we show that large regions of so far unconstrained parameter space can be explored by searches for the exotic, on-shell Higgs and Z decays h → Za, h → aa and Z → γa in Run-2 of the LHC with an integrated luminosity of 300 fb-1. This includes the parameter space in which ALPs can explain the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. Considering subsequent ALP decays into photons and charged leptons, we show that the LHC provides unprecedented sensitivity to the ALP-photon and ALP-lepton couplings in the mass region above a few MeV, even if the relevant ALP couplings are loop suppressed and the a → γγ and a → ℓ+ℓ- branching ratios are significantly less than 1. We also discuss constraints on the ALP parameter space from electroweak precision tests.

Nematode grazing promotes bacterial community dynamics in soil at the aggregate level

PubMed Central

Jiang, Yuji; Liu, Manqiang; Zhang, Jiabao; Chen, Yan; Chen, Xiaoyun; Chen, Lijun; Li, Huixin; Zhang, Xue-Xian; Sun, Bo

2017-01-01

Nematode predation has important roles in determining bacterial community composition and dynamics, but the extent of the effects remains largely rudimentary, particularly in natural environment settings. Here, we investigated the complex microbial–microfaunal interactions in the rhizosphere of maize grown in red soils, which were derived from four long-term fertilization regimes. Root-free rhizosphere soil samples were separated into three aggregate fractions whereby the abundance and community composition were examined for nematode and total bacterial communities. A functional group of alkaline phosphomonoesterase (ALP) producing bacteria was included to test the hypothesis that nematode grazing may significantly affect specific bacteria-mediated ecological functions, that is, organic phosphate cycling in soil. Results of correlation analysis, structural equation modeling and interaction networks combined with laboratory microcosm experiments consistently indicated that bacterivorous nematodes enhanced bacterial diversity, and the abundance of bacterivores was positively correlated with bacterial biomass, including ALP-producing bacterial abundance. Significantly, such effects were more pronounced in large macroaggregates than in microaggregates. There was a positive correlation between the most dominant bacterivores Protorhabditis and the ALP-producing keystone 'species' Mesorhizobium. Taken together, these findings implicate important roles of nematodes in stimulating bacterial dynamics in a spatially dependent manner. PMID:28742069

Nematode grazing promotes bacterial community dynamics in soil at the aggregate level.

PubMed

Jiang, Yuji; Liu, Manqiang; Zhang, Jiabao; Chen, Yan; Chen, Xiaoyun; Chen, Lijun; Li, Huixin; Zhang, Xue-Xian; Sun, Bo

2017-12-01

Nematode predation has important roles in determining bacterial community composition and dynamics, but the extent of the effects remains largely rudimentary, particularly in natural environment settings. Here, we investigated the complex microbial-microfaunal interactions in the rhizosphere of maize grown in red soils, which were derived from four long-term fertilization regimes. Root-free rhizosphere soil samples were separated into three aggregate fractions whereby the abundance and community composition were examined for nematode and total bacterial communities. A functional group of alkaline phosphomonoesterase (ALP) producing bacteria was included to test the hypothesis that nematode grazing may significantly affect specific bacteria-mediated ecological functions, that is, organic phosphate cycling in soil. Results of correlation analysis, structural equation modeling and interaction networks combined with laboratory microcosm experiments consistently indicated that bacterivorous nematodes enhanced bacterial diversity, and the abundance of bacterivores was positively correlated with bacterial biomass, including ALP-producing bacterial abundance. Significantly, such effects were more pronounced in large macroaggregates than in microaggregates. There was a positive correlation between the most dominant bacterivores Protorhabditis and the ALP-producing keystone 'species' Mesorhizobium. Taken together, these findings implicate important roles of nematodes in stimulating bacterial dynamics in a spatially dependent manner.

Sensitivity to Regional Earthquake Triggering and Magnitude-Frequency Characteristics of Microseismicity Detected via Matched-Filter Analysis, Central Southern Alps, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boese, C. M.; Townend, J.; Chamberlain, C. J.; Warren-Smith, E.

2016-12-01

Microseismicity recorded since 2008 by the Southern Alps Microseismicity Borehole Array (SAMBA) and other predominantly short-period seismic networks deployed in the central Southern Alps, New Zealand, reveals distinctive patterns of triggering in response to regional seismicity (magnitudes larger than 5, epicentral distances of 100-500 km). Using matched-filter detection methods implemented in the EQcorrscan package (Chamberlain et al., in prep.), we analyze microseismicity occurring in several geographically distinct swarms in order to examine the responses of specific microearthquake sources to earthquakes of different sizes occurring at different distances and azimuths. The swarms exhibit complex responses to regional seismicity which reveal that microearthquake triggering in these cases involves a combination of extrinsic factors (related to the dynamic stresses produced by the regional earthquake) and intrinsic factors (controlled by the local state of stress and possibly by hydrogeological processes). We find also that the microearthquakes detected by individual templates have Gutenberg-Richter magnitude-frequency characteristics. Since the detected events, by design, have very similar hypocentres and focal mechanisms, the observed scaling pertains to a restricted set of fault planes.

Nuclear translocation of the cytoskeleton-associated protein, smALP, upon induction of skeletal muscle differentiation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cambier, Linda; Pomies, Pascal, E-mail: pascal.pomies@crbm.cnrs.fr

2011-06-17

Highlights: {yields} The cytoskeleton-associated protein, smALP, is expressed in differentiated skeletal muscle. {yields} smALP is translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus of C2C12 myoblasts upon induction of myogenesis. {yields} The differentiation-dependent nuclear translocation of smALP occurs in parallel with the nuclear accumulation of myogenin. {yields} The LIM domain of smALP is essential for the nuclear accumulation of the protein. {yields} smALP might act in the nucleus to control some critical aspect of the muscle differentiation process. -- Abstract: The skALP isoform has been shown to play a critical role in actin organization and anchorage within the Z-discs of skeletalmore » muscles, but no data is available on the function of the smALP isoform in skeletal muscle cells. Here, we show that upon induction of differentiation a nuclear translocation of smALP from the cytoplasm to the nucleus of C2C12 myoblasts, concomitant to an up-regulation of the protein expression, occurs in parallel with the nuclear accumulation of myogenin. Moreover, we demonstrate that the LIM domain of smALP is essential for the nuclear translocation of the protein.« less

Fission yeast Alp14 is a dose-dependent plus end–tracking microtubule polymerase

PubMed Central

Al-Bassam, Jawdat; Kim, Hwajin; Flor-Parra, Ignacio; Lal, Neeraj; Velji, Hamida; Chang, Fred

2012-01-01

XMAP215/Dis1 proteins are conserved tubulin-binding TOG-domain proteins that regulate microtubule (MT) plus-end dynamics. Here we show that Alp14, a XMAP215 orthologue in fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, has properties of a MT polymerase. In vivo, Alp14 localizes to growing MT plus ends in a manner independent of Mal3 (EB1). alp14-null mutants display short interphase MTs with twofold slower assembly rate and frequent pauses. Alp14 is a homodimer that binds a single tubulin dimer. In vitro, purified Alp14 molecules track growing MT plus ends and accelerate MT assembly threefold. TOG-domain mutants demonstrate that tubulin binding is critical for function and plus end localization. Overexpression of Alp14 or only its TOG domains causes complete MT loss in vivo, and high Alp14 concentration inhibits MT assembly in vitro. These inhibitory effects may arise from Alp14 sequestration of tubulin and effects on the MT. Our studies suggest that Alp14 regulates the polymerization state of tubulin by cycling between a tubulin dimer–bound cytoplasmic state and a MT polymerase state that promotes rapid MT assembly. PMID:22696680

Antibacterial activity of antileukoprotease.

PubMed Central

Hiemstra, P S; Maassen, R J; Stolk, J; Heinzel-Wieland, R; Steffens, G J; Dijkman, J H

1996-01-01

Antileukoprotease (ALP), or secretory leukocyte proteinase inhibitor, is an endogenous inhibitor of serine proteinases that is present in various external secretions. ALP, one of the major inhibitors of serine proteinases present in the human lung, is a potent reversible inhibitor of elastase and, to a lesser extent, of cathepsin G. In equine neutrophils, an antimicrobial polypeptide that has some of the characteristics of ALP has been identified (M. A. Couto, S. S. L. Harwig, J. S. Cullor, J. P. Hughes, and R. I. Lehrer, Infect. Immun. 60:5042-5047, 1992). This report, together with the cationic nature of ALP, led us to investigate the antimicrobial activity of ALP. ALP was shown to display marked in vitro antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. On a molar basis, the activity of ALP was lower than that of two other cationic antimicrobial polypeptides, lysozyme and defensin. ALP comprises two homologous domains: its proteinase-inhibitory activities are known to be located in the second COOH-terminal domain, and the function of its first NH2-terminal domain is largely unknown. Incubation of intact ALP or its isolated first domain with E. coli or S. aureus resulted in killing of these bacteria, whereas its second domain displayed very little antibacterial activity. Together these data suggest a putative antimicrobial role for the first domain of ALP and indicate that its antimicrobial activity may equip ALP to contribute to host defense against infection. PMID:8890201

Some aspects of the role of rift inheritance on Alpine-type orogens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tugend, Julie; Manatschal, Gianreto; Mohn, Geoffroy; Chevrot, Sébastien

2017-04-01

Processes commonly recognized as fundamental for the formation of collisional orogens include oceanic subduction, arc-continent and continent-continent collision. As collisional belts result from the closure of oceanic basins and subsequent inversion of former rifted margins, their formation and evolution may also in theory be closely interlinked with the initial architecture of the former rifted margins. This assumption is indeed more likely to be applicable in the case of Alpine-type orogens, mainly controlled by mechanical processes and mostly devoid of arc-related magmatism. More and more studies from present-day magma-poor rifted margins illustrate the complex evolution of hyperextended domains (i.e. severely thinned continental crust (<10 km) and/or exhumed serpentinized mantle with relatively minor magmatic additions) between unequivocal continental and oceanic domains. In this contribution, we compare the deep structure of the Pyrenean and Alpine belts to discuss some aspects of the relative role of rift-inherited hyperextension and collisional processes in building Alpine-type orogens. The Pyrenees and Western to Central Alps respectively result from the inversion of a Late Jurassic to Mid Cretaceous and an Early to Middle Jurassic rift system eventually floored by hyperextended crust, exhumed mantle and/or proto-oceanic crust. In spite of uncertainties on the initial width of the hyperextended and proto-oceanic domains, the rift-related pre-collisional architecture of the Alps shows many similarities with that proposed for the Pyrenees. Remnants of these domains occur in the internal parts of both orogens, but they are largely affected by orogeny-related deformation and show a HP-LT to HT-MP metamorphic overprint in the Alps as a result of a polyphase deformation history. Yet, recent high-resolution tomographic images across the Pyrenees (PYROPE) and the Alps (CIFALPS) reveal a surprisingly comparable present-day overall crustal and lithospheric structure. Based on the comparison between the two orogens we discuss: (1) the nature and depth of decoupling levels inherited from hyperextension; (2) the implications for restorations and interpretations of orogenic roots (former hyperextended domains vs. lower crust only); and (3) the nature and major role of buttresses in controlling the final stage of collisional processes. Eventually, we discuss the variability of the role of rift-inheritance in building Alpine-type orogens. The Pyrenees seem to represent one extreme, where rift-inheritance is important at different stages of collisional processes. In contrast, in the Alps the role of rift-inheritance is subtler, likely because of its more complex and polyphase compressional deformation history.

Application of Powder Diffraction Methods to the Analysis of the Atomic Structure of Nanocrystals: The Concept of the Apparent Lattice Parameter (ALP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palosz, B.; Grzanka, E.; Gierlotka, S.; Stelmakh, S.; Pielaszek, R.; Bismayer, U.; Weber, H.-P.; Palosz, W.; Curreri, Peter A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The applicability of standard methods of elaboration of powder diffraction data for determination of the structure of nano-size crystallites is analysed. Based on our theoretical calculations of powder diffraction data we show, that the assumption of the infinite crystal lattice for nanocrystals smaller than 20 nm in size is not justified. Application of conventional tools developed for elaboration of powder diffraction data, like the Rietveld method, may lead to erroneous interpretation of the experimental results. An alternate evaluation of diffraction data of nanoparticles, based on the so-called 'apparent lattice parameter' (alp) is introduced. We assume a model of nanocrystal having a grain core with well-defined crystal structure, surrounded by a surface shell with the atomic structure similar to that of the core but being under a strain (compressive or tensile). The two structural components, the core and the shell, form essentially a composite crystal with interfering, inseparable diffraction properties. Because the structure of such a nanocrystal is not uniform, it defies the basic definitions of an unambiguous crystallographic phase. Consequently, a set of lattice parameters used for characterization of simple crystal phases is insufficient for a proper description of the complex structure of nanocrystals. We developed a method of evaluation of powder diffraction data of nanocrystals, which refers to a core-shell model and is based on the 'apparent lattice parameter' methodology. For a given diffraction pattem, the alp values are calculated for every individual Bragg reflection. For nanocrystals the alp values depend on the diffraction vector Q. By modeling different a0tomic structures of nanocrystals and calculating theoretically corresponding diffraction patterns using the Debye functions we showed, that alp-Q plots show characteristic shapes which can be used for evaluation of the atomic structure of the core-shell system. We show, that using a simple model of a nanocrystal with spherical shape and centro-symmetric strain at the surface shell we obtain theoretical alp-Q values which match very well the alp-Q plots determined experimentally for Sic, GaN, and diamond nanopowders. The theoretical models are defined by the lattice parameter of the grain core, thickness of the surface shell, and the magnitude and distribution of the strain field in the surface shell. According to our calculations, the part of the diffraction pattern measured at relatively low diffraction vectors Q (below 10/angstrom) provides information on the surface strain, whle determination of the lattice parameters in the grain core requires measurements at large Q-values (above 15 - 20/angstrom).

Heavy precipitation events in northern Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giannakaki, Paraskevi; Martius, Olivia

2013-04-01

Heavy precipitation events in the Alpine region often cause floods, rock-falls and mud slides with severe consequences for population and economy. Breaking synoptic Rossby waves located over western Europe, play a central role in triggering such heavy rain events in southern Switzerland (e.g. Massacand et al. 1998). In contrast, synoptic scale structures triggering heavy precipitation on the north side of the Swiss Alps and orographic effects have so far not been studied comprehensively. An observation based high resolution precipitation data set for Switzerland and the Alps (MeteoSwiss) is used to identify heavy precipitation events affecting the north side of the Swiss Alps for the time period 1961-2010. For these events a detailed statistical and dynamical analysis of the upper level flow is conducted using ECMWFs ERA-40 and ERA-Interim reanalysis data sets. For the analysis north side of the Swiss Alps is divided in two investigation areas north-eastern and western Switzerland following the Swiss climate change scenarios (Bey et al. 2011). A subjective classification of upper level structures triggering heavy precipitation events in the areas of interest is presented. Four classes are defined based on the orientation and formation of the dynamical tropopause during extreme events in the northern part of Switzerland and its sub-regions. The analysis is extended by a climatology of breaking waves and cut-offs following the method of Wernli and Sprenger (2007) to examine their presence and location during extreme events. References Bey I., Croci-Maspoli M., Fuhrer J., Kull C, Appenzeller C., Knutti R. and Schär C. Swiss Climate Change Scenarios CH2011, C2SM, MeteoSwiss, ETH, NCCR Climate, OcCC (2011), http://dx.doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-006720559 Massacand A., H. Wernli, and H.C. Davies, 1998. Heavy precipitation on the Alpine South side: An upper-level precursor. Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 1435-1438. MeteoSwiss 2011. Documentation of Meteoswiss grid-data products, daily precipitation (final analysis): Rhiresd. Available at: http://www.meteosuisse.admin.ch/web/en/services/data_portal/gridded_datasets/precip.html Wernli. H., and M. Sprenger, 2007. Identification and ERA-15 climatology of potential vorticity streamers and cutoffs near the extratropical tropopause. J. Atmos. Sci., 64, 1569-1586.

Effects of seasonal snow and climatic controls on spring and autumn phenology in Alpine forest regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, J.; Kneubühler, M.; Garonna, I.; Jong, R. D.; Schaepman, M. E.

2017-12-01

Seasonal accumulation and melt of snow in mountainous regions varies with meteorological factors and affects forest phenology in various ways. However, our knowledge about the relationship between seasonal snow and forest phenology - and particularly its topographical variation - is still limited and needs further investigation. We tested the relationship between a number of snow, meteorological and land surface phenology metrics (satellite-derived and gridded) in the forested regions of the Swiss Alps for the period of 2003-2014. Satellite-derived start of season and end of season metrics (SOS and EOS, respectively), in combination with snow accumulation (SA), snow cover melt date (SCMD), monthly maximum, mean and minimum temperature, monthly mean relative sunshine duration and precipitation were considered in our analysis. We calculated Spearman's rank correlation of interannual differences (Δ) of SOS and EOS with snow and meteorological metrics and examined the variation of these correlations with elevation (from 200 up to 2400 meter above sea level (m a.s.l.)). We found SOS to have a significant (p < 0.05) positive correlation with both SCMD (mean R=0.71, over 34.2% of all pixels) and SA (mean R=0.62, over 19.0% of all pixels). On the other hand, SOS showed a significant negative correlation with spring temperature and relative sunshine duration. EOS showed significant positive correlation with autumn temperature (mean R=0.70, over 30.4% of all pixels). Moreover, we found the forest phenology of the northern and eastern Swiss Alps to be more sensitive to seasonal snow but less sensitive to meteorological factors than in the southern and western Swiss Alps. The areas which are sensitive to seasonal snow and meteorological factors are more pronounced at higher elevations. We conclude that the effect of snow melt on spring phenology is of equal magnitude as spring temperature and relative sunshine duration. Autumn forest phenology is mainly influenced by autumn temperature. The effects of seasonal snow and climatic controls on spring and autumn phenology are more pronounced at higher than at lower elevations. We suggest that alpine forest ecosystems above 1500 m a.s.l. will therefore be particularly sensitive to future changes of seasonal snow and climate warming scenarios in the Swiss Alps.

Molecular biogeography of Europe: Pleistocene cycles and postglacial trends

PubMed Central

Schmitt, Thomas

2007-01-01

The climatic cycles with subsequent glacial and intergalcial periods have had a great impact on the distribution and evolution of species. Using genetic analytical tools considerably increased our understanding of these processes. In this review I therefore give an overview of the molecular biogeography of Europe. For means of simplification, I distinguish between three major biogeographical entities: (i) "Mediterranean" with Mediterranean differentiation and dispersal centres, (ii) "Continental" with extra-Mediterranean centres and (iii) "Alpine" and/or "Arctic" with recent alpine and/or arctic distribution patterns. These different molecular biogeographical patterns are presented using actual examples. Many "Mediterranean" species are differentiated into three major European genetic lineages, which are due to glacial isolation in the three major Mediterranean peninsulas. Postglacial expansion in this group of species is mostly influenced by the barriers of the Pyrenees and the Alps with four resulting main patterns of postglacial range expansions. However, some cases are known with less than one genetic lineage per Mediterranean peninsula on the one hand, and others with a considerable genetic substructure within each of the Mediterranean peninsulas, Asia Minor and the Maghreb. These structures within the Mediterranean sub-centres are often rather strong and in several cases even predate the Pleistocene. For the "Continental" species, it could be shown that the formerly supposed postglacial spread from eastern Palearctic expansion centres is mostly not applicable. Quite the contrary, most of these species apparently had extra-Mediterranean centres of survival in Europe with special importance of the perialpine regions, the Carpathian Basin and parts of the Balkan Peninsula. In the group of "Alpine" and/or "Arctic" species, several molecular biogeographical patterns have been found, which support and improve the postulates based on distribution patterns and pollen records. Thus, genetic studies support the strong linkage between southwestern Alps and Pyrenees, northeastern Alps and Carpathians as well as southeastern Alps and the Dinaric mountain systems, hereby allowing conclusions on the glacial distribution patterns of these species. Furthermore, genetic analyses of arctic-alpine disjunct species support their broad distribution in the periglacial areas at least during the last glacial period. The detailed understanding of the different phylogeographical structures is essential for the management of the different evolutionary significant units of species and the conservation of their entire genetic diversity. Furthermore, the distribution of genetic diversity due to biogeographical reasons helps understanding the differing regional vulnerabilities of extant populations. PMID:17439649

Constraints on Massive Axion-Like Particles from X-ray Observations of NGC1275

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Linhan; Conlon, Joseph P.

2018-06-01

If axion-like particles (ALPs) exist, photons can convert to ALPs on passage through regions containing magnetic fields. The magnetised intracluster medium of large galaxy clusters provides a region that is highly efficient at ALP-photon conversion. X-ray observations of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) located within galaxy clusters can be used to search for and constrain ALPs, as photon-ALP conversion would lead to energy-dependent quasi-sinusoidal modulations in the X-ray spectrum of an AGN. We use Chandra observations of the central AGN of the Perseus Cluster, NGC1275, to place bounds on massive ALPs up to ma ˜ 10-11eV, extending previous work that used this dataset to constrain massless ALPs.

New Zealand's Southern Alps

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The rugged Southern Alps extend some 650 kilometers along the western side of New Zealand's South Island. The mountains are often obscured by clouds, which is probably why the Maoris called New Zealand 'Aotearoa', the long white cloud. The higher peaks are snow-covered all year round. Westerly winds bring clouds that drop over 500 centimeters of rain annually on luxuriant rain forest along the west coast. The drier eastern seaboard is home to the majority of the island's population.

This pair of MISR images is from April 13, 2000 (Terra orbit 1712). The upper image is a natural color view from the instrument's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera. It is presented at a resolution of 550 meters per pixel. The lower image is a stereo anaglyph generated from the instrument's 46-degree and 26-degree forward-viewing cameras, and is presented at 275-meter per pixel resolution to show the portion of the image containing the Southern Alps in greater detail. Viewing the anaglyph in 3-D requires the use of red/blue glasses with the red filter over your left eye. To facilitate stereoscopic viewing, both images have been oriented with north at the left.

The tallest mountain in the Southern Alps is Mt. Cook, at an elevation of 3754 meters. Its snow-covered peak is visible to the left of center in each of these MISR images. From the high peaks, glaciers have gouged long, slender mountain lakes and coastal fiords. Immediately to the southeast of Mt. Cook (to the right in these images), the glacial pale-blue water of Lake Pukaki stands out. Further to the south in adjacent valleys you can easily see Lakes Hawea and Wanaka, between which (though not visible here) is the Haast Pass Road, the most southerly of the few links between the east and west coast road systems. Further to the south is the prominent 'S' shape of Lake Wakatipu, 83 kilometers long, on the northern shore of which is Queenstown, the principal resort town of the island. The remote and spectacular Fiordland National Park, which occupies the far southwest of the island, is largely under cloud.

Prominent along the east coast are the Canterbury Plains, approximately 180 kilometers long and extending inland from the coast to the foothills of the Southern Alps. This is the largest area of flatland in New Zealand, and a rich agricultural region renowned for its wheat, wool, and livestock. Here the distance between the east and west coasts is little more than 150 kilometers.

MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology.

Steady-State ALPS for Real-Valued Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hornby, Gregory S.

2009-01-01

The two objectives of this paper are to describe a steady-state version of the Age-Layered Population Structure (ALPS) Evolutionary Algorithm (EA) and to compare it against other GAs on real-valued problems. Motivation for this work comes from our previous success in demonstrating that a generational version of ALPS greatly improves search performance on a Genetic Programming problem. In making steady-state ALPS some modifications were made to the method for calculating age and the method for moving individuals up layers. To demonstrate that ALPS works well on real-valued problems we compare it against CMA-ES and Differential Evolution (DE) on five challenging, real-valued functions and on one real-world problem. While CMA-ES and DE outperform ALPS on the two unimodal test functions, ALPS is much better on the three multimodal test problems and on the real-world problem. Further examination shows that, unlike the other GAs, ALPS maintains a genotypically diverse population throughout the entire search process. These findings strongly suggest that the ALPS paradigm is better able to avoid premature convergence then the other GAs.

Enrichment of enzymatically mineralized gellan gum hydrogels with phlorotannin-rich Ecklonia cava extract Seanol(®) to endow antibacterial properties and promote mineralization.

PubMed

Douglas, Timothy E L; Dokupil, Agnieszka; Reczyńska, Katarzyna; Brackman, Gilles; Krok-Borkowicz, Malgorzata; Keppler, Julia K; Božič, Mojca; Van Der Voort, Pascal; Pietryga, Krzysztof; Samal, Sangram Keshari; Balcaen, Lieve; van den Bulcke, Jan; Van Acker, Joris; Vanhaecke, Frank; Schwarz, Karin; Coenye, Tom; Pamuła, Elżbieta

2016-08-10

Hydrogels offer several advantages as biomaterials for bone regeneration, including ease of incorporation of soluble substances such as mineralization-promoting enzymes and antibacterial agents. Mineralization with calcium phosphate (CaP) increases bioactivity, while antibacterial activity reduces the risk of infection. Here, gellan gum (GG) hydrogels were enriched with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and/or Seanol(®), a seaweed extract rich in phlorotannins (brown algae-derived polyphenols), to induce mineralization with CaP and increase antibacterial activity, respectively. The sample groups were unmineralized hydrogels, denoted as GG, GG/ALP, GG/Seanol and GG/Seanol/ALP, and hydrogels incubated in mineralization medium (0.1 M calcium glycerophosphate), denoted as GG/ALP_min, GG/Seanol_min and GG/Seanol/ALP_min. Seanol(®) enhanced mineralization with CaP and also increased compressive modulus. Seanol(®) and ALP interacted in a non-covalent manner. Release of Seanol(®) occurred in a burst phase and was impeded by ALP-mediated mineralization. Groups GG/Seanol and GG/ALP/Seanol exhibited antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. GG/Seanol/ALP_min, but not GG/Seanol_min, retained some antibacterial activity. Eluates taken from groups GG/ALP_min, GG/Seanol_min and GG/ALP/Seanol_min displayed comparable cytotoxicity towards MG-63 osteoblast-like cells. These results suggest that enrichment of hydrogel biomaterials with phlorotannin-rich extracts is a promising strategy to increase mineralizability and antibacterial activity.

Late Miocene remagnetization within the internal sector of the Northern Apennines, Italy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Aiello, I.W.; Hagstrum, J.T.; Principi, G.

2004-01-01

Paleomagnetic and geologic evidence indicates that Upper Jurassic radiolarian cherts of both the Tuscan Cherts Formation (continental margin, Tuscan Units) and the Monte Alpe Cherts Formation (oceanic crust, Ligurian Units) were remagnetized during Miocene orogenesis of the Northern Apennines of Italy. Characteristic overprint magnetizations with reversed polarities have been found over a large area within the internal sector of the Northern Apennines, including eastern Liguria, Elba Island and the Thyrrenian margin, and west of the Middle Tuscan Ridge. The reversed-polarity overprint (average direction: D=177??, I=-52??, ??95=15??) was most likely acquired during Late Miocene uplift and denudation of the orogenic chain, and thermochemical remagnetization was a probable consequence of increased circulation of orogenic fluids. Similarly, mostly reversed-polarity directions of magnetization have been found by other workers in overlying post-orogenic Messinian sediments (D=177??, I=-57??, ??95=3??), which show little counterclockwise (CCW) vertical-axis rotation with respect to stable Europe (-8??5??). The Monte Alpe Cherts sampled at sites in the external sector of the Northern Apennines, close to major tectonic features, have normal- polarity overprint directions with in situ W-SW declinations. Since the overlying post-orogenic Messinian sediments have not been substantially rotated about vertical axes, the evidence points to an earlier,pre-Late Miocene remagnetization in the external parts of the orogenic chain. ?? 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

125 years of glacier survey of the Austrian Alpine Club: results and future challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, Andrea

2016-04-01

One of the aims of the German and Austrian Alpine Club was the scientific investigation of the Alps. In 1891, several years after Swiss initiatives, Richter put out a call to contribute to regular glacier length surveys in the Eastern Alps. Since then more than 100 glaciers have been surveyed on a first biannual and later annual basis. The database includes measured data showing a general glacier retreat since 1891, with two periods of glacier advances in the 1920s and 1980s. Less well known are the sketches and reports which illustrate, for instance, changes in surface texture. The interpretation of length change data requires a larger sample of data for a reasonable interpretation on a regional scale. Nearly every time series in the long history of investigation includes gaps, e.g. in cases of problematic snout positions on steep rock walls or in lakes, or of debris-covered tongues. Current climate change adds the problem of glaciers splitting up into several smaller glaciers which behave differently. Several basic questions need to be addressed to arrive at a most accurate prolongated time series: How should measurements on disintegrating or debris-covered (and thus more or less stagnating) glaciers be documented, and how can we homogenize length change time series? Despite of uncertainties, length change data are amongst the longest available records, bridging the gap to moraine datings of the early holocene.

Review: Natural tracers in fractured hard-rock aquifers in the Austrian part of the Eastern Alps—previous approaches and future perspectives for hydrogeology in mountain regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilberg, Sylke

2016-08-01

Extensive in-depth research is required for the implementation of natural tracer approaches to hydrogeological investigation to be feasible in mountainous regions. This review considers the application of hydrochemical and biotic parameters in mountain regions over the past few decades with particular reference to the Austrian Alps, as an example for alpine-type mountain belts. A brief introduction to Austria's hydrogeological arrangement is given to show the significance of fractured hard-rock aquifers for hydrogeological science as well as for water supply purposes. A literature search showed that research concerning fractured hard-rock aquifers in Austria is clearly underrepresented to date, especially when taking the abundance of this aquifer type and the significance of this topic into consideration. The application of abiotic natural tracers (hydrochemical and isotope parameters) is discussed generally and by means of examples from the Austrian Alps. The potential of biotic tracers (microbiota and meiofauna) is elucidated. It is shown that the meiofauna approach to investigating fractured aquifers has not yet been applied in the reviewed region, nor worldwide. Two examples of new approaches in mountainous fractured aquifers are introduced: (1) use of CO2 partial pressure and calcite saturation of spring water to reconstruct catchments and flow dynamics (abiotic approach), and, (2) consideration of hard-rock aquifers as habitats to reconstruct aquifer conditions (biotic approach).

Biogeographical and evolutionary importance of the European high mountain systems

PubMed Central

Schmitt, Thomas

2009-01-01

Europe is characterised by several high mountain systems dominating major parts of its area, and these structures have strongly influenced the evolution of taxa. For species now restricted to these high mountain systems, characteristic biogeographical patterns of differentiation exist. (i) Many local endemics are found in most of the European high mountain systems especially in the Alps and the more geographically peripheral regions of Europe. Populations isolated in these peripheral mountain ranges often have strongly differentiated endemic genetic lineages, which survived and evolved in the vicinity of these mountain areas over long time periods. (ii) Populations of taxa with wide distributions in the Alps often have two or more genetic lineages, which in some cases even have the status of cryptic species. In many cases, these lineages are the results of several centres of glacial survival in the perialpine areas. Similar patterns also apply to the other geographically extended European high mountain systems, especially the Pyrenees and Carpathians. (iii) Populations from adjoining high mountain systems often show similar genetic lineages, a phenomenon best explained by postglacial retreat to these mountains from one single differentiation centre between them. (iv) The populations of a number of species show gradients of genetic diversity from a genetically richer East to a poorer West. This might indicate better glacial survival conditions for this biogeographical group of species in the more eastern parts of Europe. PMID:19480666

New Pn and Sn tomographic images of the uppermost mantle beneath the Mediterranean region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gil, A.; Díaz, J.; Gallart, J.

2012-04-01

We present here new images of the seismic velocity and anisotropy variations in the uppermost mantle beneath the Mediterranean region, compiled from inversion of Pn and Sn phases. The method of Hearn (1996) has been applied to Pn and Sn lectures from the catalogs of the International Seismological Center and the Spanish Instituto Geografico Nacional. A total of 1,172,293 Pn arrivals coming from 16,527 earthquakes recorded at 1,657 stations with epicentral distances between 220 km and 1400 km have been retained (331,567 arrivals from 15,487events at 961 stations for Sn). Our results, grossly consistent with available 3D tomography images, show significant features well correlated with surface geology. The Pn velocities are high (>8.2 km/s) beneath major sedimentary basins (western Alboran Sea, Valencia Trough, Adriatic Sea, Aquitaine, Guadalquivir, Rharb, Aquitaine and Po basins), and low (<7.8 km/s) in orogenic areas (Betics, Pyrenees, Alps, Apennines, Dinarides, Helenides and Calabrian Arc), confirming the existence of marked variations in crustal thicknesses already documented in some active seismic experiments. The lowest velocity values are found under the Betics and the eastern and western Alps. Another low velocity anomaly is located below the south of Balearic Islands, probably related to a thermal anomaly associated to the westward displacement of the Alboran block along the Emile Baudot escarpment 16 Ma ago. The Pn anisotropic image shows consistent orientations sub-parallel to major orogenic structures, such as Betics, Apennines, Calabrian Arc and Alps. The station delays beneath Betic and Rif ranges are strongly negative, suggesting the presence of crustal thickening all along the Gibraltar Arc. However, only the Betics have a very strong low-velocity anomaly and a pronounced anisotropy pattern. The Sn tomographic image correlates well with the Pn image, even if some relevant differences can be observed beneath particular regions.

Preserved organic matter in the Serpentinized Ocean-Continent Transition of Alpine Tethys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mateeva, T.; Wolff, G. A.; Kusznir, N.; Manatschal, G.; Wheeler, J.

2017-12-01

Serpentinization occurs at slow-spreading ocean ridges and magma-poor rifted continental margins. At modern hydrothermal vents, serpentinization has been observed to support hydrogen-driven microbial environments including methanotrophic biosystems. An important question is: "Are such bio-systems locally restricted to hydrothermal vents or are they more pervasive, being linked with the exhumation of serpentinized mantle at the seafloor?" Fieldwork sampling of km scale exposures of orogenically exhumed serpentinized mantle in the Alps allows 3D mantle sampling that is not possible at ocean ridges and provides an opportunity to investigate the organic matter in an ophiolite sequence relative to the seafloor. Samples from the fossil Tethyan OCT, exhumed during Alpine collisional orogeny, have been examined for the presence or absence of biomarkers typical of methanotrophy within serpentinized exhumed mantle. Samples from the Totalp unit, Tasna nappe and Platta unit of the Eastern Swiss Alps and Chenaillet in the Western Alps from the Tethyan magma-poor OCT were selected for analysis because they have little Alpine deformation and underwent only low-grade Alpine metamorphism. Hand specimens and cores taken from these locations have been analysed to search for the presence or absence of biomarkers in the serpentinite and its overlying lithologies. Thin sections of samples from these OCT locations reveal multiple serpentinization events and calcification phases. All the lithologies sampled show the presence of hydrocarbons such as n-alkanes, low molecular weight polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, of mixed petrogenic and pyrogenic source), hopanes, steranes (of marine origin), and branched alkanes (pristane and phytane, non-specific marine origin). The identifiable biomarkers and the isotopic data are consistent with organic matter of a marine origin and do not provide any evidence for a methanotrophic bio-system. It is noteworthy that basement mantle rocks still contain marine organic matter 160My after their formation at a rifted margin despite having experienced Alpine obduction.

Searching for axionlike particles in flavor-changing neutral current processes [A new flavor of searches for axion-like particles

DOE PAGES

Izaguirre, Eder; Lin, Tongyan; Shuve, Brian

2017-03-15

Here, we propose new searches for axion-like particles (ALPs) produced in flavor-changing neutral current (FCNC) processes. This proposal exploits the often-overlooked coupling of ALPs to W ± bosons, leading to FCNC production of ALPs even in the absence of a direct coupling to fermions. Our proposed searches for resonant ALP production in decays such as B→K(*)a, a→γγ, and K→πa, a→γγ could greatly improve upon the current sensitivity to ALP couplings to standard model particles. Finally, we also determine analogous constraints and discovery prospects for invisibly decaying ALPs.

Linking axionlike dark matter to neutrino masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvajal, C. D. R.; Sánchez-Vega, B. L.; Zapata, O.

2017-12-01

We present a framework linking axionlike particles (ALPs) to neutrino masses through the minimal inverse seesaw (ISS) mechanism in order to explain the dark matter (DM) puzzle. Specifically, we explore three minimal ISS cases where mass scales are generated through gravity-induced operators involving a scalar field hosting ALPs. In all of these cases, we find gravity-stable models that provide the observed DM relic density and, simultaneously, are consistent with the phenomenology of neutrinos and ALPs. Remarkably, in one of the ISS cases, the DM can be made of ALPs and sterile neutrinos. Furthermore, other considered ISS cases have ALPs with parameters that are within the reach of proposed ALP experiments.

Effects of tunicamycin, mannosamine, and other inhibitors of glycoprotein processing on skeletal alkaline phosphatase in human osteoblast-like cells.

PubMed

Farley, J R; Magnusson, P

2005-01-01

Skeletal alkaline phosphatase (sALP) is a glycoprotein- approximately 20% carbohydrate by weight, with five presumptive sites for N-linked glycosylation, as well as a carboxy-terminal site for attachment of the glycolipid structure (glycosylphosphatidylinositol, GPI), which anchors sALP to the outer surface of osteoblasts. The current studies were intended to characterize the effects of inhibiting glycosylation and glycosyl-processing on the synthesis, plasma membrane attachment, cellular-extracellular distribution, and reaction kinetics of sALP in human osteosarcoma (SaOS-2) cells. sALP synthesis, glycosylation, and GPI-anchor attachment were assessed as total protein synthesis/immunospecific sALP synthesis, sialic acid content (i.e., wheat germ agglutinin precipitation), and insolubility (i.e., temperature-dependent phase-separation), respectively. sALP reaction kinetics were characterized by analysis of dose-dependent initial velocity data, with a phosphoryl substrate. The results of these studies revealed that the inhibition of either N-linked glycosylation or oligosaccharide synthesis for GPI-anchor addition could affect the synthesis and the distribution of sALP, but not the kinetics of the phosphatase reaction. Tunicamycin-which blocks N-linked glycosylation by inhibiting core oligosaccharide synthesis-decreased cell layer protein and the total amount of sALP in the cells, while increasing the relative level of sALP in the cell-conditioned culture medium (CM, i.e., the amount of sALP released). These effects were attributed to dose- and time-dependent decreases in sALP synthesis and N-linked glycosylation, and an increase in apoptotic cell death (P <0.001 for each). In contrast to the effects of tunicamycin on N-linked glycosylation, the effects of mannosamine, which inhibits GPI-anchor glycosylation/formation, included (1) an increase in cell layer protein; (2) decreases in sALP specific activity, in the cells and in the CM; and (3) increases in the percentages of both anchorless and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)-soluble sALP in the medium, but not in the cells (P <0.005 for each). These effects of mannosamine were, presumably, a consequence of inhibiting the insertion/attachment of sALP to the outside of the plasma membrane surface. Neither mannosammine nor tunicamycin had any effect on the reaction kinetics of sALP or on the apparent affinity (the value of KM) for the phosphoryl substrate.

Alpine inversion of the North African margin and delamination of its continental lithosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roure, FrançOis; Casero, Piero; Addoum, Belkacem

2012-06-01

This paper aims at summarizing the current extent and architecture of the former Mesozoic passive margin of North Africa from North Algeria in the west up to the Ionian-Calabrian arc and adjacent Mediterranean Ridge in the east. Despite that most paleogeographic models consider that the Eastern Mediterranean Basin as a whole is still underlain by remnants of the Permo-Triassic or a younger Cretaceous Tethyan-Mesogean ocean, the strong similarities documented here in structural styles and timing of inversion between the Saharan Atlas, Sicilian Channel and the Ionian abyssal plain evidence that this portion of the Eastern Mediterranean Basin still belongs to the distal portion of the North African continental margin. A rim of Tethyan ophiolitic units can be also traced more or less continuously from Turkey and Cyprus in the east, in onshore Crete, in the Pindos in Greece and Mirdita in Albania, as well as in the Western Alps, Corsica and the Southern Apennines in the west, supporting the hypothesis that both the Apulia/Adriatic domain and the Eastern Mediterranean Basin still belong to the former southern continental margin of the Tethys. Because there is no clear evidence of crustal-scale fault offsetting the Moho, but more likely a continuous yet folded Moho extending between the foreland and the hinterland beneath the Mediterranean arcs, we propose here a new model of delamination of the continental lithosphere for the Apennines and the Aegean arcs. In this model, only the mantle lithosphere of Apulia and the Eastern Mediterranean is still locally subducted and recycled in the asthenosphere, most if not all the northern portion of the African crust and coeval Moho being currently decoupled from its former, currently delaminated and subducted mantle lithosphere.

Late Holocene Winter Temperatures in the Eastern Mediterranean and Their Relation to Cultural Changes: The Kocain Cave Record

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mert Gokturk, Ozan; Fleitmann, Dominik; Badertscher, Seraina; Cheng, Hai; Edwards, R. Lawrence; Tuysuz, Okan

2015-04-01

Based on the δ13C profile of a stalagmite from the Kocain Cave in southern Turkey, we present a new proxy record of winter temperatures for the Eastern Mediterranean covering the last ~5500 years. In this region precisely-dated and highly-resolved paleoclimate records for the cold season are almost non-existent. The comparison of the most recent part of the Kocain record with meteorological observations reveals that stalagmite δ13C values correlate on decadal scale with the amount of snowfall above the cave, which correlates well with average winter temperatures. More negative δ13C values indicate higher drip rates in the cave due to more efficient infiltration during snowmelt above Kocain Cave, during colder winters. Cold periods in the rest of the record coincide with widespread glacier advances, especially with the ones in the Alps during the Bronze Age - Iron Age transition (from ~1000 BC on) and the late Little Ice Age (~1600 to 1850 AD). This further supports the interpretation of δ13C as a temperature proxy. Although winters during the Medieval Climate Anomaly were not continuously warm in the Eastern Mediterranean, winter warmth in the modern era was matched or exceeded several times in the last ~5700 years, especially during the time of Minoan civilization in Crete (~2700 to 1200 BC). Moreover, we provide evidence for the important role of winter cold and drought in the events leading to the unrest in the 16th century Anatolia during the Ottoman rule. Kocain Cave record brings insights into several climatically-induced historical changes in the Eastern Mediterranean, and has the potential to be a key record in a region with a long and vibrant history.

Temporal patterns of glacial lake evolution in high-mountain environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mergili, Martin; Emmer, Adam; Viani, Cristina; Huggel, Christian

2017-04-01

Lakes forming at the front of retreating glaciers are characteristic features of high-mountain areas in a warming climate. Typically, lakes shift from the proglacial phase (lake is in direct contact with glacier) to a glacier-detached (no direct contact) and finally to a non-glacial phase (lake catchment is completely deglaciated) of lake evolution. Apart from changing glacier-lake interactions, each stage is characterized by particular features of lake growth, and by the lake's susceptibility to sudden drainage (lake outburst flood). While this concept appears to be valid globally, some mountain areas are rich in dynamically evolving proglacial lakes, while in others most lakes have already shifted to the glacier-detached or even non-glacial phase. In the present contribution we (i) explore and quantify the history of glacial lake formation and evolution over the past up to 70 years; (ii) assess the current situation of selected contrasting mountain areas (eastern and western European Alps, southern and northern Pamir, Cordillera Blanca); and (iii) link the patterns of lake evolution to the prevailing topographic and glaciological characteristics in order to improve the understanding of high-mountain geoenvironmental change. In the eastern Alps we identify only very few lakes in the proglacial stage. While many lakes appeared and dynamically evolved until the 1980s between 2550 m and 2800 m asl, most of them have lost glacier contact until the 2000s, whereas very few new proglacial lakes appeared at the same time. Even though a similar trend is observed in the higher western Alps, a more dynamic glacial lake evolution is observed there. The arid southern Pamir is characterized by a high number of proglacial lakes, mainly around 4500 m asl. There is strong evidence that glacial lake evolution is, after a highly dynamic phase between the 1970s and approx. 2000, decelerating. Few proglacial lakes exist in the higher and more humid, heavily glacierized northern Pamir, even though there is some evidence for a the recent trend of lake formation and growth. The tropical Cordillera Blanca displays a high, but gradually decreasing share of proglacial lakes. A significant shift of lake elevation was observed: tmost lakes were situated between 4250 m and 4600 m asl in 1950s, while almost half of the lakes are currently situated above 4600 m asl, confirming post-LIA climate change forcing. We attempt to explain the observed trends by investigating the relation of the timing of lake evolution with an interplay of the broad-scale elevational patterns of glaciers and topography, and the local conditions. The findings will assist in anticipating possible future patterns of lake evolution at different scales, relevant for lake outburst risks and water management issues.

Passive seismic experiment and receiver functions analysis to determine crustal structure at the contact of the northern Dinarides and southwestern Pannonian Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šumanovac, Franjo; Hegedűs, Endre; Orešković, Jasna; Kolar, Saša; Kovács, Attila C.; Dudjak, Darko; Kovács, István J.

2016-06-01

Passive seismic experiment was carried out at the SW contact of the Dinarides and Pannonian basin to determine the crustal structure and velocity discontinuities. The aim of the experiment was to define the relationship between the Adriatic microplate and the Pannonian segment as a part of the European plate. Most of the temporary seismic stations were deployed in Croatia along the Alp07 profile-a part of the active-source ALP 2002 project. About 300-km-long profile stretches from Istra peninsula to the Drava river, in a WSW-ESE direction. Teleseismic events recorded on 13 temporary seismic stations along the profile were analysed by P-receiver function method. Two types of characteristic receiver functions (RF) have been identified, belonging to Dinaridic and Pannonian crusts as defined on the Alp07 profile, while in transitional zone there are both types. Three major crustal discontinuities can be identified for the Dinaridic type: sedimentary basement, intracrustal discontinuity and Mohorovičić discontinuity, whereas the Pannonian type revealed only two discontinuities. The intracrustal discontinuity was not observed in the Pannonian type, thus pointing to a single-layered crust in the Pannonian basin. Two interpretation methods were applied: forward modelling of the receiver functions and H-κ stacking method, and the results were compared with the active-source seismic data at deep refraction profile Alp07. The receiver function modelling has given reliable results of the Moho depths that are in accordance with the seismic refraction results at the end of the Alp07 profile, that is in the area of Pannonian crust characterized by simple crustal structure and low seismic velocities (Vp between 5.9 and 6.2 km s-1). In the Dinarides and its peripheral parts, receiver function modelling regularly gives greater Moho depths, up to +15 per cent, due to more complex crustal structure. The depths of the Moho calculated by the H-κ stacking method vary within wide limits (±13 km), due to band limited data of short-period stations. The results at five stations have to be rejected because of huge deviations in comparison with all previous results, while at the other seven stations the Moho depths vary within ±15 per cent around the Moho discontinuity of the Alp07 profile.

Palinspastic reconstruction of the Alpine thrust belt at the Alpine-Carpathian transition - A geological Sudoku

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beidinger, A.; Decker, K.; Zamolyi, A.; Hölzel, M.; Hoprich, M.; Strauss, P.

2009-04-01

The palinspastic reconstruction of the Austroalpine thrust belt is part of the project Karpatian Tectonics, which is funded by OMV Austria. The objective is to reconstruct the evolution of the thrust belt through the Early to Middle Miocene in order to obtain information on the palaeogeographic position of the Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA) in the region of the present Vienna Basin. A particular goal of the study is to constrain the position of reservoir rocks within the Rhenodanubic Flysch units and the NCA with respect to the autochthonous Malmian source rocks overlying the European basement below the Alpine-Carpathian thrust wedge, and to constrain the burial history of these source rocks. Reconstruction uses regional 2D seismic lines crossing from the European foreland into the fold-thrust belt, 3D seismic data covering the external thrust sheets, and lithostratigraphic data from a total of 51 selected wells, which were drilled and provided by OMV Austria. The main criterion, whether a well was suitable for palinspastic reconstruction or not, was its penetration of Alpine thrust sheets down to the Autochthonous Molasse of the foreland. Additional wells, which do not penetrate the entire Alpine thrust complex but include the Allochthonous Molasse or the external Alpine-Carpathian nappes (Waschberg and Roseldorf thrust unit, Rhenodanubic Flysch nappes) in their well path, were also taken into account. The well data in particular comprise stratigraphic information on the youngest overthrust sediments of the different thrust units and the underlying Autochthonous foreland Molasse. These data allow constraining the timing of thrust events in the allochthonous thrust units and overthrusting of the Autochthonous Molasse. In the particular case of overthrust Autochthonous Molasse, additionally to the timing of overthrusting, which can be derived from the youngest overthrust sediments, the palaeogeographic position of the Alpine Carpathian thrust front could directly be inferred from well data for the specific time period. By further utilization of geological maps, geological cross sections and two regional c. 80 km long composite 2D seismic sections through the external Alpine thrusts, the positions of major thrusts could be approximated for five time slices. This procedure was applied for the front of the allochthonous Molasse units, the floor thrust of the Roseldorf thrust unit, the Waschberg thrust unit and the frontal thrusts of the Rhenodanubic Flysch and the NCA. In addition, several out-of-sequence thrusts within the Waschberg unit, the Molasse unit, the Rhenodanubic Flysch and the Calcareous Alps (floor thrust of the NCA and two internal thrusts) were taken into account. The reconstruction results in 5 palinspastic maps for the time slices early Egerian (25 Ma), early Eggenburgian (20 Ma), Ottnangian (17.5 Ma), Lower Karpatian (16.5 Ma) and the Karpatian/ Badenian stage boundary (16 Ma). Convergence rates, which were calculated for the four intervening time intervals, range from about 3 mm/yr to 5 mm/yr. These values compare well with estimated convergence rates reconstructed for the Miocene in the western Eastern Alps (Schmid et al., 1996), as well as with plate tectonic constraints on Tertiary convergence rates (Dewey et al., 1989). Dewey, J., Helman, M.L., Turco, E., Hutton, D.H.W.&Knott, S.D., 1989. Kinematics of the western Mediterranean, in: N.P. Coward, D. Dietrich & R.G. Park (eds.), Alpine Tectonics, Geol. Soc. Spec. Publ., 45: 265-283. Schmid, S.M., Pfiffner, O.A., Frotzheim, N., Schönborn, G. & Kissling, E., 1996. Geophysical-geological transect and tectonic evolution of the Swiss-Italian Alps. Tectonics, 15: 1036-1064.

The first large geological map of Central and Eastern Europe (1815)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grigelis, Algimantas; Wójcik, Zbigniew; Narębski, Wojciech; Gelumbauskaitė, Leonora Živilė; Kozák, Jan; Czarniecki, Stanisław

2008-01-01

The first large geological map of Central and Eastern Europe was compiled by Stanisław Staszic in the early 19th century. The map is based on the geological survey that Staszic performed in different parts of Poland and adjacent areas. In 1814, Staszic presented his ideas on the geology and mineral sources of Poland and Lithuania. In 1815, he completed the book-length descriptive analysis O ziemorodztwie Karpatów i innych gór i równin Polski przez Stanisława Staszica, which was published in Warsaw and complemented by a large geological map of Central and Eastern Europe. His later studies were compiled in a historico-philosophical treatise titled Ród ludzki (1819-1820). The complete edition of Staszic's works, Dzieła, which also included these publications, appeared over 1816-1820. The geological field survey that he performed over several years, and his study of social-economic problems enabled Staszic to draw in great detail a geological map of the Carpathians, the Central Polish Highlands, Volhynia (modern Ukraine) and the Eastern Alps, as well as the areas of the Polish-Lithuanian Lowlands, the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, Polesye (modern Belarus), Moldova, Transylvania, and Hungary. Staszic was interested in the exploration of mineral deposits, particularly in Poland, which had rock salt, copper and iron ores, and coal. In his monograph and map, he adopted a stratigraphic subdivision based on types of rock contents and organic fossils, which was a slightly modified version of Werner's classification system. The lithological legend sets five classes and 135 different types of rock, and 15 types of ore deposits, using the French names for these. In general, Staszic was an advocate of Werner's paradigm; however, he did not follow exactly the ideas of the German geologist. Staszic's fundamental work recapitulates his views on geological history of Central and Eastern Europe, and brings to an end the Enlightment period in the geology of that part of Europe.

Large Wood recruitment and transport along a piedmont gravel bed river

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picco, Lorenzo; Tonon, Alessia; Ravazzolo, Diego; Aristide Lenzi, Mario

2015-04-01

In recent years an increasing attention has been devoted on Large Wood (LW), focusing to its role and impact along riverine systems. However there is still a lack of knowledge about many aspects of its recruitment and displacement from the vegetated patches (e.g. floodplain and island) of a riverine environment. This research aims to analyse and consider the differences in LW recruitment during a flood event along a reach of a piedmont gravel bed river. The study has been carried out along a 3 km - long study reach located into the middle course of the gravel bed Piave River (North-Eastern Italian Alps). A buffer zone of 20 m - wide was considered along the floodplains and islands. Into this stripe every standing tree, with diameter ≥ 0.10 m, was measured manually (Diameter Breast Height-DBH; Height). Moreover, for each tree the GPS position was recorded and a numbered tag was installed to simplify the post event recovery. In November 2014 an over bankfull flood (Q=1039 m3 s-1; R.I=3.5 years) occurred. Preliminary results shows that 668 trees were recruited during the flood event thanks to both bank erosion processes along the floodplain banks and along the island shores. Analysing the origin, it is possible to define as 401 (60.03 %) trees were recruited from the floodplain, 244 (36.53%) from fluvial islands and, finally, 23 (3.44%) trees were not completely moved into the active channel area and recruited by the flood, but were just uprooted. Thanks to the accurate dendrometric measurements, it has been possible to define the dimensions for both category of LW, recruited from floodplain and island respectively. Looking to the minimum, maximum and mean height detected were defined values of 2.00, 20.00 and 8.98 m, and 2.20, 15.00 and 6.64 m, for floodplain and island, respectively. The DBH show minimum, maximum and mean values of about 0.10, 0.54 and 0.14 m, and 0.10, 0.44 and 0.14 m for floodplain and island, respectively. These dendrometric measurements permitted us to define the input volume of LW from floodplain and island, 75.59 m3 (0.19 m3/tree) and 39.66 m3 (0.16 m3/tree), respectively. It is worth to focus on the greater input of LW from floodplain, due to the recruitment of an higher number of trees and the bigger dimension of these plants. Post flood field survey permitted also to detect the displacement length of recruited trees along the study area, obtaining values of about 2.50 km, that is consistent with similar results obtained in the same study reach. Further analysis will permit to investigate more in detail the LW origin, its displacement and to link it with flood condition and the morphological settings of the study reach. This research is funded within, the University of Padova research Project CPDA149091- "WoodAlp: linking large Wood and morphological dynamics of gravel bed rivers of Eastern Italian Alps"- 2014-16 and the Project "SedAlp: sediment management in Alpine basins, integrating sediment continuum, risk mitigation and hydropower", 83-4-3-AT, in the framework of the European Territorial Cooperation Program "Alpine Space" 2007-13.

Petrographic and geochemical analyisis for determination of provenance of the Slovenj Gradec Miocene Basin fill (Western Central Paratethys)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivančič, Kristina; Trajanova, Mirka; Skaberne, Dragomir; Šmuc, Andrej

2017-04-01

The Slovenj Gradec Basin (SGB) is located in northern Slovenia between eastern margin of the Northern Karavanke and the western Pohorje Mts. Structurally, it belongs to Eastern Alps. It is filled with Miocene clastic sediments. Modal composition of sandstones was determined on thin sections by point-counter and presented with the QFL and QmFLt diagrams. Their geochemical composition was determined by classical method and by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry. Based on petrography, sedimentary fill of the SGB consists mostly of lithic grains and quartz, derived from metamorphic and carbonate rocks. Locally, fragments of granitoids occur. Binder consists of carbonate, subordinately quartz cement, and carbonate matrix. Recycled orogen (lithic and transitional recycled) provenance of the grains was determined. Geochemical composition shows that: - Sandstones from the SGB belong to the fields of shale, wacke, litharenite, arkose and subarkose (Pettijohn, 1972). - In the ternary diagram of weathering trends (cf. Nesbitt & Young 1984), the samples group near the CaO+Na2OAl2O3 conjunctive. Calculated minimum CIA (Fedo et al., 1995) is 40.06, indicating that the source rocks were not subjected to considerable weathering. - According to discriminant function (cf. Roser & Korsch, 1988) all samples from SGB originate from quartzose sedimentary rocks. - For determination of tectonic setting of source rocks (Verma & Armstrong-Altrin, 2013) the studied samples plot in the field of collision zone. - In the multidimensional discriminant function diagram for the discrimination of active and passive margin after Verma and Armstrong (2016), the samples plot into the field of passive margin. The data indicate that source rocks of the SGB sedimentary fill were derived from Eastern Alps and Southern Alps. It is suggested that SGB was detached from the Styrian and Mura-Zala Basins in the course of the Pohorje Mts. oblique transpressive uplift during the late Miocene to Pliocene (Trajanova, 2013). Consequently, the area of the wider SGB was still an integral part of the Central Paratethys until late Miocene. References Fedo, C.M., Nesbitt, H.W. & Young, G.M., 1995. Unravelling the effects of potassium metasomatism in sedimentary rocks and paleosols, with implications for paleoweathering conditions and provenance. Geology, 23(10), pp.921-924. Nesbitt, H. W., & Young, G. M., 1984. Prediction of some weathering trends of plutonic and volcanic rocks based on thermodynamic and kinetic considerations. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 48 (7), 1523-1534. Pettijohn, F.J., Potter, P.E., Siever, R., 1972. Sand and Sandstone, second ed., Springer, New York, heidelberg, Berlin 618, pp. Roser, B.P. & Korsch, R.J., 1988. Provenance signatures of sandstone-mudstonen suites determined using discriminant function of major-element data. Chemical Geology, 67(1-2), pp.119-139. Trajanova, M. 2013: Starost pohorskega magmatizma; nov pogled na nastanek pohorskega tektonskega bloka (Age of the Pohorje Mountains magmatism; new view on the origin of the Pohorje tectonic block). PhD thesis. 183 pp., Ljubljana. Verma, S.P. & Armstrong-Altrin, J.S., 2013. New multi-dimensional diagrams for tectonic discrimination of siliciclastic sediments and their application to Precambrian basins. Chemical Geology, 355, pp.117-133. Verma, S. P., & Armstrong-Altrin, J. S. (2016). Geochemical discrimination of siliciclastic sediments from active and passive margin settings. Sedimentary Geology, 332, 1-12.

Underground electromagnetic activity in two regions with contrasting seismicity: a case study from the Eastern Alps and Bohemian Massif

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baroň, Ivo; Koktavý, Pavel; Stemberk, Josef; Macků, Robert; Trčka, Tomáš; Škarvada, Pavel; Lenhardt, Wolfgang; Meurers, Bruno; Rowberry, Mattew; Marti, Xavi; Plan, Lukas; Grasemann, Berhnard; Mitrovic, Ivanka

2016-04-01

Electromagnetic emissions (EME) occur during the fracturing of solid materials under laboratory conditions and may represent potential earthquake precursors. We recorded EME from May 2015 to October 2015 in two caves situated in contrasting seismotectonic settings. Zbrašov Aragonite Caves are located close to the seismically quiescent contact between the Bohemian Massif and the Outer Western Carpathians while Obir Caves are located near the seismically active Periadriatic Fault on the southern margin of the Eastern Alps. The specific monitoring points are located at depths of tens of metres below the ground surface as such places are assumed to represent favourably shielded environments. The EME signals were continuously monitored by two custom-made Emission Data Loggers (EDLOG), comprising both analogue and digital parts. The crucial analogue component within the EDLOG is a wideband shielded magnetic loop antenna. To be able to observe EME related rock deformation and microfracturing we recorded signals between 10 and 200 kHz with a sampling frequency of 500 kHz. An ultralow noise preamplifier placed close to the antenna increases the signal-to-noise ratio. Further signal processing consisted of filtering, such as antialiasing and interference rejection, and additional amplification to fit the signal to the full scale range of the AD convertor. The digital part of the EDLOG comprises a range of PC components such as high-capacity replaceable data storage and unbuffered RAM, high-speed multichannel DAQ cards, and custom made control software in the programming environment LabVIEW. During our EME monitoring all the raw data were stored. This has allowed us to perform advanced data processing and detailed analysis. During the study period some artificial EME signals were observed in Zbrašov Aragonite Caves. This artificial noise may have overprinted any natural signals and is most likely to relate to the pumping of CO2. In contrast, markedly different signals were observed in Obir Caves. From May to the end of July the data were characterised by a series of irregular high energy anomalies, lasting from hours to days, along with a series of regular nightly anomalies which are thought to relate to the VLF transmitters. From the beginning of August to October the data were characterised (except for the artificial nightly signals) by relative quiescence of other signals with only a few distinct anomalies. Data relating to rock deformation along active tectonic faults is also recorded at Zbrašov Aragonite Caves and Obir Caves using a type of automated moiré extensometer called a TM-71. These data have been interrogated alongside other environmental factors such as seismicity, precipitation, earth tides, and extraterrestrial magnetic radiation (all data provided by the Central Institution for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG)). It has been possible to compare all the phenomena with our data of natural electromagnetic activity. This pilot study was supported by the Institute of Physics at the Brno University of Technology, the Institute of Rock Structure & Mechanics CAS, and the Austrian Science Foundation (Project P25884-N29 "Active tectonics and recent dynamics of microdisplacements along major fault systems of the Eastern Alps registered in caves (SPELEOTECT)".

Atmospheric dynamics over Europe during the Younger Dryas revealed by palaeoglaciers.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rea, Brice; Pellitero, Ramon; Spagnolo, Matteo; Hughes, Philip; Braithwaite, Roger; Renssen, Hans; Ivy-Ochs, Susan; Ribolini, Adriano; Bakke, Jostein; Lukas, Sven

2017-04-01

A dataset of 120 palaeoglaciers ranging from Morocco in the south to Svalbard in the north and from Ireland in the west to Turkey in the east, has been assembled from the literature. A robust quality control on the chronology was undertaken and, when derived from cosmogenic nuclides, ages were recalculated using the most up-to-date production rates. All the reconstructed glaciers date to the Younger Dryas. Frontal moraines/limits were used to initiate the palaeoglacier reconstructions using GlaRe, a GIS tool which generates an equilibrium profile ice surface along a single flowline and extrapolates this to out to a 3D ice surface. From the resulting glacier surfaces palaeo-ELAs were calculated within the GIS. Where multiple glaciers were reconstructed within in a region, a single ELA value was generated. Results show that ELAs decrease with latitude but have a more complex pattern with longitude. A database of 121 sites, spanning the same geographical range as the palaeoglaciers, was compiled for Younger Dryas temperature, determined from palaeoproxies, for example pollen, diatoms, coleoptera, chironimids etc. These proxy data were merged and interpolated to generate maps of average temperature for the warmest and coldest months and annual average temperature. Results show that, in general, temperature decreases with latitude. Temperature at the palaeo-ELAs were determined from the temperature maps using a lapse rate of 0.65°C/100m and the precipitation required for equilibrium was calculated. Positive precipitation anomalies are found along much of the western seaboard of Europe, with the most striking positive anomalies present in the eastern Mediterranean. Negative precipitation anomalies appear on the northern side of the Alps. This pattern is interpreted to represent a southward displaced polar frontal jet stream with a concomitant track of Atlantic mid-latitude depressions, leading to more frequent incursions of low pressure systems especially over the relatively warm eastern Mediterranean, enhancing cyclogenesis. This is similar to the modern Scandinavia (SCAND) pattern which, in its positive phase, is characterised by a high pressure anomaly over Fennoscandia and western Russia, negative pressure anomalies around the Iberian Peninsula and enhanced cyclogenesis in the central and eastern Mediterranean. During the YD the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet and permafrost across much of northern continental Europe and Russia would have generated a high pressure region leading to a persistent, enhanced SCAND circulation.

Inhibitors of alprazolam metabolism in vitro: effect of serotonin-reuptake-inhibitor antidepressants, ketoconazole and quinidine.

PubMed Central

von Moltke, L L; Greenblatt, D J; Cotreau-Bibbo, M M; Harmatz, J S; Shader, R I

1994-01-01

1. The biotransformation of the triazolobenzodiazepine alprazolam (ALP) to its hydroxylated metabolites (4-OH-ALP and alpha-OH-ALP) was evaluated in human, monkey, rat, and mouse liver microsomes. 2. In all species 4-OH-ALP was the principal metabolite, accounting for 84% of clearance in human microsomes compared with 16% for alpha-OH-ALP. 3. Among the serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors fluoxetine (FLU) and sertraline (SERT), and their respective demethylated metabolites norfluoxetine (NOR) and desmethylsertraline (DES), NOR was the most potent inhibitor (mean Ki for 4-OH-ALP formation in humans: 11 microM), FLU the weakest (Ki = 83 microM), with SERT and DES falling in between (Ki = 24 and 20 microM). 4. The in vitro data predict 29% inhibition of ALP clearance at mean FLU and NOR plasma concentrations of 77 ng ml-1 and 72 ng ml-1, respectively, after correction for liver:water partition ratios in the range of 12-14. The observed mean degree of inhibition in a previous in vivo study was 21%. 5. Ketoconazole was a potent inhibitor of ALP metabolism in vitro (Ki = 0.046 microM), suggesting that ALP hydroxylation is mediated by the cytochrome P450-3A sub-family. Quinidine was a weak inhibitor (Ki = 626 microM). PMID:7946933

Fast and sensitive near-infrared fluorescent probes for ALP detection and 3d printed calcium phosphate scaffold imaging in vivo.

PubMed

Park, Chul Soon; Ha, Tai Hwan; Kim, Moonil; Raja, Naren; Yun, Hui-Suk; Sung, Mi Jeong; Kwon, Oh Seok; Yoon, Hyeonseok; Lee, Chang-Soo

2018-05-15

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a critical biological marker for osteoblast activity during early osteoblast differentiation, but few biologically compatible methods are available for its detection. Here, we describe the discovery of highly sensitive and rapidly responsive novel near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probes (NIR-Phos-1, NIR-Phos-2) for the fluorescent detection of ALP. ALP cleaves the phosphate group from the NIR skeleton and substantially alters its photophysical properties, therefore generating a large "turn-on" fluorescent signal resulted from the catalytic hydrolysis on fluorogenic moiety. Our assay quantified ALP activity from 0 to 1.0UmL -1 with a 10 -5 -10 -3 UmL -1 limit of detection (LOD), showing a response rate completed within 1.5min. A potentially powerful approach to probe ALP activity in biological systems demonstrated real-time monitoring using both concentration- and time-dependent variations of endogenous ALP in live cells and animals. Based on high binding affinity to bone tissue of phosphate moiety, bone-like scaffold-based ALP detection in vivo was accessed using NIR probe-labeled three-dimensional (3D) calcium deficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA) scaffolds. They were subcutaneously implanted into mice and monitored ALP signal changes using a confocal imaging system. Our results suggest the possibility of early-stage ALP detection during neo-bone formation inside a bone defect, by in vivo fluorescent evaluation using 3D CDHA scaffolds. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Glycation Contributes to Interaction Between Human Bone Alkaline Phosphatase and Collagen Type I.

PubMed

Halling Linder, Cecilia; Enander, Karin; Magnusson, Per

2016-03-01

Bone is a biological composite material comprised primarily of collagen type I and mineral crystals of calcium and phosphate in the form of hydroxyapatite (HA), which together provide its mechanical properties. Bone alkaline phosphatase (ALP), produced by osteoblasts, plays a pivotal role in the mineralization process. Affinity contacts between collagen, mainly type II, and the crown domain of various ALP isozymes were reported in a few in vitro studies in the 1980s and 1990s, but have not attracted much attention since, although such interactions may have important implications for the bone mineralization process. The objective of this study was to investigate the binding properties of human collagen type I to human bone ALP, including the two bone ALP isoforms B1 and B2. ALP from human liver, human placenta and E. coli were also studied. A surface plasmon resonance-based analysis, supported by electrophoresis and blotting, showed that bone ALP binds stronger to collagen type I in comparison with ALPs expressed in non-mineralizing tissues. Further, the B2 isoform binds significantly stronger to collagen type I in comparison with the B1 isoform. Human bone and liver ALP (with identical amino acid composition) displayed pronounced differences in binding, revealing that post-translational glycosylation properties govern these interactions to a large extent. In conclusion, this study presents the first evidence that glycosylation differences in human ALPs are of crucial importance for protein-protein interactions with collagen type I, although the presence of the ALP crown domain may also be necessary. Different binding affinities among the bone ALP isoforms may influence the mineral-collagen interface, mineralization kinetics, and degree of bone matrix mineralization, which are important factors determining the material properties of bone.

ALPS - A LINEAR PROGRAM SOLVER

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Viterna, L. A.

1994-01-01

Linear programming is a widely-used engineering and management tool. Scheduling, resource allocation, and production planning are all well-known applications of linear programs (LP's). Most LP's are too large to be solved by hand, so over the decades many computer codes for solving LP's have been developed. ALPS, A Linear Program Solver, is a full-featured LP analysis program. ALPS can solve plain linear programs as well as more complicated mixed integer and pure integer programs. ALPS also contains an efficient solution technique for pure binary (0-1 integer) programs. One of the many weaknesses of LP solvers is the lack of interaction with the user. ALPS is a menu-driven program with no special commands or keywords to learn. In addition, ALPS contains a full-screen editor to enter and maintain the LP formulation. These formulations can be written to and read from plain ASCII files for portability. For those less experienced in LP formulation, ALPS contains a problem "parser" which checks the formulation for errors. ALPS creates fully formatted, readable reports that can be sent to a printer or output file. ALPS is written entirely in IBM's APL2/PC product, Version 1.01. The APL2 workspace containing all the ALPS code can be run on any APL2/PC system (AT or 386). On a 32-bit system, this configuration can take advantage of all extended memory. The user can also examine and modify the ALPS code. The APL2 workspace has also been "packed" to be run on any DOS system (without APL2) as a stand-alone "EXE" file, but has limited memory capacity on a 640K system. A numeric coprocessor (80X87) is optional but recommended. The standard distribution medium for ALPS is a 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskette. IBM, IBM PC and IBM APL2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Association between serum alkaline phosphatase and coronary artery calcification in a sample of primary cardiovascular prevention patients.

PubMed

Panh, Loïc; Ruidavets, Jean Bernard; Rousseau, Hervé; Petermann, Antoine; Bongard, Vanina; Bérard, Emilie; Taraszkiewicz, Dorota; Lairez, Olivier; Galinier, Michel; Carrié, Didier; Ferrières, Jean

2017-05-01

A high level of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is associated with an increased risk of mortality and myocardial infarction. ALP hydrolyses inorganic pyrophosphate, which is a strong inhibitor of calcium phosphate deposition. The aim of this study was to determine whether ALP is associated with the coronary artery calcium score (CACS). We examined the association of CACS, assessed by computed tomography scanning, and ALP, in 500 patients consecutively recruited, free of cardiovascular disease. The CACS were categorized into two groups: no calcification (CACS = 0) (n = 187) and with calcification (CACS>0) (n = 313). ALP activity was divided into three tertile groups: low ALP level (<55 IU/L), intermediate (55-66 IU/L) and high ALP level (>66 IU/L). The mean age was 60.9 ± 10.8 years, 49.6% of the patients were women. ALP ranged from 22 to 164 IU/L (mean 62.6 IU/L, SD 19.3). In univariate analysis, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, statin use (p = 0.001), and ALP (p = 0.001) were significantly associated with CACS. After adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, only age (p = 0.001) and sex (p = 0.001) were independently associated with CACS. Compared to the tertile group with low levels of ALP, the intermediate tertile group [OR 2.11, 95% CI (1.12; 3.96), p = 0.02], as well as the high tertile group [OR 3.89, 95% CI (2.01; 7.54), p = 0.001)], was independently associated with CACS. In patients free of cardiovascular disease, high ALP levels are positively and independently associated with coronary artery calcification. The metabolic pathway of ALP and inorganic pyrophosphate could be a target for new therapies against vascular calcification. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Orographic precipitation, wind-blown snow, and landscape evolution in glaciated mountain ranges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brocklehurst, S. H.; Rowan, A. V.; Plummer, M. A.; Foster, D.; Schultz, D. M.; MacGregor, K. R.

2011-12-01

Orographic precipitation and wind-blown snow appear to significantly influence the evolution of glaciated mountain ranges, and in narrow ranges the effect is opposite from orographic precipitation in non-glaciated ranges. While fluvially-eroded ranges tend to be exhumed more on the windward side, glacially-eroded ranges can experience greater erosion on the leeward side. On the timescale of an individual glaciation, the distribution of precipitation and settling is a key component of glacier mass balance and ice extent, while on longer timescales, the interaction of precipitation and topography can play a major role in landscape evolution and range morphology. Numerical modelling of last glacial maximum (LGM) ice extents for catchments on the eastern side of the Southern Alps, New Zealand, highlights the importance of the distribution of precipitation. The accumulation areas of the glaciers would have experienced much greater precipitation than lower elevations, because of the pronounced orographic precipitation gradient, so glacier length is very sensitive to the precipitation distribution employed for any given temperature change. This is particularly challenging given the lack of modern snow monitoring at high altitudes within the Southern Alps, the likelihood of steep accumulation gradients amongst high topography, below the resolution of current datasets, and the difficulty of extrapolating modern values to the LGM. The Sangre de Cristo Range, southern Colorado, and the Bitterroot Range on the Idaho-Montana border both run close to north-south, cross-cutting the prevailing westerly winds. Drainage basins on both sides of the ranges cover similar areas, but moraines are much more substantial on the eastern sides, indicating greater glacial incision, which we suggest at least partly reflects snow blown over the range crest. The Uinta Mountains, Utah, run west-east, parallel to prevailing winds, and show topographic asymmetry across individual catchments, rather than at the range scale. Rapid rock uplift and significant glacial erosion of the north-south Teton Range, Wyoming, has created some of the highest relief in the conterminous US. While an initial topographic asymmetry would have arisen from the tectonic gradient imposed by the extensional Teton Fault on the east side of the range, the topographic asymmetry would have been exaggerated by feedbacks associated with glacial erosion. Slowly-falling snow would have been advected further into the range by prevailing westerlies, which would also have redistributed fallen snow from the subdued topography typical of the headwaters of west-draining basins. Greater topographic shading and cover by rock debris would have mitigated ablation of eastern glaciers bounded by high valley walls. Glacier size, ice flux and erosion would therefore have been enhanced in eastern-draining basins, though only the largest glaciers were capable of eroding at rates that kept pace with rock uplift. Preliminary numerical modelling results are consistent with these inferences of the importance of orographic precipitation and wind-blown snow based on topographic analysis.

The Grand St Bernard-Briançonnais Nappe System and the Paleozoic Inheritance of the Western Alps Unraveled by Zircon U-Pb Dating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergomi, M. A.; Dal Piaz, G. V.; Malusà, M. G.; Monopoli, B.; Tunesi, A.

2017-12-01

The continental crust involved in the Alpine orogeny was largely shaped by Paleozoic tectono-metamorphic and igneous events during oblique collision between Gondwana and Laurussia. In order to shed light on the pre-Alpine basement puzzle disrupted and reamalgamated during the Tethyan rifting and the Alpine orogeny, we provide sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe U-Pb zircon and geochemical whole rock data from selected basement units of the Grand St Bernard-Briançonnais nappe system in the Western Alps and from the Penninic and Lower Austroalpine units in the Central Alps. Zircon U-Pb ages, ranging from 459.0 ± 2.3 Ma to 279.1 ± 1.1 Ma, provide evidence of a complex evolution along the northern margin of Gondwana including Ordovician transtension, Devonian subduction, and Carboniferous-to-Permian tectonic reorganization. Original zircon U-Pb ages of 371 ± 0.9 Ma and 369.3 ± 1.5 Ma, from calc-alkaline granitoids of the Grand Nomenon and Gneiss del Monte Canale units, provide the first compelling evidence of Late Devonian orogenic magmatism in the Alps. We propose that rocks belonging to these units were originally part of the Moldanubian domain and were displaced toward the SW by Late Carboniferous strike-slip faulting. The resulting assemblage of basement units was disrupted by Permian tectonics and by Mesozoic opening of the Alpine Tethys. Remnants of the Moldanubian domain became either part of the European paleomargin (Grand Nomenon unit) or part of the Adriatic paleomargin (Gneiss del Monte Canale unit), to be finally accreted into the Alpine orogenic wedge during the Cenozoic.

Use of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles for Enhancement of Biosensor Response to the Herbicide 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid

PubMed Central

Loh, Kee-Shyuan; Lee, Yook Heng; Musa, Ahmad; Salmah, Abdul Aziz; Zamri, Ishak

2008-01-01

Magnetic nanoparticles of Fe3O4 were synthesized and characterized using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles were found to have an average diameter of 5.48 ±1.37 nm. An electrochemical biosensor based on immobilized alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and Fe3O4 nanoparticles was studied. The amperometric biosensor was based on the reaction of ALP with the substrate ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (AA2P). The incorporation of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles together with ALP into a sol gel/chitosan biosensor membrane has led to the enhancement of the biosensor response, with an improved linear response range to the substrate AA2P (5-120 μM) and increased sensitivity. Using the inhibition property of the ALP, the biosensor was applied to the determination of the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). The use of Fe3O4 nanoparticles gives a two-fold improvement in the sensitivity towards 2,4-D, with a linear response range of 0.5-30 μgL-1. Exposure of the biosensor to other toxicants such as heavy metals demonstrated only slight interference from metals such as Hg2+, Cu2+, Ag2+ and Pb2+. The biosensor was shown to be useful for the determination of the herbicide 2, 4-D because good recovery of 95-100 percent was obtained, even though the analysis was performed in water samples with a complex matrix. Furthermore, the results from the analysis of 2,4-D in water samples using the biosensor correlated well with a HPLC method. PMID:27873839

Influence of multilayer rhBMP-2 DNA coating on the proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells seeded on roughed titanium surface.

PubMed

Jiang, Qiao-Hong; Liu, Li; Shen, Jian-Wei; Peel, Sean; Yang, Guo-Li; Zhao, Shi-Fang; He, Fu-Ming

2012-10-01

For bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) gene therapy to be a viable approach for enhancing implant osseointegration clinically, requires the development of efficient nonviral delivery vectors that can coat the implant. This study evaluated a multilayer cationic liposome-DNA complex (LDc) coating as a delivery vehicle for recombinant human BMP-2 (rhBMP-2). Multilayered coatings, comprising hyaluronic acid (HA) and LDc, were fabricated onto titanium using a layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly technique. Preosteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on the roughened titanium surfaces coated with multilayers of HA/LDc, or on uncoated or HA/liposome only surfaces as controls. The amount of rhBMP-2 secreted by the MC3T3-E1 cells and the effect of the various surfaces on cell viability, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, osteocalcin (OC) secretion, and calcium deposition were evaluated. Messenger RNA levels of OC, ALP, Runx2, and Osx were also investigated. The results demonstrated that rhBMP-2 protein secreted into culture medium at 3 days was significantly higher than control groups. MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the HA/LDc coating displayed significantly higher ALP activity and OC secretion at 7 days and 14 days culture, respectively. MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on HA/LDc upregulated expression of the osteoblast differentiation markers, especially on days 12 for OC and on days 6 and 12 for ALP and Osx. In conclusion, MC3T3-E1 cell cultured on the multilayer HA/LDc coating surface can secret rhBMP-2 protein and the protein levels were effective in inducing early osteogenic differentiation. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ratiometric detection of copper ions and alkaline phosphatase activity based on semiconducting polymer dots assembled with rhodamine B hydrazide.

PubMed

Sun, Junyong; Mei, Han; Gao, Feng

2017-05-15

The rational surface functionalization of semiconducting polymer dots (Pdots) has attracted much attention to extend their applications in fabricating chemo/biosensing platform. In this study, a novel ratiometric fluorescent sensing platform using functionalized Pdots as probes for fluorescence signal transmission has been designed for sensing Cu(Ⅱ) and activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) with high selectivity and enhanced sensitivity. The highly fluorescent Pdots were firstly prepared with Poly[(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-co-(1,4-benzo-{2,1',3}-thiadiazole)] (PFBT) via nanoprecipitation method, and then assembled with non-fluorescent rhodamine B hydrazide (RB-hy), which shows special binding activity to Cu(Ⅱ), through adsorption process to obtain functionalized nanohybrids, Pdots@RB-hy. As thus, a FRET donors/acceptors pair, in which PFBT Pdots act as energy donors while RB-hy-Cu(II) complexes act as energy acceptors were constructed. On the basis of the varies in fluorescence intensities of donors/acceptors in the presence of different amounts of Cu(II), a ratiometric method for sensing Cu(II) has been proposed. The proposed ratiometric Cu(II) sensor shows a good linear detection range from 0.05 to 5μM with a detection limit of 15nM. Furthermore, using the Pdots@RB-hy-Cu(II) system as signal transducer, a ratiometric sensing for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity has also been established with pyrophosphate (PPi) as substrates. The constructed ratiometric sensor of ALP activity displays a linear detection range from 0.005 to 15UL -1 with a detection limit of 0.0018UL -1 . The sensor was further successfully used for ALP activity detection in human serum with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of human bone alkaline phosphatase isoforms: comparison of isoelectric focusing and ion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography.

PubMed

Sharp, Christopher A; Linder, Cecilia; Magnusson, Per

2007-04-01

Several isoforms of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) can be identified in human tissues and serum after separation by anion-exchange HPLC and isoelectric focusing (IEF). We purified four soluble bone ALP (BALP) isoforms (B/I, B1x, B1 and B2) from human SaOS-2 cells, determined their specific pI values by broad range IEF (pH 3.5-9.5), compared these with commercial preparations of bone, intestinal and liver ALPs and established the effects of neuraminidase and wheat germ lectin (WGA) on enzyme activity. Whilst the isoforms B1x (pI=4.48), B1 (pI=4.32) and B2 (pI=4.12) resolved as well-defined bands, B/I resolved as a complex (pI=4.85-6.84). Neuraminidase altered the migration of all BALP isoforms to pI=6.84 and abolished their binding to the anion-exchange matrix, but increased their enzymatic activities by 11-20%. WGA precipitated the BALP isoforms in IEF gels and the HPLC column and attenuated their enzymatic activities by 54-73%. IEF resolved the commercial BALP into 2 major bands (pI=4.41 and 4.55). Migration of BALP isoforms is similar in IEF and anion-exchange HPLC and dependent on sialic acid content. HPLC is preferable in smaller scale research applications where samples containing mixtures of BALP isoforms are analysed. Circulating liver ALP (pI=3.85) can be resolved from BALP by either method. IEF represents a simpler approach for routine purposes even though some overlapping of the isoforms may occur.

Woody plant encroachment effect on soil organic carbon dynamics: results from a latitudinal gradient in Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pellis, Guido; Chiti, Tommaso; Moscatelli, Maria Cristina; Marinari, Sara; Papale, Dario

2016-04-01

Woody plant encroachment into pastures and grasslands represents a significant land cover change phenomenon, with a considerable impact on carbon dynamics at an ecosystem level. It was estimated that 7.64% of the Southern Europe land was subject to that process between 1950 to 2010. As a result of woody encroachment, changes in vegetation composition can produce substantial changes to the soil organic carbon (SOC) cycle. Despite the numerous papers published on land-use change, an evaluation of the IPCC terrestrial carbon pools changes occurring during woody encroachment on abandoned pastures and grasslands is still lacking, particularly for the Italian territory. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of woody encroachment on carbon sequestration over abandoned pastures and grasslands in Alpine and Apennine ecosystems, with a particular focus on the SOC. We applied a chronosequence approach to seven selected sites located along a latitudinal gradient in Italy. Each chronosequence consisted of a pasture currently managed, three sites abandoned at different times in the past and, finally, a mature forest stand representing the last phase of the succession. The European Commission sampling protocols to certify SOC changes was adopted to estimate the variations following woody encroachment. Soil samples were collected at different depths in the topsoil (0-30 cm) and subsoil (30-70 cm), despite the original protocol formulation being limited to the topsoil only. In addition, aboveground living biomass (AGB), dead wood and litter were also measured following international protocols. Considering all C pools together, woody plant encroachment leads to a progressive C stock accumulation in all the chronosequences. The total C stock of mature forest stands ranges from 1.78±0.11 times (Eastern Alps) to 2.48±0.31 times (central Apennine) the initial value on pastures. Unsurprisingly, the C stocks of AGB, dead wood and litter all increase during the process of woody encroachment. Instead, the SOC dynamics are more complex, as previous studies suggest they are strongly affected by precipitation and temperature. Accordingly, we found that in the Apennine sites, characterised by a Mediterranean mountainous climate, the SOC increased more than 50% from pasture to forest stages. Conversely, the increment appears not or barely statistically significant in the two colder and more humid Eastern Alps sites. Our results also indicate a substantial amount of SOC is stored in the subsoil, despite many existing sampling protocols (including the original form of the one we adopted) typically restrict measurements only to the topsoil. Therefore, it is recommended to measure the SOC along the whole profile to avoid overlooking the significant amount of C that can accumulate in the subsoil during the process of woody encroachment. In conclusion, this study reveals a positive impact of woody encroachment in increasing the C at an ecosystem level and suggests that SOC measurements are extremely important when precise emission-removal estimates due to land use change are required.

The development of mountain risk governance: challenges for application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Link, S.; Stötter, J.

2015-01-01

The complexity the management of mountain risks in the Alps has considerably increased since its institutionalisation in the late nineteenth century. In the history of approaches to dealing with mountain risks four successive paradigms can be distinguished on the basis of key indicators such as guiding principles, characteristic elements and typical instruments: "hazard protection", "hazard management", "risk management", and "risk governance". In this contribution, special attention is paid to the development of hazard zone planning and the growing importance of communication and participation over the course of this transformation. At present, the risk management paradigm has reached maturity. In the Alps, risk governance frameworks are not yet applied to risks from natural hazards. Based on a historical analysis, the suitability and applicability of general risk governance frameworks in the context of mountain risks are discussed. Necessary adaptations (e.g., in administration, educational, and legal structures) are proposed for the upcoming transformation towards mountain risk governance.

Wyoming big sagebrush associations of eastern Oregon; vegetation attributes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This report provides a synopsis of several vegetative characteristics for the Wyoming big sagebrush complex in eastern Oregon covering the High Desert , Snake River, and Owyhee Ecological Provinces in Harney, Lake, and Malheur Counties. The complex has been grouped into six associations defined by t...

Thousand cankers disease complex: a forest health issue across the U.S.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD) is a disease complex wherein the fungus (Geosmithia morbida), is vectored by the walnut twig beetle (WTB, Pityophthorus juglandis). Disease causes mortality primarily of eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra), though other walnut species are also susceptible. Eastern bla...

Surface exposure chronology of the Waimakariri glacial sequence in the Southern Alps of New Zealand: Implications for MIS-2 ice extent and LGM glacial mass balance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rother, Henrik; Shulmeister, James; Fink, David; Alexander, David; Bell, David

2015-11-01

During the late Quaternary, the Southern Alps of New Zealand experienced multiple episodes of glaciation with large piedmont glaciers reaching the coastal plains in the west and expanding into the eastern alpine forelands. Here, we present a new 10Be exposure age chronology for a moraine sequence in the Waimakariri Valley (N-Canterbury), which has long been used as a reference record for correlating glacial events across New Zealand and the wider Southern Hemisphere. Our data indicate that the Waimakariri glacier reached its maximum last glaciation extent prior to ∼26 ka well before the global last glaciation maximum (LGM). This was followed by a gradual reduction in ice volume and the abandonment of the innermost LGM moraines at about 17.5 ka. Significantly, we find that during its maximum extent, the Waimakariri glacier overflowed the Avoca Plateau, previously believed to represent a mid-Pleistocene glacial surface (i.e. MIS 8). At the same time, the glacier extended to a position downstream of the Waimakariri Gorge, some 15 km beyond the previously mapped LGM ice limit. We use a simple steady-state mass balance model to test the sensitivity of past glacial accumulation to various climatic parameters, and to evaluate possible climate scenarios capable of generating the ice volume required to reach the full local-LGM extent. Model outcomes indicate that under New Zealand's oceanic setting, a cooling of 5 °C, assuming modern precipitation levels, or a cooling of 6.5 °C, assuming a one third reduction in precipitation, would suffice to drive the Waimakariri glacier to the eastern alpine forelands (Canterbury Plains). Our findings demonstrate that the scale of LGM glaciation in the Waimakariri Valley and adjacent major catchments, both in terms of ice volume and downvalley ice extent, has been significantly underestimated. Our observation that high-lying glacial surfaces, so far believed to represent much older glacial episodes, were glaciated during the LGM, challenges the conventional geomorphic model of glaciation in New Zealand where the vertical arrangement of glacial landform-associations is used to assign successively older glaciation ages.

Geodynamic Implications of Himu Mantle In The Source of Tertiary Volcanics From The Veneto Region (south Eastern Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macera, P.; Gasperini, D.; Blichert-Toft; Bosch, D.; del Moro, A.; Dini, G.; Martin, S.; Piromallo, C.

DuringTertiary times extensive mafic volcanism took place in the South-Eastern Alps, along a half-graben structure bounded by the Schio-Vicenza main fault. This mag- matism gave rise to four main volcanic centers: Lessini, Berici, Euganei, and Maros- tica. The dominating rock types are alkali basalts, basanites and transitional basalts, with hawaiites, trachybasalts, tephrites, basaltic andesites, and differentiated rocks be- ing less common. Major and trace element and Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb isotopic data for the most primitive lavas from each volcanic center show the typical features of HIMU hotspot volcanism, variably diluted by a depleted asthenospheric mantle component (87Sr/86Sr48Ma = 0.70314-0.70321; eNd48Ma = +6.4 to +6.5; eHf48Ma = +6.4 to +8.1, 206Pb/204Pb48Ma = 18.786-19.574). Since the HIMU component is consid- ered to be of deep mantle origin, its presence in a tectonic environment dominated by subduction (the Alpine subduction of the European plate below the Adria plate) has significant geodynamic implications. Slab detachment and ensuing rise of deep man- tle material into the lithospheric gap is proposed to be a viable mechanism of hotspot magmatism in a subduction zone setting. Interaction between deep-seated plume ma- terial and shallow depleted asthenospheric mantle may account for the geochemical features of the Veneto volcanics, as well as those of the so-called enriched astheno- spheric reservoir (EAR) component. Ascending counterflow of deep mantle material through the lithospheric gap to the top of the subducting slab further may induce heat- ing of the overriding plate and trigger it to partially melt. Upwelling of the resulting mafic magmas and their subsequent underplating at the mantle-lower crust bound- ary would favor partial melting of the lower crust, thereby giving rise to the bimodal mafic-felsic magmatism that characterizes the whole Periadriatic province. According to this model, the HIMU-like magmatism of the Alpine foreland is therefore closely related to the calc-alkaline magmatism of the Periadriatic Lineament, and caused by the same mechanism of Tertiary Alpine convergence tectonics.

The rock avalanche of the Mt. Peron (Eastern Alps, Italy): new insights from 36Cl exposure dating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Silvana; Ivy-ochs, Susan; Alfimov, Vasili; Vockenhuber, %Christof; Surian, Nicola; Campedel, Paolo; Rigo, Manuel; Viganò, Alfio; De Zorzi, Manuel

2016-04-01

In the Late Pleistocene, in the southern side of the Eastern Alps (Veneto region, Italy), when the glacier tongues retreated from the end moraine system areas towards the Dolomitic region, large rock avalanches took place. In the Belluno Valley, occupied by the Piave river, the left side is represented by the Belluno Prealps range, corresponding to the northern flank of a km-scale WSW-ENE oriented alpine syncline formed by rocks from Late Triassic to Late Tertiary in age. The Mt. Peron, belonging to this mountain range, shows its southern lower slope covered by debris cones with scattered boulders and its higher slope, corresponding to the scarp, made of vertical rock strata. At the foot of Mt. Peron, at a distance varying from 500 to 4500 m, there is a 4.5 km2 fan like area delimited by a perimeter of about 15 km. This is a hilly area of poortly sorted, chaotic deposits composed of heterogeneous debris, sandy and silty gravels, angular blocks and very large boulders of carbonatic rocks up to 20 m in diameter. The average thickness of the deposit was estimated to be 80 m, with maximum of 120 m. According to previous works, the main event occurred during the first phases of deglaciation, between 17,000 and 15,000 years BP. Popular stories narrate about two legendary villages destroyed by a mass of stones rolling down in the valley. This is confirmed by archeological findings in the Piave valley which indicate the presence of almost one pre-historic settlement dating 40000-20000 years a B.P., (i.e. before the Last Glacial Maximum).. Recent 36Cl exposure dating have yielded historical ages for both the boulders at the foot of the Mt Peron and those located a few km far from the main scarp. According to these exposure ages we can not exclude the hypothesis that earthquakes related to the Venetian faults could have played a key role for triggering of the rock avalanche and that the main gravitational event took place in historical times rather than during the deglaciation.

Debris-covered glaciers during the LGM and Lateglacial at the eastern margin of the Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seidl, Sabrina; Reitner, Jürgen M.; Wagreich, Michael

2013-04-01

We present the reconstruction of paleo-glaciers in the easternmost part of the Alps (Schneeberg mountain) with the main focus on sedimentology, chronology and glacial dynamics. The area is dominantly made up of limestone bedrock and hence characterized by steep slopes and cirques. Two juvenile moraine-systems can be deciphered based on geological mapping. The major system is characterized by an up to 60 m high latero-frontal dump moraine with a prominent breach-lobe moraine in a lateral position. It is regarded to represent the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; Würm Pleniglacial). The other system is much smaller and was formed most probably during the Würm Lateglacial. The angular to subangular shape of the clasts and the abundant boulders on top of the ridges indicate a high portion of passive (Boulton, 1978) i.e. supraglacial and englacial transport of debris before deposition.Thus the model of a debris-covered glacier is favored to explain both landforms and as well the corresponding sediment facies. For the pleniglacial moraine such an assumption is backed by a low accumulation/ablation area ratio (AAR) of around 1:1 based on the reconstruction of the equilibrium line altitude (ELA) using the maximum elevation of lateral moraines (MELM; Lichtenecker, 1938). Furthermore as there is no indication of a former glacier snout glacio-fluvial processes should have played a limited role in sediment transport into the forefield. Such setting pinpoints to very cold-arid conditions, which are as well found in paleo-climate reconstructions of the eastern foreland (Frenzel et al. 1992). Boulton, G.S., 1978: Boulder shapes and grain-size distribution of debris as indicators of transport paths through a glacier and till genesis.- Sedimentology, 25, 773-799. Lichtenecker, N.,1938. Die gegenwärtige und die eiszeitliche Schneegrenze in den Ostalpen. In: Verhandlungen der III. Internationalen Quartär - Konferenz, Vienna, 1936, 141-147. Frenzel, B., Pecsi, M. & Velichko, A. A., 1992. Atlas of Paleoclimate and Paleoenvironments of the Northern Hemisphere: Late Pleistocene - Holocene. Geogr. Res. Institute, G. Fischer Verlag, Budapest-Stuttgart.

Biofunctionalization of aqueous dispersed, alumina membrane-templated polymer nanorods for use in enzymatic chemiluminescence assays.

PubMed

Mark, Sonny S; Stolper, Samuel I; Baratti, Carla; Park, Jason Y; Kricka, Larry J

2008-09-01

The noncovalent immobilization of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) onto aqueous dispersed nylon 6 nanorods ( approximately 310 nm mean diameter; approximately 6 microm mean length) prepared by anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane templating was studied. Using multi-stacked layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly with the cationic quaternary ammonium polymer Sapphire II , the amount of ALP enzyme loaded onto the polymer nanostructures was found to be 115+/-7 microg mg(-1) nanorod. The biofunctionalized nanorods were also characterized for their chemiluminescent activity with the dioxetane substrate, CSPD . The results indicate that the kinetic parameters, K(m) and V(max), for the catalytic activity of the nanostructure-bound ALP enzyme are different from those of soluble ('free') ALP. While the K(m) value was measured to be 156 microM for free ALP, the apparent K(m) value determined for the LBL-immobilized ALP is approximately 20% lower (122 microM). Furthermore, despite the relatively high enzyme loading capacity of the nanorods, the specific activity of the bound ALP enzyme was found to be almost nine times lower than that measured for free ALP. Finally, additional experiments revealed that the catalytic activities of both free ALP and nanorod-conjugated ALP are affected similarly by changes in pH, with optimal performance levels occurring under conditions of pH 9.5. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first report examining the preparation of aqueous dispersed, AAO-templated polymer nanorods for potential application as enzyme scaffolds in chemiluminescent-based assay systems.

Human alkaline phosphatase dephosphorylates microbial products and is elevated in preterm neonates with a history of late-onset sepsis.

PubMed

Pettengill, Matthew; Matute, Juan D; Tresenriter, Megan; Hibbert, Julie; Burgner, David; Richmond, Peter; Millán, José Luis; Ozonoff, Al; Strunk, Tobias; Currie, Andrew; Levy, Ofer

2017-01-01

A host defense function for Alkaline phosphatases (ALPs) is suggested by the contribution of intestinal ALP to detoxifying bacterial lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) in animal models in vivo and the elevation of ALP activity following treatment of human cells with inflammatory stimuli in vitro. However the activity of ALP in human plasma (primarily tissue-nonspecific ALP; TNAP) on lipopolysaccharide and other microbial products has not been assessed, nor has its expression been studied in preterm newborns, a vulnerable population at high risk of sepsis. In this context, the aim of our study was to characterize the activity of TNAP on Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists and assess the concentrations of plasma ALP during late-onset sepsis in preterm newborns. Recombinant human TNAP was incubated with microbial products and phosphate release was measured by malachite green assay. Plasma ALP activity was measured serially in a cohort of preterm (N = 129) infants at high risk of late-onset sepsis (LOS). TNAP dephosphorylates poly-inosine:cytosine (Toll-like receptor (TLR) 3 agonist) and LPS from Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella minnesota (TLR4 agonists). Plasma ALP significantly increased postnatally over the first 4 weeks of life in preterm and term newborns. Bacteremic LOS in preterm infants (gestational age ≤ 30 weeks) was associated with significantly elevated plasma ALP at 4 weeks postnatal age. TNAP, the main circulating isozyme of ALP, de-phosphorylates TLR agonists, demonstrates a post-natal age dependent increase in preterm and term plasma across the first 4 weeks of life, and is elevated in association with preterm LOS.

The ALP miracle: unified inflaton and dark matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daido, Ryuji; Takahashi, Fuminobu; Yin, Wen

2017-05-01

We propose a scenario where both inflation and dark matter are described by a single axion-like particle (ALP) in a unified manner. In a class of the minimal axion hilltop inflation, the effective masses at the maximum and mimimum of the potential have equal magnitude but opposite sign, so that the ALP inflaton is light both during inflation and in the true vacuum. After inflation, most of the ALPs decay and evaporate into plasma through a coupling to photons, and the remaining ones become dark matter. We find that the observed CMB and matter power spectrum as well as the dark matter abundance point to an ALP of mass mphi = Script O(0.01) eV and the axion-photon coupling gphi γ γ = Script O(10-11) GeV-1: the ALP miracle. The suggested parameter region is within the reach of the next generation axion helioscope, IAXO, and high-intensity laser experiments in the future. Furthermore, thermalized ALPs contribute to hot dark matter and its abundance is given in terms of the effective number of extra neutrino species, Δ Neff simeq 0.03, which can be tested by the future CMB and BAO observations. We also discuss a case with multiple ALPs, where the coupling to photons can be enhanced in the early Universe by an order of magnitude or more, which enlarges the parameter space for the ALP miracle. The heavy ALP plays a role of the waterfall field in hybrid inflation, and reheats the Universe, and it can be searched for in various experiments such as SHiP.

Internal Structure of a Lobate Debris Apron Complex in Eastern Hellas: Evidence for Multiple Mid-Latitude Glaciations on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quartini, E.; Holt, J. W.; Brothers, T. C.

2011-03-01

The past depositional history of a lobate debris apron complex in eastern Hellas has been investigated by conducting a combined analysis of its surface morphology and subsurface structure using a CTX mosaic and orbital radar sounding data from SHARAD.

First-order similarities and differences between Alps, Dinarides, Hellenides and Anatolides-Taurides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmid, Stefan M.; Bernoulli, Daniel; Fügenschuh, Bernhard; Matenco, Liviu; Schefer, Senecio; Oberhänsli, Roland; van Hinsbergen, Douwe; Ustaszewski, Kamil

2013-04-01

We correlated tectonic units across several circum-Mediterranean orogen strands between the Alps, Carpathians, the Balkan Peninsula, the Aegean and Western Turkey. Our compilation allows discussing fundamental along-strike similarities and differences. One first-order difference is that Dinarides-Hellenides, Anatolides and Taurides represent orogens of opposite subduction polarity and age with respect to the Alps and Carpathians. The internal Dinarides are linked to the Alps and Western Carpathians along the Mid-Hungarian fault zone, a suspected former trench-trench transform fault; its lithospheric root was obliterated during Neogene back-arc extension that formed the Pannonian Basin. Dinarides and Hellenides alike consist of far-travelled nappes detached from the Adriatic continental margin along décollement horizons in Paleozoic or younger stratigraphic levels during Cretaceous and Cenozoic orogeny. The more internal nappes (i.e. Jadar-Kopaonik, Drina-Ivanjica, East Bosnian-Durmitor and their Pelagonian and Almopias equivalents in the Hellenides) are composite nappes whereby the allochthonous Adriatic margin sequences passively carry ophiolites (Western Vardar Ophiolitic Unit) obducted during the latest Jurassic-earliest Cretaceous. These obducted ophiolitic units, as well as ophiolites obducted onto Europe-derived units presently found in the East Carpathians (Eastern Vardar Ophiolitic Unit obducted onto the Dacia continental block), root in one single Neotethys ocean that started closing with the initiation of obduction in the latest Jurassic; final suturing occurred during Cretaceous times, terminating with the formation of the Sava-Izmir-Ankara suture in the latest Cretaceous. Ophiolitic "massifs" found outside the Sava-Izmir-Ankara suture zone do not mark oceanic sutures, nor do the Drina-Ivanjica and Pelagonian "massifs" represent independent continental fragments (terranes). The same logic applies to Western Turkey with the difference that the ophiolites were obducted in Late Cretaceous rather than Late Jurassic times. Also, the Sakarya zone and Cretaceous ophiolites of Turkey cannot be traced far into the Aegean region. The widespread existence of obducted ophiolites in the East Carpathians, Dinarides-Hellenides and Western Turkey thus represents a first-order difference to the Alps and Western Carpathians, where oceanic units derived from the Alpine Tethys occur invariably within accretionary prisms. Important lateral changes are also observed when comparing the present-day lithospheric configuration of the Dinarides with that of the Hellenides. In the Dinarides the Adriatic lithospheric slab can only be traced down to a depth of c. 200 km. In the Hellenides an over 2100 km long slab is still preserved below the Aegean part of the Hellenides, indicating long-lasting subduction of a coherent lithospheric slab that initiated during the onset of closure of Neotethys in Late Jurassic times. Some 1500 km of this total slab length became subducted after the closure of Neotethys and formation of the Sava-Izmir-Ankara suture zone. Out of this total some 800 km result from plate convergence while some 700 km are a consequence of massive back-arc extension and rollback.

Total and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase are associated with bone mineral density over time in end-stage renal disease patients starting dialysis.

PubMed

Bergman, Annelie; Qureshi, Abdul Rashid; Haarhaus, Mathias; Lindholm, Bengt; Barany, Peter; Heimburger, Olof; Stenvinkel, Peter; Anderstam, Björn

2017-04-01

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bone-specific ALP (BALP) are implicated in the abnormal skeletal mineralization and accelerated vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Whereas ALP and BALP may predict mortality in CKD, BALP is reported to have higher sensitivity and specificity than total ALP in reflecting histological alterations in bone; however, results on their associations with bone mineral density (BMD) are inconsistent. Here we evaluated associations of total ALP and BALP with BMD during up to 24 months in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. In this longitudinal study, 194 ESRD patients (median age 57 years, 66 % male, 32 % diabetes mellitus, mean body mass index 24.8 kg/m 2 ) underwent measurements of total ALP and BALP and total and regional body BMD (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) at dialysis initiation (n = 194), and after 12 (n = 98) and 24 months (n = 40) on dialysis. At baseline, patients had median total ALP 65.4 (43.3-126.4) U/l, BALP 13.5 (7.1-27.3) µg/l and BMD 1.14 (0.97-1.31) g/cm 2 . During the study period, serum concentrations of ALP and BALP increased significantly (p < 0.001), whereas total and regional BMD remained stable. BMD correlated inversely with total ALP (rho = -0.20, p = 0.005) and BALP (rho = -0.30, p < 0.001) at baseline, and correlations were similar also at 12 and 24 months. ALP and BALP are equally accurate albeit weak predictors of BMD in ESRD patients, both at baseline and longitudinally. The dissociation between stable BMD and increasing ALP and BALP may possibly reflect increased soft tissue calcifications with time on dialysis.

Gravity Wave Breaking over the Central Alps: Role of Complex Terrain.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Qingfang; Doyle, James D.

2004-09-01

The characteristics of gravity waves excited by the complex terrain of the central Alps during the intensive observational period (IOP) 8 of the Mesoscale Alpine Programme (MAP) is studied through the analysis of aircraft in situ measurements, GPS dropsondes, radiosondes, airborne lidar data, and numerical simulations.Mountain wave breaking occurred over the central Alps on 21 October 1999, associated with wind shear, wind turning, and a critical level with Richardson number less than unity just above the flight level (5.7 km) of the research aircraft NCAR Electra. The Electra flew two repeated transverses across the Ötztaler Alpen, during which localized turbulence was sampled. The observed maximum vertical motion was 9 m s-1, corresponding to a turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) maximum of 10.5 m2 s-2. Spectrum analysis indicates an inertia subrange up to 5-km wavelength and multiple energy-containing spikes corresponding to a wide range of wavelengths.Manual analysis of GPS dropsonde data indicates the presence of strong flow descent and a downslope windstorm over the lee slope of the Ötztaler Alpen. Farther downstream, a transition occurs across a deep hydraulic jump associated with the ascent of isentropes and local wind reversal. During the first transverse, the turbulent region is convectively unstable as indicated by a positive sensible heat flux within the turbulent portion of the segment. The TKE derived from the flight-level data indicates multiple narrow spikes, which match the patterns shown in the diagnosed buoyancy production rate of TKE. The turbulence is nonisotropic with the major TKE contribution from the -wind component. The convectively unstable zone is advected downstream during the second transverse and the turbulence becomes much stronger and more isotropic.The downslope windstorm, flow descent, and transition to turbulence through a hydraulic jump are captured by a real-data Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Mesoscale Predition System (COAMPS) simulation. Several idealized simulations are performed motivated by the observations of multiscale waves forced by the complex terrain underneath. The simulations indicate that multiscale terrain promotes wave breaking, increases mountain drag, and enhances the downslope winds and TKE generation.

Serum Alkaline Phosphatase Levels Predict Infection-Related Mortality and Hospitalization in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients.

PubMed

Hwang, Seun Deuk; Kim, Su-Hyun; Kim, Young Ok; Jin, Dong Chan; Song, Ho Chul; Choi, Euy Jin; Kim, Yong-Lim; Kim, Yon-Su; Kang, Shin-Wook; Kim, Nam-Ho; Yang, Chul Woo; Kim, Yong Kyun

2016-01-01

Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels have been reported to be associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. However, it is unclear whether serum ALP levels predict infection-related clinical outcomes in PD patients. The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between serum ALP levels, infection-related mortality and hospitalization in PD patients. PD patients from the Clinical Research Center registry for end-stage renal disease, a multicenter prospective observational cohort study in Korea, were included in the present study. Patients were categorized into three groups by serum ALP tertiles as follows: Tertile 1, ALP <78 U/L; Tertile 2, ALP = 78-155 U/L; Tertile 3, ALP >155 U/L. Tertile 1 was used as the reference category. The primary outcomes were infection-related mortality and hospitalization. A total of 1,455 PD patients were included. The median follow-up period was 32 months. The most common cause of infection-related mortality and hospitalization was PD-related peritonitis. Multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that patients in the highest tertiles of serum ALP levels were at higher risk of infection-related mortality (HR 2.29, 95% CI, 1.42-5.21, P = 0.008) after adjustment for clinical variables. Higher tertiles of serum ALP levels were associated with higher risk of infection-related hospitalization (Tertile 2: HR 1.56, 95% CI, 1.18-2.19, P = 0.009, tertile 3: HR 1.34, 95% CI, 1.03-2.62, P = 0.031). Our data showed that elevated serum ALP levels were independently associated with a higher risk of infection-related mortality and hospitalization in PD patients.

Synthesis and effect of Ce and Mn co-doping on photoluminescence characteristics of Ca6AlP5O20:Eu novel phosphors.

PubMed

Shinde, K N; Dhoble, S J

2013-01-01

A series of Ca6AlP5O20 doped with rare earths (Eu and Ce) and co-doped (Eu, Ce and Eu,Mn) were prepared by combustion synthesis. Under Hg-free excitation, Ca6AlP5O20:Eu exhibited Eu(2+) (486 nm) emission in the blue region of the spectrum and under near Hg excitation (245 nm), Ca6AlP5O20:Ce phosphor exhibited Ce(3+) emission (357 nm) in the UV range. Photoluminescence (PL) peak intensity increased in Ca6AlP5O20:Eu,Ce and Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Mn phosphors due to co-activators of Ce(3+) and Mn(2+) ions. As a result, these ions played an important role in PL emission in the present matrix. Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Ce and Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Mn phosphors provided energy transfer mechanisms via Ce(3+) → Eu(2+) and Eu(2+) → Mn(2+), respectively. Eu ions acted as activators and Ce ions acted as sensitizers. Ce emission energy was well matched with Eu excitation energy in the case of Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Ce and Eu ions acted as activators and Mn ions acted as sensitizers in Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Mn. This study included synthesis of new and efficient phosphate phosphors. The impact of doping and co-doping on photoluminescence properties and energy transfer mechanisms were investigated and we propose a feasible interpretation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Could Alerting Physicians for Low Alkaline Phosphatase Levels Be Helpful in Early Diagnosis of Hypophosphatasia?

PubMed

Deeb, Asma; Elfatih, Abubaker

2018-03-01

Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is an inborn error of metabolism with significant morbidity and mortality. Its presentation is nonspecific leading to delayed or missed diagnosis. Low alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a diagnostic test. Unlike high ALP, low level is commonly not flagged by laboratories as abnormal. A new treatment was shown to be effective in HPP. In this study we aimed to establish the frequency of low ALP levels requiring notification to physicians by the laboratory and also to describe the clinical manifestations of patients presenting with low ALP for a possible diagnosis of HPP. Patients under age 18 years with low ALP levels were identified from biochemistry records over a period of 6 months. Reference ranges were used as per the Associated Regional and University Pathologists Reference Laboratory (Utah, USA). Electronic results for patients with low levels were checked for flagging as abnormal/low ALP results. Charts of identified patients were reviewed. Presenting features were categorized under groups of disorders. ALP levels were tested in 2890 patients. 702 had values less than 160 U/L. Of these patients, 226 (32%) had age/gender specific low ALP. None of the low ALP results was flagged as low. Twenty-one had more than one low reading and their charts were reviewed. Four patients in the neuromuscular and four in the miscellaneous group presented with features consistent with HPP despite these patients having no specific diagnoses. Laboratories do not alert physicians in cases with low ALP levels. A persistently low level in patients with unspecified diagnoses could be a key to diagnose HPP. Implementing lab-specific ranges and alerting for low levels could prompt physicians to investigate for undiagnosed HPP.

Increased serum alkaline phosphatase levels correlate with high disease activity and low bone mineral density in patients with axial spondyloarthritis.

PubMed

Kang, Kwi Young; Hong, Yeon Sik; Park, Sung-Hwan; Ju, Ji Hyeon

2015-10-01

Recent studies report an association between serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels and inflammation. The present study examined the relationship between ALP and disease activity, bone mineral density (BMD), and radiological damage in axial spondyloarthritis (SpA). A total of 115 patients who fulfilled the ASAS axial SpA criteria were enrolled. Serum ALP, bone-specific ALP (BALP), serum cross-linked telopeptide of type-I collagen (sCTX), and inflammatory markers were measured. Clinical parameters, BMD, grade of sacroiliitis, and the modified Stoke AS Spinal Score (mSASSS) were also assessed. The Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) was also calculated. The associations between serum ALP, disease activity score, BMD, and radiologic damage were evaluated. The mean serum ALP level was 77 ± 26 U/l. Serum ALP levels increased in 14 patients (13%). Serum ALP levels increased along with ASDAS-CRP after adjusting for age and sex (p = 0.004), and were significantly correlated with ASDAS-ESR and ASDAS-CRP (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively), negatively correlated with BMD in the lumbar spine and femoral neck (p = 0.003 and 0.046, respectively), and positively correlated with sacroiliitis grade and the mSASSS (p < 0.001 and p < 0.002, respectively). BALP and sCTX were not associated with disease activity or BMD. Multivariate analysis showed that serum ALP was independently associated with ASDAS-CRP (p = 0.010). Increased serum ALP levels were associated with high disease activity, low BMD, and higher structural damage scores in SpA patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contributions of axionlike particles to lepton dipole moments

DOE PAGES

Marciano, W. J.; Masiero, A.; Paradisi, P.; ...

2016-12-30

We examined contributions of a spin-0 axionlike particle (ALP) to lepton dipole moments, g - 2 and EDMs. Barr-Zee and light-by-light loop effects from a light pseudoscalar ALP are found to be capable of resolving the longstanding muon g - 2 discrepancy at the expense of relatively large ALP - γ γ couplings. We also discussed the compatibility of such large couplings with direct experimental constraints and perturbative unitarity bounds. Future tests of such a scenario are described. For C P -violating ALP couplings, the electron EDM is found to probe much smaller, theoretically more easily accommodated ALP interactions. Wemore » advocate future planned improvements in electron EDM searches as a way to not only significantly constrain ALP parameters, but also potentially unveil a new source of C P violation which could have far-reaching ramifications.« less

Investigation of Characteristics and Predictive Factors Affecting Mortality from Aluminum Phosphide Poisoning, Iran.

PubMed

Navabi, Seyed Mohammad Navabi; Navabi, Seyed Jafar; Aghaei, Abbas; Shaahmadi, Zahra; Heydari, Ruhollah

2018-05-27

Aluminum phosphide (ALP) or rice tablet is one of the most effective rodenticides used for the protection of grain storages from animals and rodents. ALP poisoning annually leads to mortality in human beings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics and predictive factors affecting mortality from ALP poisoning. This study evaluated patients with ALP poisoning referred to Imam Khomeini hospital in Kermanshah from 2014 to 2015. There are several data gathered from patient such as age, sex, number of consumed tablets, the number of attempts to commit suicide, elapsed time from consuming till treatment, blood pressure, PH, HCO3 and PCO2. Survivors (recovery) and non-survivors (death) from ALP poisoning are also evaluated in this study. Univariate logistic regression and multivariate analysis have been applied for data analysis. In this study, 48 patients were male and 29 patients were female, respectively (total 77 patient). The average age of survivors and non-survivors were 28.69 and 31.34 years, respectively. All cases (100%) of ALP poisoning were tried to commit suicide. The results showed that the main predictive variables of mortality from ALP poisoning were blood pressure, PH and elapsed time from consuming till treatment. The prognosis of death for patients with ALP poisoning can be determined by awareness of some of the main characteristics or factors such as blood pressure, PH and elapsed time from consuming till treatment. This can give a possibility for healthcare groups to consider more measures in patients with ALP poisoning.

Detection of alkaline phosphatase in canine cells previously stained with Wright-Giemsa and its utility in differentiating osteosarcoma from other mesenchymal tumors.

PubMed

Ryseff, Julia K; Bohn, Andrea A

2012-09-01

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is a common primary bone tumor in dogs. Demonstration of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) reactivity by tumor cells on unstained slides is useful in differentiating osteosarcoma from other types of sarcoma. However, unstained slides are not always available. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic utility of detecting ALP expression in differentiating osteosarcoma from other sarcomas in dogs using cytologic material previously stained with Wright-Giemsa stain and to assess the sensitivity and specificity of ALP expression for diagnosing osteosarcoma using a specific protocol. Archived aspirates of histologically confirmed sarcomas in dogs that had been previously stained with Wright-Giemsa stain were treated with 5-bromo, 4-chloro, 3-indolyl phosphate/nitroblue tetrazolium (BCIP/NBT) as a substrate for ALP. Cells were evaluated for expression of ALP after incubation with BCIP/NBT for 1 hour. Sensitivity and specificity of ALP expression for diagnosis of OSA were calculated. In samples from 83 dogs, cells from 15/17 OSAs and from 4/66 tumors other than OSA (amelanotic melanoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, collision tumor, and anaplastic sarcoma) expressed ALP. Sensitivity and specificity of ALP expression detected using BCIP/NBT substrate applied to cells previously stained with Wright-Giemsa stain for OSA were 88 and 94%, respectively. ALP expression detected using BCIP/NBT substrate applied to previously stained cells is useful in differentiating canine OSA from other mesenchymal neoplasms. © 2012 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Winter precipitation effect in a mid-latitude temperature-limited environment: the case of common juniper at high elevation in the Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pellizzari, Elena; Pividori, Mario; Carrer, Marco

2014-10-01

Common juniper (Juniperus communis L.) is by far the most widespread conifer in the world. However, tree-ring research dealing with this species is still scarce, mainly due to the difficulty in crossdating associated with the irregular stem shape with strip-bark growth form in older individuals and the high number of missing and wedging rings. Given that many different species of the same genus have been successfully used in tree-ring investigations and proved to be reliable climate proxies, this study aims to (i) test the possibility to successfully apply dendrochronological techniques on common juniper growing above the treeline and (ii) verify the climate sensitivity of the species with special regard to winter precipitation, a climatic factor that generally does not affect tree-ring growth in all Alpine high-elevation tree species. Almost 90 samples have been collected in three sites in the central and eastern Alps, all between 2100 and 2400 m in elevation. Despite cross-dating difficulties, we were able to build a reliable chronology for each site, each spanning over 200 years. Climate-growth relationships computed over the last century highlight that juniper growth is mainly controlled by the amount of winter precipitation. The high variability of the climate-growth associations among sites, corresponds well to the low spatial dependence of this meteorological factor. Fairly long chronologies and the presence of a significant precipitation signal open up the possibility to reconstruct past winter precipitation.

States of paleostress north and south of the Periadriatic fault: Comparison of the Drau Range and the Friuli Southalpine wedge

PubMed Central

Bartel, Esther Maria; Neubauer, Franz; Genser, Johann; Heberer, Bianca

2014-01-01

This study focuses on the analysis of structures and kinematics of a N–S profile along the axis of maximum shortening of the European Eastern Alps. The area includes the southern Austroalpine unit in the north and the Southalpine unit, which is a part of the Adriatic indenter. The stratigraphically different units are separated by the Periadriatic fault, the major strike-slip fault within the Alps. In order to assess the kinematics of these units, mainly fault-slip data from north and south of the Periadriatic fault were analyzed. We distinguish a succession of five main kinematic groups in both units: (1) N–S compression; (2) NW–SE compression; (3) NE–SW compression, σ3 changes gradually from subvertical to subhorizontal; (4) N–S compression; and (5) NW–SE compression. Our study reveals that the deformation sequence on either sides of the PAF is similar. The mean orientations of the principal stress axes, however, show small, but consistent differences: The subhorizontal axes north of the Periadriatic fault plunge northward, in the south southward. A counterclockwise (CCW) rotation of the southern part in respect to the north is evident and in line with the well-known counterclockwise rotation of the Adriatic indenter as well as dextral displacement of the N-fanning stress-field along the Periadriatic fault. Opposing plunge directions are interpreted as a primary feature of the internal stress-field within an orogenic wedge further increased during ongoing compression. PMID:27064736

ALPS: A Linear Program Solver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferencz, Donald C.; Viterna, Larry A.

1991-01-01

ALPS is a computer program which can be used to solve general linear program (optimization) problems. ALPS was designed for those who have minimal linear programming (LP) knowledge and features a menu-driven scheme to guide the user through the process of creating and solving LP formulations. Once created, the problems can be edited and stored in standard DOS ASCII files to provide portability to various word processors or even other linear programming packages. Unlike many math-oriented LP solvers, ALPS contains an LP parser that reads through the LP formulation and reports several types of errors to the user. ALPS provides a large amount of solution data which is often useful in problem solving. In addition to pure linear programs, ALPS can solve for integer, mixed integer, and binary type problems. Pure linear programs are solved with the revised simplex method. Integer or mixed integer programs are solved initially with the revised simplex, and the completed using the branch-and-bound technique. Binary programs are solved with the method of implicit enumeration. This manual describes how to use ALPS to create, edit, and solve linear programming problems. Instructions for installing ALPS on a PC compatible computer are included in the appendices along with a general introduction to linear programming. A programmers guide is also included for assistance in modifying and maintaining the program.

Facies in stratigraphy: from 'terrains' to 'terranes'.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, C.M.

1985-01-01

Concepts of lateral variation in sedimentary rocks and fossil assemblages developed in France from the 1760s; the definitive definition of facies was provided in 1838 by the Swiss geologist Amanz Gressly (1814-65) in his detailed field study of the eastern Jura. His maps and cross-sections of variations in Jurassic and Triassic rocks are illustrated. He believed that variations reflected environmental conditions, as in modern seas, and would eventually permit former depths to be reconstructed. Gressly studied at Strasbourg under Voltz and Thurmann: he collaborated with L.Agassiz, E.Desor and C.Vogt. His work influenced German and French geologists and provided a basis for interpretations of the Alps. But the facies concept was not deeply rooted in American geology until around 1884 (H.S.Williams) and in Britain and Russia until around 1900. I.S.Evans

Introduction to the special issue: permafrost and periglacial research from coasts to mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrott, Lothar; Humlum, Ole

2017-09-01

This special issue of Geomorphology includes eleven papers dealing with permafrost and periglacial research from coasts to mountains. The compilation represents a selection from 47 presentations (oral and posters) given at the 4th European Conference on Permafrost - IPA Regional Conference (EUCOP4, June 2014) in the session ;Periglacial Geomorphology;. Geomorphology as a leading journal for our discipline is particularly suitable to publish advances in permafrost and periglacial research with a focus on geomorphic processes. Since 1989 Geomorphology has published 121 special issues and two special issues are explicitly dedicated to permafrost and periglacial research, however, only with a focus on research in Antarctica. In this special issue we present papers from the Canadian Beaufort Sea, Alaska, Spitzbergen, central western Poland, the European Alps, the eastern Sudetes, the southern Carpathians, Nepal, and Antarctica.

Novel insights into FAS defects underlying autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome revealed by studies in consanguineous patients.

PubMed

Ben-Mustapha, Imen; Agrebi, Nourhen; Barbouche, Mohamed-Ridha

2018-03-01

Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is a primary immunodeficiency disease due to impaired Fas-Fas ligand apoptotic pathway. It is characterized by chronic nonmalignant, noninfectious lymphadenopathy and/or splenomegaly associated with autoimmune manifestations primarily directed against blood cells. Herein, we review the heterogeneous ALPS molecular bases and discuss recent findings revealed by the study of consanguineous patients. Indeed, this peculiar genetic background favored the identification of a novel form of AR ALPS-FAS associated with normal or residual protein expression, expanding the spectrum of ALPS types. In addition, rare mutational mechanisms underlying the splicing defects of FAS exon 6 have been identified in AR ALPS-FAS with lack of protein expression. These findings will help decipher critical regions required for the tight regulation of FAS exon 6 splicing. We also discuss the genotype-phenotype correlation and disease severity in AR ALPS-FAS. Altogether, the study of ALPS molecular bases in endogamous populations helps to better classify the disease subgroups and to unravel the Fas pathway functioning. ©2017 Society for Leukocyte Biology.

Osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines from patients with differing serum alkaline phosphatase concentrations display minimal differences in gene expression patterns

PubMed Central

de Sá Rodrigues, L. C.; Holmes, K. E.; Thompson, V.; Piskun, C. M.; Lana, S. E.; Newton, M. A.; Stein, T. J.

2016-01-01

Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) concentration is a prognostic factor for osteosarcoma in multiple studies, although its biological significance remains incompletely understood. To determine whether gene expression patterns differed in osteosarcoma from patients with differing serum ALP concentrations, microarray analysis was performed on 18 primary osteosarcoma samples and six osteosarcoma cell lines from dogs with normal and increased serum ALP concentration. No differences in gene expression patterns were noted between tumours or cell lines with differing serum ALP concentration using a gene-specific two-sample t-test. Using a more sensitive empirical Bayes procedure, defective in cullin neddylation 1 domain containing 1 (DCUN1D1) was increased in both the tissue and cell lines of the normal ALP group. Using quantitative PCR (qPCR), differences in DCUN1D1 expression between the two groups failed to reach significance. The homogeneity of gene expression patterns of osteosarcoma associated differing serum ALP concentrations are consistent with previous studies suggesting serum ALP concentration is not associated with intrinsic differences of osteosarcoma cells. PMID:25643733

A Development Testbed for ALPS-Based Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-10-01

alloted to tile application because of size or power constraints). Given an underlying support ALPS architecture such as the d-ALPS architecture, a...resource on which it is assigned at runtime. A second representation problem is that most graph analysis algorithms treat either graphs with weighted links...subtask) associated with it but is treated like other links. In d-ALPS, as a priority precedence link, it would cause the binding of a pro- cessor: as a

Purification of barley dimeric α-amylase inhibitor-1 (BDAI-1) and avenin-like protein-a (ALP) from beer and their impact on beer foam stability.

PubMed

Iimure, Takashi; Kihara, Makoto; Sato, Kazuhiro; Ogushi, Kensuke

2015-04-01

Foam stability is a key factor of beer quality for consumers and brewers. Recent beer proteome analyses have suggested that barley dimeric α-amylase inhibitor-1 (BDAI-1) and avenin-like protein-a (ALP) derived from barley are important for beer foam stability. In this study, BDAI-1 and ALP were purified from a Japanese commercial beer sample using salt precipitation and column chromatography. The purification level was verified using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and database searches. Purified BDAI-1 and ALP were added to a beer sample to compare the foam stability to that of a control beer sample. As a result, beer foam stability was significantly improved by BDAI-1 but not by ALP, thereby suggesting that BDAI-1 affects beer foam stability whereas ALP does not. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quenching of graphene quantum dots fluorescence by alkaline phosphatase activity in the presence of hydroquinone diphosphate.

PubMed

Pereira da Silva Neves, Marta Maria; González-García, María Begoña; Pérez-Junquera, Alejandro; Hernández-Santos, David; Fanjul-Bolado, Pablo

2018-05-01

In this work, a turn-off photoluminescent sensing proof-of-concept based on blue luminescent graphene quantum dots (GQDs) as the fluorescent probe was developed. For that purpose, GQDs optical response was related with the catalytic enzymatic activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), in the presence of hydroquinone diphosphate (HQDP). The hydrolysis of HQDP by ALP generated hydroquinone (HQ). The oxidation of HQ, enzymatically produced, to p-benzoquinone (BQ) resulted in the quenching of GQDs fluorescence (FL). Therefore, the developed luminescent sensing mechanism allowed the FL quenching with ALP activity to be related and thus quantified the concentration of ALP down to 0.5 nM of enzyme. This innovative design principle appears as a promising tool for the development of enzymatic sensors based on ALP labeling with fluorescent detection or even for direct ALP luminescent quantification in an easy, fast and sensitive manner. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Osteogenic differentiation of immature osteoblasts: Interplay of cell culture media and supplements.

PubMed

Brauer, A; Pohlemann, T; Metzger, W

2016-01-01

Differentiation of immature osteoblasts to mature osteoblasts in vitro initially was induced by supplementing the medium with β-gylcerophosphate and dexamethasone. Later, ascorbic acid, vitamin D3, vitamin K3 and TGFβ1 were used in varying concentrations as supplements to generate a mature osteoblast phenotype. We tested the effects of several combinations of cell culture media, seeding protocols and osteogenic supplements on osteogenic differentiation of human primary osteoblasts. Osteogenic differentiation was analyzed by staining alkaline phosphatase (ALP) with 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-phosphate/nitro blue tetrazolium (BCIP/NBT) and by von Kossa staining of deposited calcium phosphate. The combinations of culture media and supplements significantly influenced osteogenic differentiation, but the seeding protocol did not. Staining of ALP and calcium phosphate could be achieved only if our own mix of osteogenic supplements was used in combination with Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium or if a commercial mix of osteogenic supplements was used in combination with osteoblast growth medium. Especially for von Kossa, we observed great variations in the staining intensity. Because osteogenic differentiation is a complex process, the origin of the osteoblasts, cell culture media and osteogenic supplements should be established by preliminary experiments to achieve optimal differentiation. Staining of ALP or deposited calcium phosphate should be supplemented with qRT-PCR studies to learn more about the influence of specific supplements on osteogenic markers.

Naloxone decreases the inhibitory effect of alprazolam on the release of adrenocorticotropin/cortisol induced by physical exercise in man.

PubMed

Coiro, Vittorio; Volpi, Riccardo; Casti, Amos; Maffei, Maria Ludovica; Stella, Adriano; Volta, Elio; Chiodera, Paolo

2011-06-01

• Alprazolam (ALP), a benzodiazepine activating GABAergic receptors, is involved in ACTH secretion. • This study demonstrates a partial opioid influence in the inhibitory effect of ALP on the release of ACTH/cortisol during physical exercise. To establish the possible involvement of alprazolam (ALP) and/or opiates in the mechanism underlying the ACTH/cortisol response to physical exercise. Tests were carried out under basal conditions (exercise control test), exercise plus ALP (50 µg at time -90 min), naloxone (10 mg at time 0) or ALP plus naloxone. Plasma ACTH and serum cortisol concentrations were evaluated in blood samples taken before, during and after the bicycle ergometer tests. ACTH and cortisol concentrations rose significantly after physical exercise. Maximum peak at time 15 min (P ≤ 0.01 vs. baseline) for ACTH and at time 30 min (P ≤ 0.01 vs. baseline) for cortisol. In the presence of naloxone, the ACTH and cortisol responses were significantly increased (maximum peak at time 20 min, P ≤ 0.02 vs. control test for ACTH, and at time 30 min (P ≤ 0.01 vs. baseline) for cortisol) whereas they were abolished by ALP. When ALP and naloxone were given together, the inhibitory effect of ALP was partial. These data demonstrate an inhibitory effect of ALP in the regulation of the ACTH/cortisol response to physical exercise in man and suggest that GABAergic receptor activating benzodiazepines and opioids interact in the neuroendocrine secretion of ACTH/cortisol. © 2011 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology © 2011 The British Pharmacological Society.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daido, Ryuji; Takahashi, Fuminobu; Yin, Wen, E-mail: daido@tuhep.phys.tohoku.ac.jp, E-mail: fumi@tuhep.phys.tohoku.ac.jp, E-mail: wyin@ihep.ac.cn

We propose a scenario where both inflation and dark matter are described by a single axion-like particle (ALP) in a unified manner. In a class of the minimal axion hilltop inflation, the effective masses at the maximum and mimimum of the potential have equal magnitude but opposite sign, so that the ALP inflaton is light both during inflation and in the true vacuum. After inflation, most of the ALPs decay and evaporate into plasma through a coupling to photons, and the remaining ones become dark matter. We find that the observed CMB and matter power spectrum as well as themore » dark matter abundance point to an ALP of mass m {sub φ} = O(0.01) eV and the axion-photon coupling g {sub φ} {sub γ} {sub γ} = O(10{sup −11}) GeV{sup −1}: the ALP miracle . The suggested parameter region is within the reach of the next generation axion helioscope, IAXO, and high-intensity laser experiments in the future. Furthermore, thermalized ALPs contribute to hot dark matter and its abundance is given in terms of the effective number of extra neutrino species, Δ N {sub eff} ≅ 0.03, which can be tested by the future CMB and BAO observations. We also discuss a case with multiple ALPs, where the coupling to photons can be enhanced in the early Universe by an order of magnitude or more, which enlarges the parameter space for the ALP miracle. The heavy ALP plays a role of the waterfall field in hybrid inflation, and reheats the Universe, and it can be searched for in various experiments such as SHiP.« less

Phylogeography of Trichuris populations isolated from different Cricetidae rodents.

PubMed

Callejón, Rocío; De Rojas, Manuel; Feliú, Carlos; Balao, Francisco; Marrugal, Angela; Henttonen, Heikki; Guevara, Diego; Cutillas, Cristina

2012-11-01

The phylogeography of Trichuris populations (Nematoda) collected from Cricetidae rodents (Muroidea) from different geographical regions was studied. Ribosomal DNA (Internal Transcribed Spacers 1 and 2, and mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome c- oxidase subunit 1 partial gene) have been used as molecular markers. The nuclear internal transcribed spacers (ITSs) 1 and 2 showed 2 clear-cut geographical and genetic lineages: one of the Nearctic region (Oregon), although the second was widespread throughout the Palaearctic region and appeared as a star-like structure in the minimum spanning network. The mitochondrial results revealed that T. arvicolae populations from the Palaearctic region were separated into 3 clear-cut geographical and genetic lineages: populations from Northern Europe, populations from Southern (Spain) and Eastern Europe (Croatia, Belarus, Kazahstan), and populations from Italy and France (Eastern Pyrénean Mountains). Phylogenetic analysis obtained on the basis of ITS1-5·8S-ITS2 rDNA sequences did not show a differential geographical structure; however, these markers suggest a new Trichuris species parasitizing Chionomys roberti and Cricetulus barabensis. The mitochondrial results revealed that Trichuris populations from arvicolinae rodents show signals of a post-glacial northward population expansion starting from the Pyrenees and Italy. Apparently, the Pyrenees and the Alps were not barriers to the dispersal of Trichuris populations.

Positioning the red deer (Cervus elaphus) hunted by the Tyrolean Iceman into a mitochondrial DNA phylogeny.

PubMed

Olivieri, Cristina; Marota, Isolina; Rizzi, Ermanno; Ermini, Luca; Fusco, Letizia; Pietrelli, Alessandro; De Bellis, Gianluca; Rollo, Franco; Luciani, Stefania

2014-01-01

In the last years several phylogeographic studies of both extant and extinct red deer populations have been conducted. Three distinct mitochondrial lineages (western, eastern and North-African/Sardinian) have been identified reflecting different glacial refugia and postglacial recolonisation processes. However, little is known about the genetics of the Alpine populations and no mitochondrial DNA sequences from Alpine archaeological specimens are available. Here we provide the first mitochondrial sequences of an Alpine Copper Age Cervus elaphus. DNA was extracted from hair shafts which were part of the remains of the clothes of the glacier mummy known as the Tyrolean Iceman or Ötzi (5,350-5,100 years before present). A 2,297 base pairs long fragment was sequenced using a mixed sequencing procedure based on PCR amplifications and 454 sequencing of pooled amplification products. We analyzed the phylogenetic relationships of the Alpine Copper Age red deer's haplotype with haplotypes of modern and ancient European red deer. The phylogenetic analyses showed that the haplotype of the Alpine Copper Age red deer falls within the western European mitochondrial lineage in contrast with the current populations from the Italian Alps belonging to the eastern lineage. We also discussed the phylogenetic relationships of the Alpine Copper Age red deer with the populations from Mesola Wood (northern Italy) and Sardinia.

Y-STR variation among Slavs: evidence for the Slavic homeland in the middle Dnieper basin.

PubMed

Rebała, Krzysztof; Mikulich, Alexei I; Tsybovsky, Iosif S; Siváková, Daniela; Dzupinková, Zuzana; Szczerkowska-Dobosz, Aneta; Szczerkowska, Zofia

2007-01-01

A set of 18 Y-chromosomal microsatellite loci was analysed in 568 males from Poland, Slovakia and three regions of Belarus. The results were compared to data available for 2,937 Y chromosome samples from 20 other Slavic populations. Lack of relationship between linguistic, geographic and historical relations between Slavic populations and Y-short tandem repeat (STR) haplotype distribution was observed. Two genetically distant groups of Slavic populations were revealed: one encompassing all Western-Slavic, Eastern-Slavic, and two Southern-Slavic populations, and one encompassing all remaining Southern Slavs. An analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) based on Y-chromosomal STRs showed that the variation observed between the two population groups was 4.3%, and was higher than the level of genetic variance among populations within the groups (1.2%). Homogeneity of northern Slavic paternal lineages in Europe was shown to stretch from the Alps to the upper Volga and involve ethnicities speaking completely different branches of Slavic languages. The central position of the population of Ukraine in the network of insignificant AMOVA comparisons, and the lack of traces of significant contribution of ancient tribes inhabiting present-day Poland to the gene pool of Eastern and Southern Slavs, support hypothesis placing the earliest known homeland of Slavs in the middle Dnieper basin.

Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome-FAS Patients Have an Abnormal Regulatory T Cell (Treg) Phenotype but Display Normal Natural Treg-Suppressive Function on T Cell Proliferation.

PubMed

Mazerolles, Fabienne; Stolzenberg, Marie-Claude; Pelle, Olivier; Picard, Capucine; Neven, Benedicte; Fischer, Alain; Magerus-Chatinet, Aude; Rieux-Laucat, Frederic

2018-01-01

Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) with FAS mutation (ALPS-FAS) is a nonmalignant, noninfectious, lymphoproliferative disease with autoimmunity. Given the central role of natural regulatory T cells (nTregs) in the control of lymphoproliferation and autoimmunity, we assessed nTreg-suppressive function in 16 patients with ALPS-FAS. The proportion of CD25 high CD127 low Tregs was lower in ALPS-FAS patients than in healthy controls. This subset was correlated with a reduced CD25 expression in CD3 + CD4 + T cells from ALPS patients and thus an abnormally low proportion of CD25 high FOXP3 + Helios + T cells. The ALPS patients also displayed a high proportion of naïve Treg (FOXP3 low CD45RA + ) and an unusual subpopulation (CD4 + CD127 low CD15s + CD45RA + ). Despite this abnormal phenotype, the CD25 high CD127 low Tregs' suppressive function was unaffected. Furthermore, conventional T cells from FAS -mutated patients showed normal levels of sensitivity to Treg suppression. An abnormal Treg phenotype is observed in circulating lymphocytes of ALPS patients. However, these Tregs displayed a normal suppressive function on T effector proliferation in vitro . This is suggesting that lymphoproliferation observed in ALPS patients does not result from Tregs functional defect or T effector cells insensitivity to Tregs suppression.

Changes of serum alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes in fasted rats.

PubMed

Wada, H; Niwa, N; Hayakawa, T; Tsuge, H

1996-10-01

Changes of serum alkaline phosphatase (sALP) isoenzymes under fasting conditions were examined using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), amino-acids (L-phenylalanine (L-Phe), L-homoarginine (L-HArg)) inhibition and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) treatment. The sALP of non-fasted rats was separated into three bands (S1, S2, S3) by PAGE. The molecular weight (M.W.) of S1 corresponded to that of an isoenzyme found in the ileum. By the addition of L-Phe, the staining intensity of S1 was weakened, S2 and S3 remained unchanged and the total activity of the isoenzymes extracted from intestine decreased. On the other hand, the activity of isoenzymes extracted from kidney and bone decreased by the addition of L-HArg. Therefore, S1 was judged to be derived from intestine. The activities of total sALP and S1 decreased from 16 h of fasting. Total sALP activity and sALP activity of the supernatant prepared by WGA treatment decreased, whereas the ALP activity of the precipitate (difference between total sALP activity and supernatant sALP activity) did not change. The activity band of the precipitate corresponded to that of S3 by PAGE. Therefore, S3 was judged to be derived from bone. In conclusion, under fasting conditions, the activity of S1 decreased while the activities of S2 and S3 remained unchanged.

Ustekinumab for patients with primary biliary cholangitis who have an inadequate response to ursodeoxycholic acid: A proof-of-concept study.

PubMed

Hirschfield, Gideon M; Gershwin, M Eric; Strauss, Richard; Mayo, Marlyn J; Levy, Cynthia; Zou, Bin; Johanns, Jewel; Nnane, Ivo P; Dasgupta, Bidisha; Li, Katherine; Selmi, Carlo; Marschall, Hanns-Ulrich; Jones, David; Lindor, Keith

2016-07-01

The interleukin (IL)-12 signaling cascade has been associated with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). This multicenter, open-label, proof-of-concept study evaluated the anti-IL12/23 monoclonal antibody, ustekinumab (90 mg subcutaneous at weeks 0 and 4, then every 8 weeks through week 20), in adults with PBC and an inadequate response to ursodeoxycholic acid therapy (i.e., alkaline phosphatase [ALP] >1.67× upper limit of normal [ULN] after ≥6 months). ALP response was defined as a >40% decrease from baseline and ALP remission as ALP normalization (if baseline ALP 1.67×-2.8× ULN) or <1.67× ULN (if baseline ALP >2.8× ULN). Changes in Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) scores and serum bile acids were also assessed. At baseline, patients had median disease duration of 3.2 years, median ELF score of 9.8, and highly elevated total bile acid concentration (median, 43.3 μmol/L); 13 of 20 (65%) patients had baseline ALP >3× ULN. Although steady-state serum ustekinumab concentrations were reached by week 12, no patient achieved ALP response or remission. Median percent ALP reduction from baseline to week 28 was 12.1%. ELF score decreased slightly from baseline to week 28 (median reduction: 0.173), and total serum bile acid concentrations decreased from baseline to week 28 (median reduction: 8.8 μmol/L). No serious infections or discontinuations resulting from adverse events were reported through week 28. One patient had a serious upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage considered unrelated to test agent by the investigator. Open-label ustekinumab therapy, though associated with a modest decrease in ALP after 28 weeks of therapy, did not otherwise appreciably change ALP and overt proof-of-concept was not established as per prespecified primary endpoint of proposed efficacy. No new ustekinumab safety signals were observed. (Hepatology 2016;64:189-199). © 2015 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

Intercontinental and intracontinental biogeography of the eastern Asian - Eastern North American disjunct Panax (the ginseng genus, Araliaceae), emphasizing its diversification processes in eastern Asia.

PubMed

Zuo, Yun-Juan; Wen, Jun; Zhou, Shi-Liang

2017-12-01

The intercontinental biogeography between eastern Asia and eastern North America has attracted much attention from evolutionary biologists. Further insights into understanding the evolution of the intercontinental disjunctions have been hampered by the lack of studies on the intracontinental biogeography in eastern Asia, a region with complex geology, geography, climates and habitats. Herein we studied the biogeographic history of the eastern Asian-eastern North American disjunct genus Panax with special emphasis on the investigation of its uneven diversification in Asia. This study reconstructs the diversification history of Panax and also emphasizes a large clade of Panax taxa, which has a wide distribution in eastern Asia, but was unresolved in previous studies. We examined the noncoding plastid DNA fragments of trnH-psbA, rps16, and psbM-trnD, the mitochondrial b/c intron of NAD1, and the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of 356 samples from 47 populations. The results revealed the subtropical Northern Hemisphere origin (Asia or Asia and North America) of Panax in the Paleocene. Intercontinental disjunctions between eastern Asia and eastern North America formed twice in Panax, once estimated in early Eocene for the split of P. trifolius and another in mid-Miocene for the divergence of P. quinquefolius. Intercontinental diversifications in Panax showed temporal correlation with the increase of global temperature. The evolutionary radiation of the P. bipinnatifidus species complex occurred around the boundary of Oligocene and Miocene. Strong genetic structure among populations of the species complex was detected and the populations may be isolated by distance. The backbone network and the Bayesian clustering analysis revealed a major evolutionary radiation centered in the Hengduan Mountains of western China. Our results suggested that the evolutionary radiation of Panax was promoted by geographic barriers, including mountain ranges (Hengduan Mountains, Nanling Mountains and Wuyishan Mountains), oceans and altitudinal shifts, which further contribute to the knowledge of the uneven species diversification between eastern Asia and North America. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Differences of bone alkaline phosphatase isoforms in metastatic bone disease and discrepant effects of clodronate on different skeletal sites indicated by the location of pain.

PubMed

Magnusson, P; Larsson, L; Englund, G; Larsson, B; Strang, P; Selin-Sjögren, L

1998-08-01

We compared clodronate with placebo administration in 42 primarily or secondarily hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients with skeletal metastases and persisting pain. Serum total alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone ALP isoforms, osteocalcin, cross-linked carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen, and prostate-specific antigen were analyzed before and after 1 month of treatment. Six ALP isoforms were quantified by HPLC: one bone/intestinal, two bone (B1, B2), and three liver ALP isoforms. The most apparent difference compared with healthy males was observed for the bone ALP isoform B2. Patients and healthy males had a B2 activity corresponding to 75% and 35% of the total ALP activity, respectively (P <0.0001). We propose that the different bone ALP isoforms reflect different stages of osteoblast differentiation during the extracellular matrix maturation phase of osteogenesis. All bone markers except osteocalcin increased after 1 month of clodronate administration. These increases were associated with pain only in the upper part of the body. We suggest that the uptake of clodronate by the skeleton was not uniform during our treatment period.

Chemical redox modulated fluorescence of nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots for probing the activity of alkaline phosphatase.

PubMed

Liu, JingJing; Tang, Duosi; Chen, Zhitao; Yan, Xiaomei; Zhong, Zhou; Kang, Longtian; Yao, Jiannian

2017-08-15

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) as an essential enzyme plays an important role in clinical diagnoses and biomedical researches. Hence, the development of convenient and sensitivity assay for monitoring ALP is extremely important. In this work, on the basis of chemical redox strategy to modulate the fluorescence of nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (NGQDs), a novel label-free fluorescent sensing system for the detection of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity has been developed. The fluorescence of NGQDs is firstly quenched by ultrathin cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) nanosheets, and then restored by ascorbic acid (AA), which can reduce CoOOH to Co 2+ , thus the ALP can be monitored based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of L-ascorbic acid-2-phosphate (AAP) by ALP to generate AA. Quantitative evaluation of ALP activity in a range from 0.1 to 5U/L with the detection limit of 0.07U/L can be realized in this sensing system. Endowed with high sensitivity and selectivity, the proposed assay is capable of detecting ALP in biological system with satisfactory results. Meanwhile, this sensing system can be easily extended to the detection of various AA-involved analytes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ADAM17 limits the expression of CSF1R on murine hematopoietic progenitors

PubMed Central

Becker, Amy M.; Walcheck, Bruce; Bhattacharya, Deepta

2014-01-01

All-lymphoid progenitors (ALPs) yield few myeloid cells in vivo, but readily generate such cells in vitro. The basis for this difference remains unknown. We hypothesized that ALPs limit responsiveness to in vivo concentrations of myeloid-promoting cytokines by reducing expression of the corresponding receptors, potentially through post-transcriptional mechanisms. Consistent with such a mechanism, ALPs express higher levels of Csf1r transcripts than their upstream precursors, yet show limited cell surface protein expression of CSF1R. ALPs and other hematopoietic progenitors deficient in ADAM17, a metalloprotease that can cleave CSF1R, display elevated cell surface CSF1R expression. Adam17−/− ALPs, however, fail to yield myeloid cells upon transplantation into irradiated recipients. Moreover, Adam17−/− ALPs yield fewer macrophages in vitro than control ALPs at high concentrations of M-CSF. Mice with hematopoietic-specific deletion of Adam17 have grossly normal numbers of myeloid and lymphoid progenitors and mature cells in vivo. These data demonstrate that ADAM17 limits CSF1R protein expression on hematopoietic progenitors, but that compensatory mechanisms prevent elevated CSF1R levels from altering lymphoid progenitor potential. PMID:25308957

Age-related Changes in the Alkaline Phosphatase Activity of Healthy and Inflamed Human Dental Pulp.

PubMed

Aslantas, Eda E; Buzoglu, Hatice Dogan; Karapinar, Senem Pinar; Cehreli, Zafer C; Muftuoglu, Sevda; Atilla, Pergin; Aksoy, Yasemin

2016-01-01

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) plays an important role in inducing mineralization events in the dental pulp. This study investigated and compared the ALP levels in healthy and inflamed pulp in young and old human pulp. Tissue samples were collected from young (<30 years) and old (>60 years) donors. In both age groups, healthy human pulp (n = 18) were collected from extracted wisdom teeth. For reversible and irreversible pulpitis, pulp samples (n = 18 each) were obtained during endodontic treatment. ALP activity was assessed by spectrophotometry and immunhistochemistry. Regardless of age, reversible pulpitis group samples showed a slight elevation in ALP activity compared with normal healthy pulp. In elderly patients, ALP expression with irreversible pulpitis was significantly higher than those with a healthy pulp (P < .05). In the hyperemic state, both the young and old pulp shows a slight increase in ALP activity, whereas in irreversible pulpitis, only the old pulp shows significantly elevated ALP levels. Such an increase may trigger calcification events, which may eventually cause difficulties in endodontic treatment procedures in elderly individuals. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

In vitro and in vivo antioxidant activity of a fructan from the roots of Arctium lappa L.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Wang, Jiajia; Zhang, Zhenzhen; Xu, Jinnan; Xie, Zhuohong; Slavin, Margaret; Gao, Xiangdong

2014-04-01

To explore new antioxidant resource from food, a water-soluble polysaccharide (ALP1) was extracted and purified from the roots of Arctium lappa L. (A. lappa L.) through hot water extraction followed by ethanol precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The antioxidant activity of ALP1 was then evaluated in vitro and in vivo. ALP1 was characterized as a fructan composed of fructose and glucose in the ratio of 13.0:1.0, with an average molecular weight of 4600 Da. The linkages in ALP1 were →1)-Fruf-(2→, Fruf-(2→ and Glcp-(1→. In vitro antioxidant assays demonstrated that ALP1 possessed moderate ABTS(+) scavenging activity, strong hydroxyl radical scavenging activity and strong ferrous ion chelating activity. In in vivo antioxidant assays, ALP1 administration significantly enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities and total antioxidant capacity, as well as decreased the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in both the serum and liver of aging mice. These results suggest that ALP1 has potential as a novel natural antioxidant in food industry and pharmaceuticals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes in landscape evolution patterns during the Mid-Pleistocene Revolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Claude, A.; Akçar, N.; Ivy-Ochs, S.; Schlunegger, F.; Kubik, P.; Christl, M.; Vockenhuber, C.; Dehnert, A.; Kuhlemann, J.; Rahn, M. K. W.; Schluechter, C.

2016-12-01

River terraces in the Alpine Foreland are sedimentary archives that have recorded paleoenvironmental changes during the Quaternary. In the Swiss Alpine Foreland, Quaternary terraces represent a succession of proximal glaciofluvial gravels deposited by meltwater during repeated glaciations of the Alps and the foreland and lying unconformably on Tertiary molasse or Mesozoic carbonate bedrock. The morphostratigraphy of the terrace gravels has a reversed stratigraphic relationship such that older deposits occur at higher elevations than younger deposits. The aim of this study is to reconstruct the landscape evolution of the northern Alpine Foreland since the early and middle Pleistocene. We focus on seven different sites where we establish their chronology by applying cosmogenic depth-profile and isochron burial dating with 10Be, 26Al and 36Cl. Additionally we perform detailed investigations of clast fabrics, petrographic compositions and clast morphometries to identify the sediment source areas and interpret their transport mechanisms and depositional environments. Finally, coupling the reconstructed chronologies with interpolated height differences between the bedrock underlying the Quaternary deposits and the bedrock beneath the modern river allows estimating post-depositional bedrock incision rates. Analyses show that a first gravel accumulation occurred at around 2 Ma, with most of the sediments originating from the northern Central Alps or being reworked from the Miocene Molasse conglomerates. At that time, the Alpine Rhine was draining through Lake Constance into the Danube River and eastwards into the Black Sea. Long-term incision rates into bedrock are ≤ 100 m/Ma. A second phase of gravel accumulation was observed at around 1 Ma, coinciding with the Mid-Pleistocene Revolution. Results from provenance studies showed that these sediments were derived either from the northern central and eastern Alps or were reworked from the Molasse in the Alpine Foreland. During the second accumulation phase, the Alpine Rhine was already redirected westwards into the Upper Rhine Valley from where it drained northwards into the North Sea. The reorganisation of the drainage network in the foreland probably led to an acceleration in bedrock incision rates with estimated values between 100 and 350 m/Ma.

Stochastic Downscaling of Digital Elevation Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasera, Luiz Gustavo; Mariethoz, Gregoire; Lane, Stuart N.

2016-04-01

High-resolution digital elevation models (HR-DEMs) are extremely important for the understanding of small-scale geomorphic processes in Alpine environments. In the last decade, remote sensing techniques have experienced a major technological evolution, enabling fast and precise acquisition of HR-DEMs. However, sensors designed to measure elevation data still feature different spatial resolution and coverage capabilities. Terrestrial altimetry allows the acquisition of HR-DEMs with centimeter to millimeter-level precision, but only within small spatial extents and often with dead ground problems. Conversely, satellite radiometric sensors are able to gather elevation measurements over large areas but with limited spatial resolution. In the present study, we propose an algorithm to downscale low-resolution satellite-based DEMs using topographic patterns extracted from HR-DEMs derived for example from ground-based and airborne altimetry. The method consists of a multiple-point geostatistical simulation technique able to generate high-resolution elevation data from low-resolution digital elevation models (LR-DEMs). Initially, two collocated DEMs with different spatial resolutions serve as an input to construct a database of topographic patterns, which is also used to infer the statistical relationships between the two scales. High-resolution elevation patterns are then retrieved from the database to downscale a LR-DEM through a stochastic simulation process. The output of the simulations are multiple equally probable DEMs with higher spatial resolution that also depict the large-scale geomorphic structures present in the original LR-DEM. As these multiple models reflect the uncertainty related to the downscaling, they can be employed to quantify the uncertainty of phenomena that are dependent on fine topography, such as catchment hydrological processes. The proposed methodology is illustrated for a case study in the Swiss Alps. A swissALTI3D HR-DEM (with 5 m resolution) and a SRTM-derived LR-DEM from the Western Alps are used to downscale a SRTM-based LR-DEM from the eastern part of the Alps. The results show that the method is capable of generating multiple high-resolution synthetic DEMs that reproduce the spatial structure and statistics of the original DEM.

The Haselgebirge evaporitic mélange in central Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria): Part of the Permian to Lower Triassic rift of the Meliata ocean?

PubMed

Schorn, Anja; Neubauer, Franz; Genser, Johann; Bernroider, Manfred

2013-01-11

For the reconstruction of Alpine tectonics of the Eastern Alps, the evaporitic Permian to Lower Triassic Haselgebirge Formation plays a key role in (1) the origin of Haselgebirge bearing nappes, (2) the inclusion of magmatic and metamorphic rocks revealing tectonic processes not preserved in other units, and (3) the debated mode of emplacement of the nappes, namely gravity-driven or tectonic. Within the Moosegg quarry of the central Northern Calcareous Alps gypsum/anhydrite bodies are tectonically mixed with lenses of sedimentary rocks and decimeter- to meter-sized tectonic clasts of plutonic and subvolcanic rocks and rare metamorphics. We examined various types of (1) widespread biotite-diorite, meta-syenite, (2) meta-dolerite and rare ultramafic rocks (serpentinite, pyroxenite) as well as (3) rare metamorphic banded meta-psammitic schists and meta-doleritic blueschists. The apparent 40 Ar/ 39 Ar biotite ages from three biotite-diorite, meta-dolerite and meta-doleritic blueschist samples with variable composition and fabrics range from 248 to 270 Ma (e.g., 251.2 ± 1.1 Ma) indicating a Permian age of cooling after magma crystallisation or metamorphism. The chemical composition of biotite-diorite and meta-syenite indicates an alkaline trend interpreted to represent a rift-related magmatic suite. These, as well as Permian to Jurassic sedimentary rocks, were incorporated during Cretaceous nappe emplacement forming the sulphatic Haselgebirge mélange. The scattered 40 Ar/ 39 Ar white mica ages of a meta-doleritic blueschist (of N-MORB origin) and banded meta-psammitic schist are ca. 349 and 378 Ma, respectively, proving the Variscan age of pressure-dominated metamorphism. These ages are similar to detrital white mica ages reported from the underlying Rossfeld Formations, indicating a close source-sink relationship. According to our new data, the Haselgebirge bearing nappe was transported over the Lower Cretaceous Rossfeld Formations, which include many clasts derived from the Haselgebirge Formation and its exotic blocks deposited in front of the incoming nappe comprising the Haselgebirge Formation.

Diffusion impact on atmospheric moisture transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moseley, C.; Haerter, J.; Göttel, H.; Hagemann, S.; Jacob, D.

2009-04-01

To ensure numerical stability, many global and regional climate models employ numerical diffusion to dampen short wavelength modes. Terrain following sigma diffusion is known to cause unphysical effects near the surface in orographically structured regions. They can be reduced by applying z-diffusion on geopotential height levels. We investigate the effect of the diffusion scheme on atmospheric moisture transport and precipitation formation at different resolutions in the European region. With respect to a better understanding of diffusion in current and future grid-space global models, current day regional models may serve as the appropriate tool for studies of the impact of diffusion schemes: Results can easily be constrained to a small test region and checked against reliable observations, which often are unavailable on a global scale. Special attention is drawn to the Alps - a region of strong topographic gradients and good observational coverage. Our study is further motivated by the appearance of the "summer drying problem" in South Eastern Europe. This too warm and too dry simulation of climate is common to many regional climate models and also to some global climate models, and remains a permanent unsolved problem in the community. We perform a systematic comparison of the two diffusion-schemes with respect to the hydrological cycle. In particular, we investigate how local meteorological quantities - such as the atmospheric moisture in the region east of the Alps - depend on the spatial model resolution. Higher model resolution would lead to a more accurate representation of the topography and entail larger gradients in the Alps. This could lead to consecutively stronger transport of moisture along the slopes in the case of sigma-diffusion with subsequent orographic precipitation, whereas the effect could be qualitatively different in the case of z-diffusion. For our study, we analyse a sequence of simulations of the regional climate model REMO employing the different diffusion methods over Europe. For these simulations, REMO was forced at the lateral boundaries with ERA40 reanalysis data for a five year period. For our higher resolution simulations we employ the double nesting technique.

Wind Powering America Anemometer Loan Program: A Retrospective

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jimenez, T.

This white paper details the history, mechanics, status, and impact of the Native American Anemometer Loan Program (ALP) conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America (WPA) initiative. Originally conceived in 2000 and terminated (as a WPA activity) at the end of FY 2011, the ALP has resulted in the installation of anemometers at 90 locations. In addition, the ALP provided support for the installation of anemometers at 38 additional locations under a related ALP administered by the Western Area Power Administration.

Plasma-based wakefield accelerators as sources of axion-like particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burton, David A.; Noble, Adam

2018-03-01

We estimate the average flux density of minimally-coupled axion-like particles (ALPs) generated by a laser-driven plasma wakefield propagating along a constant strong magnetic field. Our calculations suggest that a terrestrial source based on this approach could generate a pulse of ALPs whose flux density is comparable to that of solar ALPs at Earth. This mechanism is optimal for ALPs with mass in the range of interest of contemporary experiments designed to detect dark matter using microwave cavities.

Photoinduced electron transfer between Fe(III) and adenosine triphosphate-BODIPY conjugates: Application to alkaline-phosphatase-linked immunoassay.

PubMed

Lin, Jia-Hui; Yang, Ya-Chun; Shih, Ya-Chen; Hung, Szu-Ying; Lu, Chi-Yu; Tseng, Wei-Lung

2016-03-15

Fluorescent boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) analogs are often used as sensors for detecting various species because of their relatively high extinction coefficients, outstanding fluorescence quantum yields, photostability, and pH-independent fluorescence. However, there is little-to-no information in the literature that describes the use of BODIPY analogs for detecting alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and inhibition. This study discovered that the fluorescence of BODIPY-conjugated adenosine triphosphate (BODIPY-ATP) was quenched by Fe(III) ions through photoinduced electron transfer. The ALP-catalyzed hydrolysis of BODIPY-ATP resulted in the formation of BODIPY-adenosine and phosphate ions. The fluorescence of the generated BODIPY-adenosine was insensitive to the change in the concentration of Fe(III) ions. Thus, the Fe(III)-induced fluorescence quenching of BODIPY-ATP can be paired with its ALP-mediated dephosphorylation to design a turn-on fluorescence probe for ALP sensing. A method detection limit at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 for ALP was estimated to be 0.02 units/L (~6 pM; 1 ng/mL). This probe was used for the screening of ALP inhibitors, including Na3VO4, imidazole, and arginine. Because ALP is widely used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, the probe was coupled to an ALP-linked immunosorbent assay for the sensitive and selective detection of immunoglobulin G (IgG). The lowest detectable concentration for IgG in this system was 5 ng/mL. Compared with the use of 3,6-fluorescein diphosphate as a signal reporter in an ALP-linked immunosorbent assay, the proposed system provided comparable sensitivity, large linear range, and high stability over temperature and pH changes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Axion-photon propagation in magnetized universe

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Chen; Lai, Dong, E-mail: wangchen@nao.cas.cn, E-mail: dong@astro.cornell.edu

Oscillations between photons and axion-like particles (ALP) travelling in intergalactic magnetic fields have been invoked to explain a number of astrophysical phenomena, or used to constrain ALP properties using observations. One example is the anomalous transparency of the universe to TeV gamma rays. The intergalactic magnetic field is usually modeled as patches of coherent domains, each with a uniform magnetic field, but the field orientation changes randomly from one domain to the next (''discrete-φ model''). We show in this paper that in more realistic situations, when the magnetic field direction varies continuously along the propagation path, the photon-to-ALP conversion probabilitymore » P can be significantly different from the discrete-φ model. In particular, P has a distinct dependence on the photon energy and ALP mass, and can be as large as 100%. This result can affect previous constraints on ALP properties based on ALP-photon propagation in intergalactic magnetic fields, such as TeV photons from distant Active Galactic Nucleus.« less

Si3 AlP: A New Promising Material for Solar Cell Absorber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jihui; Zhai, Yingteng; Liu, Hengrui; Xiang, Hongjun; Gong, Xingao; Wei, Suhuai

2014-03-01

First-principles calculations are performed to study the structural and optoelectronic properties of the newly synthesized nonisovalent and lattice-matched (Si2)0.6(AlP)0.4 alloy [T. Watkins et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 16212.] The most stable structure of Si3AlP is a superlattice along the <111>direction with separated AlP and Si layers, which has a similar optical absorption spectrum to silicon. The ordered C1c1-Si3AlP is found to be the most stable one among all the structures with -AlPSi3- motifs, in agreement with the experimental suggestions. We predict that C1c1-Si3AlP has good optical properties, i.e., it has a larger fundamental band gap and a smaller direct band gap than Si, thus it has much higher absorption in the visible light region, making it a promising candidate for improving the performance of the existing Si-based solar cells.

In vitro response to alkaline phosphatase coatings immobilized onto titanium implants using electrospray deposition or polydopamine-assisted deposition.

PubMed

Nijhuis, Arnold W G; van den Beucken, Jeroen J J P; Jansen, John A; Leeuwenburgh, Sander C G

2014-04-01

Immobilization of biomolecules onto implant surfaces is one of the most straightforward strategies to control the interaction between an implant and its biological environment. Recently, it was shown that the enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP) could be efficiently immobilized onto titanium implants in a single step using polydopamine. We hypothesized that such polydopamine-ALP coatings can enhance the early attachment of cells and increase mineralization. Therefore, the current study aimed at immobilization of ALP onto titanium by means of either one- or two-step polydopamine-assisted immobilization or electrospray deposition, the comparative characterization of these experimental substrates and subsequent cell behavioral analysis using primary osteoblast-like cells. Uncoated titanium and ALP-free polydopamine coatings served as controls. Despite significant ALP surface activity and lower water contact for angles ALP-containing surface modifications, only marginal effects on early cell behavior (i.e., cell spreading) and osteogenic differentiation (i.e., proliferation, differentiation and mineralization) were observed in comparison to uncoated titanium. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A review of aluminium phosphide poisoning and a flowchart to treat it.

PubMed

Hashemi-Domeneh, Behrooz; Zamani, Nasim; Hassanian-Moghaddam, Hossein; Rahimi, Mitra; Shadnia, Shahin; Erfantalab, Peyman; Ostadi, Ali

2016-09-01

The use of pesticides such as aluminium phosphide (AlP) has increased in the recent years and improved the quantity and quality of agricultural products in a number of developing countries. The downside is that AlP causes severe chronic and acute health effects that have reached major proportions in countries such as India, Iran, Bangladesh, and Jordan. Nearly 300,000 people die due to pesticide poisoning in the world every year. Poisoning with AlP accounts for many of these deaths. Unfortunately, at the same time, there is no standard treatment for it. The aim of this article is to give a brief review of AlP poisoning and propose a treatment flowchart based on the knowledge gained so far. For this purpose we reviewed all articles on the management of AlP poisoning published from 2000 till now. Using a modified Delphi design, we have designed a handy flowchart that could be used as a guide for AlP poisoning management of patients in emergency centres.

Aluminum phosphate microcapsule flame retardants for flexible polyurethane foams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bin; Liu, Hong; Han, Jian

2018-04-01

In this study, highly efficient flame-retardant aluminum phosphate (ALP) microcapsules were synthesized from ALP and ammonium phosphomolybdate trihydrate. The chemical structure of the ALP microcapsules was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis, and the thermal degradation behavior was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Subsequently, flexible polyurethane (PU) foams were prepared with the ALP microcapsules. Limiting oxygen index (LOI) tests, vertical burning tests, smoke density rating (SDR), and cone calorimetric tests were employed to investigate the combustion of the materials. The results showed that the flexible PU foams with 15 parts per hundred polyol by weight (pphp) ALP microcapsules passed the vertical burning test and they had an increased LOI value of 28.5%. The SDR value for PU/20 pphp ALP microcapsule composites was about 16.0% and the SDR value for the pure PU was about 29.0%. The corresponding flame-retardant mechanism was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, TGA, Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) tests, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry.

Assessment of the serum levels of bone alkaline phosphatase with a new immunoradiometric assay in patients with metabolic bone disease

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garnero, P.; Delmas, P.D.

1993-10-01

The authors measured serum bone alkaline phosphatase (B-ALP) with a new immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) in a large sample of healthy controls comprising 173 women and 180 men, 20-88 yr of age, and in patients with metabolic bone disease. Using serum samples from patients with liver disease and patients with Paget's disease with elevated total alkaline phosphatase (T-ALP) as a source of, respectively, liver and bone isoenyzmes, they determined a liver cross-reactivity of the IRMA of 16% that was confirmed by electrophoresis of the circulating alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes. The IRMA was linear for serial sample dilutions, the recovery ranged from 89-110%,more » and the intra- and interassay variations were below 7% and 9%, respectively. B-ALP increased linearly with age in both sexes, and the mean B-ALP serum levels were not significantly different for women and men (11.3 [+-] 4.8 ng/mL for women; 11.0 [+-] 4.0 ng/mL for men). The increase in B-ALP after the menopause was significantly higher than that in T-ALP (+77% vs. +24%; P<0.001). When the values of postmenopausal women were expressed as the SD from the mean of premenopausal women, the mean Z scores were 2.2[+-] 1.8 for B-ALP and 0.9 [+-] 1.3 for T-ALP (P<0.001 between the two).« less

Investigations on socio economic indicators of French Alps ski industry from an explicit spatial modelling of managed snow on ski slopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spandre, Pierre; François, Hugues; Morin, Samuel; George-Marcelpoil, Emmanuelle; Lafaysse, Matthieu

2017-04-01

Investigations of the capacity of ski resorts to anticipate, cope with and recover from the impact of natural snow scarcity through snow management (grooming, snowmaking) have been realized in most of the major regions in terms of international ski offer although not in the French Alps hitherto. The present work therefore introduces an innovative approach for the investigation of socio economic implications of changes in snow conditions for the French Alps ski resorts based on a panel of 129 resorts representing 96% of the total French Alps ski lifts infrastructures. We integrated detailed spatial representations of ski resorts (including priority areas for snowmaking equipment) along with physically based snowpack modelling (including the physical impact of grooming and snowmaking). The viability of ski resorts was further adressed thanks to a commonly used rule based on the snow season duration at the village and ski lifts average elevations along with the development of original viability indicators of snow conditions in the French Alps ski resorts based on the specific periods for the economic success of winter sports: Christmas and February school holidays. Such indicators were correlated to the number of ski lifts tickets sales over the 2001 - 2014 period and proved to be relevant to investigate and predict the evolutions of ski lifts tickets sales under the current ski market conditions in the French Alps. Our results outlined the contrast of snow conditions between French Alps ski resorts, even when accounting for snow management, particularly regarding the geographical location of resorts (Southern versus Northern Alps), the size and related elevation range of ski resorts. Our physically based approach also allowed to compute the water and energy requirements for the production of Machine Made snow since the start of the development of snowguns in the French Alps. Our computations proved to be strongly correlated to the observed amounts of water from the existing literature and confirmed that the increasing surface equipped with snowmaking facilities in the French Alps is the major factor for the increasing water and energy requirements since 1985. Such approach therefore provides objective information on the impact of snow conditions on the economic activity of winter sports in the French Alps under past and present conditions and may be considered as a relevant approach for further investigations, including the impact of climate change on the winter tourism in the French Alps.

Climate change impacts on hydropower in the Swiss and Italian Alps.

PubMed

Gaudard, Ludovic; Romerio, Franco; Dalla Valle, Francesco; Gorret, Roberta; Maran, Stefano; Ravazzani, Giovanni; Stoffel, Markus; Volonterio, Michela

2014-09-15

This paper provides a synthesis and comparison of methodologies and results obtained in several studies devoted to the impact of climate change on hydropower. By putting into perspective various case studies, we provide a broader context and improved understanding of climate changes on energy production. We also underline the strengths and weaknesses of the approaches used as far as technical, physical and economical aspects are concerned. Although the catchments under investigation are located close to each other in geographic terms (Swiss and Italian Alps), they represent a wide variety of situations which may be affected by differing evolutions for instance in terms of annual runoff. In this study, we also differentiate between run-of-river, storage and pumping-storage power plants. By integrating and comparing various analyses carried out in the framework of the EU-FP7 ACQWA project, this paper discusses the complexity as well as current and future issues of hydropower management in the entire Alpine region. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Critical Hydrologic and Atmospheric Measurements in Complex Alpine Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parlange, M. B.; Bou-Zeid, E.; Barrenetxea, G.; Krichane, M.; Ingelrest, F.; Couach, O.; Luyet, V.; Vetterli, M.; Lehning, M.; Duffy, C.; Tobin, C.; Selker, J.; Kumar, M.

2007-12-01

The Alps are often referred to as the « Water Towers of Europe » and as such play an essential role in European water resources. The impact of climatic change is expected to be particularly pronounced in the Alps and the lack of detailed hydrologic field observations is problematic for predictions of hydrologic and hazard assessment. Advances in information technology and communications provide important possibilities to improve the situation with relatively few measurements. We will present sensorscope technology (arrays of wireless weather stations including soil moisture, pressure, and temperature) that has now been deployed at the Le Genepi and Grand St. Bernard pass. In addition, a Distributed Temperature Sensor array on the stream beds has been deployed and stream discharge monitored. The high spatial resolution data collected in these previously "ungaged" regions are used in conjunction with new generation hydrologic models. The framework as to what is possible today with sensor arrays and modeling in extreme mountain environments is discussed.

Inversion Breakup in Small Rocky Mountain and Alpine Basins

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Whiteman, Charles D.; Pospichal, Bernhard; Eisenbach, Stefan

2004-08-01

Comparisons are made between the post-sunrise breakup of temperature inversions in two similar closed basins in quite different climate settings, one in the eastern Alps and one in the Rocky Mountains. The small, high-altitude, limestone sinkholes have both experienced extreme temperature minima below -50°C. On undisturbed clear nights, temperature inversions reach to 120 m heights in both sinkholes, but are much stronger in the drier Rocky Mountain basin (24K versus 13K). Inversion destruction takes place 2.6 to 3 hours after sunrise and is accomplished primarily by subsidence warming associated with the removal of air from the base of the inversionmore » by the upslope flows that develop over the sidewalls. Differences in inversion strengths and post-sunrise heating rates are caused by differences in the surface energy budget, with drier soil and a higher sensible heat flux in the Rocky Mountain sinkhole.« less

Structure of Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) Efforts, 2000-01.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baenen, Nancy; Yaman, Kimberly

This report focuses on the structure of instructional assistance available through the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) to students who show low achievement in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), North Carolina. Context information is also provided on other programs available to these students. Reports on ALP student participation,…

Effect of AlB2 on the P-threshold in Al-Si alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yuying; Liu, Xiangfa

2018-06-01

The nucleation of primary Si in Al-Si alloys has been investigated in this work. It was found that there was a threshold concentration of P, below which AlP can not heterogeneous nucleate primary Si in Al-12 wt%Si alloy. AlB2 can not nucleate primary Si directly, but the presence of AlB2 may assist the nucleation of AlP leading to the nucleation of primary Si particles. In addition, with addition of AlB2, the nucleation efficiency of AlP can be improved in Al-18 wt%Si alloy. The orientation relationship between AlB2 and AlP has been calculated, and the adsorption model for AlB2 and AlP was proposed in this work.

Naloxone decreases the inhibitory effect of alprazolam on the release of adrenocorticotropin/cortisol induced by physical exercise in man

PubMed Central

Coiro, Vittorio; Volpi, Riccardo; Casti, Amos; Maffei, Maria Ludovica; Stella, Adriano; Volta, Elio; Chiodera, Paolo

2011-01-01

AIMS To establish the possible involvement of alprazolam (ALP) and/or opiates in the mechanism underlying the ACTH/cortisol response to physical exercise. METHODS Tests were carried out under basal conditions (exercise control test), exercise plus ALP (50 µg at time −90 min), naloxone (10 mg at time 0) or ALP plus naloxone. Plasma ACTH and serum cortisol concentrations were evaluated in blood samples taken before, during and after the bicycle ergometer tests. RESULTS ACTH and cortisol concentrations rose significantly after physical exercise. Maximum peak at time 15 min (P≤ 0.01 vs. baseline) for ACTH and at time 30 min (P≤ 0.01 vs. baseline) for cortisol. In the presence of naloxone, the ACTH and cortisol responses were significantly increased (maximum peak at time 20 min, P≤ 0.02 vs. control test for ACTH, and at time 30 min (P≤ 0.01 vs. baseline) for cortisol) whereas they were abolished by ALP. When ALP and naloxone were given together, the inhibitory effect of ALP was partial. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate an inhibitory effect of ALP in the regulation of the ACTH/cortisol response to physical exercise in man and suggest that GABAergic receptor activating benzodiazepines and opioids interact in the neuroendocrine secretion of ACTH/cortisol. PMID:21564163

Revealing heterogeneous nucleation of primary Si and eutectic Si by AlP in hypereutectic Al-Si alloys.

PubMed

Li, Jiehua; Hage, Fredrik S; Liu, Xiangfa; Ramasse, Quentin; Schumacher, Peter

2016-04-28

The heterogeneous nucleation of primary Si and eutectic Si can be attributed to the presence of AlP. Although P, in the form of AlP particles, is usually observed in the centre of primary Si, there is still a lack of detailed investigations on the distribution of P within primary Si and eutectic Si in hypereutectic Al-Si alloys at the atomic scale. Here, we report an atomic-scale experimental investigation on the distribution of P in hypereutectic Al-Si alloys. P, in the form of AlP particles, was observed in the centre of primary Si. However, no significant amount of P was detected within primary Si, eutectic Si and the Al matrix. Instead, P was observed at the interface between the Al matrix and eutectic Si, strongly indicating that P, in the form of AlP particles (or AlP 'patch' dependent on the P concentration), may have nucleated on the surface of the Al matrix and thereby enhanced the heterogeneous nucleation of eutectic Si. The present investigation reveals some novel insights into heterogeneous nucleation of primary Si and eutectic Si by AlP in hypereutectic Al-Si alloys and can be used to further develop heterogeneous nucleation mechanisms based on adsorption.

Identification of human pulmonary alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes.

PubMed

Capelli, A; Cerutti, C G; Lusuardi, M; Donner, C F

1997-04-01

An increase of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity has been observed in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of patients affected by pulmonary fibrosis in chronic interstitial lung disorders. To characterize the ALP isoenzymes in such cases, we used gel filtration, agarose gel electrophoresis, heat and amino acid inhibition assays, wheat-germ agglutinin (WGA) precipitation, and an immunoassay specific for the bone-isoform of ALP. Only one anodic band representing a high-molecular-weight isoform of ALP (Mr approximately 2,000 kDa) was observed on electrophoresis of BALF. The inhibition assay results were consistent for a tissue-nonspecific isoenzyme sensitive to a temperature of 56 degrees C (71.9 +/- 2.5% inhibition) and to homoarginine (65.7 +/- 1.9%), and resistant to L-phenylalanine and L-leucine. Less than 13% of ALP activity was heat-stable. After incubation of BALF specimens with glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase D plus Nonidet P-40, or with phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase C alone, an electrophoretic cathodic band (Mr approximately 220 kDa) appeared near the bone band of a standard serum. With the WGA assay, 84.4 +/- 3.3% of ALP precipitated and the band disappeared. After immunoassay for the bone isoform, a mean of less than 5% enzyme activity was measured. We conclude that the ALP found in BALF is a pulmonary isoform of a tissue nonspecific isoenzyme.

Epiphytic lichen diversity and biomass in low-elevation forests of the eastern Washington Cascade range, USA.

Treesearch

John F. Lehmkuhl

2004-01-01

cover types in the eastern Washington Cascade range. Cover types represented a temperature/moisture and stand structural complexity gradient. Lichen litterfall biomass increased with increasing stand complexity and moisture. Lichen litterfall biomass was 3.42 kg/ha in open pine stands, 7.51 kg/ha in young mixed-species stands, 8.55 kg/ha in mature mixed-species stands...

Hepatic Enzyme Alterations in HIV Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy: A Case-Control Study in a Hospital Setting in Ghana.

PubMed

Osakunor, Derick Nii Mensah; Obirikorang, Christian; Fianu, Vincent; Asare, Isaac; Dakorah, Mavis

2015-01-01

Diagnosing hepatic injury in HIV infection can be a herculean task for clinicians as several factors may be involved. In this study, we sought to determine the effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and disease progression on hepatic enzymes in HIV patients. A case-control study conducted from January to May 2014 at the Akwatia Government Hospital, Eastern region, Ghana, The study included 209 HIV patients on ART (designated HIV-ART) and 132 ART-naive HIV patients (designated HIV-Controls). Data gathered included demography, clinical history and results of blood tests for hepatic enzymes. We employed the Fisher's, Chi-square, unpaired t-test and Pearson's correlation in analysis, using GraphPad Prism and SPSS. A P value < 0.05 was considered significant. Median CD4 lymphocyte count of HIV-ART participants (604.00 cells/mm3) was higher than that of HIV-Controls (491.50 cells/mm3; P = 0.0005). Mean values of ALP, ALT, AST and GGT did not differ between the two groups compared (P > 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between hepatic enzymes (ALP, ALT, AST and GGT) for both groups (p < 0.01 each). Duration of ART correlated positively with ALT (p < 0.05). The effect size of disease progression on hepatic enzymes for both groups was small. Antiretroviral therapy amongst this population has minimal effects on hepatic enzymes and does not suggest modifications in therapy. Hepatic injury may occur in HIV, even in the absence of ART and other traditional factors. Monitoring of hepatic enzymes is still important in HIV patients.

Divergent plate motion drives rapid exhumation of (ultra)high pressure rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Jie; Malusà, Marco G.; Zhao, Liang; Baldwin, Suzanne L.; Fitzgerald, Paul G.; Gerya, Taras

2018-06-01

Exhumation of (ultra)high pressure [(U)HP] rocks by upper-plate divergent motion above an unbroken slab, first proposed in the Western Alps, has never been tested by numerical methods. We present 2D thermo-mechanical models incorporating subduction of a thinned continental margin beneath either a continental or oceanic upper plate, followed by upper-plate divergent motion away from the lower plate. Results demonstrate how divergent plate motion may trigger rapid exhumation of large volumes of (U)HP rocks directly to the Earth's surface, without the need for significant overburden removal by erosion. Model exhumation paths are fully consistent with natural examples for a wide range of upper-plate divergence rates. Exhumation rates are systematically higher than the divergent rate imposed to the upper plate, and the modeled size of exhumed (U)HP domes is invariant for different rates of upper-plate divergence. Major variations are instead predicted at depth for differing model scenarios, as larger amounts of divergent motion may allow mantle-wedge exhumation to shallow depth under the exhuming domes. The transient temperature increase, due to ascent of mantle-wedge material in the subduction channel, has a limited effect on exhumed continental (U)HP rocks already at the surface. We test two examples, the Cenozoic (U)HP terranes of the Western Alps (continental upper plate) and eastern Papua New Guinea (oceanic upper plate). The good fit between model predictions and the geologic record in these terranes encourages the application of these models globally to pre-Cenozoic (U)HP terranes where the geologic record of exhumation is only partly preserved.

Polyploid evolution and Pleistocene glacial cycles: A case study from the alpine primrose Primula marginata (Primulaceae)

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Recent studies highlighted the role of Pleistocene climatic cycles in polyploid speciation and of southern Alpine refugia as reservoirs of diversity during glacial maxima. The polyploid Primula marginata, endemic to the southwestern Alps, includes both hexaploid and dodecaploid cytotypes that show no ecological or morphological differences. We used flow cytometry to determine variation and geographic distribution of cytotypes within and between populations and analyses of chloroplast (cp) and nuclear ribosomal (nr) DNA sequences from the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region to infer the evolutionary history of the two cytotypes and the auto- vs. allopolyploid origin of dodecaploid populations. Results We did not detect any intermediate cytotypes or variation of ploidy levels within populations. Hexaploids occur in the western and dodecaploids in the eastern part of the distributional range, respectively. The cpDNA and nrDNA topologies are in conflict, for the former supports shared ancestry between P. marginata and P. latifolia, while the latter implies common origins between at least some ITS clones of P. marginata and P. allionii. Conclusions Our results suggest an initial episode of chloroplast capture involving ancestral lineages of P. latifolia and P. marginata, followed by polyploidization between P. marginata-like and P. allionii-like lineages in a southern refugium of the Maritime Alps. The higher proportion of ITS polymorphisms in dodecaploid than in hexaploid accessions of P. marginata and higher total nucleotide diversity of ITS clones in dodecaploid vs. hexaploid individuals sequences are congruent with the allopolyploid hypothesis of dodecaploid origin. PMID:22530870

Late Quaternary glacier sensitivity to temperature and precipitation distribution in the Southern Alps of New Zealand

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ann V. Rowan; Simon H. Brocklehurst; David M. Schultz

2014-05-01

Glaciers respond to climate variations and leave geomorphic evidence that represents an important terrestrial paleoclimate record. However, the accuracy of paleoclimate reconstructions from glacial geology is limited by the challenge of representing mountain meteorology in numerical models. Precipitation is usually treated in a simple manner and yet represents difficult-to-characterize variables such as amount, distribution, and phase. Furthermore, precipitation distributions during a glacial probably differed from present-day interglacial patterns. We applied two models to investigate glacier sensitivity to temperature and precipitation in the eastern Southern Alps of New Zealand. A 2-D model was used to quantify variations in the length ofmore » the reconstructed glaciers resulting from plausible precipitation distributions compared to variations in length resulting from change in mean annual air temperature and precipitation amount. A 1-D model was used to quantify variations in length resulting from interannual climate variability. Assuming that present-day interglacial values represent precipitation distributions during the last glacial, a range of plausible present-day precipitation distributions resulted in uncertainty in the Last Glacial Maximum length of the Pukaki Glacier of 17.1?km (24%) and the Rakaia Glacier of 9.3?km (25%), corresponding to a 0.5°C difference in temperature. Smaller changes in glacier length resulted from a 50% decrease in precipitation amount from present-day values (-14% and -18%) and from a 50% increase in precipitation amount (5% and 9%). Our results demonstrate that precipitation distribution can produce considerable variation in simulated glacier extents and that reconstructions of paleoglaciers should include this uncertainty.« less

Sediment mobility and bedload transport rates in a high-elevation glacier-fed stream (Saldur river, Eastern Italian Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dell'Agnese, A.; Mao, L.; Comiti, F.

2012-04-01

The assessment of bedload transport in high-gradient streams is necessary to evaluate and mitigate flood hazards and to understand morphological processes taking place in the whole river network. Bedload transport in steep channels is particularly difficult to predict due to the complex and varying types of flow resistance, the very coarse and heterogeneous sediments, and the activity and connections of sediment sources at the basin scale. Yet, bedload measurements in these environments are still relatively scarce, and long-term monitoring programs are highly valuable to explore spatial and temporal variability of bedload processes. Even fewer are investigations conducted in high-elevation glaciarized basins, despite their relevance in many regions worldwide. The poster will present bedload transport measurements in a newly established (spring 2011) monitoring station in the Saldur basin (Eastern Italian Alps), which presents a 3.3 km2 glacier in its upper part. At 2100 m a.s.l. (20 km2 drainage area), a pressure transducer measures flow stage and bedload transport is monitored continuously by means of a hydrophone (a cylindrical steel pipe with microphones registering particle collisions) and by 4 fixed antennas for tracing clasts equipped with PITs (Passive Integrated Transponders). At the same location bedload samples are collected by using both a "Bunte" bedload trap and a "Helley-Smith" sampler at 5 positions along a 5 m wide cross-section. Bedload was measured from June to August 2011 during daily discharge fluctuations due to snow- and ice- melt flows. Samples were taken at a large range of discharges (1.1 to 4.6 m3 s-1) and bedload rates (0.01 to 700 g s-1 m-1). As expected, samples taken using the two samplers are not directly comparable even if taken virtually at the same time and at the same location across the section. Results indicate that the grain size of the transported material increases with the shear stress acting on the channel bed and with the bedload transport rate. The coarsest particles collected reached the median diameter of the bed surface (around 100 mm), and exponent of the relationship between the dimensionless critical shear stress and the relative transported size is about -0.80. This indicates that size-selective mobility conditions dominate within the range of explored discharges, and this evidence is confirmed by the analysis of the fractional transport rates of the collected sediment samples. The mobility of coarser (from 50 to 500 mm) sediment particles was explored using 360 PITs; the passage of 176 of them (from 50 to 250 mm in size) have been recorded by the fixed antennas. However, clasts up to about the D84 of the bed surface were seen mobilized after the larger snow/ice melt flows, but relevant morphological changes were observed only after a rainfall flood (favored by a preceding high ice-melt flow) featuring a peak discharge of about 14 m3s-1 (above bankfull stage). A preliminary analysis of PITs data shows a lesser degree of transport selectivity, suggesting that at medium to high flow rates sediments are transported at conditions closer to equal-mobility.

Tracing the spatial and temporal variability of different water sources in a glacierized Alpine catchment (Eastern Italian Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engel, Michael; Penna, Daniele; Comiti, Francesco; Vignoli, Gianluca; Simoni, Silvia; Dinale, Roberto

2016-04-01

Glacierized catchments are important sources of fresh water. Although recent tracer-based studies have been carried out in these environments, more investigations are needed to understand more in detail the complex dynamics of snowmelt, glacier melt and groundwater contributions to stream water, the spatial and temporal variability of these sources of runoff and suspended sediment. In this study we used stable isotopes of water and electrical conductivity (EC) as tracers to identify the origin of different waters in the glacierized Sulden/Solda catchment (130 km², Eastern Italian Alps). The site ranges in elevation between 1112 and 3905 m a.s.l. and includes two major sub-catchments. Rainfall samples were taken from bulk collectors placed along an elevation gradient (905-2585 m a.s.l.). Winter-integrated snowmelt samples were collected from passive capillary samplers installed at different elevations (1600-2825 m a.s.l.), whereas snowmelt was sampled from dripping snow patches. Glacier melt samples were taken in summer from small rivulets on the glacier surface. Samples from the two main streams were collected monthly in 2014 and 2015 at different stream sections, major tributaries and springs. At the outlet, stream water was sampled daily by an automatic sampler, and EC, turbidity and water stage were measured every 5 minutes. Meteorological data were measured by two weather stations at 1600 and 2825 m a.s.l.. Manual samples were taken from February 2014 to November 2015 while the automatic sampling at the outlet was carried out from May to October 2014 and 2015. Results indicate that precipitation originated from air masses coming from the Atlantic Ocean, with limited influence of Mediterrean air masses. Snowmelt showed a pronounced isotopic enrichment during summer, which was also found for glacier melt, but less strong. Spring water from both sub-catchments seemed to be affected by infiltrating snowmelt during summer and represented the major stream component during winter baseflow. The tracer-based comparison of stream locations in both sub-catchments showed similar isotopic and EC dynamics during summer, highlighting that meltwater dynamics may hide the hydrochemical impact of different geology in both sub-catchments. However, EC dynamics in the left sub-catchment during winter indicated a spatial gradient of increasing solute concentrations along the stream. In contrast, an inverse spatial gradient of solute concentrations was found in the right sub-catchment, revealing a different geological setting and highlighting the impact of intensive subglacial weathering. At the outlet, EC and isotopic composition could identify clear seasonal melt water dynamics with periods of pronounced snowmelt contributions in early summer followed by dominant glacier melt contributions. Rainfall events seemed to play a major role on stream water composition in autumn. Also the impact of early snowfall and its melting in autumn 2015 could be traced and well distinguished from early summer snowmelt water. Turbidity showed strong oscillations at the daily scale during summer melt periods and markedly responded to rainfall events, which could be attributed to rapid mobilization of fine sediments and suspended sediment transport in the study catchment.

Investigation on AlP as the heterogeneous nucleus of Mg2Si in Al-Mg2Si alloys by experimental observation and first-principles calculation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jiayue; Li, Chong; Liu, Xiangfa; Yu, Liming; Li, Huijun; Liu, Yongchang

2018-03-01

The microstructural evolution of primary Mg2Si in Al-20%Mg2Si with Al-3%P master alloy was observed by scanning electron microscope. And the interfacial properties of AlP/Mg2Si interface were investigated using first-principles calculations. The calculation results show that AlP(1 0 0)/Mg2Si(2 1 1) and AlP(3 3 1)/Mg2Si(1 1 0) interfaces can form steadily. P-terminated AlP(1 0 0)/Mg2Si(2 1 1) interface with the largest work of adhesion (4.13 J/m2) is theoretically the most stable. The interfacial electronic structure reveals that there are covalent Si-Al, Si-P and Mg-P bonds existing between AlP and Mg2Si slabs. Due to the AlP particles as effective heterogeneous nucleus of Mg2Si, primary Mg2Si particles change from dendrite to octahedron/truncated octahedron, and their sizes decrease to ∼20 μm.

Cutting-edge Kinetic Physics with Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter: The Arbitrary Linear Plasma Solver (ALPS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verscharen, D.; Klein, K. G.; Chandran, B. D. G.; Stevens, M. L.; Salem, C. S.; Bale, S. D.

2017-12-01

The Arbitrary Linear Plasma Solver (ALPS) is a parallelized numerical code that solves the dispersion relation in a hot (even relativistic) magnetized plasma with an arbitrary number of particle species with arbitrary gyrotropic equilibrium distribution functions for any direction of wave propagation with respect to the background field. In this way, ALPS retains generality and overcomes the shortcomings of previous (bi-)Maxwellian solvers for the plasma dispersion relations. The unprecedented high-resolution particle and field data products from Parker Solar Probe (PSP) and Solar Orbiter (SO) will require novel theoretical tools. ALPS is one such tool, and its use will make possible new investigations into the role of non-Maxwellian distributions in the near-Sun solar wind. It can be applied to numerous high-velocity-resolution systems, ranging from current space missions to numerical simulations. We will briefly discuss the ALPS algorithm and demonstrate its functionality based on previous solar-wind measurements. We will then highlight our plans for future applications of ALPS to PSP and SO observations.

Evolutionary history of the European whitefish Coregonus lavaretus (L.) species complex as inferred from mtDNA phylogeography and gill-raker numbers.

PubMed

Østbye, K; Bernatchez, L; Naesje, T F; Himberg, K-J M; Hindar, K

2005-12-01

We compared mitochondrial DNA and gill-raker number variation in populations of the European whitefish Coregonus lavaretus (L.) species complex to illuminate their evolutionary history, and discuss mechanisms behind diversification. Using single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing 528 bp of combined parts of the cytochrome oxidase b (cyt b) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 3 (ND3) mithochondrial DNA (mtDNA) regions, we documented phylogeographic relationships among populations and phylogeny of mtDNA haplotypes. Demographic events behind geographical distribution of haplotypes were inferred using nested clade analysis (NCA) and mismatch distribution. Concordance between operational taxonomical groups, based on gill-raker numbers, and mtDNA patterns was tested. Three major mtDNA clades were resolved in Europe: a North European clade from northwest Russia to Denmark, a Siberian clade from the Arctic Sea to southwest Norway, and a South European clade from Denmark to the European Alps, reflecting occupation in different glacial refugia. Demographic events inferred from NCA were isolation by distance, range expansion, and fragmentation. Mismatch analysis suggested that clades which colonized Fennoscandia and the Alps expanded in population size 24 500-5800 years before present, with minute female effective population sizes, implying small founder populations during colonization. Gill-raker counts did not commensurate with hierarchical mtDNA clades, and poorly with haplotypes, suggesting recent origin of gill-raker variation. Whitefish designations based on gill-raker numbers were not associated with ancient clades. Lack of congruence in morphology and evolutionary lineages implies that the taxonomy of this species complex should be reconsidered.

The HOPS/Class C Vps Complex Tethers High-Curvature Membranes via a Direct Protein-Membrane Interaction.

PubMed

Ho, Ruoya; Stroupe, Christopher

2016-10-01

Membrane tethering is a physical association of two membranes before their fusion. Many membrane tethering factors have been identified, but the interactions that mediate inter-membrane associations remain largely a matter of conjecture. Previously, we reported that the homotypic fusion and protein sorting/Class C vacuolar protein sorting (HOPS/Class C Vps) complex, which has two binding sites for the yeast vacuolar Rab GTPase Ypt7p, can tether two low-curvature liposomes when both membranes bear Ypt7p. Here, we show that HOPS tethers highly curved liposomes to Ypt7p-bearing low-curvature liposomes even when the high-curvature liposomes are protein-free. Phosphorylation of the curvature-sensing amphipathic lipid-packing sensor (ALPS) motif from the Vps41p HOPS subunit abrogates tethering of high-curvature liposomes. A HOPS complex without its Vps39p subunit, which contains one of the Ypt7p binding sites in HOPS, lacks tethering activity, though it binds high-curvature liposomes and Ypt7p-bearing low-curvature liposomes. Thus, HOPS tethers highly curved membranes via a direct protein-membrane interaction. Such high-curvature membranes are found at the sites of vacuole tethering and fusion. There, vacuole membranes bend sharply, generating large areas of vacuole-vacuole contact. We propose that HOPS localizes via the Vps41p ALPS motif to these high-curvature regions. There, HOPS binds via Vps39p to Ypt7p in an apposed vacuole membrane. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparative genome analysis reveals a conserved family of actin-like proteins in apicomplexan parasites

PubMed Central

Gordon, Jennifer L; Sibley, L David

2005-01-01

Background The phylum Apicomplexa is an early-branching eukaryotic lineage that contains a number of important human and animal pathogens. Their complex life cycles and unique cytoskeletal features distinguish them from other model eukaryotes. Apicomplexans rely on actin-based motility for cell invasion, yet the regulation of this system remains largely unknown. Consequently, we focused our efforts on identifying actin-related proteins in the recently completed genomes of Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium spp., Cryptosporidium spp., and Theileria spp. Results Comparative genomic and phylogenetic studies of apicomplexan genomes reveals that most contain only a single conventional actin and yet they each have 8–10 additional actin-related proteins. Among these are a highly conserved Arp1 protein (likely part of a conserved dynactin complex), and Arp4 and Arp6 homologues (subunits of the chromatin-remodeling machinery). In contrast, apicomplexans lack canonical Arp2 or Arp3 proteins, suggesting they lost the Arp2/3 actin polymerization complex on their evolutionary path towards intracellular parasitism. Seven of these actin-like proteins (ALPs) are novel to apicomplexans. They show no phylogenetic associations to the known Arp groups and likely serve functions specific to this important group of intracellular parasites. Conclusion The large diversity of actin-like proteins in apicomplexans suggests that the actin protein family has diverged to fulfill various roles in the unique biology of intracellular parasites. Conserved Arps likely participate in vesicular transport and gene expression, while apicomplexan-specific ALPs may control unique biological traits such as actin-based gliding motility. PMID:16343347

Sequence and functional analysis of intestinal alkaline phosphatase from Lateolabrax maculatus.

PubMed

Wu, Minglin; Wang, Jiaqi; Wang, Zhipeng; Zhao, Jinliang; Hu, Yuting; Chen, Xiaowu

2017-12-01

Alkaline phosphatases (Alps) belong to a class of phosphate transferases that dephosphorylate lipopolysaccharide (LPS), adenosine triphosphate, and nucleotides. In this study, a 1874-base pair (bp) intestinal alp cDNA sequence was cloned from Lateolabrax maculatus and designated as Lm-alpi. It contained a 1611 bp open reading frame which encoded a protein with 537 amino acids. Protein sequence alignment showed that Lm-AlpI shared 29.8-79.8% identity with its homologs. Lm-AlpI catalytic sites contained three metal ion sites (two Zn 2+ and one Mg 2+ ), referring to D73, H184, D348, H349, H352, H464, D389, and H390 residues, which are essential for enzymatic activity and conservation in different organisms. Two predicted disulfide bonds in Lm-AlpI were composed of four cysteines (C152-C214 and C499-C506), which were homologous to those of mammals. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that Lm-AlpI was mainly expressed on the mucosal surface of the gastrointestinal tract, including stomach, intestine, and gastric cecum. Lm-AlpI was mainly located on the plasma membrane of transiently transfected HeLa cells. The mRNA of Lm-alpi was mainly expressed in the intestine, and its expression levels gradually increased after LPS treatment and further increased by 1.81-fold after 48 h. After desalting culture, the relative mRNA expression level of Lm-alpi decreased at 30 and 50 days after hatching (DAH) and then returned to normal levels at 70 DAH. Further experiments demonstrated that the enzyme activity of Lm-AlpI exhibited an expression pattern similar to that of the mRNA expression of Lm-alpi after LPS treatment and desalting culture. This study provided valuable information on the Lm-AlpI functions associated with the mucosal immunity and salinity adaptation of L. maculatus.

Determination of regional Euler pole parameters for Eastern Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umnig, Elke; Weber, Robert; Schartner, Matthias; Brueckl, Ewald

2017-04-01

The horizontal motion of lithospheric plates can be described as rotations around a rotation axes through the Earth's center. The two possible points where this axes intersects the surface of the Earth are called Euler poles. The rotation is expressed by the Euler parameters in terms of angular velocities together with the latitude and longitude of the Euler pole. Euler parameters were calculated from GPS data for a study area in Eastern Austria. The observation network is located along the Mur-Mürz Valley and the Vienna Basin. This zone is part of the Vienna Transfer Fault, which is the major fault system between the Eastern Alps and the Carpathians. The project ALPAACT (seismological and geodetic monitoring of ALpine-PAnnonian ACtive Tectonics) investigated intra plate tectonic movements within the Austrian part in order to estimate the seismic hazard. Precise site coordinate time series established from processing 5 years of GPS observations are available for the regional network spanning the years from 2010.0 to 2015.0. Station velocities with respect to the global reference frame ITRF2008 have been computed for 23 sites. The common Euler vector was estimated on base of a subset of reliable site velocities, for stations directly located within the area of interest. In a further step a geokinematic interpretation shall be carried out. Therefore site motions with respect to the Eurasian Plate are requested. To obtain this motion field different variants are conceivable. In a simple approach the mean ITRF2008 velocity of IGS site GRAZ can be adopted as Eurasian rotational velocity. An improved alternative is to calculate site-specific velocity differences between the Euler rotation and the individual site velocities. In this poster presentation the Euler parameters, the residual motion field as well as first geokinematic interpretation results are presented.

Trends in cooling degree-days for five locations in Croatia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cvitan, L.

2010-09-01

The cooling degree-days (CDD) and number of cooling days (CD) over the period 1901-2008 are analyzed at five stations that represent different climatic regions in Croatia. The stations under consideration are: Osijek in the southern lowland of Pannonian Plain, Zagreb - Grič at the furthest south-eastern edge of the Julian Alps, Gospić in highland - hinterland of the Dinaric Alps, Crikvenica on the north-eastern Adriatic coast and Hvar on the mid - Adriatic island with the same name. Calculation of CDDs and counting of CDs are performed for the 18° C, 21° C and 23° C temperature thresholds that represent daily mean air temperature. Daily mean temperature (M) is calculated by using daily temperatures measured at 7 a.m. (t7), 2 p.m. (t14) and 9 p.m. (t21), in the following way: M=(t7+t14+2t21)/4. Linear trends over the period 1901-2008 are determined for each month as well as for the whole year (annual trend). Statistical significances of the trends are tested using the non-parametric Mann - Kendal test. For the months with the greatest potential cooling demands - June, July and August, the increasing trend is detected for almost all analyzed values at five locations. Namely, only for the August CD (threshold 18° C) for Hvar area and for the June and August CDDs (threshold 23° C) for Gospić area are detected slightly decreasing trends. Most slightly decreasing trends are discovered for September for both parameters at Osijek, Zagreb and Gospić area. Annual trends in both parameters for all locations are increasing, except the annual Gospić CDD (threshold 23° C) trend that is slightly decreasing. According to the Mann - Kendal test neither of the annual trends in CDD and CD for three temperature thresholds are statistically significant at 0.05 significance level in Gospić and Osijek. On the contrary, all of the mentioned annual trends are significant in Zagreb and Crikvenica, and almost all in Hvar (except trends in CD for the 21° C and 23° C thresholds). Months with the significant trends in most of analyzed values are: May and June in Osijek, May, June and July in Zagreb, June in Gospić, June, July and August in Crikvenica and July in Hvar.

Structural and exhumational response to oroclinal bending at the Eastern Alps - Western Carpathian transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heberer, Bianca; Neubauer, Franz

2017-04-01

Curvature is an intriguing feature within many mountain belts worldwide. Several proposals have been made for deciphering the origin of curvature, however, there is still significant debate about the bend-forming mechanisms, the consequences as well as on how bending is accommodated within the lithosphere. Only few of the worldwide oroclines have been studied in detail and a variety of alternative controlling factors, such as the role of inherited structures, the rheological coupling between lower and upper plates, the presence of a basement promontory in the foreland and its particular geometry, and lateral orogen-parallel extrusion are likely underestimated or not considered at all. This study focuses on oroclinal bending at the transition from the W-E trending Eastern Alps to the SW-NE oriented Western Carpathians. There, the orogenic front is concave towards the Alpine foreland and the greatest degree of curvature (ca. 55°) is found adjacent to the Bohemian massif. The oroclinal axis runs from the Bohemian promontory to the South Burgenland high. Various competing mechanisms occurred, i.e. rotation around a stiff foreland promontory and lateral extrusion induced by tectonic escape due to the indentation of a microplate and extensional collapse due to slab-rollback beneath the Carpathians. Little is known for such cases, where bending around as well as overriding of a promontory occurs, particularly on how it controls the exhumational and structural architecture within the orogen itself. Based on a synthesis of low-T thermochronology and structural data we find a significant impact of oroclinal bending on exhumation and structures: Highest amounts of erosion occur in the immediate vicinity of the Bohemian promontory and along its prolongation in the South Burgenland high, corroborating that shortening and exhumation are most pronounced there and should decrease along-strike of the orogenic front. In the outer bend strong Miocene extensional thinning parallel to the orogen occurred contemporaneously with sediment deposition to the east (Danube basin) and west (Styrian basin) of the oroclinal axis. We speculate that the location of extension at least from the Vienna and Danube basins are in part controlled by Jurassic extensional structures. The central sector along the oroclinal axis is largely overprinted by lateral block extrusion where the influence of oroclinal bending and a protruding promontory in the subsurface has yet to be demonstrated.

Mountain Rivers and Climate Change: Analysis of hazardous events in torrents of small alpine watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lutzmann, Silke; Sass, Oliver

2016-04-01

Torrential processes like flooding, heavy bedload transport or debris flows in steep mountain channels emerge during intense, highly localized rainfall events. They pose a serious risk on the densely populated Alpine region. Hydrogeomorphic hazards are profoundly nonlinear, threshold mediated phenomena frequently causing costly damage to infrastructure and people. Thus, in the context of climate change, there is an ever rising interest in whether sediment cascades of small alpine catchments react to changing precipitation patterns and how the climate signal is propagated through the fluvial system. We intend to answer the following research questions: (i) What are critical meteorological characteristics triggering torrential events in the Eastern Alps of Austria? (ii) The effect of external triggers is strongly mediated by the internal disposition of catchments to respond. Which factors control the internal susceptibility? (iii) Do torrential processes show an increase in magnitude and frequency or a shift in seasonality in the recent past? (iv) Which future changes can be expected under different climate scenarios? Quantifications of bedload transport in small alpine catchments are rare and often associated with high uncertainties. Detailed knowledge though exists for the Schöttlbach catchment, a 71 km2 study area in Styria in the Eastern Alps. The torrent is monitored since a heavy precipitation event resulted in a disastrous flood in July 2011. Sediment mobilisation from slopes as well as within-channel storage and fluxes are regularly measured by photogrammetric methods and sediment impact sensors (SIS). The associated hydro-meteorological conditions are known from a dense station network. Changing states of connectivity can thus be related to precipitation and internal dynamics (sediment availability, cut-and-fill cycles). The site-specific insights are then conceptualized for application to a broader scale. Therefore, a Styria wide database of torrential events dating back several decades is analysed. Precipitation thresholds varying in space and time are established using highly resolved INCA data of the Austrian weather service. Parameters possibly controlling the basic susceptibility of catchments are evaluated in a regional GIS analysis (vegetation, geology, topography, stream network, proxies for sediment availability). Similarity measures are then used to group catchments into sensitivity classes. Applying different climate scenarios, the spatiotemporal distribution of catchments sensitive towards heavier and more frequent precipitation can be determined giving valuable advice for planning and managing mountain protection zones.

Spodumene bearing pegmatites in the Austroalpine unit (Eastern Alps): Distribution and new geochronological data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilickovic, Tanja; Schuster, Ralf; Mali, Heinrich; Petrakakis, Konstantin; Schedl, Albert

2017-04-01

In the Austroalpine unit of the Eastern Alps spodumene bearing pegmatites occur heterogeneously distributed over an E-W distance of more than 400 km. They are usually associated with barren pegmatites which crystallisized in Permian time. There a two schools of thought about the genesis of the spodumene bearing pegmatites: Economic geologists bring forward the argument that these pegmatites only develop by fractionation of granitic parent plutons, whereas metamorphic petrologists consider that the barren pegmatites and even some highly fractionated pegmatites are products of anatexis of metapelitic country rocks. In the first case the virtual absence of co-genetic fertile granites in the Austroalpine units render the model problematic, whereas in the second case the formation of suitable Li-enriched pegmatitic melts is not yet understood. A new understanding of the Austroalpine basement through geological mapping and geochronological and geochemical investigations during the past few years gives the opportunity to reinvestigate this problem: In Permian time the Austroalpine unit was affected by lithospheric extension, causing basaltic underplating, high temperature / low pressure metamorphism and intense magmatic activity. The Permian P-T-t path is characterized by heating at slightly decreasing pressure. In an ongoing project additional spodumene bearing pegmatites have been discovered and some of them show temporal and spatial relations to relatively small leucogranitic bodies. New Sm/Nd data prove a Permian age for spodumene bearing pegmatites and leucogranites supporting a genetic relation with the barren pegmatites. Mapping revealed certain relations of pegmatites and distinct country rocks. Units of migmatitic mica schists with lots of interlayed barren pegmatites represent areas with aborted melt generation. In some places the melts accumulate forming inhomogeneous leucogranitic bodies. Examples are the Martell granite (South Tyrol) as well as leucoganites near to Uttenheim (South Tyrol), Geisrücken near to Judenburg (Styria) and Koralpe near to Deutschlandsberg (Styria). Areas with spodumene bearing pegmatites and other well fractionated pegmatites represent structurally higher levels. Spodumene bearing pegmatites mainly occur within the Koralpe-Wölz Nappe System. The biggest are situated in the Hohenwart region/Niedere Tauern (Styria), Falkenbergzug near Judenburg (Styria), Lachtal region/Niedere Tauern (Styria), Weinebene/Koralpe (Carinthia) and in the Defreggen Valley (East-Tyrol). Further investigations will deal with the processes of melt production, melt accumulation, melt fractionation and the regional fractionation trends within pegmatite swarms.

Concordant paleolatitudes for Neoproterozoic ophiolitic rocks of the Trinity Complex, Klamath Mountains, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mankinen, E.A.; Lindsley-Griffin, N.; Griffin, J.R.

2002-01-01

New paleomagnetic results from the eastern Klamath Mountains of northern California show that Neoproterozoic rocks of the Trinity ophiolitic complex and overlying Middle Devonian volcanic rocks are latitudinally concordant with cratonal North America. Combining paleomagnetic data with regional geologic and faunal evidence suggests that the Trinity Complex and related terranes of the eastern Klamath plate were linked in some fashion to the North American craton throughout that time, but that distance between them may have varied considerably. A possible model that is consistent with our paleomagnetic results and the geologic evidence is that the Trinity Complex formed and migrated parallel to paleolatitude in the basin between Laurasia and Australia-East Antarctica as the Rodinian supercontinent began to break up. It then continued to move parallel to paleolatitude at least through Middle Devonian time. Although the eastern Klamath plate served as a nucleus against which more western components of the Klamath Mountains province amalgamated, the Klamath superterrane was not accreted to North America until Early Cretaceous time.

Chemical and oxygen isotope zonings in garnet from subducted continental crust record mineral replacement and metasomatism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vho, Alice; Rubatto, Daniela; Regis, Daniele; Baumgartner, Lukas; Bouvier, Anne-Sophie

2017-04-01

Garnet is a key mineral in metamorphic petrology for constraining pressure, temperature and time paths. Garnet can preserve multiple growth stages due to its wide P-T stability field and the relatively slow diffusivity for major and trace elements at sub-solidus temperatures. Pressure-temperature-time-fluid paths of the host rock may be reconstructed by combining metamorphic petrology with microscale trace element and oxygen isotope measurements in garnet. Subduction zones represent relevant geological settings for geochemical investigation of element exchanges during aqueous fluid-rock interactions. The Sesia Zone consists of a complex continental sequence containing a variety of mono-metamorphic and poly-metamorphic lithologies such as metagranitoids, sediments and mafic boudins. The precursor Varisican-Permian amphibolite-facies basement (6-9 kbar 650-850°C; Lardeaux and Spalla, 1991; Robyr et al., 2013) experienced high pressure metamorphism (15-22 kbar 500-550°C; Regis, et al. 2014; Robyr et al., 2013) during Alpine subduction. In different lithologies of the Internal Complex (Eclogitic Micaschist Complex), including metabasites from the Ivozio Complex, Ti-rich metasediments from Val Malone and pre-Alpine Mn-quartzites associated to metagabbros from Cima Bonze, garnet is abundant and shows a variety of complex textures that cannot be reconciled with typical growth zoning, but indicate resorption and replacement processes and possible metasomatism. In-situ, microscale oxygen isotopes analysis of garnet zones was performed by ion microprobe with the SwissSIMS Cameca IMS 1280-HR at University of Lausanne and SHRIMP-SI at the Australian National University. Each sample has a distinct δ18O composition, and the δ18O values show different degrees of variation between domains. Homogeneously low values of < 5‰ are measured in the garnets from the Ivozio Complex metagabbro. Intragrain variations of up to 3.5‰ in the porphyroblasts from Val Malone metasediments, and variations up to 6.5‰ in Cima Bonze garnets suggest significant metasomatic replacement from external fluids. The combination of oxygen isotopes, trace element geochemistry and P-T modelling allows reconstructing the major stages of metasomatism, as well as identifying the nature of the fluid interacting with the rock at each metamorphic stage. REFERENCES Lardeaux, J. M., & Spalla, M. I. (1991). From granulites to eclogites in the Sesia zone (Italian Western Alps): A record of the opening and closure of the Piedmont ocean. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 9, 35-59. Regis, D., Rubatto, D., Darling, J., Cenki-Tok, B., Zucali, M., & Engi, M. (2014). Multiple metamorphic stages within an eclogite-facies terrane (Sesia Zone, Western Alps) revealed by Th-U-Pb petrochronology. Journal of Petrology, 55(7), 1429-1456. Robyr, M., Darbellay, B., & Baumgartner, L. P. (2014). Matrix-dependent garnet growth in polymetamorphic rocks of the Sesia zone, Italian Alps. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 32(1), 3-24.

Complicated secondary textures in zircon record evolution of the host granitic rocks: Studies from Western Tauern Window and Ötztal-Stubai Crystalline Complex (Eastern Alps, Western Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovaleva, Elizaveta; Harlov, Daniel; Klötzli, Urs

2017-07-01

Samples of metamorphosed and deformed granitic rocks were collected from two Alpine complexes with well-constrained metamorphic history: Western Tauern Window and Ötztal-Stubai Crystalline Complex. Zircon grains from these samples were investigated in situ by a combination of scanning electron microscope techniques, cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and Raman spectroscopy. The aims were: to describe and interpret complicated secondary textures and microstructures in zircon; based on cross-cutting relationships between secondary microstructures, reconstruct the sequence of processes, affecting zircon crystals; link the evolution of zircon with the history of the host rocks. The results indicate that zircon in the sampled granitic rocks forms growth twins and multi-grain aggregates, which are unusual for this mineral. Moreover, various secondary textures have been found in the sampled zircon, often cross-cutting each other in a single crystal. These include: distorted oscillatory CL zoning with inner zones forming inward-penetrating, CL-bright embayments, which are the evidence of dry recrystallization via annealing/lattice recovery; CL mosaicism with no preservation of growth zoning, but abundant nano- and micro-scale pores and mineral inclusions, which are the evidence of recrystallization by coupled dissolution-reprecipitation and/or leaching; embayed zircon boundaries filled with apatite, monazite, epidote and mylonitic matrix, indicating mineral-fluid reactions resulting in zircon dissolution and fragmentation; overgrowth CL-dark rims, which contain nano-pores and point to transport and precipitation of dissolved zircon matter. We conclude that zircon in our meta-granites is sensitive to metamorphism/deformation events, and was reactive with metamorphic fluids. Additionally, we have found evidence of crystal-plastic deformation in the form of low angle boundaries and bent grain tips, which is a result of shearing and ductile deformation of the host rock. We suggest that the observed complicated secondary textures in zircon can be linked to the evolutionary stages of the host rocks such as magmatic crystallization, prograde metamorphism, peak of amphibolite-facies metamorphism, post-peak cooling and exhumation, formation of ductile shear zones and final cooling to 250 °C.

Apoptosis may determine the release of skeletal alkaline phosphatase activity from human osteoblast-line cells.

PubMed

Farley, J R; Stilt-Coffing, B

2001-01-01

Although quantitative measurement of skeletal alkaline phosphatase (sALP) activity in serum can provide an index of the rate of bone formation, the metabolic process that determines the release of sALP - from the surface of osteoblasts, into circulation-is unknown. The current studies were intended to examine the hypothesis that the release of sALP from human osteoblasts is a consequence of apoptotic cell death. We measured the release of sALP activity from human osteosarcoma (SaOS-2) cells and normal human bone cells, under basal conditions and in response to agents that increased apoptosis (TNF-a, okadiac acid) and agents that inhibit apoptosis (IGF-I, calpain, and caspase inhibitors). Apoptosis was determined by the presence of nucleosomes (histone-associated DNA) in the cytoplasm of the cells by using a commercial kit. The results of these studies showed that TNF-a and okadiac acid caused dose- and time-dependent increases in apoptosis in the SaOS-2 cells (r = 0.78 for doses of TNF-a and r = 0.93 for doses of okadiac acid, P <0.005 for each), with associated decreases in cell layer protein (P <0.05 for each) and concomitant increases in the release of sALP activity (e.g., r = 0.89 for TNF-a and r = 0.75 for okadiac acid, P <0.001 for each). In contrast, caspase and calpain inhibitors reduced apoptosis, increased cell layer protein, and decreased the release of sALP activity (P <0.05 for each). Exposure to IGF-I also decreased apoptosis, in a time- and dose-dependent manner (e.g., r = 0.93, P <0.001 for IGF-I doses), with associated proportional effects to increase cell layer protein (P <0.001) and decrease the release of sALP activity (P <0.001). IGF-I also inhibited the actions of TNF-a and okadiac acid to increase apoptosis and sALP release. The associations between apoptosis and sALP release were not unique to osteosarcoma (i.e., SaOS-2) cells, but also seen with osteoblast-line cells derived from normal human bone. Together, these data demonstrate that the release of sALP activity from human osteoblast-line cells in vitro is associated with, and may be a consequence of, apoptotic cell death. These findings are consistent with the general hypothesis that the appearance of sALP activity in serum may reflect the turnover of osteoblast-line cells.

Imaging of Alkaline Phosphatase Activity in Bone Tissue

PubMed Central

Gade, Terence P.; Motley, Matthew W.; Beattie, Bradley J.; Bhakta, Roshni; Boskey, Adele L.; Koutcher, Jason A.; Mayer-Kuckuk, Philipp

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a paradigm for quantitative molecular imaging of bone cell activity. We hypothesized the feasibility of non-invasive imaging of the osteoblast enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP) using a small imaging molecule in combination with 19Flourine magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (19FMRSI). 6, 8-difluoro-4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate (DiFMUP), a fluorinated ALP substrate that is activatable to a fluorescent hydrolysis product was utilized as a prototype small imaging molecule. The molecular structure of DiFMUP includes two Fluorine atoms adjacent to a phosphate group allowing it and its hydrolysis product to be distinguished using 19Fluorine magnetic resonance spectroscopy (19FMRS) and 19FMRSI. ALP-mediated hydrolysis of DiFMUP was tested on osteoblastic cells and bone tissue, using serial measurements of fluorescence activity. Extracellular activation of DiFMUP on ALP-positive mouse bone precursor cells was observed. Concurringly, DiFMUP was also activated on bone derived from rat tibia. Marked inhibition of the cell and tissue activation of DiFMUP was detected after the addition of the ALP inhibitor levamisole. 19FMRS and 19FMRSI were applied for the non-invasive measurement of DiFMUP hydrolysis. 19FMRS revealed a two-peak spectrum representing DiFMUP with an associated chemical shift for the hydrolysis product. Activation of DiFMUP by ALP yielded a characteristic pharmacokinetic profile, which was quantifiable using non-localized 19FMRS and enabled the development of a pharmacokinetic model of ALP activity. Application of 19FMRSI facilitated anatomically accurate, non-invasive imaging of ALP concentration and activity in rat bone. Thus, 19FMRSI represents a promising approach for the quantitative imaging of bone cell activity during bone formation with potential for both preclinical and clinical applications. PMID:21799916

Serial serum alkaline phosphatase as an early biomarker for osteopenia of prematurity.

PubMed

Abdallah, Enas A A; Said, Reem N; Mosallam, Dalia S; Moawad, Eman M I; Kamal, Naglaa M; Fathallah, Mohammed G E-D

2016-09-01

Metabolic bone disease of prematurity is a condition characterized by reduction in bone mineral content (osteopenia). It is a problem faced by very low birth weight (VLBW) infants because of lack of fetal mineralization during the last trimester. Our aim was to assess serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level as an early biomarker for osteopenia in premature infants and to estimate an optimal cutoff value of serum ALP at which osteopenia is detected radiologically in premature newborns.This prospective study was conducted on a cohort of 120 newborn infants of both sex of ≤34 weeks' gestational age and <1500 g birth weight. Two blood samples, from each infant on at least 2 consecutive weeks, were reported for calcium, phosphorus, and ALP. Evidence of osteopenia was evaluated radiologically by performing wrist/knee x-ray.Sixteen infants (13.3%) had evidence of osteopenia in x-ray, whereas 104 infants (86.7%) were nonosteopenic and all the osteopenic infants were <1000-g birth weight. Birth weight and gestational age were significantly inversely related to serum ALP levels. Both samples showed statistically significantly higher mean ALP level in osteopenic than nonosteopenics (P < 0.001, and P < 0.001 respectively). There was no constant value of serum ALP related to radiologic evidence of osteopenia. However, the optimal cutoff value of serum ALP at which osteopenia is detected is 500 IU/L with 100% sensitivity and 80.77% specificity.High levels of ALP can be considered a reliable biomarker to predict the status of bone mineralization and the need for radiological evaluation in premature infants particularly those <1000-g birth weight and <32 weeks' gestation.

Heterologous expression and structure-function relationship of low-temperature and alkaline active protease from Acinetobacter sp. IHB B 5011(MN12).

PubMed

Salwan, Richa; Sharma, Vivek; Pal, Mohinder; Kasana, Ramesh Chand; Yadav, Sudesh Kumar; Gulati, Arvind

2018-02-01

The gene encoding protease from Acinetobacter sp. IHB B 5011(MN12) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The nucleotide sequence revealed 1323bp ORF encoding 441 amino acids protein with molecular weight 47.2kDa. The phylogenetic analysis showed clustering of Alp protease with subtilisin-like serine proteases of S8 family. The amino acid sequence was comprised of N-terminal signal peptide 1-21 amino acids, pre-peptide 22-143 amino acids, peptidase S8 domain 144-434 amino acids, and pro-peptide 435-441 amino acids at C-terminus. Three constructs with signal peptide pET-Alp, without signal peptide pET-Alp1 and peptidase S8 domain pET-Alp2 were prepared for expression in E. coli BL21(DE3). The recombinant proteins Alp1 and Alp2 expressed as inclusion bodies showed ∼50kDa and ∼40kDa bands, respectively. The pre-propeptide ∼11kDa removed from Alp1 resulted in mature protein of ∼35kDa with 1738Umg -1 specific activity. The recombinant protease was optimally active at 40°C and pH 9, and stable over 10-70°C and 6-12pH. The activity at low-temperature and alkaline pH was supported by high R/(R+K) ratio, more glycine, less proline, negatively charged amino acids, less salt bridges and longer loops. These properties suggested the suitability of Alp as additive in the laundry. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium-Amiodarone, Lidocaine or Placebo Study (ROC-ALPS): Rationale and methodology behind an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest antiarrhythmic drug trial.

PubMed

Kudenchuk, Peter J; Brown, Siobhan P; Daya, Mohamud; Morrison, Laurie J; Grunau, Brian E; Rea, Tom; Aufderheide, Tom; Powell, Judy; Leroux, Brian; Vaillancourt, Christian; Larsen, Jonathan; Wittwer, Lynn; Colella, M Riccardo; Stephens, Shannon W; Gamber, Mark; Egan, Debra; Dorian, Paul

2014-05-01

Despite their wide use, whether antiarrhythmic drugs improve survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is not known. The ROC-ALPS is evaluating the effectiveness of these drugs for OHCA due to shock-refractory ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VF/VT). ALPS will randomize 3,000 adults across North America with nontraumatic OHCA, persistent or recurring VF/VT after ≥1 shock, and established vascular access to receive up to 450 mg amiodarone, 180 mg lidocaine, or placebo in the field using a double-blind protocol, along with standard resuscitation measures. The designated target population is all eligible randomized recipients of any dose of ALPS drug whose initial OHCA rhythm was VF/VT. A safety analysis includes all randomized patients regardless of their eligibility, initial arrhythmia, or actual receipt of ALPS drug. The primary outcome of ALPS is survival to hospital discharge; a secondary outcome is functional survival at discharge assessed as a modified Rankin Scale score ≤3. The principal aim of ALPS is to determine if survival is improved by amiodarone compared with placebo; secondary aim is to determine if survival is improved by lidocaine vs placebo and/or by amiodarone vs lidocaine. Prioritizing comparisons in this manner acknowledges where differences in outcome are most expected based on existing knowledge. Each aim also represents a clinically relevant comparison between treatments that is worth investigating. Results from ALPS will provide important information about the choice and value of antiarrhythmic therapies for VF/VT arrest with direct implications for resuscitation guidelines and clinical practice. Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Extragalactic photon-ALP conversion at CTA energies

DOE PAGES

Kartavtsev, A.; Raffelt, G.; Vogel, H.

2017-01-12

Magnetic fields in extragalactic space between galaxy clusters may induce conversions between photons and axion-like particles (ALPs), thereby shielding the photons from absorption on the extragalactic background light. For TeV gamma rays, the oscillation length (l osc) of the photon-ALP system becomes inevitably of the same order as the coherence length of the magnetic field l and the length over which the field changes significantly (transition length l t) due to refraction on background photons. We derive exact statistical evolution equations for the mean and variance of the photon and ALP transfer functions in the non-adiabatic regime (l osc ~more » l >> l t). We also make analytical predictions for the transfer functions in the quasi-adiabatic regime (l osc

Canine osteosarcoma cell lines from patients with differing serum alkaline phosphatase concentrations display no behavioral differences in vitro

PubMed Central

Holmes, Katie E.; Thompson, Victoria; Piskun, Caroline M.; Kohnken, Rebecca A.; Huelsmeyer, Michael K.; Fan, Timothy M.; Stein, Timothy J.

2013-01-01

Osteosarcoma is an aggressive malignancy and represents the most frequent primary bone malignancy of dogs and humans. Prognostic factors reported for osteosarcoma include tumor size, presence of metastatic disease, and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) concentration at the time of diagnosis. To date, there have been no studies to determine whether the behavior of osteosarcoma cells differ based on serum ALP concentration. Here we report on the generation of six canine osteosarcoma cell lines from osteosarcoma-bearing dogs with differences in serum ALP concentration. To determine whether in vitro behavior differs between primary osteosarcoma cell lines generated from patients with normal or increased serum ALP assays were performed to evaluate proliferation, migration, invasion, and chemosensitivity. There were no significant differences in cell proliferation, migration, invasion, or chemosensitivity between cell lines associated normal or increased serum ALP concentration. PMID:23489774

Alkaline phosphatase activity in human colostrum as a valuable predictive biomarker for lactational mastitis in nursing mothers.

PubMed

Bjelakovic, Ljiljana; Kocic, Gordana; Bjelakovic, Bojko; Zivkovic, Nikola; Stojanović, Dusica; Sokolovic, Danka; Mladenovic-Ciric, Ivana; Sokolovic, Dusan

2012-08-01

Biochemical investigations have shown that an indigenous milk enzyme - alkaline phosphatase (ALP) - which is detectable in the lactocytes, plays a very important diagnostic role in clinical medicine, since its activity varies in different tissues and serves as a specific indicator of disease states. The purpose of this study was to evaluate ALP activity in human colostrum as a possible early predictive biomarker for lactational mastitis in nursing mothers. During a period from May to July 2010, a total of 60 healthy nursing mothers were recruited for this study. The mean level of colostrum ALP activity from the affected breasts was significantly higher when compared with ALP activity from the contralateral asymptomatic as well as 'healthy' breasts (p < 0.01). Determining ALP activity in colostrum could be a valuable biochemical marker for an early prediction of mastitis in nursing mothers.

Production Experiences with the Cray-Enabled TORQUE Resource Manager

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ezell, Matthew A; Maxwell, Don E; Beer, David

High performance computing resources utilize batch systems to manage the user workload. Cray systems are uniquely different from typical clusters due to Cray s Application Level Placement Scheduler (ALPS). ALPS manages binary transfer, job launch and monitoring, and error handling. Batch systems require special support to integrate with ALPS using an XML protocol called BASIL. Previous versions of Adaptive Computing s TORQUE and Moab batch suite integrated with ALPS from within Moab, using PERL scripts to interface with BASIL. This would occasionally lead to problems when all the components would become unsynchronized. Version 4.1 of the TORQUE Resource Manager introducedmore » new features that allow it to directly integrate with ALPS using BASIL. This paper describes production experiences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory using the new TORQUE software versions, as well as ongoing and future work to improve TORQUE.« less

Age and prematurity of the Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hergarten, Stefan; Stüwe, Kurt; Wagner, Thomas

2010-05-01

Although the Alps are among the best studied mountain ranges on Earth, the age of their topography is almost unknown. Even their relative stage of evolution is unclear: Are the Alps still growing, in a steady state or even decaying? Using the mean slope at given catchment size as a new geomorphic parameter we analyse the topography of the Alps. Our analysis provides one of the first quantitative constraints that shows that the range is still in its infancy: In contrast to several other mountain ranges, the Alps have still more than half of their evolution to a geomorphic steady state to go. Combining our results with sediment data from the surrounding accumulation spaces we infer that the formation of substantial topography began only 5-6 million years ago. Our results challenge a general consensus that the topographic evolution is distributed over much of the Miocene.

A segmental pattern of alkaline phosphatase activity within the notochord coincides with the initial formation of the vertebral bodies.

PubMed

Grotmol, Sindre; Nordvik, Kari; Kryvi, Harald; Totland, Geir K

2005-05-01

This study shows that segmental expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity by the notochord of the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) coincides with the initial mineralization of the vertebral body (chordacentrum), and precedes ALP expression by presumed somite-derived cells external to the notochordal sheath. The early expression of ALP indicates that the notochord plays an instructive role in the segmental patterning of the vertebral column. The chordacentra form segmentally as mineralized rings within the notochordal sheath, and ALP activity spreads within the chordoblast layer from ventral to dorsal, displaying the same progression and spatial distribution as the mineralization process. No ALP activity was observed in sclerotomal mesenchyme surrounding the notochordal sheath during initial formation of the chordacentra. Our results support previous findings indicating that the chordoblasts initiate a segmental differentiation of the notochordal sheath into chordacentra and intervertebral regions.

A fluorescent graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet biosensor for highly sensitive, label-free detection of alkaline phosphatase.

PubMed

Xiang, Mei-Hao; Liu, Jin-Wen; Li, Na; Tang, Hao; Yu, Ru-Qin; Jiang, Jian-Hui

2016-02-28

Graphitic C3N4 (g-C3N4) nanosheets provide an attractive option for bioprobes and bioimaging applications. Utilizing highly fluorescent and water-dispersible ultrathin g-C3N4 nanosheets, a highly sensitive, selective and label-free biosensor has been developed for ALP detection for the first time. The developed approach utilizes a natural substrate of ALP in biological systems and thus affords very high catalytic efficiency. This novel biosensor is demonstrated to enable quantitative analysis of ALP in a wide range from 0.1 to 1000 U L(-1) with a low detection limit of 0.08 U L(-1), which is among the most sensitive assays for ALP. It is expected that the developed method may provide a low-cost, convenient, rapid and highly sensitive platform for ALP-based clinical diagnostics and biomedical applications.

Assessment of corticosteroid-induced alkaline phosphatase as a prognostic indicator in canine lymphoma.

PubMed

Wiedemann, A L; Charney, S C; Barger, A M; Schaeffer, D J; Kitchell, B E

2005-04-01

To examine the incidence of elevated corticosteroid-induced alkaline phosphatase (sALP) in dogs with lymphoma and to determine if sALP is a reliable prognostic indicator in canine lymphoma. The medical records of 62 canine lymphoma patients treated with a combination chemotherapy protocol from 1994 to 2003 at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital were examined. Variables assessed with respect to response rate and remission duration included age, bodyweight, sex, breed, World Health Organization stage (I to V), substage (a or b), pretreatment administration of corticosteroid, and serum levels of alkaline phosphatase, sALP and alanine aminotransferase. sALP was not statistically significant with respect to response rate or duration of remission, nor was preinduction glucocorticoid administration. Stage was significant with respect to achieving remission. It was found that sALP is not a useful prognostic indicator for response rate and remission duration in dogs with lymphoma.

Canine osteosarcoma cell lines from patients with differing serum alkaline phosphatase concentrations display no behavioural differences in vitro.

PubMed

Holmes, K E; Thompson, V; Piskun, C M; Kohnken, R A; Huelsmeyer, M K; Fan, T M; Stein, T J

2015-09-01

Osteosarcoma is an aggressive malignancy and represents the most frequent primary bone malignancy of dogs and humans. Prognostic factors reported for osteosarcoma include tumour size, presence of metastatic disease and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) concentration at the time of diagnosis. To date, there have been no studies to determine whether the behaviour of osteosarcoma cells differ based on serum ALP concentration. Here, we report on the generation of six canine osteosarcoma cell lines from osteosarcoma-bearing dogs with differences in serum ALP concentration. To determine whether in vitro behaviour differs between primary osteosarcoma cell lines generated from patients with normal or increased serum ALP, assays were performed to evaluate proliferation, migration, invasion and chemosensitivity. There were no significant differences in cell proliferation, migration, invasion or chemosensitivity between cell lines associated with normal or increased serum ALP concentration. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Assessment of Large Wood budget in the gravel-bed Piave River: first attempt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tonon, Alessia; Picco, Lorenzo; Ravazzolo, Diego; Aristide Lenzi, Mario

2015-04-01

During the last decades, the dynamics of large wood (LW) in rivers were analyzed to consider and define the LW budget. The space-time variations of LW amount results from the differences among input (e.g. fluvial transport, lateral recruitment) and output (e.g. fluvial transport, overbank deposition, natural chronic dead) of LW along a riverine environment. Different methodologies were applied in several fluvial environments, however in large river systems characterized by complex LW dynamics, the processes are still poor quantified. Aim of this contribution is to perform a LW budget estimation over the short period, assessing the effect of an over bankfull flood (Q=1039 m3 s-1; R.I=3.5 years). The research was carried out along a 1 km-long reach (around 15 ha) located into the middle course of the large gravel-bed Piave River (North East of Italy). The LW budget has been defined considering the recruitment through bank erosion and the fluvial transport of LW into and out of the study reach. The former factor was achieved integrating field data on riparian vegetation with the monitoring of riverbanks with a Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS). The latter was obtained detecting all LW elements (diameter ≥ 0.10 m and/or length ≥ 1 m) stored along the study reach, before and after the flood. For each LW the GPS position was recorded and a numbered tag was installed with the addition of colored paint to permit a rapid post-event recovery. Preliminary results indicate that, along the study area, the floating transport of LW is one of the most significant processes able to modify the amount of LW deposited along a riverine system. In fact, considering the input of LW, the 99.4 % (102 m3 km-1) comes from upstream due to floating, whereas the 0.6% (0.17 m3 km-1) was recruited through bank erosion. Analyzing the output, 94.3% (40.26 m3 km-1) of LW was transported downstream of the study area, whereas only the 5.7 % (2.43 m3 km-1) of LW was involved in the "internal displacement". In this study, the amount of LW increased of about 60.29% in the number of LW elements and 145% in volume, corresponding to 61.98 m3 km-1. The methodology here presented appears an easy and economical way to assess LW budget at a small spatial scale. However, further improvements are needed to allow the construction of comprehensive LW budget, considering also the loss of LW from overbank deposition as from natural decay. This research is funded within both, the University of Padova Research Project CPDA149091- "WoodAlp: linking large Wood and morphological dynamics of gravel bed rivers of Eastern Italian Alps"- 2014-16 and the Project "SedAlp: sediment management in Alpine basins, integrating sediment continuum, risk mitigation and hydropower", 83-4-3-AT, in the framework of the European Territorial Cooperation Program "Alpine Space" 2007-13.

Using cosmogenic nuclides to date the stabilisation age of relict rockglaciers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kronig, Olivia; Reitner, Jürgen M.; Christl, Marcus; Ivy-Ochs, Susan

2017-04-01

Active rockglaciers are periglacial landforms which are creeping down mountain slopes due to plastic deformation of the interstitial ice. The occurrence of active rockglaciers is an indicator of Alpine permafrost. Relict rockglaciers are not moving anymore because the ice melted, but they give evidence for the earlier existence of permafrost. In the Alps, relict rockglaciers can often be found below today's tree line raising the question of when these landforms have last been active. Judging from the present position of the relict rockglaciers, the lower permafrost limit during the time of their activity must have been hundreds of meters lower than it is today. Already in the early days of rockglacier research, the potential of relict rockglaciers as a paleoclimate proxy was recognised (Barsch 1977, Haeberli 1985). However, obtaining absolute ages on relict rockglaciers has always been a major difficulty. Lately it has been shown that with cosmogenic nuclides it is possible to date the stabilisation age of relict rockglaciers, but it has been applied only in a few cases (Ivy-Ochs et al. 2009). According to Reitner (2007), the lowest relict rockglaciers of the eastern Alps, the Tandl rockglaciers, are located in the Province of Carinthia (Austria). The Tandl rockglaciers are a complex series of rockglaciers spanning from around 2300 m down to 1220 m a.s.l. Due to their low position and based on modelling estimates on permafrost distribution in the area (Avian & Kellerer-Pirklbauer 2012), it is plausible that these low rockglaciers were active even prior to the Younger Dryas. Therefore, samples from the entire rockglacier series were taken for 10Be exposure dating. Furthermore, the close proximity of the rockglaciers to moraines associated to the Gschnitz stadial allow comparing the dating results to equilibrium line depression reconstructions. Less than 10 km to the southwest, a second rockglacier series, the Norbert rockglaciers, was sampled. In contrast to the Tandl rockglaciers, which are facing towards the northeast, the Norbert rockglaciers face towards the southwest. This provides an exceptional opportunity to elucidate the influence of the aspect to the rockglacier evolution and the regional paleoclimate variations. Avian, M., & Kellerer-Pirklbauer, A. (2012). Modelling of potential permafrost distribution during the Younger Dryas, the Little Ice Age and at Present in the Reisseck Mountains, Hohe Tauern Range, Austria. Austrian Journal of Earth Sciences, 105, 140-153. Barsch, D. (1977). Nature and importance of mass-wasting by rock glaciers in Alpine permafrost environments. Earth surface Processes, 2, 231-245. Haeberli, W. (1985). Creep of mountain permafrost. Mitteilungen der Versuchsanstalt für Wasserbau, Hydrologie und Glaziologie der ETH Zürich, 77. Ivy-Ochs, S., Kerschner, H., Maisch, M., Christl, M., Kubik, P. W., Schlüchter, C. (2009). Latest Pleistocene and Holocene glacier variations in the European Alps. Quaternary Science Reviews, 28, 2137-2149. Reitner, J. M. (2007). Bericht 2005-2006 über geologische Aufnahmen im Quartär auf Blatt 182 Spittal an der Drau. Jahrbuch der Geologischen Bundesanstalt 147/3-4, Wien. 672-676.

Fire scars reveal variability and dynamics of eastern fire regimes

Treesearch

Richard P. Guyette; Daniel C. Dey; Michael C. Stambaugh; Rose-Marie Muzika

2006-01-01

Fire scar evidence in eastern North America is sparse and complex but shows promise in defining the dynamics of these fire regimes and their influence on ecosystems. We review fire scar data, methods, and limitations, and use this information to identify and examine the factors influencing fire regimes. Fire scar data from studies at more than 40 sites in Eastern North...

Cockade-textured cataclasite and silica gel from damage zone in carbonated ultramafics: markers of cycles of seismic activity?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scarsi, Marco; Crispini, Laura; Garofalo, Paolo; Capponi, Giovanni

2016-04-01

Shallow crustal processes occurring during seismic slips and generating fracture networks are of great interest due to their complex interplay with a spectrum of other geological processes . Our study focuses on faults with peculiar core textures, similar to those of "cockade breccia" (Genna et al., 1996) and "clast cortex grains" (Rempe et al., 2014), and on their relation with syntectonic hydrothermal alteration linked with Au bearing-quartz and chalcedony veins. Our work aims to study the enviromental conditions for the formation of such peculiar texture, their relation with the hydrothermal vein system and their potential as shallow seismic indicators. We present field, microstructural and petrochemical data of a peculiar damage zone of fault rocks located in carbonated peridotites and serpentinites of the Ligurian Alps (Voltri Massif, Italy). These are mainly reverse faults, which are coeval with syntectonic Au-bearing quartz veins and chalcedony veins (Giorza et al., 2010), in which lherzolites occupy the hangingwall of the faults and serpentinites the footwall. The fault rocks show evidence for carbonation, as olivine and serpentine are clearly transformed into an assemblage made of magnesite, dolomite and minor ankerite. The damage zones of the faults are serpentinite-rich and about 10 m in thickness, while the cataclasite cores are carbonate-rich and ca. 1 m thick. The top of the fault core shows the occurrence of a chalcedony shear veins with chatter marks and slikenlines on the surface. The "cockade breccia" is made of spherical aggregates of Fe-Mg carbonates and are 1 mm to 3 cm in size. These aggregates show cores of microcrystalline Fe-Mg carbonates, and concentric outer layers of relatively coarser Fe-Mg carbonates with radial or laminated texture. In some cases, these aggregates show evidence for rotation along secondary slip zones. We interpret all these features as the products of chemical interaction between the olivine and serpentine initially present within the fault rocks and the hydrothermal fluid that flowed within these faults. These interactions were probably similar to those occurring within the coeval Au- and chalcedony veins. Field evidence and theoretical considerations indicate that the reverse faults could have experienced stages of fault-valve behaviour (Sibson et al., 1998), which consisted in cycles of fluid pressure build-ups, fault opening, fluid flushing, and mineral precipitation during the seismic failure of the faults. These cycles varied transiently fault permeabilities. During the fluid pressure build up stage the radial coarse grains developed, while during the fluid flushing stage the clast cortex grains developed their laminated texture. The Au-quartz and chalcedony veins could have formed during the stages of fluid pressure drops following fault slip (Sibson et al., 1998, 2004). References Capponi G. & Crispini L., 1997, Progressive shear deformation in the metasediments of the Voltri Group (Ligurian Alps, Italy): occurence of structure recording extension parallel to the regional foliation, Boll. Soc. Geol. It., 116, 267-277. Genna A., Jébrack M., Marcoux E., Milési J.P., 1996, Genesis of cockade breccias in the tectonic evolution of the Cirotan epithermal gold system, West Java, Can. Journ. of Earth Sci., 33, 93-102. Giorza A., 2010, Late to post-metamorphic hydrotermalism in the Voltri Unit (Lavagnina Lakes Area, NW Alps). Structural-Petrological-Geochemical approach, PhD Thesis, University of Turin. Rempe M., Smith S. A. F., Ferri F., Mitchell T. M., 2014, Clast-cortex aggregates in experimental and natural calcite-bearing fault zones, Journ. Of Struct. Geol., 68, 142-157. Sibson R. H., 2004, Controls of maximum fluid overpressure defining conditions for mesozonal mineralization, Journ. of Struct. Geol., 26, 6-7, 1127-1136. Sibson R. H., Robert F., Poulsen H., 1998, High-angle reverse faults, fluid-pressure cycling, and mesothermal gold-quartz deposits, Geology, 16, 551-555. Spagnolo C., 2006, Late orogenic tectonics in the eastern sector of the Ligurian Alps, PhD Thesis, Univesity of Genoa.

Positioning the Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) Hunted by the Tyrolean Iceman into a Mitochondrial DNA Phylogeny

PubMed Central

Olivieri, Cristina; Marota, Isolina; Rizzi, Ermanno; Ermini, Luca; Fusco, Letizia; Pietrelli, Alessandro; De Bellis, Gianluca; Rollo, Franco; Luciani, Stefania

2014-01-01

In the last years several phylogeographic studies of both extant and extinct red deer populations have been conducted. Three distinct mitochondrial lineages (western, eastern and North-African/Sardinian) have been identified reflecting different glacial refugia and postglacial recolonisation processes. However, little is known about the genetics of the Alpine populations and no mitochondrial DNA sequences from Alpine archaeological specimens are available. Here we provide the first mitochondrial sequences of an Alpine Copper Age Cervus elaphus. DNA was extracted from hair shafts which were part of the remains of the clothes of the glacier mummy known as the Tyrolean Iceman or Ötzi (5,350–5,100 years before present). A 2,297 base pairs long fragment was sequenced using a mixed sequencing procedure based on PCR amplifications and 454 sequencing of pooled amplification products. We analyzed the phylogenetic relationships of the Alpine Copper Age red deer's haplotype with haplotypes of modern and ancient European red deer. The phylogenetic analyses showed that the haplotype of the Alpine Copper Age red deer falls within the western European mitochondrial lineage in contrast with the current populations from the Italian Alps belonging to the eastern lineage. We also discussed the phylogenetic relationships of the Alpine Copper Age red deer with the populations from Mesola Wood (northern Italy) and Sardinia. PMID:24988290

Contrasting serpentinization processes in the eastern Central Alps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burkhard, D.J.M.; O'Neil, J.R.

1988-01-01

Stable isotope compositions have been determined for serpentinites from between Davos (Arosa-Platta nappe, Switzerland) and the Valmalenco (Italy). ??D and ??18O values (-120 to -60 and 6-10???, respectively) in the Arosa-Platta nappe indicate that serpentinization took place on the continent at relatively low temperatures in the presence of limited amounts of metamorphic fluids that contained a component of meteoric water. One sample of chrysotile has a ??18O value of 13??? providing evidence of high W/R ratios and low formation temperature of lizardite-chrysotile in this area. In contrast, relatively high ??D values (-42 to -34???) and low ??18O values (4.4-7.4???) for serpentine in the eastern part of the Valmalenco suggest a serpentinization process that took place at moderate temperatures in fluids that were dominated by ocean water. The antigorite in the Valmalenco is the first reported example of continental antigorite with an ocean water signature. An amphibole sample from a metasomatically overprinted contact zone to metasediments (??D=-36???) indicates that the metasomatic event also took place in the presence of ocean water. Lower ??D values (-93 to -60???) of serpentines in the western part of the Valmalenco suggest a different alteration history possibly influenced by fluids associated with contact metamorphism. Low water/rock ratios during regional metamorphism (and metasomatism) have to be assumed for both regions. ?? 1988 Springer-Verlag.

Contrasting serpentinization processes in the eastern Central Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burkhard, Dorothee J. M.; O'Neil, James R.

1988-08-01

Stable isotope compositions have been determined for serpentinites from between Davos (Arosa-Platta nappe, Switzerland) and the Valmalenco (Italy). δD and δ 18O values (-120 to -60 and 6 10‰, respectively) in the Arosa-Platta nappe indicate that serpentinization took place on the continent at relatively low temperatures in the presence of limited amounts of metamorphic fluids that contained a component of meteoric water. One sample of chrysotile has a δ 18O value of 13‰ providing evidence of high W/R ratios and low formation temperature of lizardite-chrysotile in this area. In contrast, relatively high δD values (-42 to -34‰) and low δ 18O values (4.4 7.4‰) for serpentine in the eastern part of the Valmalenco suggest a serpentinization process that took place at moderate temperatures in fluids that were dominated by ocean water. The antigorite in the Valmalenco is the first reported example of continental antigorite with an ocean water signature. An amphibole sample from a metasomatically overprinted contact zone to metasediments ( δD=-36‰) indicates that the metasomatic event also took place in the presence of ocean water. Lower δD values (-93 to -60‰) of serpentines in the western part of the Valmalenco suggest a different alteration history possibly influenced by fluids associated with contact metamorphism. Low water/rock ratios during regional metamorphism (and metasomatism) have to be assumed for both regions.

Probable levetiracetam-related serum alkaline phosphatase elevation

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Levetiracetam (LEV) is an antiepileptic drug with a favorable tolerability and safety profile with little or no effect on liver function. Case presentation Here, we reported an epileptic pediatric patient who developed a significant elevation in serum alkaline phosphatase level (ALP) during LEV monotherapy. Moreover, the serum ALP level was surprisingly decreased to normal after LEV discontinuation. The Naranjo Adverse Drug Reaction Probability Scale score was 6, indicating firstly LEV was a probable cause for the increased serum ALP. Conclusions Cautious usage and concerns of the LEV-associated potential ALP elevation should be considered when levetiracetam is prescribed to epilepsy patients, especially pediatric patients. PMID:22994584

A new bound on axion-like particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marsh, M. C. David; Russell, Helen R.; Fabian, Andrew C.; McNamara, Brian R.; Nulsen, Paul; Reynolds, Christopher S.

2017-12-01

Axion-like particles (ALPs) and photons can quantum mechanically interconvert when propagating through magnetic fields, and ALP-photon conversion may induce oscillatory features in the spectra of astrophysical sources. We use deep (370 ks), short frame time Chandra observations of the bright nucleus at the centre of the radio galaxy M87 in the Virgo cluster to search for signatures of light ALPs. The absence of substantial irregularities in the X-ray power-law spectrum leads to a new upper limit on the photon-ALP coupling, gaγ: using a very conservative model of the cluster magnetic field consistent with Faraday rotation measurements from M87 and M84, we find gaγ < 2.6 × 10-12 GeV-1 at 95% confidence level for ALP masses ma <= 10‑13 eV. Other consistent magnetic field models lead to stronger limits of gaγ lesssim 1.1–1.5 × 10‑12 GeV‑1. These bounds are all stronger than the limit inferred from the absence of a gamma-ray burst from SN1987A, and rule out a substantial fraction of the parameter space accessible to future experiments such as ALPS-II and IAXO.

Transient hyperphosphatemia: a benign laboratory disorder in a boy with Gitelman syndrome.

PubMed

Skalova, Sylva; Kutilek, Stepan

2016-01-01

Transient hyperphosphatasemia of infancy and early childhood (THI) is characterized by transiently increased activity of serum alkaline phosphatase (S-ALP), predominantly its bone or liver isoform, in children under five years of age. There are no signs of metabolic bone disease or hepatopathy corresponding with the increased S-ALP. THI is benign disorder, rather laboratory than clinical disorder, which is usually accidentally detected in both healthy and sick children. When encountered in a child with either chronic bone, liver or kidney disease, it might concern the physician. We present a three year old boy with genetically confirmed Gitelman syndrome where THI was detected accidentally during periodic check-up. S-ALP peaked to 41.8 µkat/L, there were neither laboratory or clinical signs of liver or bone disease; the S-ALP dropped to normal value of 4 µkat/L 60 days later. Therefore, the patient fulfilled the criteria for THI. There were no further increases in S-ALP. Resumo A hiperfosfatasemia transitória benigna da infância (HTBI) é caracterizada por elevação transitória da atividade da fosfatase alcalina sérica (S-ALP), predominantemente em sua isoforma óssea ou hepática, em crianças com menos de cinco anos de idade. Não há sinais de patologia óssea metabólica ou hepatopatia correspondentes ao aumento da S-ALP. A HTBI é um distúrbio benigno, mais laboratorial que clínico, normalmente detectado acidentalmente em crianças saudáveis e acometidas por alguma patologia. Quando encontrada em crianças com doença crônica óssea, hepática ou renal, maiores preocupações são justificadas. O presente relato descreve o caso de um menino de três anos de idade com síndrome de Gitelman geneticamente confirmada, em que a HTBI foi detectada acidentalmente durante um exame periódico. A S-ALP atingiu o pico de 41,8 µkat/L, sem sinais laboratoriais ou clínicos de doença hepática ou óssea. O valor de S-ALP caiu para o nível normal de 4 µkat/L 60 dias mais tarde. Portanto, o paciente satisfazia os critérios para HTBI. Não houve outros aumentos na S-ALP.

Stratabound tungsten deposits in the Alps revisited in the light of new age data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raith, Johann

2013-04-01

Correct genetic models are vital for successful exploration of mineral deposits. Key information for deciding on the validity of a genetic model proposed for an ore deposit comes from geochronology. In this presentation we will demonstrate how absoute age determination of ore minerals and associated host rocks with conventional and in-situ dating techniques using the U-Pb, Sm-Nd and Re-Os systems have changed our understanding about the formation of stratiform/stratabound scheelite deposits, a rather unique class of tungsten deposits. This will be demonstrated for tungsten deposits in the Alpine orogen, with focus on the Felbertal scheelite deposit in the Eastern Alps, which is the type locality for this class of tungsten deposits. Genetic models, first propagated in the 1970-ties, postulated a syngenetic/syndiagenetic formation of this and similar deposits by exhalative-hydrothermal processes related to Early Palaeozoic mafic volcanism with subsequent magmatic as well as metamorphic reworking and mobilisation during the Variscan and Alpine orogeny. Discovery of Felbertal has boosted world-wide exploration for this type of W deposit, however without success. No second economic deposit of this type was ever discovered, likely because of inadequate exploration models that were based on a wrong genetic concept. Some essential aspects controlling formation of tungsten deposits in the Eastern Alps are: (1) They are restricted to some Early Palaeozoic terranes now incorporated in the Alpine orogen (pre-Alpine Penninic units, Celtic terrane within the Austroalpine units); this could indicate a selective geochemical pre-concentration of W in some parts of the pre-Alpine crust. (2) Collision-related Variscan magmatism with emplacement of a geochemically highly anomalous metagranitoid at c. 340 Ma ("K1 orthogneiss") proved to be crucial for the Felbertal deposit. (3) A new in-situ U-Pb age of c. 340 Ma for "Scheelite 1" (previously thought to be c. 520 Ma) confirms that at Felbertal all three main scheelite types formed between c. 360-320 Ma. (4) Emplacement of this granitoid overlaps (within the uncertainties of the ages) with Variscan regional metamorphism and deformation. Formation of W deposits in the Penninic is not related to the late to post-orogenic Variscan magmatism (c. 320-290 Ma). (5) Ore formation is coeval with development of a fluid system which is characterised by enrichment in LIL (K, Rb, Cs) and especially in F. These fluids are thought to be of magmatic-hydrothermal origin and affected the host rocks including the K1 orthogneiss and formed scheelite ores in quartz stockwork veins, shear zones and of disseminated type. (6) Foliated ores, previously regarded as syngenetic ore textures (e.g. metaexhalites), are best interpreted as tectonites; e.g., mylonites with older scheelite porphyroclasts plus recrystallised scheelite that formed in high strain zones. Where the direct link with specialised granitoids is lacking - what is the common case for scheelite showings in the Austroalpine units - only sub-economic tungsten mineralisation is developped. Hence: "No economic tungsten deposit without the right granite".

Importance of axion-like particles for very-high-energy astrophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roncadelli, Marco; De Angelis, Alessandro; Galanti, Giorgio

2012-07-01

Several extensions ol the Standard Model predict the existence ol Axion-Like Particles (ALPs), very light spin-zero bosons with a two-photon coupling. ALPs can give rise to observable effects in very-high-energy astrophysics. Above roughly 100 GeV the horizon of the observable Universe progressively shrinks as the energy increases, due to scattering of beam photons off background photons in the optical and infrared bands, which produces e+ e- pairs. In the presence of large-scale magnetic fields photons emitted by a blazar can oscillate into ALPs on the way to us and back into photons before reaching the Earth. Since ALPs do not interact with background photons, the effective mean free path of beam photons increases, enhancing the photon survival probability. While the absorption probability increases with energy, photon-ALP oscillations are energy-independent, and so the survival probability increases with energy compared to standard expectations. We have performed a systematic analysis of this effect, interpreting the present data on very-high-energy photons from blazars. Our predictions can be tested with presently operating Cherenkov Telescopes like H.E.S.S., MAGIC, VERITAS and CANGAROO III as well as with detectors like ARGO-YBJ and MILAGRO and with the planned Cherenkov Telescope Array and the HAWC γ-ray observatory. ALPs with the right properties to produce the above effects can possibly be discovered by the GammeV experiment at FERMILAB and surely by the planned photon regeneration experiment ALPS at DESY.

Effect of carbonated hydroxyapatite incorporated advanced platelet rich fibrin intrasulcular injection on the alkaline phosphatase level during orthodontic relapse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alhasyimi, Ananto Ali; Pudyani, Pinandi Sri; Asmara, Widya; Ana, Ika Dewi

2018-02-01

Nowadays, relapse in orthodontic treatment is considered very important because of high incidence of relapse after the treatment. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) as a biomarker of bone formation will decrease in compression sites during relapse after orthodontic tooth movement. In this situation, manipulating alveolar bone remodeling to increase ALP level is considered one of the new strategies to prevent relapse properly. In the field of tissue engineering, in this study, carbonated hydroxyapatite (CHA) is expected to have the ability to incorporate advanced platelet rich fibrin (aPRF). Next, CHA will retain the aPRF containing various growth factors (GF) until it reaches into a specific targeted area, gradually degraded, and deliver the GF in a controlled manner to prevent relapse. Here, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of 45 samples (n=45) were collected and levels of ALP were analyzed using UV-Vis 6300 Spectrophotometer at 405 nm wavelength. We found that there is a significant difference of ALP levels (p<0.05) in GCF between treatments and control groups. ALP level was elevated significantly in CHA and CHA-aPRF groups at days 7 and 14 after debonding compared with the control groups. The peak level of ALP was observed at days 14 after debonding in groups C (0.789 ± 0.039 U/mg). Therefore, it can be concluded that the application of hydrogel CHA with controlled release manner incorporated aPRF enhances bone regeneration by increasing ALP level.

Construction of an alkaline phosphatase-specific two-photon probe and its imaging application in living cells and tissues.

PubMed

Zhang, Huatang; Xiao, Peng; Wong, Yin Ting; Shen, Wei; Chhabra, Mohit; Peltier, Raoul; Jiang, Yin; He, Yonghe; He, Jun; Tan, Yi; Xie, Yusheng; Ho, Derek; Lam, Yun-Wah; Sun, Jinpeng; Sun, Hongyan

2017-09-01

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is a family of enzymes involved in the regulation of important biological processes such as cell differentiation and bone mineralization. Monitoring the activity of ALP in serum can help diagnose a variety of diseases including bone and liver diseases. There has been growing interest in developing new chemical tools for monitoring ALP activity in living systems. Such tools will help further delineate the roles of ALP in biological and pathological processes. Previously reported fluorescent probes has a number of disadvantages that limit their application, such as poor selectivity and short-wavelength excitation. In this work, we report a new two-photon fluorescent probe (TP-Phos) to selectively detect ALP activity. The probe is composed of a two-photon fluorophore, a phosphate recognition moiety, and a self-cleavable adaptor. It offers a number of advantages over previously reported probes, such as fast reaction kinetics, high sensitivity and low cytotoxicity. Experimental results also showed that TP-Phos displayed improved selectivity over DIFMUP, a commonly utilized ALP probe. The selectivity is attributed to the utilization of an ortho-functionalised phenyl phosphate group, which increases the steric hindrance of the probe and the active site of phosphatases. Moreover, the two-photon nature of the probe confers enhanced imaging properties such as increased penetration depth and lower tissue autofluorescence. TP-Phos was successfully used to image the endogenous ALP activity of hippocampus, kidney and liver tissues from rat. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detrital zircon provenance from three turbidite depocenters of the Middle-Upper Triassic Songpan-Ganzi complex, central China: Record of collisional tectonics, erosional exhumation, and sediment production

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weislogel, A.L.; Graham, S.A.; Chang, E.Z.; Wooden, J.L.; Gehrels, G.E.

2010-01-01

To test the idea that the voluminous upper Middle to Upper Triassic turbidite strata in the Songpan-Ganzi complex of central China archive a detrital record of Dabie ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) terrane unroofing, we report 2080 single detrital U-Pb zircon ages by sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe-reverse geometry (SHRIMP-RG) and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis from 29 eastern Songpan-Ganzi complex sandstone samples. Low (<0.07) Th/U zircons, consistent with crystallization under UHP conditions, are rare in eastern Songpan-Ganzi complex zircon, and U-Pb ages of low Th/U zircons are incompatible with a Dabie terrane source. An unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean nearest-neighbor analysis of Kolmogorov-Smirnov two-sample test results reveals that the eastern Songpan-Ganzi complex is not a single contiguous turbidite system but is instead composed of three subsidiary depocenters, each associated with distinct sediment sources. The northeastern depocenter contains zircon ages characterized by Paleozoic and bimodally distributed Precambrian zircon populations, which, together with south-to southeast-directed paleocurrent data, indicate derivation from the retro-side of the Qinling-Dabie (Q-D) collisional orogen wedge. In the central depocenter, the dominantly Paleozoic detrital zircon signature and south-to southwest-oriented paleocurrent indicators reflect a profusion of Paleozoic zircon grains. These data are interpreted to reflect an influx of material derived from erosion of Paleozoic supra-UHP rocks of the Dabie terrane in the eastern Qinling-Dabie orogen, which we speculate may have been enhanced by development of a monsoonal climate. This suggests that erosional unroofing played a significant role in the initial phase of UHP exhumation and likely influenced the petrotectonic and structural evolution of the Qinling-Dabie orogen, as evidenced by compressed Triassic isotherms/grads reported in the Huwan shear zone that bounds the Dabie terrane to the north. The central depocenter deposits reflect a later influx of bimodally distributed Precambrian zircon, signifying either a decrease in the influx of Paleozoic zircon grains due to stalled UHP exhumation and/or dilution of the same influx of Paleozoic zircons by spilling of Precambrian zircon from the northeastern depocenter into the central depocenter basin, perhaps due to infilling and bypass of sediment from the northern depocenter or due to initial collapse and constriction of the eastern Songpan-Ganzi complex basin. The southeastern depocenter of the eastern Songpan-Ganzi complex bears significant Paleozoic, Neoproterozoic, and Paleoproterozoic zircon populations derived from the South China block and Yidun arc complex, likely recording nascent uplift of the Longmenshan deformation belt due to impingement of the Yidun arc complex upon the western margin of the South China block. ?? 2010 Geological Society of America.

A magnetotelluric feasibility study of the Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ritter, O.; Weckmann, U.

2016-12-01

The Alps are a famous and extensive mountain range system in central Europe. The mountains were formed as the African and Eurasian tectonic plates collided and they have been a prime target for geological and geophysical investigations since the beginning of modern geosciences. Consequently, the Alps have been investigated with active and passive seismological methods and extensive sets of potential field data exist. Hardly anything is known, however, about the deep electrical conductivity structure, as it has been notoriously difficult to acquire magnetotelluric (MT) data in the Alps. The Alps are densely populated and a lot of infrastructure for tourism has been built over the years. MT measurements, which rely on natural variations of the electromagnetic background fields, are severely hampered by this man-made noise. Here, we report on a feasibility study to acquire MT data in the Alps, where all stations are deployed outside the valleys, on high mountain ranges and alpine pastures. Overall we recorded MT data at 7 stations, along an approximately north-south profile centred on Mayrhofen in the Austrian Alps. The average station spacing was 5 kilometers. The data were processed using robust remote-reference processing and the results clearly show that MT measurements are feasible. We used Mare2DEM for 2D inversion to include a somewhat realistic topography. The 2D section indicates moderate resistivity for the top 2 - 5 km, consistent with the regional geology, which suggests (meta-) sedimentary sequences. From depths of 5 km and below resistivities exceed 5,000 Ohmm. This means we can sense very deep with MT but also, that we should be cautious with an interpretation of this short profile. The data also clearly indicate 3D effects. We therefore propose to deploy an array of stations covering the entire Alps in USArray style, e.g. with a station spacing of approximately 50 km, to derive a 3D model of the deep electrical resistivity structure of the Alps. Such a model could also serve as reference for more detailed investigations of key structures such as major fault systems or nappe structures. It will be essential to install stations on high ground, as far away as possible from valleys and cultural installations.

Zooplankton communities and Bythotrephes longimanus in lakes of the montane region of the northern Alps

PubMed Central

Horváth, Zsófia; Vad, Csaba F.; Preiler, Christian; Birtel, Julia; Matthews, Blake; Ptáčníková, Radka; Ptáčník, Robert

2017-01-01

Abstract Lakes in the Alps represent a considerable fraction of nutrient-poor lakes in Central Europe, with unique biodiversity and ecosystem properties. Although some individual lakes are well studied, less knowledge is available on large-scale patterns essential to general understanding of their functioning. Here, we aimed to describe crustacean zooplankton communities (Cladocera, Copepoda) and identify their environmental drivers in the pelagic zone of 54 oligotrophic lakes in the montane region of the Alps (400–1200 m) in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, covering a spatial scale of 650 km. Moreover, we aimed to provide data on the distribution and ecological requirements of the North American invader Bythotrephes longimanus in its Central European native range. Communities were mainly dominated by widespread species typical of lowland habitats, and only a few true specialists of oligotrophic alpine lakes were present. The most frequent taxa were the Daphnia longispina complex and Eudiaptomus gracilis, with 48 and 45 occurrences, respectively. Species richness decreased with altitude and increased with lake area. The main structuring factors of community composition were chlorophyll a concentration and depth, which drove an apparent separation of mesotrophic and oligotrophic communities. Bythotrephes had 13 occurrences, showing a preference for deep oligotrophic lakes. Its presence was not coupled with lower crustacean species richness, as was repeatedly observed in North America. Additionally, it frequently co-occurred with the other large predatory cladoceran, Leptodora kindtii. B. longimanus might be considered a truly montane species in Central Europe, given its absence in lowland and alpine lakes. PMID:28824797

Zooplankton communities and Bythotrephes longimanus in lakes of the montane region of the northern Alps

PubMed Central

Horváth, Zsófia; Vad, Csaba F.; Preiler, Christian; Birtel, Julia; Matthews, Blake; Ptáčníková, Radka; Ptacnik, Robert

2017-01-01

Lakes in the Alps represent a considerable fraction of nutrient-poor lakes in Central Europe, with unique biodiversity and ecosystem properties. Although some individual lakes are well-studied, less knowledge is available on large-scale patterns essential to generalise the understanding of their functioning. Here, we aimed to describe crustacean zooplankton communities (Cladocera, Copepoda) and identify their environmental drivers in the pelagic zone of 54 oligotrophic lakes in the montane region of the Alps (400–1200 m) in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, covering a spatial scale of 650 km. Moreover, we aimed to provide data on the distribution and ecological requirements of the North American invader Bytotrephes longimanus in its Central European native range. Communities were mainly dominated by widespread species typical of lowland habitats, and only a few true specialists of oligotrophic alpine lakes were present. The most frequent taxa were the Daphnia longispina complex and Eudiaptomus gracilis, with 48 and 45 occurrences, respectively. Species richness decreased with altitude and increased with lake area. The main structuring factors of community composition were chlorophyll a concentration and depth, which drove an apparent separation of mesotrophic and oligotrophic communities. Bytotrephes had 13 occurrences, showing a preference for deep oligotrophic lakes. Its presence was not coupled with lower crustacean species richness as it was repeatedly observed in North America. Additionally, it frequently co-occurred with the other large predatory cladoceran, Leptodora kindtii. B. longimanus might be considered a truly montane species in Central Europe, given its absence in lowland and alpine lakes. PMID:28649318

Penicillinase-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of plant viruses.

PubMed

Sudarshana, M R; Reddy, D V

1989-10-01

A penicillinase (PNC)-based, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was standardized to detect maize mosaic virus (MMV) in sorghum leaf extracts, peanut mottle virus (PMV) in pea leaf extracts, and tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) in peanut leaf extracts. Rabbit Fc-specific antibodies were conjugated with PNC by a single step glutaraldehyde bridge. Among several indicators tested, bromothymol blue (BTB) was found suitable for measuring PNC activity under simulated conditions. Two reagents, starch-iodine complex (SIC) and a mixed pH indicator, containing bromocresol purple and BTB (2:1) used earlier for the PNC-based ELISA, were compared with BTB for utilization in the PNC-based ELISA. SIC gave a slightly higher virus titre than BTB or the mixed pH indicator, but it often gave nonspecific reactions. Sodium or potassium salts of penicillin-G at 0.5-1.0 mg/ml and BTB at 0.2 mg/ml were found to be suitable as substrate-indicator mixture for PNC-based ELISA. The sensitivity of the PNC system was comparable to those of the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) systems in detecting MMV, PMV, and TSWV. The PNC conjugate could be used at a greater dilution than those of the ALP and HRP conjugates and the BTB substrate mixture was stable for at least 3 weeks at 4 degrees C. Penicillin is readily available in developing countries, and at a substantially lower cost than p-nitrophenyl phosphate, the commonly used substrate for ALP in the plate ELISA. Thus the PNC-based ELISA provides a less expensive means for assaying plant viruses by ELISA.

Ionic extraction of a novel nano-sized bioactive glass enhances differentiation and mineralization of human dental pulp cells.

PubMed

Gong, Weiyu; Huang, Zhiwei; Dong, Yanmei; Gan, Yehua; Li, Shenglin; Gao, Xuejun; Chen, Xiaofeng

2014-01-01

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a novel nano-sized 58S bioactive glass (nano-58S BG) on the odontogenic differentiation and mineralization of human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) in vitro. Extractions were prepared by incubating nano-58S BG, 45S5 BG, or 58S BG particulates in Dulbecco modified Eagle medium at 1% w/v for 24 hours and were filtrated through 0.22-μm filters. The supernatants were used as BG extractions. The hDPCs were cultured in nano-58S BG, 45S5 BG, and 58S BG extractions. The proliferation of hDPCs was evaluated using the methylthiazol tetrazolium assay. Odontogenic differentiation was evaluated based on the real-time polymerase chain reaction of differentiation- and mineralization-related genes, namely, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), collagen type I, dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), and dentin matrix protein 1. The gene expressions were verified using ALP activity assessment, immunocytochemistry staining of osteocalcin and DSPP, and mineralization assay using alizarin red S stain. All BG extractions up-regulated the expression of odontogenic genes, and the most significant enhancement was in the nano-58S BG group. All BG extractions, especially nano-58S, increased ALP activity, osteocalcin and DSPP protein production, and mineralized nodules formation. Compared with regular BG, the novel nano-58S BG can induce the differentiation and mineralization of hDPCs more efficiently and might be a better potential candidate for dentin-pulp complex regeneration. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fluid-rock reactions in an evaporitic melange, Permian Haselgebirge, Austrian Alps

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spotl, C.; Longstaffe, F.J.; Ramseyer, K.; Kunk, Michael J.; Wiesheu, R.

1998-01-01

Tectonically isolated blocks of carbonate rocks present within the anhydritic Haselgebirge melange of the Northern Calcareous Alps record a complex history of deformation and associated deep-burial diagenetic to very low-grade metamorphic reactions. Fluids were hot (up to ~ 250 ??C) and reducing brines charged with carbon dioxide. Individual carbonate outcrops within the melange record different regimes of brine-rock reactions, ranging from pervasive dolomite recrystallization to dedolomitization. Early diagenetic features in these carbonates were almost entirely obliterated. Matrix dolomite alteration was related to thermochemical sulphate reduction (TSR) recognized by the replacement of anhydrite by calcite + pyrite ?? native sulphur. Pyrite associated with TSR is coarsely crystalline and characterized by a small sulphur isotope fractionation relative to the precursor Permian anhydrite. Carbonates associated with TSR show low Fe/Mn ratios reflecting rapid reaction of ferrous iron during sulphide precipitation. As a result, TSR-related dolomite and calcite typically show bright Mn(II)-activated cathodoluminescence in contrast to the dull cathodoluminescence of many (ferroan) carbonate cements in other deep-burial settings. In addition to carbonates and sulphides, silicates formed closely related to TSR, including quartz, K-feldspar, albite and K-mica. 40Ar/39Ar analysis of authigenic K-feldspar yielded mostly disturbed step-heating spectra which suggest variable cooling through the argon retention interval for microcline during the Late Jurassic. This timing coincides with the recently recognized subduction and closure of the Meliata-Hallstatt ocean to the south of the Northern Calcareous Alps and strongly suggests that the observed deep-burial fluid-rock reactions were related to Jurassic deformation and melange formation of these Permian evaporites.

Search for Spectral Irregularities due to Photon-Axionlike-Particle Oscillations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope.

PubMed

Ajello, M; Albert, A; Anderson, B; Baldini, L; Barbiellini, G; Bastieri, D; Bellazzini, R; Bissaldi, E; Blandford, R D; Bloom, E D; Bonino, R; Bottacini, E; Bregeon, J; Bruel, P; Buehler, R; Caliandro, G A; Cameron, R A; Caragiulo, M; Caraveo, P A; Cecchi, C; Chekhtman, A; Ciprini, S; Cohen-Tanugi, J; Conrad, J; Costanza, F; D'Ammando, F; de Angelis, A; de Palma, F; Desiante, R; Di Mauro, M; Di Venere, L; Domínguez, A; Drell, P S; Favuzzi, C; Focke, W B; Franckowiak, A; Fukazawa, Y; Funk, S; Fusco, P; Gargano, F; Gasparrini, D; Giglietto, N; Glanzman, T; Godfrey, G; Guiriec, S; Horan, D; Jóhannesson, G; Katsuragawa, M; Kensei, S; Kuss, M; Larsson, S; Latronico, L; Li, J; Li, L; Longo, F; Loparco, F; Lubrano, P; Madejski, G M; Maldera, S; Manfreda, A; Mayer, M; Mazziotta, M N; Meyer, M; Michelson, P F; Mirabal, N; Mizuno, T; Monzani, M E; Morselli, A; Moskalenko, I V; Murgia, S; Negro, M; Nuss, E; Okada, C; Orlando, E; Ormes, J F; Paneque, D; Perkins, J S; Pesce-Rollins, M; Piron, F; Pivato, G; Porter, T A; Rainò, S; Rando, R; Razzano, M; Reimer, A; Sánchez-Conde, M; Sgrò, C; Simone, D; Siskind, E J; Spada, F; Spandre, G; Spinelli, P; Takahashi, H; Thayer, J B; Torres, D F; Tosti, G; Troja, E; Uchiyama, Y; Wood, K S; Wood, M; Zaharijas, G; Zimmer, S

2016-04-22

We report on the search for spectral irregularities induced by oscillations between photons and axionlike-particles (ALPs) in the γ-ray spectrum of NGC 1275, the central galaxy of the Perseus cluster. Using 6 years of Fermi Large Area Telescope data, we find no evidence for ALPs and exclude couplings above 5×10^{-12}  GeV^{-1} for ALP masses 0.5≲m_{a}≲5  neV at 95% confidence. The limits are competitive with the sensitivity of planned laboratory experiments, and, together with other bounds, strongly constrain the possibility that ALPs can reduce the γ-ray opacity of the Universe.

Susceptibility analysis for slides and rockfall: an example from the Northern Calcareous Alps (Vorarlberg, Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruff, Michael; Rohn, Joachim

2008-07-01

In this paper a tool for semi-quantitative susceptibility assessment at a regional scale is presented which is applicable at areas with complex geological setting. At a study area within the Northern Calcareous Alps geotechnical mappings were implemented into a Geographical Information System and analysed as grid data with a cell size of 25 m. The susceptibility to sliding and falling processes was considered according to five classes (very low, low, medium, high, very high). Susceptibility to sliding was analysed using an index method. The layers of lithology, bedding conditions, tectonic faults, slope angle, slope aspect, vegetation and erosion were combined iteratively. Dropout zones of rockfall material were determined with help of a Digital Elevation Model. The movement of rolling rock samples was modelled by a cost analysis of all potential rockfall trajectories. These trajectories were also divided into five susceptibility classes. The susceptibility maps are presented in a general way to be used by communities and spatial planners. Conflict areas of susceptibility and landuse were located and can be presented destinctively.

INAPPROPRIATE CONFIDENCE AND RETIREMENT PLANNING: FOUR STUDIES WITH A NATIONAL SAMPLE

PubMed Central

Parker, Andrew M.; de Bruin, Wändi Bruine; Yoong, Joanne; Willis, Robert

2011-01-01

Financial decisions about investing and saving for retirement are increasingly complex, requiring financial knowledge and confidence in that knowledge. Few studies have examined whether direct assessments of individuals’ confidence are related to the outcomes of their financial decisions. Here, we analyzed data from a national sample recruited through RAND’s American Life Panel (ALP), an internet panel of U.S. adults aged 18 to 88. We examined the relationship of confidence with self-reported and actual financial decisions, using four different tasks, each performed by overlapping samples of ALP participants. The four tasks were designed by different researchers for different purposes, using different methods to assess confidence. Yet, measures of confidence were correlated across tasks, and results were consistent across methodologies. Confidence and knowledge showed only modest positive correlations. However, even after controlling for actual knowledge, individuals with greater confidence were more likely to report financial planning for retirement and to successfully minimize fees on a hypothetical investment task. Implications for the role of confidence (even if it is unjustified) in investment behavior is discussed. PMID:23049164

Phenology in the Western Alps: first results of the PhenoALP project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cremonese, Edoardo; Tracol, Yann

2010-05-01

PHENOALP is a EU co-funded Interreg Project under the operational programme for cross-border cooperation "Italy-France (Alps-ALCOTRA)" 2007 - 2013, started in 2009, aiming to get a better understanding of phenological changes in the Alps and build a long term monitoring network. The results obtained after the first year of the project are mainly related to the definition of observation protocols and to the implementation of the observation networks. In particular, we focused on the comparison of different approaches for monitoring alpine grasslands phenology. We developed a new protocol for vegetative and reproductive phases of the seven most common plant growth life forms of alpine pastures: cyperaceae, poaceae (palatable and non palatable), evergreen and deciduous shrubs, forbs and leguminous. For each group quantitative and qualitative variables (e.g. leaves length, bud number, fruits number and phenophases) are monitored during the growing season. Study sites are located along an elevation gradient from 1560 to 2580 m asl and measurements are carried out on marked individuals in permanent plots. The other techniques used to monitor grassland phenology are: analysis of webcam images, weekly nadiral digital images, visual estimations of greening percentage, canopy structural measurements (i.e. height, fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation, leaf are index, etc..) and high frequency radiometric measurements of vegetation indexes related to canopy structure. All methods are providing promising results and our goal is to define a protocol suitable for long term observation based on a reasonable trade-off between the quality and robustness of collected data and the heaviness of the observations. For animal phenology we are focusing on many animal taxa among birds, mammals, amphibians and insects. First results are coming from birds and amphibians. In the case of birds, observations of reproductive phenology of some common alpine species are done along altitudinal transects of artificial nest-boxes. Moreover a protocol for the monitoring of the reproductive phases of Rana temporaria has been defined and observations are done in some ponds along an elevation gradient. A third activity of the project aims to analyse the relations between the seasonal and interannual variability of plant phenology and productivity, assessed measuring CO2 fluxes. To achieve this goal, two eddy covariance towers have been installed in a larch forest (2150 m asl) and in an alpine grassland (2160 m asl) in sites where phenology is monitored by field observations and webcams. Associated with these activities, a great effort is made towards the involvement of educational institutions in the observations of the seasonal changes of alpine ecosystems. During 2010, five school complexes located in the Italian side of the Western Alps will be involved in the French monitoring network of phenology in the Alps: Phenoclim (http://www.crea.hautesavoie.net/eng/phenoclim/index.php).Italian project partners will train schools to start phenological observations.

ALP conversion and the soft X-ray excess in the outskirts of the Coma cluster

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kraljic, David; Rummel, Markus; Conlon, Joseph P., E-mail: David.Kraljic@physics.ox.ac.uk, E-mail: Markus.Rummel@physics.ox.ac.uk, E-mail: j.conlon1@physics.ox.ac.uk

2015-01-01

It was recently found that the soft X-ray excess in the center of the Coma cluster can be fitted by conversion of axion-like-particles (ALPs) of a cosmic axion background (CAB) to photons. We extend this analysis to the outskirts of Coma, including regions up to 5 Mpc from the center of the cluster. We extract the excess soft X-ray flux from ROSAT All-Sky Survey data and compare it to the expected flux from ALP to photon conversion of a CAB. The soft X-ray excess both in the center and the outskirts of Coma can be simultaneously fitted by ALP tomore » photon conversion of a CAB. Given the uncertainties of the cluster magnetic field in the outskirts we constrain the parameter space of the CAB. In particular, an upper limit on the CAB mean energy and a range of allowed ALP-photon couplings are derived.« less

Present-day uplift of the western Alps.

PubMed

Nocquet, J-M; Sue, C; Walpersdorf, A; Tran, T; Lenôtre, N; Vernant, P; Cushing, M; Jouanne, F; Masson, F; Baize, S; Chéry, J; van der Beek, P A

2016-06-27

Collisional mountain belts grow as a consequence of continental plate convergence and eventually disappear under the combined effects of gravitational collapse and erosion. Using a decade of GPS data, we show that the western Alps are currently characterized by zero horizontal velocity boundary conditions, offering the opportunity to investigate orogen evolution at the time of cessation of plate convergence. We find no significant horizontal motion within the belt, but GPS and levelling measurements independently show a regional pattern of uplift reaching ~2.5 mm/yr in the northwestern Alps. Unless a low viscosity crustal root under the northwestern Alps locally enhances the vertical response to surface unloading, the summed effects of isostatic responses to erosion and glaciation explain at most 60% of the observed uplift rates. Rock-uplift rates corrected from transient glacial isostatic adjustment contributions likely exceed erosion rates in the northwestern Alps. In the absence of active convergence, the observed surface uplift must result from deep-seated processes.

Copper sulfide nanoparticle-decorated graphene as a catalytic amplification platform for electrochemical detection of alkaline phosphatase activity.

PubMed

Peng, Juan; Han, Xiao-Xia; Zhang, Qing-Chun; Yao, Hui-Qin; Gao, Zuo-Ning

2015-06-09

Copper sulfide nanoparticle-decorated graphene sheet (CuS/GR) was successfully synthesized and used as a signal amplification platform for electrochemical detection of alkaline phosphatase activity. First, CuS/GR was prepared through a microwave-assisted hydrothermal approach. The CuS/GR nanocomposites exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of ALP hydrolyzed products such as 1-naphthol, which produced a current response. Thus, a catalytic amplification platform based on CuS/GR nanocomposite for electrochemical detection of ALP activity was designed using 1-naphthyl phosphate as a model substrate. The current response increased linearly with ALP concentration from 0.1 to 100 U L(-1) with a detection limit of 0.02 U L(-1). The assay was applied to estimate ALP activity in human serum samples with satisfactory results. This strategy may find widespread and promising applications in other sensing systems that involves ALP. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reionization during the dark ages from a cosmic axion background

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Evoli, Carmelo; Leo, Matteo; Mirizzi, Alessandro

2016-05-01

Recently it has been pointed out that a cosmic background of relativistic axion-like particles (ALPs) would be produced by the primordial decays of heavy fields in the post-inflation epoch, contributing to the extra-radiation content in the Universe today. Primordial magnetic fields would trigger conversions of these ALPs into sub-MeV photons during the dark ages. This photon flux would produce an early reionization of the Universe, leaving a significant imprint on the total optical depth to recombination τ. Using the current measurement of τ and the limit on the extra-radiation content Δ N {sub eff} by the Planck experiment we putmore » a strong bound on the ALP-photon conversions. Namely we obtain upper limits on the product of the photon-ALP coupling constant g {sub a} {sub γ} times the magnetic field strength B down to g {sub a} {sub γ} B ∼> 6 × 10{sup −18} GeV{sup −1} nG for ultralight ALPs.« less

Distribution and characteristics of metamorphic belts in the south- eastern Alaska part of the North American Cordillera

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brew, D.A.; Himmelberg, G.R.; Loney, R.A.; Ford, A.B.

1992-01-01

The Cordilleran orogen in south-eastern Alaska includes 14 distinct metamorphic belts that make up three major metamorphic complexes, from east to west: the Coast plutonic-metamorphic complex; the Glacier Bay-Chichagof plutonic-metamorphic complex; and the Chugach plutonic-metamorphic complex. Each of these complexes is related to a major subduction event. The metamorphic history of the Coast complex is lengthy and is related to the Late Cretaceous collision of the Alexander and Wrangellia terranes and the Gravina overlap assemblage to the west against the Stikine terrane to the east. The metamorphic history of the Glacier Bay-Chichagof complex is relatively simple and is related to the roots of a Late Jurassic to late Early Cretaceous island arc. The metamorphic history of the Chugach is complicated and developed during and after the Late Cretaceous collision of the Chugach terrane with the Wrangellia and Alexander terranes. -from Authors

Village Stability Operations and the Afghan Local Police

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

government increased the centralization of police recruitment and training. To eliminate the temptations to abuse power arising from deployment in...Defense Initia- tive to the ALP. In June 2010, a Taliban suicide bomber blew himself up at a wedding in Kandahar province attended by numerous...involving ground assaults and suicide bombings aimed at ALP commanders. Some of the strikes claimed the lives of their targets and other ALP

Acute effect of tea, wine, beer, and polyphenols on ecto-alkaline phosphatase activity in human vascular smooth muscle cells.

PubMed

Negrão, Maria R; Keating, Elisa; Faria, Ana; Azevedo, Isabel; Martins, Maria J

2006-07-12

Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is an ecto-enzyme widely distributed across species. It modulates a series of transmembranar transport systems, has an important role in bone mineralization, and can also be involved in vascular calcification. Polyphenol-rich diets seem to have protective effects on human health, namely, in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to investigate the effects of polyphenols and polyphenol-rich beverages upon membranar alkaline phosphatase (ecto-ALP) activity in intact human vascular smooth muscle cells (AALTR). The ecto-ALP activity was determined at pH 7.8, with p-nitrophenyl phosphate as the substrate, by absorbance spectrophotometry at 410 nm. Cell viability was assessed by the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) method, and the polyphenol content of beverages was assessed using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagent. All polyphenols tested inhibited ecto-ALP activity, in a concentration-dependent way. Teas, wines, and beers also inhibited ecto-ALP activity, largely according to their polyphenol content. All tested compounds and beverages improved or did not change AALTR cell viability. Stout beer was an exception to the described behavior. Although more studies must be done, the inhibition of AALTR ecto-ALP activity by polyphenolic compounds and polyphenol-containing beverages may contribute to their cardiovascular protective effects.

[Evaluation of serum PIVKA-II by Lumipulse PrestoII assay].

PubMed

Hiramatsu, Kumiko; Tanaka, Yasuhito; Takagi, Kazumi; Kani, Satomi; Goto, Takaaki; Takasaka, Yoshimitsu; Matsuura, Kentaro; Sugauchi, Fuminaka; Moriyama, Kazushige; Murakami, Hiroshi; Kitajima, Sachiko; Mizokami, Masashi

2009-03-01

Measurements of serum concentrations of Des-gamma-carboxy Prothrombin (PIVKA-II) are widely used for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, in Lumipulsef assay, it was reported that antibodies against alkaline phosphatase (ALP) derived from anti bleeding sheets led false high values of PIVKA-II in the patients with HCC resection. To improve the previous issue, newly developed Lumipulse PrestoII assay was examined. (1) The assay was reliable and positively correlated with the previous assays (Lumipulse f and Picolumi, R = 0.997 and 0.994 (n=115), respectively). (2) Eleven cases, which had false high values of PIVKA-II by the Lumipulsef assay, were examined by the PrestoII assay with excess of inactive ALP. The false high values of 10 cases were improved, but only one was still high. False reactivity of this case was stronger than other cases, more effective adsorption was required. (3) Comparing the absorbent activity of inactive ALP among 6 different kinds, we found inactive ALP with much higher adsorbent activity. When this inactive ALP was applied to assay, false high values of PIVKA-II were improved in all 11 cases. In conclusion, the PrestoII assay, which applies the inactive ALP with high activity, is reliable and useful for clinical screening.

Use of bone alkaline phosphatase to monitor alendronate therapy in individual postmenopausal osteoporotic women.

PubMed

Kress, B C; Mizrahi, I A; Armour, K W; Marcus, R; Emkey, R D; Santora, A C

1999-07-01

Biochemical bone markers are sensitive to the changes in bone turnover that result from treatment of postmenopausal osteoporotic women with antiresorptive therapies. Although information is available on the use of bone markers in monitoring therapy in groups of subjects, less is known regarding how these markers perform in individual patients. Serum bone alkaline phosphatase (bone ALP) concentrations, measured with the Tandem(R) Ostase(R) assay, were used to monitor the biochemical response of bone in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis receiving either 10 mg/day alendronate therapy (n = 74) or calcium supplementation (n = 148) for 24 months. Bone ALP decreased significantly from baseline at 3 months (P

Gingival crevicular fluid protein content and alkaline phosphatase activity in relation to pubertal growth phase.

PubMed

Perinetti, Giuseppe; Franchi, Lorenzo; Castaldo, Attilio; Contardo, Luca

2012-11-01

To evaluate gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) protein content and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in growing subjects in relation to stages of skeletal maturation, ie, the growth phase, as prepubertal, pubertal, and postpubertal. Fifty healthy growing subjects (31 girls and 19 boys; age range, 7.8-17.7 years) were enrolled in this study that followed a double-blind, prospective, cross-sectional design. Collection of GCF was performed at the mesial and distal sites of both central incisors, for the maxilla and mandible. Growth phase was assessed through the cervical vertebral maturation method. GCF parameters were expressed as total protein content, total ALP activity, and normalized ALP activity. The total GCF protein content was similar between the different growth phases. On the contrary, the total ALP activity showed a peak for the pubertal growth phase. The normalized GCF ALP activity was only poorly associated with growth phase. No differences were seen between the maxillary and mandibular sites, or between the sexes, for any GCF parameter. The total GCF protein content is not sensitive to the growth phase. However, GCF ALP activity has potential as a diagnostic aid for identification of the pubertal growth phase in individual subjects when expressed as total, but not normalized, values.

Gene Expression of Lytic Endopeptidases AlpA and AlpB from Lysobacter sp. XL1 in Pseudomonads.

PubMed

Tsfasman, Irina M; Lapteva, Yulia S; Krasovskaya, Ludmila A; Kudryakova, Irina V; Vasilyeva, Natalia V; Granovsky, Igor E; Stepnaya, Olga A

2015-01-01

Development of an efficient expression system for (especially secreted) bacterial lytic enzymes is a complicated task due to the specificity of their action. The substrate for such enzymes is peptidoglycan, the main structural component of bacterial cell walls. For this reason, expression of recombinant lytic proteins is often accompanied with lysis of the producing bacterium. This paper presents data on the construction of an inducible system for expression of the lytic peptidases AlpA and AlpB from Lysobacter sp. XL1 in Pseudomonas fluorescens Q2-87, which provides for the successful secretion of these proteins into the culture liquid. In this system, the endopeptidase gene under control of the T7lac promoter was integrated into the bacterial chromosome, as well as the Escherichia coli lactose operon repressor protein gene. The T7 pol gene under lac promoter control, which encodes the phage T7 RNA polymerase, is maintained in Pseudomonas cells on the plasmids. Media and cultivation conditions for the recombinant strains were selected to enable the production of AlpA and AlpB by a simple purification protocol. Production of recombinant lytic enzymes should contribute to the development of new-generation antimicrobial drugs whose application will not be accompanied by selection of resistant microorganisms. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Ivrea mantle wedge and arc of the Western Alps (I): Geophysical evidence for the deep structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kissling, Edi; Schmid, Stefan M.; Diehl, Tobias

2017-04-01

The construction of five crustal-scale profiles across the Western Alps and the Ivrea mantle wedge integrates up-to-date geological and geophysical information and reveals important along strike changes in the overall structure of the crust of the Western Alpine arc (Schmid et al. 2017). The 3D crustal model of the Western Alps represented by these cross sections is based on recent P-velocity local earthquake tomography that compliments the previously existing wealth of geophysical information about lithosphere structure in the region. As part of Adria mantle lithosphere exhibiting strong upward bending toward the plate boundary along the inner arc of the Western Alps, the well-known Ivrea body plays a crucial role in our tectonic model. Until recently, however, the detailed 3D geometry of this key structure was only poorly constrained. In this study we present a review of the many seismic data in the region and we document the construction of our 3D lithosphere model by principles of multidisciplinary seismic tomography. Reference: Stefan M. Schmid, Edi Kissling, Douwe J.J. van Hinsbergen, Giancarlo Molli (2017). Ivrea mantle wedge and arc of the Western Alps (2): Kinematic evolution of the Alps-Apennines orogenic system. Abstract Volume EGU 2017.

Efficacy of alprazolam sublingual tablets in the treatment of the acute phase of panic disorders.

PubMed

Márquez, Miguel; Arenoso, Hector; Caruso, Norberto

2011-01-01

Panic disorder affects 2-5% of the general population. In Argentina, one million people would be affected with a 91% rate of psychiatric comorbidity. AIM; To compare efficacy parameters between sublingual (ALP-SL) and conventional (ALP-CT) tablets of alprazolam in the treatment of acute phase of panic disorder with and without agoraphobia. A comparative, multicenter (6 sites), double blind, randomized study was carried out. A total of 190 outpatients with (n=117) and without (n=73) agoraphobia were treated with ALP-SL or ALP-CT for 12 weeks. Outcome was assessed with the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI-S/CGI-I), Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A), Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX), Patient Global Impression (PGI), Psychological General Well-Being Index (PGWBI), Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) also by the number of panic attacks and extension and intensity of panic attacks and anticipatory anxiety. RESULTS. Both treatments resulted in statistically significant clinical improvement in all measures. ASEX presented no changes during the study. The average dose of alprazolam for 12 weeks was 1.36 ± 0.70 mg/day (1.39 ± 0.77 ALP-CT and 1.33 ± 0.64 ALP-SL). With ALP-SL, panic attacks were shorter (p < 0.05) with shorter extension (p=0.16) and intensity of anticipatory anxiety (p=0.14). The treatment was well tolerated, there being no differences between both groups. Alprazolam has been demonstrated to have efficacy, safety and good tolerability in the treatment of the acute phase of panic disorder, the sublingual tablets showing some comparative advantages.

Effects of three permeases on arginine utilization in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

PubMed Central

Zhang, Peng; Du, Guocheng; Zou, Huijun; Chen, Jian; Xie, Guangfa; Shi, Zhongping; Zhou, Jingwen

2016-01-01

Arginine plays an important role in cellular function and metabolism. Arginine uptake mainly occurs through three amino acid permeases, Alp1p, Gap1p and Can1p, which act as both transporters and receptors for amino acid utilization. In this study, seven mutants were constructed with different combinations of permease deficiencies that inhibit arginine utilization. Their effects on arginine metabolism were measured. The three amino acid permeases were also individually overexpressed in wild-type (WT), Δalp1Δgap1Δcan1 and Δnpr1 strains. The growth and arginine utilization of Δcan1, Δgap1Δcan1 and Δalp1Δgap1Δcan1 mutants were suppressed in YNB medium when arginine was the sole nitrogen source. Meanwhile, overexpression of Alp1p and Can1p enhanced growth and arginine utilization in WT, Δalp1Δgap1Δcan1 and Δnpr1. Besides, overexpression of Can1p caused a 26.7% increase in OD600 and 29.3% increase in arginine utilization compared to that of Alp1p in Δalp1Δgap1Δcan1. Transcription analysis showed that the effects of three amino acid permeases on the arginine utilization and the regulation of related genes, were tightly related to their individual characteristics. However, their overall effects were different for different combinations of mutants. The results presented here suggest some possible synergistic effects of different amino acid permeases on regulation of amino acid utilization and metabolism. PMID:26865023

Identification and assessment of groundwater flow and storage components of the relict Schöneben Rock Glacier, Niedere Tauern Range, Eastern Alps (Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winkler, Gerfried; Wagner, Thomas; Pauritsch, Marcus; Birk, Steffen; Kellerer-Pirklbauer, Andreas; Benischke, Ralf; Leis, Albrecht; Morawetz, Rainer; Schreilechner, Marcellus G.; Hergarten, Stefan

2016-06-01

More than 2,600 relict rock glaciers are known in the Austrian Alps but the knowledge of their hydraulic properties is severely limited. The relict Schöneben Rock Glacier (Niedere Tauern Range, Austria), with an extension of 0.17 km2, was investigated based on spring data (2006-2014) and seismic refraction survey. Spring-discharge hydrographs and natural and artificial tracer data suggest a heterogeneous aquifer with a layered internal structure for the relict rock glacier. The discharge behavior exhibits a fast and a delayed flow component. The spring discharge responds to recharge events within a few hours but a mean residence time of several months can also be observed. The internal structure of the rock glacier (up to several tens of meters thick) consists of: an upper blocky layer with a few meters of thickness, which lacks fine-grained sediments; a main middle layer with coarse and finer-grained sediments, allowing for fast flow; and an approximately 10-m-thick basal till layer as the main aquifer body responsible for the base flow. The base-flow component is controlled by (fine) sandy to silty sediments with low hydraulic conductivity and high storage capacity, exhibiting a difference in hydraulic conductivity to the upper layer of about three orders of magnitude. The high storage capacity of relict rock glaciers has an impact on water resources management in alpine catchments and potentially regulates the risk of natural hazards such as floods and related debris flows. Thus, the results highlight the importance of such aquifer systems in alpine catchments.

Occurrence and assemblage composition of millipedes (Myriapoda, Diplopoda) and terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) in urban areas of Switzerland.

PubMed

Vilisics, Ferenc; Bogyó, Dávid; Sattler, Thomas; Moretti, Marco

2012-01-01

Terrestrial isopods and millipedes, members of the invertebrate macro-decomposer guild, were collected through pitfall traps in three Swiss cities (Zurich, Lucerne, Lugano). A total of 7,198 individuals of 17 isopod species (7093 ind.), and 10 millipede species (105 ind.) were captured. Besides the Alpine endemic isopod (Trichoniscus alemannicus) and millipede (Cylindroiulus verhoeffi), urban assemblages were mainly composed of widespread, native European and even cosmopolitan species, which are frequent in anthropogenic areas. Overall species richness (isopods and millipedes combined) was similar in Zurich (17 species) and Lucerne (16), while only 13 species were sampled in Lugano. According to the Sørensen index of similarity, species composition of Zurich and Lucerne were more alike, while the one of Lugano was more distinct from the other two cities. This result can be explained by the spatial proximity of Zurich and Lucerne in the north of the Alps compared to Lugano, which is located more distantly and in the south of the Alps. Dominant isopods and millipedes in Zurich and Lucerne were found to be widespread synanthropic species in temperate Europe(Porcellio scaber, Trachelipus rathkii and Ophyiulus pilosus) while the dominant isopod in Lugano (Trachelipus razzautii) is a species with a north-eastern Mediterranean distribution. Our study reveals that the urban millipede and isopod fauna in Swiss cities mainly consists of widespread species, but species of narrower distribution (e.g. Trichoniscus alemannicus, Cylindroiulus verhoeffi) may also find suitable habitats in cities. Despite some signs of biotic homogenization, our study also found compositional differences of millipede and isopod assemblages between northern and southern cities that suggest geographical effects of the regional species pool.

Feeding the hungry river: Fluvial morphodynamics and the entrainment of artificially inserted sediment at the dammed river Isar, Eastern Alps, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heckmann, Tobias; Haas, Florian; Abel, Judith; Rimböck, Andreas; Becht, Michael

2017-08-01

Dams interrupt the sediment continuum in rivers by retaining the bedload; combined with flow diversion, bedload retention in tributaries and river engineering measures, this causes a bedload deficit leading to changes in river planform and morphodynamics, with potentially detrimental downstream effects. As part of the SedAlp joint project (Sediment management in Alpine basins: integrating sediment continuum, risk mitigation and hydropower), this study investigates changes within a section of the dammed river Isar between the Sylvenstein reservoir and the city of Bad Tölz. We use a multi-method approach on a range of spatial and temporal scales. First, we analysed historical maps and aerial photos to analyse river planform and landcover changes within the river corridor of the whole study area on a temporal scale of over 100 years. Results show that major changes occurred before the construction of the Sylvenstein reservoir, suggesting that present morphodynamics represent the reaction to different disturbances on different time scales. Second, changes in mean bed elevation of cross profiles regularly surveyed by the water authorities are analysed in light of artificial sediment insertion and floods; they are also used to estimate the sediment budget of river reaches between consecutive cross profiles. Results suggest stability and a slight tendency towards incision, especially near the Sylvenstein reservoir; further downstream, the sediment balance was positive. Third, we acquired multitemporal aerial photos using an unmanned aerial vehicle and generated high-resolution digital elevation models to show how sediment artificially inserted in the river corridor is entrained. Depending on the position of the artificial deposits in relation to the channel, the deposits are entrained during floods of different return periods.

Is the alpine divide becoming more permeable to biological invasions? - Insights on the invasion and establishment of the Walnut Husk Fly, Rhagoletis completa (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Switzerland.

PubMed

Aluja, M; Guillén, L; Rull, J; Höhn, H; Frey, J; Graf, B; Samietz, J

2011-08-01

The Walnut Husk Fly, Rhagoletis completa Cresson (Diptera: Tephritidae), is native to North America (Midwestern US and north-eastern Mexico) and has invaded several European countries in the past decades by likely crossing the alpine divide separating most parts of Switzerland from Italy. Here, we determined its current distribution in Switzerland by sampling walnuts (Juglans regia L.) in ecologically and climatically distinct regions along potential invasion corridors. R. completa was found to be firmly established in most low altitude areas of Switzerland where walnuts thrive, but notably not a single parasitoid was recovered from any of the samples. Infested fruit was recovered in 42 of the 71 localities that were surveyed, with mean fruit infestation rate varying greatly among sites. The incidence of R. completa in Switzerland is closely related to meteorological mean spring temperature patterns influencing growing season length, but not to winter temperatures, reflecting survival potential during hibernation. Importantly, areas in which the fly is absent correspond with localities where the mean spring temperatures fall below 7°C. Historical data records show that the natural cold barrier around the Alpine divide in the central Swiss Alps corresponding to such minimal temperatures has shrunk significantly from a width of more than 40 km before 1990 to around 20 km after 2000. We hypothesize on possible invasion/expansion routes along alpine valleys, dwell on distribution patterns in relation to climate, and outline future research needs as the incursion of R. completa into Switzerland; and, more recently, other European countries, such as Germany, Austria, France and Slovenia, represent an example of alien species that settle first in the Mediterranean Basin and from there become invasive by crossing the Alps.

Occurrence and assemblage composition of millipedes (Myriapoda, Diplopoda) and terrestrial isopods (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) in urban areas of Switzerland

PubMed Central

Vilisics, Ferenc; Bogyó, Dávid; Sattler, Thomas; Moretti, Marco

2012-01-01

Abstract Terrestrial isopods and millipedes, members of the invertebrate macro-decomposer guild, were collected through pitfall traps in three Swiss cities (Zurich, Lucerne, Lugano). A total of 7,198 individuals of 17 isopod species (7093 ind.), and 10 millipede species (105 ind.) were captured. Besides the Alpine endemic isopod (Trichoniscus alemannicus) and millipede (Cylindroiulus verhoeffi), urban assemblages were mainly composed of widespread, native European and even cosmopolitan species, which are frequent in anthropogenic areas. Overall species richness (isopods and millipedes combined) was similar in Zurich (17 species) and Lucerne (16), while only 13 species were sampled in Lugano. According to the Sørensen index of similarity, species composition of Zurich and Lucerne were more alike, while the one of Lugano was more distinct from the other two cities. This result can be explained by the spatial proximity of Zurich and Lucerne in the north of the Alps compared to Lugano, which is located more distantly and in the south of the Alps. Dominant isopods and millipedes in Zurich and Lucerne were found to be widespread synanthropic species in temperate Europe(Porcellio scaber, Trachelipus rathkii and Ophyiulus pilosus) while the dominant isopod in Lugano (Trachelipus razzautii) is a species with a north-eastern Mediterranean distribution. Our study reveals that the urban millipede and isopod fauna in Swiss cities mainly consists of widespread species, but species of narrower distribution (e.g. Trichoniscus alemannicus, Cylindroiulus verhoeffi) may also find suitable habitats in cities. Despite some signs of biotic homogenization, our study also found compositional differences of millipede and isopod assemblages between northern and southern cities that suggest geographical effects of the regional species pool. PMID:22536109

Advanced inflow forecasting for a hydropower plant in an Alpine hydropower regulated catchment - coupling of operational and hydrological forecasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tilg, Anna-Maria; Schöber, Johannes; Huttenlau, Matthias; Messner, Jakob; Achleitner, Stefan

2017-04-01

Hydropower is a renewable energy source which can help to stabilize fluctuations in the volatile energy market. Especially pumped-storage infrastructures in the European Alps play an important role within the European energy grid system. Today, the runoff of rivers in the Alps is often influenced by cascades of hydropower infrastructures where the operational procedures are triggered by energy market demands, water deliveries and flood control aspects rather than by hydro-meteorological variables. An example for such a highly hydropower regulated river is the catchment of the river Inn in the Eastern European Alps, originating in the Engadin (Switzerland). A new hydropower plant is going to be built as transboundary project at the boarder of Switzerland and Austria using the water of the Inn River. For the operation, a runoff forecast to the plant is required. The challenge in this case is that a high proportion of runoff is turbine water from an upstream situated hydropower cascade. The newly developed physically based hydrological forecasting system is mainly capable to cover natural hydrological runoff processes caused by storms and snow melt but can model only a small degree of human impact. These discontinuous parts of the runoff downstream of the pumped storage are described by means of an additional statistical model which has been developed. The main goal of the statistical model is to forecast the turbine water up to five days in advance. The lead time of the data driven model exceeds the lead time of the used energy production forecast. Additionally, the amount of turbine water is linked to the need of electricity production and the electricity price. It has been shown that especially the parameters day-ahead prognosis of the energy production and turbine inflow of the previous week are good predictors and are therefore used as input parameters for the model. As the data is restricted due to technical conditions, so-called Tobit models have been used to develop a linear regression for the runoff forecast. Although the day-ahead prognosis cannot always be kept, the regression model delivers, especially during office hours, very reasonable results. In the remaining hours the error between measurement and the forecast increases. Overall, the inflow forecast can be substantially improved by the implementation of the developed regression in the hydrological modelling system.

EAARL-B coastal topography: eastern New Jersey, Hurricane Sandy, 2012: first surface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wright, C. Wayne; Fredericks, Xan; Troche, Rodolfo J.; Klipp, Emily S.; Kranenburg, Christine J.; Nagle, David B.

2014-01-01

These remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements of lidar-derived first-surface (FS) topography datasets were produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida. This project provides highly detailed and accurate datasets for a portion of the New Jersey coastline beachface, acquired pre-Hurricane Sandy on October 26, and post-Hurricane Sandy on November 1 and November 5, 2012. The datasets are made available for use as a management tool to research scientists and natural-resource managers. An innovative airborne lidar system, known as the second-generation Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL-B), was used during data acquisition. The EAARL-B system is a raster-scanning, waveform-resolving, green-wavelength (532-nm) lidar designed to map nearshore bathymetry, topography, and vegetation structure simultaneously. The EAARL-B sensor suite includes the raster-scanning, water-penetrating full-waveform adaptive lidar, down-looking red-green-blue (RGB) and infrared (IR) digital cameras, two precision dual-frequency kinematic carrier-phase GPS receivers, and an integrated miniature digital inertial measurement unit, which provide for sub-meter georeferencing of each laser sample. The nominal EAARL-B platform is a twin-engine Cessna 310 aircraft, but the instrument may be deployed on a range of light aircraft. A single pilot, a lidar operator, and a data analyst constitute the crew for most survey operations. This sensor has the potential to make significant contributions in measuring sub-aerial and submarine coastal topography within cross-environmental surveys. Elevation measurements were collected over the survey area using the EAARL-B system. The resulting data were then processed using the Airborne Lidar Processing System (ALPS), a custom-built processing system developed in a NASA-USGS collaboration. ALPS supports the exploration and processing of lidar data in an interactive or batch mode. Modules for presurvey flight-line definition, flight-path plotting, lidar raster and waveform investigation, and digital camera image playback have been developed. Processing algorithms have been developed to extract the range to the first and last significant return within each waveform. ALPS is used routinely to create maps that represent submerged or sub-aerial topography. Specialized filtering algorithms have been implemented to determine the "bare earth" under vegetation from a point cloud of last return elevations. For more information about similar projects, please visit the Lidar for Science and Resource Management Web site.

EAARL Coastal Topography--Cape Canaveral, Florida, 2009: First Surface

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bonisteel-Cormier, J.M.; Nayegandhi, Amar; Plant, Nathaniel; Wright, C.W.; Nagle, D.B.; Serafin, K.S.; Klipp, E.S.

2011-01-01

These remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements of lidar-derived first-surface (FS) topography datasets were produced collaboratively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, FL, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Kennedy Space Center, FL. This project provides highly detailed and accurate datasets of a portion of the eastern Florida coastline beachface, acquired on May 28, 2009. The datasets are made available for use as a management tool to research scientists and natural-resource managers. An innovative airborne lidar instrument originally developed at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, and known as the Experimental Advanced Airborne Research Lidar (EAARL), was used during data acquisition. The EAARL system is a raster-scanning, waveform-resolving, green-wavelength (532-nanometer) lidar designed to map near-shore bathymetry, topography, and vegetation structure simultaneously. The EAARL sensor suite includes the raster-scanning, water-penetrating full-waveform adaptive lidar, a down-looking red-green-blue (RGB) digital camera, a high-resolution multispectral color-infrared (CIR) camera, two precision dual-frequency kinematic carrier-phase GPS receivers, and an integrated miniature digital inertial measurement unit, which provide for sub-meter georeferencing of each laser sample. The nominal EAARL platform is a twin-engine aircraft, but the instrument was deployed on a Pilatus PC-6. A single pilot, a lidar operator, and a data analyst constitute the crew for most survey operations. This sensor has the potential to make significant contributions in measuring sub-aerial and submarine coastal topography within cross-environmental surveys. Elevation measurements were collected over the survey area using the EAARL system, and the resulting data were then processed using the Airborne Lidar Processing System (ALPS), a custom-built processing system developed in a NASA-USGS collaboration. ALPS supports the exploration and processing of lidar data in an interactive or batch mode. Modules for presurvey flight-line definition, flight-path plotting, lidar raster and waveform investigation, and digital camera image playback have been developed. Processing algorithms have been developed to extract the range to the first and last significant return within each waveform. ALPS is used routinely to create maps that represent submerged or sub-aerial topography. Specialized filtering algorithms have been implemented to determine the "bare earth" under vegetation from a point cloud of last return elevations.

Streamflow response to glacier melt and related fluvial sediment transport in a proglacial Alpine river system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morche, D.; Schuchardt, A.; Baewert, H.; Weber, M.; Faust, M.

2016-12-01

Glaciers in the European Alps are retreating since the end of the Little Ice Age around 1850. Where the glaciers shrink, they leave unconsolidated sediment stores (moraines, till, glacifluvial deposits). These sediment stores are highly vulnerable for being subsequently eroded and are thus a key variable (source) in the fluvial sediment budget of proglacial areas. The fluvial system in proglacial areas is more or less continuously fed with (fine) sediment by glacial melt water (glacial milk) during the ablation period and infrequently (e.g. during rainstorm events) supplied with sediment by landslides, debris flows, rock fall or fluvial transport from the slopes. A part of the sediment input is temporary stored in intermitted sinks, such as the river bed, bars or braid plains. These storages can be reworked and then become sources for fluvial sediment transport mainly during floods. These sediment transporting processes are highly variable in both, the temporal and spatial scale. A research project has been set up in the Kaunertal valley, Austrian Alps. The presented part of this joint project is focussed on the quantification of recent fluvial sediment dynamics in the proglacial Fagge River below the glacier Gepatschferner. The glacier is located in the Eastern European Alps at the south end of the Kaunertal valley covering an area of 15.7 km² (2012) and is drained by the Fagge River. During the years 2012 to 2015 the Gepatschferner has shown an accelerated glacial retreat leading to the exposure of unconsolidated sediments as well as bedrock areas. The main aim of the presented part of the joint project is the investigation of the fluvial sediment transport rates in the proglacial Fagge River in the Kaunertal valley. Sediment output of the glacial meltwater stream was measured during the ablation periods at a gauging station installed in front of the glacier outlet. Water level was recorded every 15 minutes and discharge measurements were made at different stages. Using the derived stage-discharge relationships, a hydrograph was computed for each ablation season. Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) of several hundred water samples and bedload transport using a portable Helley-Smith sampler were measured. The solid sediment output was finally estimated using the discharge data as well as SSC and bedload data.

Lithospheric structure beneath Central Europe from the POLONAISE'97, CELEBRATION 2000, ALP 2002, and SUDETES 2003 seismic refraction experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guterch, A.; Grad, M.; Keller, G. R.

2005-12-01

Beginning in 1997, Central Europe between the Baltic and Adriatic Seas, has been covered by an unprecedented network of seismic refraction experiments POLONAISE'97, CELEBRATION 2000, ALP 2002, and SUDETES 2003, have only been possible due to a massive international consortium consisted of more than 30 institutions from 16 countries in Europe and North America. The majority of recording instruments was provided by the IRIS/PASSCAL Instrument Center and the University of Texas at El Paso (USA), and several other countries also provided instrumentation. Total length of seismic profiles in all experiments is about 20,000 km. The main results of these experiments are: 1) the delineation of the deep structure of the southwestern margin of the East European Craton (southern Baltica) and its relationship to younger terranes; delineation of the major terranes and crustal blocks in the Trans European Suture Zone; determination of the structural framework of the Pannonian basin; elucidation of the deep structure and evolution of the Western Carpathian Mountains and Eastern Alps; determination of the structural relationships between the structural elements of the Bohemian massif and adjacent features; construction of 3-D models of the lithospheric structure; and evaluation and develop geodynamic models for the tectonic evolution of the region. Experiment Working Groups Members: K. Aric, M. Behm, E. Brueckl, W. Chwatal, H. Grassl, S. Hock, V. Hoeck, F. Kohlbeck, E.-M. Rumpfhuber, Ch. Schmid, R. Schmoller, C. Tomek, Ch. Ullrich, F.Weber (Austria), A.A. Belinsky (Belarus), I. Asudeh, R. Clowes, Z. Hajnal (Canada), F. Sumanova (Croatia), M. Broz , P. Hrubcova, M. Korn, O. Karousova, J. Malek, A. Spicak (Czech Republic), S.L. Jensen, P. Joergensen, H. Thybo (Denmark), K. Komminaho, U. Luosto, T. Tiira, J. Yliniemi (Finland), F. Bleibinhaus, R. Brinkmann, B. Forkmann, H. Gebrande, H. Geissler, A. Hemmann, G. Jentzsch, D. Kracke, A. Schulze, K. Schuster (Germany), T. Bodoky, T. Fancik, E. Hegedas, K. Posgay, E. Takacs (Hungary), J. Jacyna, L. Korabliova, G. Motuza, V. Nasedkin (Lithuania), W. Czuba, E. Gaczynski, M. Grad, A. Guterch, T. Janik, M. Majdanski, M. Malinowski, P. Sroda, M. Wilde-Piorko, (Poland), S.L. Kostiuchenko, A.F. Morozov (Russia), J. Vozar (Slovakia), A. Gosar (Slovenia), O. Selvi (Turkey), S. Acevedo, M. Averill, M. Fort, R. Greschke, S.Harder, G. Kaip, G.R. Keller, K.C. Miller, C.M. Snelson (USA)

Reaching and abandoning the furthest ice extent during the Last Glacial Maximum in the Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivy-Ochs, Susan; Wirsig, Christian; Zasadni, Jerzy; Hippe, Kristina; Christl, Marcus; Akçar, Naki; Schluechter, Christian

2016-04-01

During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the European Alps (late Würm) local ice caps and extensive ice fields in the high Alps fed huge outlet glaciers that occupied the main valleys and extended onto the forelands as piedmont lobes. Records from numerous sites suggest advance of glaciers beyond the mountain front by around 30 ka (Ivy-Ochs 2015 and references therein). Reaching of the maximum extent occurred by about 27-26 ka, as exemplified by dates from the Rhein glacier area (Keller and Krayss, 2005). Abandonment of the outermost moraines at sites north and south of the Alps was underway by about 24 ka. In the high Alps, systems of transection glaciers with transfluences over many of the Alpine passes dominated, for example, at Grimsel Pass in the Central Alps (Switzerland). 10Be exposure ages of 23 ± 1 ka for glacially sculpted bedrock located just a few meters below the LGM trimline in the Haslital near Grimsel Pass suggest a pulse of ice surface lowering at about the same time that the foreland moraines were being abandoned (Wirsig et al., 2016). Widespread ice surface lowering in the high Alps was underway by no later than 18 ka. Thereafter, glaciers oscillated at stillstand and minor re-advance positions on the northern forelands for several thousand years forming the LGM stadial moraines. Final recession back within the mountain front took place by 19-18 ka. Recalculation to a common basis of all published 10Be exposure dates for boulders situated on LGM moraines suggests a strong degree of synchrony for the timing of onset of ice decay both north and south of the Alps. Ivy-Ochs, S., 2015, Cuadernos de investigación geográfica 41: 295-315. Keller, O., Krayss, E., 2005, Vierteljahrschr. Naturforsch. Gesell. Zürich 150: 69-85. Wirsig, C. et al., 2016, J. Quat. Sci. 31: 46-59.

Gingival crevicular fluid alkaline phosphatase activity reflects periodontal healing/recurrent inflammation phases in chronic periodontitis patients.

PubMed

Perinetti, Giuseppe; Paolantonio, Michele; Femminella, Beatrice; Serra, Emanuela; Spoto, Giuseppe

2008-07-01

Roles for host enzymes as diagnostic indicators of periodontal status in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) have been proposed. One of these host enzymes is alkaline phosphatase (ALP), the GCF activity of which has been associated with periodontal inflammation. Thus, the present study aimed to improve our understanding of how the healing of chronic periodontitis following scaling and root planing (SRP) affects GCF ALP activity after 15 and 60 days. Sixteen systemically healthy subjects (aged 35 to 61 years) with moderate to advanced generalized chronic periodontitis were recruited. In each subject, paired pockets with probing depths (PDs) > or =4 mm that were located in two symmetric quadrants were chosen. These sites were randomized at the split-mouth level, with half receiving SRP treatment and the other half left untreated. Ninety-two pockets were included in the study. Clinical examinations were performed at baseline (prior to SRP) and after 15 and 60 days; information recorded included the presence of plaque, PD, clinical attachment level (CAL), and bleeding on probing. GCF was collected from each pocket included in the study at the three time points. A large and significant decrease in GCF ALP activity was seen 15 days after SRP, concomitant with an improvement in clinical parameters. After 60 days, an increase in GCF ALP activity back to baseline levels was recorded along with further improvements in clinical parameters. Moreover, in the SRP pockets with initial PDs >6 mm, the CAL gains between days 15 and 60 were significantly associated with changes in GCF ALP activity over the same time interval. The decrease in GCF ALP activity at 15 days corresponded to a decrease in clinical signs of inflammation; in contrast, the increase in GCF ALP activity at 60 days seemed to be related to subclinical recurrent inflammation or further healing/remodeling of the periodontal tissue. Therefore, GCF ALP reflects the short-term periodontal healing/recurrent inflammation phases in chronic periodontitis patients.

Search for gamma-ray spectral modulations in Galactic pulsars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majumdar, Jhilik; Calore, Francesca; Horns, Dieter

2018-04-01

Well-motivated extensions of the standard model predict ultra-light and fundamental pseudo-scalar particles (e.g., axions or axion-like particles: ALPs). Similarly to the Primakoff-effect for axions, ALPs can mix with photons and consequently be searched for in laboratory experiments and with astrophysical observations. Here, we search for energy-dependent modulations of high-energy gamma-ray spectra that are tell-tale signatures of photon-ALPs mixing. To this end, we analyze the data recorded with the Fermi-LAT from Galactic pulsars selected to have a line of sight crossing spiral arms at a large pitch angle. The large-scale Galactic magnetic field traces the shape of spiral arms, such that a sizable photon-ALP conversion probability is expected for the sources considered. For the nearby Vela pulsar, the energy spectrum is well described by a smooth model spectrum (a power-law with a sub-exponential cut-off) while for the six selected Galactic pulsars, a common fit of the ALPs parameters improves the goodness of fit in comparison to a smooth model spectrum with a significance of 4.6 σ. We determine the most-likely values for mass ma and coupling gaγγ to be ma=(3.6‑0.2 stat.+0.5 stat.± 0.2syst. ) neV and gaγγ=(2.3‑0.4stat.+0.3 stat.± 0.4syst.)× 10‑10 GeV‑1. In the error budget, we consider instrumental effects, scaling of the adopted Galactic magnetic field model (± 20 %), and uncertainties on the distance of individual sources. The best-fit parameters are by a factor of ≈ 3 larger than the current best limit on solar ALPs generation obtained with the CAST helioscope, although known modifications of the photon-ALP mixing in the high density solar environment could provide a plausible explanation for the apparent tension between the helioscope bound and the indication for photon-ALPs mixing reported here.

Spatial organization of seismicity and fracture pattern at the boundary between Alps and Dinarides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bressan, Gianni; Ponton, Maurizio; Rossi, Giuliana; Urban, Sandro

2016-04-01

The paper affords the study of the spatial organization of seismicity in the easternmost region of the Alps (Friuli, in NE Italy and W Slovenia), dominated by the interference between the Alpine and the Dinaric tectonic systems. Two non-conventional methods of spatial analysis are used: fractal analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). The fractal analysis helps to discriminate the cases in which hypocentres clearly define a plane, from the ones in which hypocenter distribution tends to the planarity, without reaching it. The PCA analysis is used to infer the orientation of planes fitting through earthquake foci, or the direction of propagation of the hypocentres. Furthermore, we study the spatial seismicity pattern at the shallow depths in the context of a general damage model, through the crack density distribution. The results of the three methods concur to a complex and composite model of fracturing in the region. The hypocentre pattern fills only partially a plane, i.e. has a fractal dimension close to 2. The three exceptions regard planes with Dinaric trend, without interference with Alpine lineaments. The shallowest depth range (0-10 km depth) is characterized by the activation of planes with variable orientations, reflecting the interference between the Dinaric and the Alpine tectonic structures, and closely bound to the variation of the mechanical properties of the crust. The seismicity occurs mostly in areas characterized by a variation from low to moderate crack density, indicating the sharp transition from zones of low damage to zones of moderate damage. Low crack density indicates the presence of more competent rocks capable of sustaining high strain energy while high crack density areas pertain to highly fractured rocks that cannot store high strain energy. Brittle failure, i.e. seismic activity, is favoured within the sharp transitions from low to moderate crack density zones. The orientation of the planes depicting the seismic activity, indeed, coincides with the orientation of the faults generated along the flanks of past carbonate platforms both in Friuli and western Slovenia. In the deepest depth range (10-20-km depth), on the contrary, the study evidences the dominance of the tectonic Dinaric system to the NW of the External Dinarides, in depth. This depth interval is characterized by a more organized pattern of seismicity. Seismic events mainly locate on the Dinaric lineaments in the northern and eastern parts of the region considered, while on Alpine thrusts in the western and southern parts.

The initial superposition of oceanic and continental units in the southern Western Alps: constraints on geometrical restoration and kinematics of the continental subduction wedge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumont, Thierry; Schwartz, Stéphane; Matthews, Steve; Malusa, Marco; Jouvent, Marine

2017-04-01

The tectonic contact separating continental and oceanic units is preserved at outcrop in many locations within the Western Alps. The contact has experienced prolonged and progressive deformation during Oligocene collision and subsequent 'extrusive' contraction which is approximately westerly-directed (Dumont et al., 2012). Despite variable metamorphic grade, this tectonic contact displays a relative consistency of tectonostratigraphic and structural characteristics. Removal of the Oligocene and younger deformation is a critical requirement to allow assessment of the kinematic evolution during the Eocene continental subduction phase. The best preserved relationships are observed near the base of the Helminthoid Flysch nappes, in the footwall of the Penninic thrust, or in the external part of the Briançonnais zone. Here, the oceanic units are composed of detached Cretaceous sediments, but they are underlain locally by an olistostrome containing basaltic clasts. Further to the east, the internal boundary of the Briançonnais zone s.l. (including the 'Prepiedmont units'), is frequently marked by breccia or megabreccia, but is strongly affected by blueschist-facies metamorphism and by approximately easterly directed backfolding and backthrusting. At one locality, there is compelling evidence that the oceanic and continental units were already tectonically stacked and metamorphosed (together) 32Ma ago. Some megabreccias of mixed continental/oceanic provenance can be interpreted as a metamorphic equivalent of the external olistostrome, products of the initial pulses of tectonic stacking. The overlying units are composed dominantly of metasediments, containing distributed ophiolitic megaboudins (Tricart & Schwartz, 2006). Further east again, the tectonic contact separates the Dora-Maira continental basement from the Mt. Viso units which are predominantly composed of oceanic lithosphere. Both the Dora-Maira and Mt. Viso units are eclogitic, but the HP peak is apparently older in the oceanic rocks (Malusà et al. 2015). Finally, further SE, the Voltri massif shows a huge volume of serpentinized mantle which locally overlies continental basement (strongly metamorphosed), and is interpreted as an exhumed remnant of the subduction channel (Federico et al., 2007). In all these localities the transport directions during initial pulses of stacking were consistently oriented generally towards the NW to N, taking into account the subsequent Oligocene and younger collision-related deformation (complex folds, thrusts, backfolds and backthrusts, and block-rotations). It is thus possible to attempt reconstructing an early stage continental subduction wedge involving these different elements from the subduction channel to the most frontal part of the accretionary complex. However, this early Alpine orogen which was active throughout the Eocene is interpreted to have propagated generally towards the NW to N, prior to subsequent pulses of more westerly directed deformation from the Oligocene onwards within the southern part of the Western Alps arc. It is therefore essential to continually improve high-resolution 3D geophysical imaging to facilitate a better understanding of the complex western termination of the Alpine orogen. References: Dumont T., Schwartz S., Guillot S., Simon-Labric S., Tricart P. & Jourdan S. (2012), Structural and sedimentary record of the Oligocene revolution in the Western Alpine arc. Jour. Geodynamics, doi:10.1016/j.jog.2011.11.006 Federico L., Crispini L., Scambelluri M. & Capponi G. (2007), Ophiolite mélange zone records exhumation in a fossil subduction channel. Geology, 35, p. 499-502 Malusà M.G., Faccenna C., Baldwin S.L., Fitzgerald P.G., Rossetti F., Balestrieri M.L., Danišík M., Ellero A., Ottria G. & Piromallo C. (2015), Contrasting styles of (U)HP rock exhumation along the Cenozoic Adria-Europe plate boundary (Western Alps, Calabria, Corsica). Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst. ,16, p. 1786-1824 Tricart P. & Schwartz S. (2006), A north-south section across the Queyras Schistes Lustrés (Piedmont zone, western Alps): Syn-collision refolding of a subduction wedge. Eclogae Geol. Helv., 99, 3, p. 429-442

The Origin of The Piz Terri-Lunschania zone (Central Alps, Switzerland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galster, Federico; Stockli, Daniel

2017-04-01

The Piz Terri-Lunschania zone (PTLZ) represents a band of metasedimentary rocks embedded in a crucial knot at the NE border of the Lepontine dome, at the intersection of the Gotthard, Lucomagno, Simano, Adula and Grava nappes. Its origin and its position in the tectonostratigraphy of the Central Alps are still not completely understood. A better understanding of this sedimentary zone and its tectonic position could shed lights on the Helvetic-Penninic connection and facilitate the disentanglement of the Lepontine dome tectonics. In this study we combine structural and stratigraphic observations with detrital zircon (DZ) and detrital rutile (DR) U-Pb geochronology as well as mineral trace element data from Permian, Triassic and Jurassic sandstones. We compare these data with those from adjacent tectonic units and coeval strata in other portions of the Alpine chain. Maximal depositional ages, abrupt changes in provenances and stratigraphic correlations based on new DZ and DR U-Pb and trace element data allow for a better understanding of the sedimentary evolution of the Terri basin and its palaeogeographic position along the northern margin of the Alpine Tethys. In particular the DZ U-Pb signatures, with its abundant 260-280 Ma zircons and the scarcity of 290-350 Ma zircons, corroborates an Ultra-Adula origin of the PTLZ as proposed by Galster et al (2010; 2012) based on stratigraphic arguments and reinforces the notion of a Briançonnais influence on the stratigraphic record of this complex zone, a fact that has important tectonic and Palaeogeographic implications. Galster F, Cavargna-Sani M, Epard J-L, Masson H (2012) New stratigraphic data from the Lower Penninic between the Adula nappe and the Gotthard massif and consequences for the tectonics and the paleogeography of the Central Alps. Tectonophysics 579:37-55. doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2012.05.029 Galster F, Epard J-L, Masson H (2010) The Soja and Luzzone-Terri nappes: Discovery of a Briançonnais element below the front of the Adula nappe (NE Ticino, Central Alps). Bulletin de la Société Vaudoise des Sciences naturelles 92:61-75.

Combined Genotypic, Phylogenetic, and Epidemiologic Analyses of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Genetic Diversity in the Rhône Alpes Region, France.

PubMed

Pichat, Catherine; Couvin, David; Carret, Gérard; Frédénucci, Isabelle; Jacomo, Véronique; Carricajo, Anne; Boisset, Sandrine; Dumitrescu, Oana; Flandrois, Jean-Pierre; Lina, Gérard; Rastogi, Nalin

2016-01-01

The present work relates to identification and a deep molecular characterization of circulating Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) strains in the Rhône-Alpes region, France from 2000 to 2010. It aimed to provide with a first snapshot of MTBC genetic diversity in conjunction with bacterial drug resistance, type of disease and available demographic and epidemiologic characteristics over an eleven-year period, in the south-east of France. Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) strains isolated in the Rhône-Alpes region, France (n = 2257, 1 isolate per patient) between 2000 and 2010 were analyzed by spoligotyping. MIRU-VNTR typing was applied on n = 1698 strains (with full results available for 974 strains). The data obtained were compared with the SITVIT2 database, followed by detailed genotyping, phylogenetic, and epidemiologic analyses in correlation with anonymized data on available demographic, and epidemiologic characteristics, and location of disease (pulmonary or extrapulmonary TB). The most predominant spoligotyping clusters were SIT53/T1 (n = 346, 15.3%) > SIT50/H3 (n = 166, 7.35%) > SIT42/LAM9 (n = 125, 5.5%) > SIT1/Beijing (n = 72, 3.2%) > SIT47/H1 (n = 71, 3.1%). Evolutionary-recent strains belonging to the Principal Genetic Group (PGG) 2/3, or Euro-American lineages (T, LAM, Haarlem, X, S) were predominant and represented 1768 or 78.33% of all isolates. For strains having drug resistance information (n = 1119), any drug resistance accounted for 14.83% cases vs. 1.52% for multidrug resistance (MDR); and was significantly more associated with age group 21-40 years (p-value<0.001). Extra-pulmonary TB was more common among female patients while pulmonary TB predominated among men (p-value<0.001; OR = 2.16 95%CI [1.69; 2.77]). Also, BOV and CAS lineages were significantly well represented in patients affected by extra-pulmonary TB (p-value<0.001). The origin was known for 927/2257 patients: 376 (40.6%) being French-born vs. 551 (59.4%) Foreign-born. French patients were significantly older (mean age: 58.42 yrs 95%CI [56.04; 60.80]) than Foreign-born patients (mean age: 42.38 yrs. 95%CI [40.75; 44.0]). The study underlined the importance of imported TB cases on the genetic diversity and epidemiologic characteristics of circulating MTBC strains in Rhône-Alpes region, France over a large time-period. It helps better understand intricate relationships between certain lineages and geographic origin of the patients, and pinpoints genotypic and phylogenetic specificities of prevailing MTBC strains. Lastly, it also demonstrated a slow decline in isolation of M. africanum lineage in this region between 2000 and 2010.

Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome: more than a FAScinating disease

PubMed Central

Bride, Karen; Teachey, David

2017-01-01

Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is an inherited syndrome characterized by abnormal lymphocyte survival caused by failure of apoptotic mechanisms to maintain lymphocyte homeostasis. This failure leads to the clinical manifestations of non-infectious and non-malignant lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and autoimmune pathology, most commonly, autoimmune cytopenias. Since ALPS was first characterized in the early 1990s, insights in disease biology have improved both diagnosis and management of this syndrome. Sirolimus is the best-studied and most effective corticosteroid-sparing therapy for ALPS and should be considered first-line for patients in need of chronic treatment. This review highlights practical clinical considerations for the diagnosis and management of ALPS. Further studies could reveal new proteins and regulatory pathways that are critical for lymphocyte activation and apoptosis. PMID:29123652

Search for Spectral Irregularities due to Photon–Axionlike-Particle Oscillations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

DOE PAGES

Ajello, M.; Albert, A.; Anderson, B.; ...

2016-04-20

In this paper, we report on the search for spectral irregularities induced by oscillations between photons and axionlike-particles (ALPs) in the γ-ray spectrum of NGC 1275, the central galaxy of the Perseus cluster. Using 6 years of Fermi Large Area Telescope data, we find no evidence for ALPs and exclude couplings above 5 x 10 -12 GeV -1 for ALP masses 0.5 ≲ m a ≲ 5 neV at 95% confidence. Finally, the limits are competitive with the sensitivity of planned laboratory experiments, and, together with other bounds, strongly constrain the possibility that ALPs can reduce the γ-ray opacity ofmore » the Universe.« less

Search for Spectral Irregularities due to Photon-Axionlike-Particle Oscillations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ajello, M.; Albert, A.; Anderson, B.; Baldini, L.; Barbiellini, G.; Bastieri, D.; Bellazzini, R.; Bissaldi, E.; Blandford, R.D.; Mirabal, N.;

Morphological and genetic evolution in eastern populations of the Macrhybopsis aestivalis complex (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae), with the descriptions of four new species.

PubMed

Gilbert, Carter R; Mayden, Richard L; Powers, Steven L

2017-03-30

For many years the North American cyprinid fish Macrhybopsis aestivalis (common name: Speckled Chub) was regarded as a single widespread and morphologically variable species, occurring in rivers throughout much of the Mississippi Valley and geographically adjacent eastern Gulf slope drainages, west to the Rio Grande basin in Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. Eisenhour (1997) completed a morphological study of western populations of the Speckled Chub, the results of which appeared thereafter in published form (Eisenhour 1999, 2004). He demonstrated the existence of five valid species west of the Mississippi River (aestivalis, marconis, australis, tetranema, hyostoma), of which the name aestivalis was shown to be restricted to the population occurring in the Rio Grande and the geographically adjacent Rio San Fernando system, in northeastern Mexico. Eisenhour (2004) considered populations throughout the middle Mississippi Valley and its major tributaries to be a single morphologically variable species (hyostoma), and he also indicated that populations of Macrhybopsis from eastern Gulf slope drainages may represent a complex of species. Genetic confirmation of Eisenhour's conclusions regarding western species appeared in the publication by Underwood et al. (2003), who also showed that western populations of M. hyostoma, as presently recognized, are genetically much more complex than previously considered.     Meanwhile, the present authors were involved in a companion study of eastern populations of Macrhybopsis, for which a genetic summary of the eastern Gulf coast species was published by Mayden & Powers (2004). Based on their findings, four species were recognized from southeastern drainages (identified as species A-D), although no formal taxonomic descriptions were included. Their genetic data, in combination with meristic, morphometric and other morphological data presented herein, form the basis for a revised classification of eastern Macrhybopsis populations, including formal descriptions of the four new species from eastern Gulf coast drainages.

The Evolution of the Tethysides during the Medial to Late Triassic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saǧdıç, Nurbike G.; Celâl Şengör, A. M.

2016-04-01

The Triassic is a time of widespread rifting within the future Alpides of the circum-Mediterranean countries. However, this rifting had little to do with the later, Sinemurian-Hettangian rifting that penetrated the Tethyan realm from the Atlantic Ocean. The eastern part of the rifting occurred south of the Palaeo-Tethys and seems to have been related to stretching above its extensional arc. Evidence for his stretching is seen in the Karakaya-Pelagonian-Pindos- Meliata-Hallstatt zones and the Eastern Mediterranean. The Eastern Mediterranean is separated from the other extensional zones by a Mikrasian continental fragment that had begun separating from Gondwana-Land already during the Permian. The rifting propagated eastward along the Carpathians (Transylvanian Nappes) and the Eastern and the Southern Alps from where it entered the future Provençal chains and finally the Pyrenees where evaporites were laid down in extensional basins. In the south, an area of rifting went from the Eastern Mediterranean into the High Atlas thus delimiting an Iberapulian continental fragment. The Iberapulian fragment became divided into an Iberian and an Apulian parts later during the Hettangian-Sinemurian rifting that also invaded the earlier extensional areas in the Atlas. The extension directions during the medial and late Triassic are controlled by the tectonics of the eastern end of the Palaeo-Tethys. Along its northern margin, i.e., along the Scythides, right-lateral motion dominated. Along the northern margin of the Mikrasian fragment subduction was nearly head-on (slightly oblique so as to impose a slight right-lateral motion along the arc), but the stretching along the Karakaya rift zones was probably orthogonal because of the similarly orthogonal stretching in the Eastern Mediterrarean. The kinematics is dependent on what sort of motion is imposed onto the Palaeo-Tethyan plate (s) along its (their) northern margin and the direction of stretching in the Eastern Mediterranean. The rifting in areas farther west may have been a consequence of the origin of secondary shear structures along the Mikrasian and Iberapulian fragments. The Italian rifts, such as the Lagonegro and the Sclafani seem to have resulted from a similar process. Plate kinematics, as reconstructed, imposes a slight right-lateral motion onto the East Alpine/Southern Alpine areas. It is remarkable how independent the later Jurassic rifting seems to have been. It avoided in many places the former regions of stretching and opened new avenues of rifting for itself. One wonders whether the lithosphere in the older areas of rifting had recovered sufficiently to pose a hindernis to fracturing or whether the newer rifting followed older, Hercynian zones of deformation. For the time being we favour the second alternative as the time between the Triassic rifting and the Jurassic rifting seems insufficient to allow the lithosphere to recover to build sufficient strength.

Changes of forest cover and disturbance regimes in the mountain forests of the Alps.

PubMed

Bebi, P; Seidl, R; Motta, R; Fuhr, M; Firm, D; Krumm, F; Conedera, M; Ginzler, C; Wohlgemuth, T; Kulakowski, D

2017-03-15

Natural disturbances, such as avalanches, snow breakage, insect outbreaks, windthrow or fires shape mountain forests globally. However, in many regions over the past centuries human activities have strongly influenced forest dynamics, especially following natural disturbances, thus limiting our understanding of natural ecological processes, particularly in densely-settled regions. In this contribution we briefly review the current understanding of changes in forest cover, forest structure, and disturbance regimes in the mountain forests across the European Alps over the past millennia. We also quantify changes in forest cover across the entire Alps based on inventory data over the past century. Finally, using the Swiss Alps as an example, we analyze in-depth changes in forest cover and forest structure and their effect on patterns of fire and wind disturbances, based on digital historic maps from 1880, modern forest cover maps, inventory data on current forest structure, topographical data, and spatially explicit data on disturbances. This multifaceted approach presents a long-term and detailed picture of the dynamics of mountain forest ecosystems in the Alps. During pre-industrial times, natural disturbances were reduced by fire suppression and land-use, which included extraction of large amounts of biomass that decreased total forest cover. More recently, forest cover has increased again across the entire Alps (on average +4% per decade over the past 25-115 years). Live tree volume (+10% per decade) and dead tree volume (mean +59% per decade) have increased over the last 15-40 years in all regions for which data were available. In the Swiss Alps secondary forests that established after 1880 constitute approximately 43% of the forest cover. Compared to forests established previously, post-1880 forests are situated primarily on steep slopes (>30°), have lower biomass, a more aggregated forest structure (primarily stem-exclusion stage), and have been more strongly affected by fires, but less affected by wind disturbance in the 20th century. More broadly, an increase in growing stock and expanding forest areas since the mid-19th century have - along with climatic changes - contributed to an increasing frequency and size of disturbances in the Alps. Although many areas remain intensively managed, the extent, structure, and dynamics of the forests of the Alps reflect natural drivers more strongly today than at any time in the past millennium.

Fi Investigations On Hp-Rocks From The Lower Engadine Window New Insights On Its Late Tectono-Metamorphic Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertle, R. J.; Götzinger, M. A.; Koller, F.

2003-04-01

Fluid inclusions studies in metamorphic rocks allow to reconstruct not only the chemistry of the fluids enabling and/or supporting metamorphic reactions but also the late metamorphic evolution of orogenesis. Therefore late, discordant quarz-calcite veins were investigated using FI-techniques. The Engadine Window which is exposed at the Swiss-Austrian-border exposes the penninic units of the Western Alps as a tectonic window within the Austroalpine nappes of the Eastern Alps. The nappes of the Engadine window underwent metamorphism and deformation during Tertiary times (THÖNI 1981, BERTLE 2000). The highest unit (Fimber unit) and the core of the window (= Zone of Pfunds) suffered HP-LT-metamorphism. P-T-conditions for parts of the Zone of Pfunds at the region of Piz Mundin are at 13-15 kbar at 380^oC (BOUSQUET et al. 2002) indicated by the occurrence of carpholite and glaucophane. The late metamorphic history is not very well constrained. There exist only a few FI-data published in an abstract by STÖCKHERT et al. 1990 and some unpublished data in RING 1989. During the ongoing mapping campaign of the first author samples from the Fimber unit and the Zone of Pfunds were collected and investigated using a LINKHAM freezing-cooling-stage. The investigated veins are discordant in respect to the main-foliation of the rocks and show nice cristalls of quarz, calcite and sometimes feldspar (adularia). Structural data implie that the investigated veins correspond to a set of ac-joints that correlate to the late updoming of the large "Engadiner Gewölbe" (Engadin anticlinal structure, MATTMÜLLER 1996). All investigated veins (from all tectonic units) show the same relationship to the anticlinal structure. FI-investigations show, that a large amount of the primary FI are decrepitated, however it was possible to find enough to provide a serious statistical data set. FI from Piz Mundin in the core of the Engadine window exhibit at the base of the vein quarz at the contact to the host rock (blueschist) epidote-clinozoisite cristalls. Futheron amphibole is visible. It is common at the base of the vein quarz and decreases towards the middle of the vein. FI are H2O-rich and indicate high pressure of trapping. Quarzes from the upper most part of the Zone of Pfunds from S of Zeblasjoch (W of Samnaun Dorf) show two main groups of primary FI which could be differentiated at room temperature: homogenous FI and such with a bubble. All FI were frozen at max. temperatures of ca. -56 ^oC. Bigger FI show cracking due to cristallisation pressure (build up of "wings"), the cracks however closed again during heating, so that the FI remained closed. Initial melting started between -20 ^oC (first recristallisation signs) and -9 ^oC, final melting was observable at -1 ^oC to 0 ^oC. Then the FI was a.) homogenous or b.) showed a bubble. Homogenisation Temp. of the inclusions with bubble were in the range of 70 to 150 ^oC , most of them between 70 and 80 ^oC and 110 - 125 ^oC. The data indicate a more or less pure H_2O-system for the FI under high pressure. Assuming a cristallisation temperature of the cristalls of about 200 to 250 ^oC and a density of the FI between 0,97 and 1,0 g/cm^3 pressures of 2,5 to 4,5 Kbar are indicated. The same P-T-conditions (same chemistry and melting & homog. Temp.) could be derived from FI in quarz from the Salaaser Kopf (Idalpe) for the late metamorphic evolution of the Fimber unit, indicating that the late metamorphic history of both units is the same. It is concluded that opening of the veins and first cristallisation of vein quarz corresponds to the first signs of updoming of the Engadine anticlinal structure. Updoming of the anticline started when the whole nappe stack was covered by the Austroalpine nappes. Therefore FI show such high pressures for trapping of the fluid. Acknowledgements: Data partly result from FWF-project P. 15278 "Bündnerschieferakkretion in the westlichen Ostalpen". Financal support is greatly acknowledged. References: BERTLE, R. J. 2000: Zur Geologie und Geochronologie um Alp Trida (Samnaun/Schweiz) einschließlich ingenieurgeologischer Fragen der Gebirgsauflösung und des Permafrosts. - Unpubl. Msc-Thesis. Univ. Wien, 395 S. BOUSQUET, R., GOFFÉ, B., VIDAL, O., OBERHÄNSLI, R. & PATRIAT, M. 2002: The tectono-metamorphic history of the Valaisan domain from the Western to the Central Alps: new constraints on the evolution of the Alps. - Geol. Soc. America Bull., 114/2, S. 207-225. KÜSTER, M. &STÖCKHERT, B. 1997: Density changes of fluid inclusions in high-pressure low-temperature metamorphic rocks from Crete: A thermobarometric approach based on the creep strength of the host minerals. Lithos, 41, S. 151-167. MATTMÜLLER, C. R. 1996: Geometrische Untersuchung des Inntalgewölbes. - Jahrb. Geol. B.-A., 139/1, S. 45-69, Wien 1996. RING, U. 1989: Tectonogenesis of the Penninic/Austroalpine Boundary Zone: The Arosa Zone (Grisons Rätikon area, Swiss-Austrian Alps). - Unpubl. Phd.-Thesis., 177 p., Tübingen. STOECKHERT, B., RÖSSNER, G., KÜSTER, M., HEIDER, M., GUNDLACH, K. &RICHTER, D.K. 1990: High-Pressure Metamorphism of the Mesozoic Sediments in the Lower Engadine Window, Eastern Alps. - Terra Abstracts, 2, S. 34, 1990. THÖNI, M. 1981: Degree and Evolution of the Alpine Metamorphism in the Austroalpine Unit W of the Hohe Tauern in the light of K/Ar and Rb/Sr Age Determinations on Micas. - Jahrb. Geol. B.-A., 124/1, S. 111-174, Wien 1981.

Pulmonary inflammation-induced loss and subsequent recovery of skeletal muscle mass require functional poly-ubiquitin conjugation.

PubMed

Ceelen, Judith J M; Schols, Annemie M W J; Thielen, Nathalie G M; Haegens, Astrid; Gray, Douglas A; Kelders, Marco C J M; de Theije, Chiel C; Langen, Ramon C J

2018-05-02

Pulmonary inflammation in response to respiratory infections can evoke muscle wasting. Increased activity of the ubiquitin (Ub)-proteasome system (UPS) and the autophagy lysosome pathway (ALP) have been implicated in inflammation-induced muscle atrophy. Since poly-Ub conjugation is required for UPS-mediated proteolysis and has been implicated in the ALP, we assessed the effect of impaired ubiquitin conjugation on muscle atrophy and recovery following pulmonary inflammation, and compared activation and suppression of these proteolytic systems to protein synthesis regulation. Pulmonary inflammation was induced in mice by an intratracheal instillation of LPS. Proteolysis (UPS and ALP) and synthesis signaling were examined in gastrocnemius muscle homogenates. Ub-conjugation-dependency of muscle atrophy and recovery was addressed using Ub-K48R (K48R) mice with attenuated poly-ubiquitin conjugation, and compared to UBWT control mice. Pulmonary inflammation caused a decrease in skeletal muscle mass which was accompanied by a rapid increase in expression of UPS and ALP constituents and reduction in protein synthesis signaling acutely after LPS. Muscle atrophy was attenuated in K48R mice, while ALP and protein synthesis signaling were not affected. Muscle mass recovery starting 72 h post LPS, correlated with reduced expression of UPS and ALP constituents and restoration of protein synthesis signaling. K48R mice however displayed impaired recovery of muscle mass. Pulmonary inflammation-induced muscle atrophy is in part attributable to UPS-mediated proteolysis, as activation of ALP- and suppression of protein synthesis signaling occur independently of poly-Ub conjugation during muscle atrophy. Recovery of muscle mass following pulmonary inflammation involves inverse regulation of proteolysis and protein synthesis signaling, and requires a functional poly-Ub conjugation.

Serum alkaline phosphatase as a predictor of worsening renal function in patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

PubMed

Yamazoe, Masahiro; Mizuno, Atsushi; Nishi, Yutaro; Niwa, Koichiro; Isobe, Mitsuaki

2016-05-01

Venous congestion has come into focus as an important hemodynamic factor for worsening renal function (WRF) in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was reported as a biological marker of liver congestion in ADHF. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ALP is a predictor of WRF in patients with ADHF. We enrolled consecutive patients admitted to a single cardiovascular center with ADHF, and defined WRF as an increase in creatinine of >0.3 mg/dl during hospitalization and chronic kidney disease (CKD) as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 ml/min/1.73 m(2). The patients were classified into tertiles by ALP level (<203, 203-278, and >278 IU/L). A total of 972 patients (mean age, 76±13 years; 54% male) were retrospectively analyzed. WRF was identified in 132 patients (13.6%). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, baseline CKD [odds ratio (OR) 2.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.48-4.08, p<0.001], serum albumin (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.35-0.77, p=0.001), and diabetes (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.37-3.12, p<0.001) were associated with WRF. Compared with the lowest tertile (ALP <203 IU/L), an adjusted OR of WRF was 1.69 (95% CI 1.02-2.79, p=0.04) in the middle tertile (ALP, 203-278 IU/L) and 1.95 (95% CI 1.20-3.21, p=0.008) in the highest tertile (ALP >278 IU/L). Serum ALP is an independent predictor of WRF in the clinical course of ADHF. Copyright © 2015 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Temperature enhances the affinity of soil alkaline phosphatase to Cd.

PubMed

Tan, Xiangping; Machmuller, Megan B; Wang, Ziquan; Li, Xudong; He, Wenxiang; Cotrufo, M Francesca; Shen, Weijun

2018-04-01

Both elevated temperature and heavy metal contamination can have profound effects on microbial function and soil biogeochemical cycling. However, the interactive effects of heavy metal toxicity and temperature on microbial activity have been poorly understood. The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of temperature and cadmium (Cd) toxicity on alkaline phosphatase (ALP) produced by microbes to acquire phosphorus. To determine whether these effects were dependent on soil properties, we utilized 11 soil types from cropland throughout China. We measured ALP activities and kinetics across a temperature (17, 27, 37, and 47 °C) and Cd concentration gradient (0, 0.6, 5, 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, and 500 mg kg -1 ). We found that the half saturation constant (K m ) and the velocity constant (k) of ALP increased nonlinearly with temperature across all soil types. However, the maximum reaction velocity (V max ) increased linearly with temperature. Regardless of soil type and temperature, Cd had a non-competitive inhibitory mechanism. Soil pH, TOC, and clay content were the major factors controlling the affinity of ALP for Cd (K i ). The ecology dose (ED 50 ) for V max and k, and K i were negatively related to temperature, indicating that the toxicity of Cd on ALP is temperature-dependent. Additionally, higher temperatures led to more inhibition of Cd on ALP activity in alkaline soils than that in acidic and neutral soils. Our results suggest that global warming might accelerate the deficiency of available phosphorus in Cd contaminated soils due to higher inhibition of Cd on ALP activity, particularly in alkaline soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Square-wave voltammetry assays for glycoproteins on nanoporous gold

PubMed Central

Pandey, Binod; Bhattarai, Jay K.; Pornsuriyasak, Papapida; Fujikawa, Kohki; Catania, Rosa; Demchenko, Alexei V.; Stine, Keith J.

2014-01-01

Electrochemical enzyme-linked lectinsorbent assays (ELLA) were developed using nanoporous gold (NPG) as a solid support for protein immobilization and as an electrode for the electrochemical determination of the product of the reaction between alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and p-aminophenyl phosphate (p-APP), which is p-aminophenol (p-AP). Glycoproteins or concanavalin A (Con A) and ALP conjugates were covalently immobilized onto lipoic acid self-assembled monolayers on NPG. The binding of Con A – ALP (or soybean agglutinin – ALP) conjugate to glycoproteins covalently immobilized on NPG and subsequent incubation with p-APP substrate was found to result in square-wave voltammograms whose peak difference current varied with the identity of the glycoprotein. NPG presenting covalently bound glycoproteins was used as the basis for a competitive electrochemical assay for glycoproteins in solution (transferrin and IgG). A kinetic ELLA based on steric hindrance of the enzyme-substrate reaction and hence reduced enzymatic reaction rate after glycoprotein binding is demonstrated using immobilized Con A–ALP conjugates. Using the immobilized Con A-ALP conjugate, the binding affinity of immunoglobulin G (IgG) was found to be 105 nM, and that for transferrin was found to be 650 nM. Minimal interference was observed in the presence of 5 mg mL−1 BSA as a model serum protein in both the kinetic and competitive ELLA. Inhibition studies were performed with methyl D-mannoside for the binding of TSF and IgG to Con A-ALP; IC50 values were found to be 90 μM and 286 μM, respectively. Surface coverages of proteins were estimated using solution depletion and the BCA protein concentration assay. PMID:24611035

Real-time fluorescence assay of alkaline phosphatase in living cells using boron-doped graphene quantum dots as fluorophores.

PubMed

Chen, Li; Yang, Guancao; Wu, Ping; Cai, Chenxin

2017-10-15

This work reports a convenient and real-time assay of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in living cells based on a fluorescence quench-recovery process at a physiological pH using the boron-doped graphene quantum dots (BGQDs) as fluorophore. The fluorescence of BGQDs is found to be effectively quenched by Ce 3+ ions because of the coordination of Ce 3+ ions with the carboxyl group of BGQDs. Upon addition of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into the system, the quenched fluorescence can be recovered by the ALP-positive expressed cells (such as MCF-7 cells) due to the removal of Ce 3+ ions from BGQDs surface by phosphate ions, which are generated from ATP under catalytic hydrolysis of ALP that expressed in cells. The extent of fluorescence signal recovery depends on the level of ALP in cells, which establishes the basis of ALP assay in living cells. This approach can also be used for specific discrimination of the ALP expression levels in different type of cells and thus sensitive detection of those ALP-positive expressed cells (for example MCF-7 cells) at a very low abundance (10±5 cells mL -1 ). The advantages of this approach are that it has high sensitivity because of the significant suppression of the background due to the Ce 3+ ion quenching the fluorescence of BGQDs, and has the ability of avoiding false signals arising from the nonspecific adsorption of non-target proteins because it operates via a fluorescence quench-recovery process. In addition, it can be extended to other enzyme systems, such as ATP-related kinases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

N-acyl-homoserine lactone-mediated quorum-sensing in Azospirillum: an exception rather than a rule.

PubMed

Vial, Ludovic; Cuny, Caroline; Gluchoff-Fiasson, Katia; Comte, Gilles; Oger, Phil M; Faure, Denis; Dessaux, Yves; Bally, René; Wisniewski-Dyé, Florence

2006-11-01

Forty Azospirillum strains were tested for their ability to synthesize N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs). AHL production was detected for four strains belonging to the lipoferum species and isolated from a rice rhizosphere. AHL molecules were structurally identified for two strains: Azospirillum lipoferum TVV3 produces 3O,C(8)-HSL (N-3-oxo-octanoyl-homoserine-lactone), C(8)-HSL (N-3-octanoyl-homoserine-lactone), 3O,C(10)-HSL (N-3-oxo-decanoyl-homoserine-lactone), 3OH,C(10)-HSL (N-3-hydroxy-decanoyl-homoserine-lactone) and C(10)-HSL (N-3-decanoyl-homoserine-lactone), whereas A. lipoferum B518 produced 3O,C(6)-HSL (N-3-oxo-hexanoyl-homoserine-lactone), C(6)-HSL (N-3-hexanoyl-homoserine-lactone), 3O,C(8)-HSL, 3OH,C(8)-HSL and C(8)-HSL. Genes involved in AHL production were characterized for A. lipoferum TVV3 by generating a genomic library and complementing an AHL-deficient strain with sensor capabilities. Those genes, designated alpI and alpR, were found to belong to the luxI and luxR families, respectively. When cloned in a suitable heterologous host, alpI and alpR could direct the synthesis of the five cognate AHLs present in A. lipoferum TVV3. These two adjacent genes were found to be located on a 85 kb plasmid. Southern hybridization experiments with probes alpI/R indicated that genes involved in AHL production in the three other AHL-producing strains were not closely related to alpI and alpR. This study demonstrates that AHL-based quorum-sensing is not widespread among the genus Azospirillum and could be found only in some A. lipoferum strains.

LA-ICP-MS and SIMS U-Pb and U-Th zircon geochronological data of Late Pleistocene lava domes of the Ciomadul Volcanic Dome Complex (Eastern Carpathians).

PubMed

Lukács, Réka; Guillong, Marcel; Schmitt, Axel K; Molnár, Kata; Bachmann, Olivier; Harangi, Szabolcs

2018-06-01

This article provides laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and secondary ionization mass spectrometry (SIMS) U-Pb and U-Th zircon dates for crystals separated from Late Pleistocene dacitic lava dome rocks of the Ciomadul Volcanic Dome Complex (Eastern Carpathians, Romania). The analyses were performed on unpolished zircon prism faces (termed rim analyses) and on crystal interiors exposed through mechanical grinding an polishing (interior analyses). 206 Pb/ 238 U ages are corrected for Th-disequilibrium based on published and calculated distribution coefficients for U and Th using average whole-rock and individually analyzed zircon compositions. The data presented in this article were used for the Th-disequilibrium correction of (U-Th)/He zircon geochronology data in the research article entitled "The onset of the volcanism in the Ciomadul Volcanic Dome Complex (Eastern Carpathians): eruption chronology and magma type variation" (Molnár et al., 2018) [1].

Tracing the origin of pollution in French Alpine snow and aerosols using lead isotopic ratios.

PubMed

Veysseyre, A M; Bollhöfer, A F; Rosman, K J; Ferrari, C P; Boutron, C F

2001-11-15

Fresh snow samples collected at 15 remote locations and aerosols collected at one location in the French Alps between November 1998 and April 1999 have been analyzed for Pb concentration and isotopic composition by thermal ionization mass spectrometry. The snow samples contained 19-1300 pg/g of Pb with isotopic ratios 206Pb/207Pb (208Pb/207Pb) of 1.1279-1.1607 (2.3983-2.4302). Airborne Pb concentrations at one sampling site ranged from 0.42 to 6.0 ng/m3 with isotopic ratios of 1.1321-1.1427 (2.4029-2.4160). Air mass trajectory analysis combined with isotopic compositions of potential source regions did not show discernible evidence of the long-range atmospheric transport of pollutants. Isotopic ratios in the Alpine snow samples and thus the free troposphere were generally higher than airborne Pb isotopic ratios in urban France, which coupled with the relatively high Pb concentrations suggested a regional anthropogenic Pb source, probably Italy but possibly Eastern Europe.

Deer as a potential wildlife reservoir for Parachlamydia species.

PubMed

Regenscheit, Nadine; Holzwarth, Nathalie; Greub, Gilbert; Aeby, Sébastien; Pospischil, Andreas; Borel, Nicole

2012-08-01

Wildlife populations represent an important reservoir for emerging pathogens and trans-boundary livestock diseases. However, detailed information relating to the occurrence of endemic pathogens such as those of the order Chlamydiales in such populations is lacking. During the hunting season of 2008, 863 samples (including blood, conjunctival swabs, internal organs and faeces) were collected in the Eastern Swiss Alps from 99 free-living red deer (Cervus elaphus) and 64 free-living roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and tested using ELISA, PCR and immunohistochemistry for members of the family Chlamydiaceae and the genus Parachlamydia. Parachlamydia spp. were detected in the conjunctival swabs, faeces and internal organs of both species of deer (2.4% positive, with a further 29.5% inconclusive). The very low occurrence of Chlamydiaceae (2.5%) was in line with serological data (0.7% seroprevalence for Chlamydia abortus). Further investigations are required to elucidate the zoonotic potential, pathogenicity, and distribution of Parachlamydia spp. in wild ruminants. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[False positive serum des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma].

PubMed

Hiramatsu, Kumiko; Tanaka, Yasuhito; Takagi, Kazumi; Iida, Takayasu; Takasaka, Yoshimitsu; Mizokami, Masashi

2007-04-01

Measurements of serum concentrations of des-gamma-carboxy-prothrombin (PIVKA-II) are widely used for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, when we evaluated the correlation of PIVKA-II between two commercially available PIVKA-II immunoassay kits (Lumipulse f vs. Picolumi) to introduce it in our hospital, false high values of PIVKA-II were observed in Lumipulse assay. Four(4%) of 100 serum samples showed false high values, and all of them were obtained from patients less than 2 month after curative resection of HCC. Examining additional 7 patients with HCC resection, serum samples from the 5 patients had the same trend. To elucidate the non-specific reaction by Lumipulse assay which utilized alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzymatic reaction, inhibition assays by various absorbents such as inactive ALP and IgM antibodies were performed. Excess of inactive ALP reduced the high values of PIVKA-II. Note that anti-bleeding sheets (fibrinogen combined drug), which included bovine thrombin, were directly attached on liver of all patients with HCC resection in this study. As the sheets also contaminate ALP and probably produce IgM antibodies to ALP, the IgM may cross-react with anti-PIVKA-II antibodies directly. Taken together, it was suggested that produced antibodies against ALP derived from anti-bleeding sheets led false high values of PIVKA-II in the patients with HCC resection.

The rising greenhouse effect: experiments and observations in and around the Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philipona, R.

2010-09-01

The rapid temperature increase of more than 1°C in central Europe over the last three decades is larger than expected from anthropogenic greenhouse warming. Surface radiation flux measurements in and around the Alps in fact confirm that not only thermal longwave radiation but also solar shortwave radiation increased since the 1980s. Surface energy budget analyses reveal the rising surface temperature to be well correlated with the radiative forcing, and also show an increase of the kinetic energy fluxes explaining the rise of atmospheric water vapor. Solar radiation mainly increased due to a strong decline of anthropogenic aerosols since mid of the 1980s. While anthropogenic aerosols were mainly accumulated in the boundary layer, this reduction let solar radiation to recover (solar brightening after several decades of solar dimming) mainly at low altitudes around the Alps. At high elevations in the Alps, solar forcing is much smaller and the respective temperature rise is also found to be smaller than in the lowlands. The fact that temperature increases less in the Alps than at low elevations is unexpected in the concept of greenhouse warming, but the radiation budget analyses clearly shows that in the plains solar forcing due to declining aerosols additionally increased surface temperature, whereas in the Alps temperature increased primarily due to greenhouse warming that is particularly manifested by a strong water vapor feedback.

Comparisons between two biochemical markers in evaluating periodontal disease severity: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to compare two biochemical markers, which have been previously used to determine the degrees of alveolar bone destruction, in evaluating periodontal disease severity. Methods The WF6 epitope of chondroitin sulfate (CS) and the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were determined in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples collected from patients with various degrees of disease severity, including ten patients with gingivitis (50 gingivitis sites) and 33 patients with chronic periodontitis (including gingivitis, slight, moderate, and severe periodontitis sites; n = 50 each), as well as from ten healthy volunteers (50 healthy sites) by Periopaper strips. The levels of CS and ALP were measured by an ELISA and a fluorometric assay, respectively. Results The results demonstrated low levels of CS and ALP in non-destructive and slightly destructive periodontitis sites, whereas significantly high levels of these two biomolecules were shown in moderately and severely destructive sites (p < 0.05). Although a significant difference in CS levels was found between moderate and severe periodontitis sites, no difference in ALP levels was found. Stronger correlations were found between CS levels and periodontal parameters, including probing depth, loss of clinical attachment levels, gingival index and plaque index, than between ALP levels and these parameters. Conclusions It is suggested that the CS level is a better diagnostic marker than the ALP level for evaluating distinct severity of chronic periodontitis. PMID:25174345

Determination of trace alkaline phosphatase by solid-substrate room-temperature phosphorimetry based on Triticum vulgare lectin labeled with fullerenol.

PubMed

Liu, Jia-Ming; Gao, Fei; Huang, Hong-Hua; Zeng, Li-Qing; Huang, Xiao-Mei; Zhu, Guo-Hui; Li, Zhi-Ming

2008-04-01

Fullerenol (F) shows a strong and stable room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) signal on the surface of nitrocellulose membrane (NCM) at lambda ex max/ lambda em max =542.0/709.4 nm. When modified by dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid sodium salt (DBS), fullerenol emits a stronger signal. It was also found that quantitative specific affinity-adsorption reaction can be carried out between Triticum vulgare lectin (WGA) labeled with DBS-F and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) on the surface of NCM, and the product obtained (WGA-ALP-WGA-F-DBS) emits a strong and stable RTP signal. Furthermore, the content of ALP was proportional to the DeltaI(p) value. Based on the facts above, a new method for the determination of trace amounts of ALP by affinity-adsorption solid-substrate room-temperature phosphorimetry (AA-SS-RTP) was established, using fullerenol modified with DBS to label WGA. The detection limit was 0.011 fg spot(-1) (corresponding concentration: 2.8x10(-14) g ml(-1), namely 2.8x10(-16) mol l(-1)). This method with high sensitivity, accuracy, and precision has been successfully applied to the determination of the content of ALP in human serum survey and forecast human disease, and the results are tallied with those using alkaline phosphatase kits. The mechanism for the determination of ALP using AA-SS-RTP was also discussed.

Migration and transformation of different phosphorus forms in rainfall runoff in bioretention system.

PubMed

Song, Yujia; Song, Shoufa

2018-06-04

Artificial bioretention system consisting of Ophiopogon japonicus infiltration medium was used to simulate an infiltration experiment of rainfall runoff. Continuous extraction method was used to detect contents of inorganic phosphorus (P) under exchangeable state (Ex-P) and aluminium phosphate (Al-P) and iron phosphate (Fe-P) at different depths (0, 5, 15 and 35 cm) of soil infiltration medium in bioretention system. Effluent total P (TP) concentration of the system was also monitored. Results indicated that the adsorption of inorganic P, Al-P and Fe-P by soil infiltration medium was implemented layer by layer from top to bottom and gradually weakened. Moreover, Ex-P was gradually transformed into Al-P and Fe-P, whereas Al-P was gradually transformed into Fe-P; thus, Ex-P content reduced layer by layer, whereas Al-P and Fe-P gradually accumulated. The TP removal rate in runoff rainwater by the system was more than 90%, where the TP that was not used by plants was under dynamic equilibrium in water-soil-root system/biological system.

Constraints on axions and axionlike particles from Fermi Large Area Telescope observations of neutron stars

DOE PAGES

Berenji, B.; Gaskins, J.; Meyer, M.

2016-02-16

We present constraints on the nature of axions and axion–like particles (ALPs) by analyzing gamma–ray data from neutron stars using the Fermi Large Area Telescope. In addition to axions solving the strong CP problem of particle physics, axions and ALPs are also possible dark matter candidates. We investigate axions and ALPs produced by nucleon–nucleon bremsstrahlung within neutron stars. We derive a phenomenological model for the gamma–ray spectrum arising from subsequent axion decays. By analyzing 5 years of gamma-ray data (between 60 MeV and 200 MeV) for a sample of 4 nearby neutron stars, we do not find evidence for anmore » axion or ALP signal, thus we obtain a combined 95% confidence level upper limit on the axion mass of 7.9×10 -2 eV, which corresponds to a lower limit for the Peccei-Quinn scale fa of 7.6×10 7 GeV. Our constraints are more stringent than previous results probing the same physical process, and are competitive with results probing axions and ALPs by different mechanisms.« less

Fluorescent Biosensor for Phosphate Determination Based on Immobilized Polyfluorene-Liposomal Nanoparticles Coupled with Alkaline Phosphatase.

PubMed

Kahveci, Zehra; Martínez-Tomé, Maria José; Mallavia, Ricardo; Mateo, C Reyes

2017-01-11

This work describes the development of a novel fluorescent biosensor based on the inhibition of alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The biosensor is composed of the enzyme ALP and the conjugated cationic polyfluorene HTMA-PFP. The working principle of the biosensor is based on the fluorescence quenching of this polyelectrolyte by p-nitrophenol (PNP), a product of the hydrolysis reaction of p-nitrophenyl phosphate (PNPP) catalyzed by ALP. Because HTMA-PFP forms unstable aggregates in buffer, with low fluorescence efficiency, previous stabilization of the polyelectrolyte was required before the development of the biosensor. HTMA-PFP was stabilized through its interaction with lipid vesicles to obtain stable blue-emitting nanoparticles (NPs). Fluorescent NPs were characterized, and the ability to be quenched by PNP was evaluated. These nanoparticles were coupled to ALP and entrapped in a sol-gel matrix to produce a biosensor that can serve as a screening platform to identify ALP inhibitors. The components of the biosensor were examined before and after sol-gel entrapment, and the biosensor was optimized to allow the determination of phosphate ion in aqueous medium.

Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome mimicking chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection.

PubMed

Nomura, Keiko; Kanegane, Hirokazu; Otsubo, Keisuke; Wakiguchi, Hiroshi; Noda, Yukihiro; Kasahara, Yoshihito; Miyawaki, Toshio

2011-06-01

Chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection (CAEBV) is defined as a systemic EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disease characterized by fever, lymphadenopathy, and splenomegaly in apparently immunocompetent persons. Recent studies have revealed that EBV infects T or natural killer cells in most patients with CAEBV; the etiology of CAEBV, however, remains unknown. Autoimmune lymphoproliferative disorder (ALPS) is an inherited disorder associated with defects in apoptosis, and clinically characterized by lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, hypergammaglobulinemia, and autoimmune disease. ALPS is most often associated with mutations in the FAS gene, which is an apoptosis-signaling receptor important for homeostasis of the immune system. Based on the clinical similarity between ALPS and CAEBV with respect to lymphoproliferation, we have examined the possibility of the co-occurrence of ALPS in patients with a diagnosis of CAEBV. In this study, we have identified FAS gene mutations in three Japanese patients with lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and unusual EBV infection, who were diagnosed with CAEBV. These observations, which indicate that the clinical development of ALPS may be associated with EBV infection, alert us to a potential diagnostic pitfall of CAEBV.

A self-lysis pathway that enhances the virulence of a pathogenic bacterium.

PubMed

McFarland, Kirsty A; Dolben, Emily L; LeRoux, Michele; Kambara, Tracy K; Ramsey, Kathryn M; Kirkpatrick, Robin L; Mougous, Joseph D; Hogan, Deborah A; Dove, Simon L

2015-07-07

In mammalian cells, programmed cell death (PCD) plays important roles in development, in the removal of damaged cells, and in fighting bacterial infections. Although widespread among multicellular organisms, there are relatively few documented instances of PCD in bacteria. Here we describe a potential PCD pathway in Pseudomonas aeruginosa that enhances the ability of the bacterium to cause disease in a lung infection model. Activation of the system can occur in a subset of cells in response to DNA damage through cleavage of an essential transcription regulator we call AlpR. Cleavage of AlpR triggers a cell lysis program through de-repression of the alpA gene, which encodes a positive regulator that activates expression of the alpBCDE lysis cassette. Although this is lethal to the individual cell in which it occurs, we find it benefits the population as a whole during infection of a mammalian host. Thus, host and pathogen each may use PCD as a survival-promoting strategy. We suggest that activation of the Alp cell lysis pathway is a disease-enhancing response to bacterial DNA damage inflicted by the host immune system.

Constraints on axions and axionlike particles from Fermi Large Area Telescope observations of neutron stars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Berenji, B.; Gaskins, J.; Meyer, M.

We present constraints on the nature of axions and axion–like particles (ALPs) by analyzing gamma–ray data from neutron stars using the Fermi Large Area Telescope. In addition to axions solving the strong CP problem of particle physics, axions and ALPs are also possible dark matter candidates. We investigate axions and ALPs produced by nucleon–nucleon bremsstrahlung within neutron stars. We derive a phenomenological model for the gamma–ray spectrum arising from subsequent axion decays. By analyzing 5 years of gamma-ray data (between 60 MeV and 200 MeV) for a sample of 4 nearby neutron stars, we do not find evidence for anmore » axion or ALP signal, thus we obtain a combined 95% confidence level upper limit on the axion mass of 7.9×10 -2 eV, which corresponds to a lower limit for the Peccei-Quinn scale fa of 7.6×10 7 GeV. Our constraints are more stringent than previous results probing the same physical process, and are competitive with results probing axions and ALPs by different mechanisms.« less

Use of Sirolimus (Rapamycin) for Treatment of Cytopenias and Lymphoproliferation Linked to Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS). Two Case Reports.

PubMed

Cayrol, Julie; Garrido Colino, Carmen

2017-05-01

Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is a disorder of lymphocyte apoptosis. Children present with chronic nonmalignant lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, and autoimmune cytopenias. Recent advances show efficacy of treatment with immunosuppressive drugs. Sirolimus, an mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor, improves autoimmune cytopenias and lymphoproliferation, with a safe profile. We present 2 patients, a 5-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy, diagnosed with ALPS with initial partial response to steroid treatment. Autoimmune cytopenias and lymphoproliferation then became refractory to treatment, with recurrence of symptoms. In both cases, treatment with sirolimus was started, with a rapid response, complete remission of cytopenias, and resolution of lymphoproliferation, with no significant adverse effects. sirolimus is an effective and safe drug for controlling children with cytopenias and lymphoproliferation linked to ALPS.

RF Jitter Modulation Alignment Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortega, L. F.; Fulda, P.; Diaz-Ortiz, M.; Perez Sanchez, G.; Ciani, G.; Voss, D.; Mueller, G.; Tanner, D. B.

2017-01-01

We will present the numerical and experimental results of a new alignment sensing scheme which can reduce the complexity of alignment sensing systems currently used, while maintaining the same shot noise limited sensitivity. This scheme relies on the ability of electro-optic beam deflectors to create angular modulation sidebands in radio frequency, and needs only a single-element photodiode and IQ demodulation to generate error signals for tilt and translation degrees of freedom in one dimension. It distances itself from current techniques by eliminating the need for beam centering servo systems, quadrant photodetectors and Gouy phase telescopes. RF Jitter alignment sensing can be used to reduce the complexity in the alignment systems of many laser optical experiments, including LIGO and the ALPS experiment.

Pearls and pitfalls: Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome and autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome-like disease.

PubMed

Bartels, Anne K; Banks, Taylor A; Bay, Jeannie L

2017-07-01

A case of autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) was presented, followed by a discussion of the clinical characteristics, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of this disease. Clinical pearls and pitfalls are emphasized for the use of the practicing allergist and the fellow in-training. The diagnosis of ALPS was guided by published criteria. A careful history and workup were needed to exclude other possible etiologies for the patient's symptoms and physical findings. ALPS often carries significant morbidity and is best managed through a multidisciplinary approach.

Variscan ore formation and metamorphism at the Felbertal scheelite deposit (Austria): constraining tungsten mineralisation from Re-Os dating of molybdenite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raith, Johann G.; Stein, Holly J.

2006-10-01

The Felbertal scheelite deposit in the Eastern Alps has been regarded as the type locality for stratabound scheelite deposits. It is hosted by a Cambro-Ordovician metavolcanic arc sequence with minor Variscan granitoids (˜ 340 Ma) in the central Tauern Window. Re-Os model ages for molybdenite from the Felbertal tungsten deposit range between ˜ 358 and ˜ 336 Ma and record several pulses of magmatic-hydrothermal-metamorphic molybdenite formation. Molybdenite ages from the K2 orebody, a scheelite-rich quartz mylonite in the Western ore field, indicate that both mineralisation and mylonite are Variscan in age and suggest that the shear zone was active for ˜ 20 million years. Early stage tungsten mineralisation ( Scheelite 1) in quartzitic ores in the Eastern ore field, which is free of molybdenite, yielded very low to near blank levels of Re and Os and thus could not be dated. However, molybdenite from scheelite-quartz stringers, previously interpreted as a feeder stockwork to quartzitic scheelite ore of presumed Cambrian age, yielded Variscan Re-Os ages of ˜ 342 and ˜ 337 Ma. Dating of molybdenite contained in scheelite ores thus far provides no indication of a Cambrian component to the tungsten mineralisation. Our data are consistent with a model of either granite intrusion-related ore formation and coeval metamorphic overprint during the Early Carboniferous or, alternatively, molybdenite formation may be exclusively attributed to Variscan metamorphism (see Stein 2006).

Diagnostic performance of traditional hepatobiliary biomarkers of drug-induced liver injury in the rat.

PubMed

Ennulat, Daniela; Magid-Slav, Michal; Rehm, Sabine; Tatsuoka, Kay S

2010-08-01

Nonclinical studies provide the opportunity to anchor biochemical with morphologic findings; however, liver injury is often complex and heterogeneous, confounding the ability to relate biochemical changes with specific patterns of injury. The aim of the current study was to compare diagnostic performance of hepatobiliary markers for specific manifestations of drug-induced liver injury in rat using data collected in a recent hepatic toxicogenomics initiative in which rats (n = 3205) were given 182 different treatments for 4 or 14 days. Diagnostic accuracy of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (Tbili), serum bile acids (SBA), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), total cholesterol (Chol), and triglycerides (Trig) was evaluated for specific types of liver histopathology by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. To assess the relationship between biochemical and morphologic changes in the absence of hepatocellular necrosis, a second ROC analysis was performed on a subset of rats (n = 2504) given treatments (n = 152) that did not cause hepatocellular necrosis. In the initial analysis, ALT, AST, Tbili, and SBA had the greatest diagnostic utility for manifestations of hepatocellular necrosis and biliary injury, with comparable magnitude of area under the ROC curve and serum hepatobiliary marker changes for both. In the absence of hepatocellular necrosis, ALT increases were observed with biochemical or morphologic evidence of cholestasis. In both analyses, diagnostic utility of ALP and GGT for biliary injury was limited; however, ALP had modest diagnostic value for peroxisome proliferation, and ALT, AST, and total Chol had moderate diagnostic utility for phospholipidosis. None of the eight markers evaluated had diagnostic value for manifestations of hypertrophy, cytoplasmic rarefaction, inflammation, or lipidosis.

An Observational Study of the Mesoscale Mistral Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guenard, Vincent; Drobinski, Philippe; Caccia, Jean-Luc; Campistron, Bernard; Bench, Bruno

2005-05-01

We investigate the mesoscale dynamics of the mistral through the wind profiler observations of the MAP (autumn 1999) and ESCOMPTE (summer 2001) field campaigns. We show that the mistral wind field can dramatically change on a time scale less than 3 hours. Transitions from a deep to a shallow mistral are often observed at any season when the lower layers are stable. The variability, mainly attributed in summer to the mistral/land-sea breeze interactions on a 10-km scale, is highlighted by observations from the wind profiler network set up during ESCOMPTE. The interpretations of the dynamical mistral structure are performed through comparisons with existing basic theories. The linear theory of R. B. Smith [ Advances in Geophysics, Vol. 31, 1989, Academic Press, 1-41] and the shallow water theory [Schär, C. and Smith, R. B.: 1993a, J. Atmos. Sci. 50, 1373-1400] give some complementary explanations for the deep-to-shallow transition especially for the MAP mistral event. The wave breaking process induces a low-level jet (LLJ) downstream of the Alps that degenerates into a mountain wake, which in turn provokes the cessation of the mistral downstream of the Alps. Both theories indicate that the flow splits around the Alps and results in a persistent LLJ at the exit of the Rhône valley. The LLJ is strengthened by the channelling effect of the Rhône valley that is more efficient for north-easterly than northerly upstream winds despite the north-south valley axis. Summer moderate and weak mistral episodes are influenced by land-sea breezes and convection over land that induce a very complex interaction that cannot be accurately described by the previous theories.

21st century climate change in the European Alps--a review.

PubMed

Gobiet, Andreas; Kotlarski, Sven; Beniston, Martin; Heinrich, Georg; Rajczak, Jan; Stoffel, Markus

2014-09-15

Reliable estimates of future climate change in the Alps are relevant for large parts of the European society. At the same time, the complex Alpine region poses considerable challenges to climate models, which translate to uncertainties in the climate projections. Against this background, the present study reviews the state-of-knowledge about 21st century climate change in the Alps based on existing literature and additional analyses. In particular, it explicitly considers the reliability and uncertainty of climate projections. Results show that besides Alpine temperatures, also precipitation, global radiation, relative humidity, and closely related impacts like floods, droughts, snow cover, and natural hazards will be affected by global warming. Under the A1B emission scenario, about 0.25 °C warming per decade until the mid of the 21st century and accelerated 0.36 °C warming per decade in the second half of the century is expected. Warming will probably be associated with changes in the seasonality of precipitation, global radiation, and relative humidity, and more intense precipitation extremes and flooding potential in the colder part of the year. The conditions of currently record breaking warm or hot winter or summer seasons, respectively, may become normal at the end of the 21st century, and there is indication for droughts to become more severe in the future. Snow cover is expected to drastically decrease below 1500-2000 m and natural hazards related to glacier and permafrost retreat are expected to become more frequent. Such changes in climatic parameters and related quantities will have considerable impact on ecosystems and society and will challenge their adaptive capabilities. © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evidence of divergent selection for drought and cold tolerance at landscape and local scales in Abies alba Mill. in the French Mediterranean Alps.

PubMed

Roschanski, Anna M; Csilléry, Katalin; Liepelt, Sascha; Oddou-Muratorio, Sylvie; Ziegenhagen, Birgit; Huard, Frédéric; Ullrich, Kristian K; Postolache, Dragos; Vendramin, Giovanni G; Fady, Bruno

2016-02-01

Understanding local adaptation in forest trees is currently a key research and societal priority. Geographically and ecologically marginal populations provide ideal case studies, because environmental stress along with reduced gene flow can facilitate the establishment of locally adapted populations. We sampled European silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) trees in the French Mediterranean Alps, along the margin of its distribution range, from pairs of high- and low-elevation plots on four different mountains situated along a 170-km east-west transect. The analysis of 267 SNP loci from 175 candidate genes suggested a neutral pattern of east-west isolation by distance among mountain sites. F(ST) outlier tests revealed 16 SNPs that showed patterns of divergent selection. Plot climate was characterized using both in situ measurements and gridded data that revealed marked differences between and within mountains with different trends depending on the season. Association between allelic frequencies and bioclimatic variables revealed eight genes that contained candidate SNPs, of which two were also detected using F(ST) outlier methods. All SNPs were associated with winter drought, and one of them showed strong evidence of selection with respect to elevation. Q(ST)-F(ST) tests for fitness-related traits measured in a common garden suggested adaptive divergence for the date of bud flush and for growth rate. Overall, our results suggest a complex adaptive picture for A. alba in the southern French Alps where, during the east-to-west Holocene recolonization, locally advantageous genetic variants established at both the landscape and local scales. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Natural regeneration of eastern hemlock: a review

Treesearch

Daniel L. Goerlich; Ralph D. Nyland

2000-01-01

Successful regeneration of eastern hemlock involves a complex biophysical process that commonly spans many years. Critical factors include a reliable source of seed, a suitable seedbed, a partially shaded environment, and several years of favorable moisture. Surface scarification appears critical as a means of site preparation. Even then, young hemlocks grow slowly,...

HLA-C molecular characterization of a Lebanese population and genetic structure of 39 populations from Europe to India-Pakistan.

PubMed

Buhler, S; Megarbane, A; Lefranc, G; Tiercy, J-M; Sanchez-Mazas, A

2006-07-01

Lebanon is located at a continental crossroad between Europe, Africa, and Asia. This region has been the center of wide-scale movements of populations as well as the theater of genetic and cultural trade off among neighboring populations. In this study, HLA-C alleles were characterized by a PCR-SSOP (sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes) hybridization protocol in a sample of 97 Lebanese. A total of 23 alleles were identified with four predominant, Cw*0401, Cw*0602, Cw*0701/06, and Cw*1203, accounting for almost 60% of HLA-C allele frequencies. We included the Lebanese data into a broad analysis of the HLA-C genetic structure of a large set of populations located in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. Our results indicate that Lebanese exhibit an intermediate genetic profile among the populations from the Middle East, which constitute a rather homogeneous genetic group. In Europe, a high correlation coefficient is found between genetic and geographic distances. In this continent, we also identified a significant genetic frontier following a north-east to south-west axis. This frontier cuts through the Alps and the Pyrenees, thus separating the north-western European populations from those located in the eastern and Mediterranean areas. Finally, the populations from India - Pakistan are very heterogeneous, particularly the Dravidians. Their differentiation has probably been caused by rapid genetic drift under complex influences of cultural, linguistic, and/or religious barriers. Overall, the results show that the HLA-C genetic patterns of these three geographic regions, i.e., the Middle East, Europe, and India-Pakistan, have been shaped by very different genetic histories.

Heat waves and warm periods in Slovakia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faško, Pavel; Bochníček, Oliver; Markovič, Ladislav; Švec, Marek

2016-04-01

The scenarios of climate change caused by human activity show that frequency of occurrence and extent of heat waves in the interior of Europe is increasing. Among the most exposed regions in this regard should the area of southeastern and eastern Austria and south-western Slovakia. The relatively faster increase in the number of heat waves in this area is related also to potential desertification in this region just east of the Alps, since during summer, weather fronts advancing from the west are consequently losing their original features and moderating influence. Summer weather patterns for this area should in the future more closely remind climate typical for some inland areas of southwestern, southern and southeastern Europe. A certain shift of climate zones from south to north should thus modify future climate and Slovakia. Despite the complex natural conditions the existing trends derived from results of meteorological measurements and observations are clear and they confirm warming of climate in this region. Observations and measurements in the recent years of the 21st century confirm, that heat waves are no longer rare phenomenon during summer, but are systematically appearing even in colder regions of northern Slovakia. What is very remarkable and will be necessary to pay more attention to, is the fact that these heat waves are expanding into previously unaffected areas, associated with the lack of rainfall and drought, on larger regional scale. In this study heat wave periods and individual heat events and days are statistically identified in the time series characteristics of air temperature at selected meteorological stations for the period from the mid-20th century until 2015, in case of available historical data even for longer period.

A novel method to infer the origin of polyploids from Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism data reveals that the alpine polyploid complex of Senecio carniolicus (Asteraceae) evolved mainly via autopolyploidy.

PubMed

Winkler, Manuela; Escobar García, Pedro; Gattringer, Andreas; Sonnleitner, Michaela; Hülber, Karl; Schönswetter, Peter; Schneeweiss, Gerald M

2017-09-01

Despite its evolutionary and ecological relevance, the mode of polyploid origin has been notoriously difficult to be reconstructed from molecular data. Here, we present a method to identify the putative parents of polyploids and thus to infer the mode of their origin (auto- vs. allopolyploidy) from Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) data. To this end, we use Cohen's d of distances between in silico polyploids, generated within a priori defined scenarios of origin from a priori delimited putative parental entities (e.g. taxa, genetic lineages), and natural polyploids. Simulations show that the discriminatory power of the proposed method increases mainly with increasing divergence between the lower-ploid putative ancestors and less so with increasing delay of polyploidization relative to the time of divergence. We apply the new method to the Senecio carniolicus aggregate, distributed in the European Alps and comprising two diploid, one tetraploid and one hexaploid species. In the eastern part of its distribution, the S. carniolicus aggregate was inferred to comprise an autopolyploid series, whereas for western populations of the tetraploid species, an allopolyploid origin involving the two diploid species was the most likely scenario. Although this suggests that the tetraploid species has two independent origins, other evidence (ribotype distribution, morphology) is consistent with the hypothesis of an autopolyploid origin with subsequent introgression by the second diploid species. Altogether, identifying the best among alternative scenarios using Cohen's d can be straightforward, but particular scenarios, such as allopolyploid origin vs. autopolyploid origin with subsequent introgression, remain difficult to be distinguished. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The added value of dynamical downscaling in a climate change scenario simulation:A case study for European Alps and East Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Im, Eun-Soon; Coppola, Erika; Giorgi, Filippo

2010-05-01

Since anthropogenic climate change is a rather important factor for the future human life all over the planet and its effects are not globally uniform, climate information at regional or local scales become more and more important for an accurate assessment of the potential impact of climate change on societies and ecosystems. High resolution information with suitably fine-scale for resolving complex geographical features could be a critical factor for successful linkage between climate models and impact assessment studies. However, scale mismatch between them still remains major problem. One method for overcoming the resolution limitations of global climate models and for adding regional details to coarse-grid global projections is to use dynamical downscaling by means of a regional climate model. In this study, the ECHAM5/MPI-OM (1.875 degree) A1B scenario simulation has been dynamically downscaled by using two different approaches within the framework of RegCM3 modeling system. First, a mosaic-type parameterization of subgrid-scale topography and land use (Sub-BATS) is applied over the European Alpine region. The Sub-BATS system is composed of 15 km coarse-grid cell and 3 km sub-grid cell. Second, we developed the RegCM3 one-way double-nested system, with the mother domain encompassing the eastern regions of Asia at 60 km grid spacing and the nested domain covering the Korean Peninsula at 20 km grid spacing. By comparing the regional climate model output and the driving global model ECHAM5/MPI-OM output, it is possible to estimate the added value of physically-based dynamical downscaling when for example impact studies at hydrological scale are performed.

The Alpine nappe stack in western Austria: a crustal-scale cross section

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pomella, Hannah; Ortner, Hugo; Zerlauth, Michael; Fügenschuh, Bernhard

2015-04-01

Based on an N-S-oriented crustal-scale cross section running east of the Rhine Valley in Vorarlberg, western Austria, we address the Alpine nappe stack and discuss the boundary between Central and Eastern Alps. For our cross section, we used surface geology, drillings and reinterpreted seismic lines, together with published sections. The general architecture of the examined area can be described as a typical foreland fold-and-thrust belt, comprising the tectonic units of the Subalpine Molasse, (Ultra-)Helvetic, Penninic and Austroalpine nappes. These units overthrusted the autochthonous Molasse along the south-dipping listric Alpine basal thrust. The European Basement, together with its autochthonous cover, dips gently towards the south and is dissected by normal faults and trough structures. The seismic data clearly show an offset not only of the top of the European Basement, but also of the Mesozoic cover and the Lower Marine Molasse. This indicates an activity of the structures as normal faults after the sedimentation of the Lower Marine Molasse. The Subalpine Molasse is multiply stacked, forming a triangle zone at the boundary with the foreland Molasse. The shortening within the Subalpine Molasse amounts to approximately 45 km (~67 %), as deduced from our cross section with the Lower Marine Molasse as a reference. The hinterland-dipping duplex structure of the Helvetic nappes is deduced from surface and borehole data. There are at least two Helvetic nappes needed to fill the available space between the Molasse below and the Northpenninic above. This is in line with the westerly located NRP20-East transect (Schmid et al., Tectonics 15(5):1047-1048, 1996; Schmid et al., The TRANSMED Atlas: the Mediterranean Region from Crust to Mantle, 2004), where the two Helvetic nappes are separated by the Säntis thrust. Yet in contrast to the Helvetic nappes in the NRP20-East transect, both of our Helvetic nappes comprise Cretaceous and Jurassic strata. This change is explained by an eastward down-stepping of the Säntis thrust along a pre-existing, approximately N-S striking lateral ramp bounding an inverted Jurassic graben structure below the Rhine Valley. This causes the Säntis thrust to detach the base Cretaceous west of the Rhine Valley and the base Jurassic units east of it. This graben-controlled change in detachment level leads to the formation of quite different nappe stacks on either side of the Rhine Valley and a "fault-controlled" appearance of the boundary between the Central and Eastern Alps.

The contribute of DInSAR techniques to landslide hazard evaluation in mountain and hilly regions: a case study from Agno Valley (North-Eastern Italian Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Agostini, A.; Floris, M.; Pasquali, P.; Barbieri, M.; Cantone, A.; Riccardi, P.; Stevan, G.; Genevois, R.

2012-04-01

In the last twenty years, Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) techniques have been widely used to investigate geological processes, such as subsidence, earthquakes and landslides, through the evaluation of earth surface displacements caused by these processes. In the study of mass movements, contribution of interferometry can be limited due to the acquisition geometry of RADAR images and the rough morphology of mountain and hilly regions which represent typical landslide-prone areas. In this study, the advanced DInSAR techniques (i.e. Small Baseline Subset and Persistent Scatterers techniques), available in SARscape software, are used. These methods involve the use of multiple acquisitions stacks (large SAR temporal series) allowing improvements and refinements in landslide identification, characterization and hazard evaluation at the basin scale. Potential and limits of above mentioned techniques are outlined and discussed. The study area is the Agno Valley, located in the North-Eastern sector of Italian Alps and included in the Vicenza Province (Veneto Region, Italy). This area and the entire Vicenza Province were hit by an exceptional rainfall event on November 2010 that triggered more than 500 slope instabilities. The main aim of the work is to verify if spatial information available before the rainfall event, including ERS and ENVISAT RADAR data from 1992 to 2010, were able to predict the landslides occurred in the study area, in order to implement an effectiveness forecasting model. In the first step of the work a susceptibility analysis is carried out using landslide dataset from the IFFI project (Inventario Fenomeni Franosi in Italia, Landslide Italian Inventory) and related predisposing factors, which consist of morphometric (elevation, slope, aspect and curvature) and non-morphometric (land use, distance of roads and distance of river) factors available from the Veneto Region spatial database. Then, to test the prediction, the results of susceptibility analysis are compared with the location of landslides occurred in the study area during the November 2010 rainfall event. In the second step, results of DInSAR analysis (displacement maps over the time) are added on the prediction analysis to build up a map containing both spatial and temporal information on landslides and, as in the previous case, the prediction is tested by using November 2010 instabilities dataset. Comparison of the two tests allows to evaluate the contribution of interferometric techniques. Finally, morphometric factors and interferometric RADAR data are combined to design a preliminary analysis scheme that provide information on possible use of DInSAR techniques in landslide hazard evaluation of a given area.

New Zealand Southern Alps

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-06-20

This anaglyph from the MISR instrument aboard NASA Terra spacecraft shows the rugged Southern Alps extending some 650 kilometers along the western side of New Zealand South Island. 3D glasses are necessary to view this image.

On the evidence for axionlike particles from active galactic nuclei

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pettinari, Guido Walter; Crittenden, Robert

2010-10-15

Burrage, Davis, and Shaw recently suggested exploiting the correlations between high and low energy luminosities of astrophysical objects to probe possible mixing between photons and axionlike particles (ALP) in magnetic field regions. They also presented evidence for the existence of ALP's by analyzing the optical/UV and x-ray monochromatic luminosities of active galactic nuclei. We extend their work by using the monochromatic luminosities of 320 unobscured active galactic nuclei from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey/Xmm-Newton Quasar Survey which allows the exploration of 18 different combinations of optical/UV and x-ray monochromatic luminosities. However, we do not find compelling evidence for the existencemore » of ALPs. Moreover, it appears that the signal reported by Burrage et al. is more likely due to x-ray absorption rather than to photon-ALP oscillation.« less

New bounds on axionlike particles from the Fermi Large Area Telescope observation of PKS 2155 -304

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Cun; Liang, Yun-Feng; Li, Shang; Liao, Neng-Hui; Feng, Lei; Yuan, Qiang; Fan, Yi-Zhong; Ren, Zhong-Zhou

2018-03-01

The axionlike particle (ALP)-photon mixing in the magnetic field around γ -ray sources or along the line of sight could induce oscillation between photons and ALPs, which then causes irregularities in the γ -ray spectra. In this work we search for such spectral irregularities in the spectrum of PKS 2155 -304 using 8.6 years of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT). No significant evidence for the presence of ALP-photon oscillation is obtained, and the parameter space of ALPs is constrained. The exclusion region sensitively depends on the poorly known magnetic field of the host galaxy cluster of PKS 2155 -304 . If the magnetic field is as high as ˜10 μ G , the "holelike" parameter region allowed in Ref. [1] can be ruled out.

Theoretical calculation of coherent Laue-case conversion between x-rays and ALPs for an x-ray light-shining-through-a-wall experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaji, T.; Yamazaki, T.; Tamasaku, K.; Namba, T.

2017-12-01

Single crystals have high atomic electric fields as much as 1 011 V /m , which correspond to magnetic fields of ˜103 T . These fields can be utilized to convert x-rays into axionlike particles (ALPs) coherently similar to x-ray diffraction. In this paper, we perform the first theoretical calculation of the Laue-case conversion in crystals based on the Darwin dynamical theory of x-ray diffraction. The calculation shows that the Laue-case conversion has longer interaction length than the Bragg case, and that ALPs in the keV range can be resonantly converted by tuning an incident angle of x-rays. ALPs with mass up to O (10 keV ) can be searched by light-shining-through-a-wall (LSW) experiments at synchrotron x-ray facilities.

A fluorometric assay for alkaline phosphatase activity based on β-cyclodextrin-modified carbon quantum dots through host-guest recognition.

PubMed

Tang, Cong; Qian, Zhaosheng; Huang, Yuanyuan; Xu, Jiamin; Ao, Hang; Zhao, Meizhi; Zhou, Jin; Chen, Jianrong; Feng, Hui

2016-09-15

A convenient, reliable and highly sensitive assay for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in the real-time manner is developed based on β-cyclodextrin-modified carbon quantum dots (β-CD-CQDs) nanoprobe through specific host-guest recognition. Carbon quantum dots were first functionalized with 3-aminophenyl boronic acid to produce boronic acid-functionalized CQDs, and then further modified with hydropropyl β-cyclodextrins (β-CD) through B-O bonds to form β-CD-CQDs nanoprobe. p-Nitrophenol phosphate disodium salt is used as the substrate of ALP, and can hydrolyze to p-nitrophenol under the catalysis of ALP. The resulting p-nitrophenol can enter the cavity of β-CD moiety in the nanoprobe due to their specific host-guest recognition, where photoinduced electron transfer process between p-nitrophenol and CQDs takes place to efficiently quench the fluorescence of the probe. The correlation between quenched fluorescence and ALP level can be used to establish quantitative evaluation of ALP activity in a broad range from 3.4 to 100.0U/L with the detection limit of 0.9U/L. This assay shows a high sensitivity to ALP even in the presence of a very high concentration of glucose. This study demonstrates a good electron donor/acceptor pair, which can be used to design general detection strategy through PET process, and also broadens the application of host-guest recognition for enzymes detection in clinical practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Increased Serum Alkaline Phosphatase and Serum Phosphate as Predictors of Mortality after Stroke

PubMed Central

S, Pratibha; JB, Agadi

2014-01-01

Context: Serum Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) & phosphate are considered to be indicators of vascular calcification. Link between bone metabolism, vascular calcification, cardiovascular events have been well studied in chronic kidney disease and ischemic heart disease. Aims: To determine that increased serum phosphate and alkaline phosphatase are predictors of mortality rates and recurrent vascular events in stroke. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients admitted with acute stroke (ischemic & haemorrhagic) were included in the study. Their baseline clinical characteristics and biochemical parameters including serum ALP and phosphate were noted. All patients were followed up for a period of one year. The all- cause mortality, the mortality due to cardiovascular events and recurrent vascular events without death were noted during the follow up. Statistical analyses were done to look for any correlation between mortality and baseline levels of serum ALP and phosphate. Results: Of the 60 patients, 8 (13.3%) patients were lost for follow up. Fourteen (26.9%) patients died; of which 12 deaths were due to vascular causes and 2 deaths were due to non vascular causes. Increasing levels of serum ALP and phosphate correlated with all cause mortality and recurrent vascular events without death Conclusion: Serum ALP and phosphate prove to be cost effective prognostic indicator of mortality and recurrent vascular events in stroke. This finding has to be confirmed with studies including larger population. Further research on ALP inhibitors, Vitamin D analogues and phosphate binders to improve mortality in stroke population can be encouraged. PMID:25300293

Increased serum alkaline phosphatase and serum phosphate as predictors of mortality after stroke.

PubMed

S, Pratibha; S, Praveen-Kumar; Jb, Agadi

2014-08-01

Serum Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) & phosphate are considered to be indicators of vascular calcification. Link between bone metabolism, vascular calcification, cardiovascular events have been well studied in chronic kidney disease and ischemic heart disease. To determine that increased serum phosphate and alkaline phosphatase are predictors of mortality rates and recurrent vascular events in stroke. Sixty patients admitted with acute stroke (ischemic & haemorrhagic) were included in the study. Their baseline clinical characteristics and biochemical parameters including serum ALP and phosphate were noted. All patients were followed up for a period of one year. The all- cause mortality, the mortality due to cardiovascular events and recurrent vascular events without death were noted during the follow up. Statistical analyses were done to look for any correlation between mortality and baseline levels of serum ALP and phosphate. Of the 60 patients, 8 (13.3%) patients were lost for follow up. Fourteen (26.9%) patients died; of which 12 deaths were due to vascular causes and 2 deaths were due to non vascular causes. Increasing levels of serum ALP and phosphate correlated with all cause mortality and recurrent vascular events without death Conclusion: Serum ALP and phosphate prove to be cost effective prognostic indicator of mortality and recurrent vascular events in stroke. This finding has to be confirmed with studies including larger population. Further research on ALP inhibitors, Vitamin D analogues and phosphate binders to improve mortality in stroke population can be encouraged.

Elastase, alpha2-macroglobulin and alkaline phosphatase in crevicular fluid from implants with and without periimplantitis.

PubMed

Plagnat, Dominique; Giannopoulou, Catherine; Carrel, Anne; Bernard, Jean-Pierre; Mombelli, Andrea; Belser, Urs C

2002-06-01

The aim of this investigation was to determine the presence of selected enzymes and enzyme inhibitors in crevicular fluid collected from implants with and without clinical, radiographic and microbiological signs of periimplantitis. Eleven implants with symptoms of periimplantitis in eight patients (four men and four women) were compared to eleven implants in seven subjects (one man and six women) without periimplantitis. Periimplant crevicular fluid (PICF) was collected at the mesial and distal sites of each implant. Alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) was measured by using p-nitrophenyl-phosphate as substrate, elastase activity (EA) by the use of a low molecular weight fluorogenic substrate, and the inhibitor alpha2-macroglobulin (alpha2M) by ELISA. ALP, EA and alpha2M were detected in the majority of samples in both groups. In comparison to the clinically healthy implants, total amounts of each of these substances were significantly higher in PICF collected around implants with periimplantitis. The mean total amounts of EA, alpha2M and ALP in the healthy group were: EA: 1.8 ng, alpha2M: 3.1 ng, ALP: 24.1 U, and in the periimplantitis group EA: 23.1 ng, alpha2M: 25.2 ng and ALP: 142.3 U. In addition, all three mediators were correlated with the clinical parameters. The results confirm the similarity of the inflammatory response of tissues surrounding implants and natural teeth, and suggest that ALP and EA could be promising markers of bone loss around dental implants.

Effect of AlP coating on electrochemical properties of LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} cathode material for lithium ion battery

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feng, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Jianxin, E-mail: jianxin@sdu.edu.cn; Yin, Longwei

2016-02-15

Highlights: • Modified LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} surface with AlP successfully. • AlP coating surface modification enhances the cycling stability of LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} at both room temperature and 60 °C. • AlP coating surface modification improves the rate capability of LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4}. - Abstract: AlP-modified LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} has been synthesized via a simple chemical deposition method followed by high-temperature heating. The X-ray diffraction patterns, SEM images and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer show the successful surface coating of LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} by F-43 m crystal form AlP. AlP-modified LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} has a high discharge capacity of 125.7 mAh g{supmore » −1} with retention of 87% at a current density of 1C between 3.3 V and 4.3 V after 100 cycles at 60 °C, while bare LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} has more than 28% capacity loss. At 10 rates, the coated sample delivers capacity of 100 mAh g{sup −1}, which is much higher than bare LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4}. Based on the EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) result, AlP coating can effectively inhibit the increase of the charge transfer resistance during charging and discharging cycles.« less

Linking megathrust earthquakes to brittle deformation in a fossil accretionary complex

PubMed Central

Dielforder, Armin; Vollstaedt, Hauke; Vennemann, Torsten; Berger, Alfons; Herwegh, Marco

2015-01-01

Seismological data from recent subduction earthquakes suggest that megathrust earthquakes induce transient stress changes in the upper plate that shift accretionary wedges into an unstable state. These stress changes have, however, never been linked to geological structures preserved in fossil accretionary complexes. The importance of coseismically induced wedge failure has therefore remained largely elusive. Here we show that brittle faulting and vein formation in the palaeo-accretionary complex of the European Alps record stress changes generated by subduction-related earthquakes. Early veins formed at shallow levels by bedding-parallel shear during coseismic compression of the outer wedge. In contrast, subsequent vein formation occurred by normal faulting and extensional fracturing at deeper levels in response to coseismic extension of the inner wedge. Our study demonstrates how mineral veins can be used to reveal the dynamics of outer and inner wedges, which respond in opposite ways to megathrust earthquakes by compressional and extensional faulting, respectively. PMID:26105966