Influence of inherited structures on the growth of basement-cored ranges, basin inversion and foreland basin development in the Central Andes, from apatite fission-track and apatite Helium thermochronology.

Science.gov (United States)

Zapata, S.; Sobel, E. R.; Del Papa, C.; Jelinek, A. R.; Muruaga, C.

2017-12-01

The Central Andes in NW of Argentina is part of a long-lived subduction zone, active since the Paleozoic. This region experienced several tectonic cycles; each of which created an unique set of structures and may have reactivated preexisting structures. These inherited structures may exert a first-order control over the different foreland deformational styles observed along the strike in the Central Andes. Our study area is located between 26°S and 28°S on the transition between the broken foreland (Santa Barbara system), which expresses a combination of thin-skin and thick-skin styles, and the Sierras Pampeanas, which is deform in a thick-skin style. The Cumbres Calchaquies range and the associated Choromoro Basin are located in the northern part of the study area, and are the southern expression of the Santa Barbara system. Published thermochronology data suggest that the rocks from the basement experienced Late Cretaceous and Late Miocene exhumation; the associated sedimentary rocks within the Choromoro basin experienced Paleogene and Late Miocene deformational phases. In contrast, the Sierra Aconquija range, located immediately south on the transition to the Sierras Pampeanas (thick skin) foreland basin, exhibit larger amounts of Miocene exhumation and lack of Cretaceous exhumation; the associated sedimentary rocks from the Tucuman basin have not been deformed since the Cretaceous. Our goal is to understand the evolution of the structural blocks and the structures responsible for the along strike changes in foreland basin deformational styles and their relation with inherited structures from previous tectonic cycles. We are obtaining new apatite U-Th/He and fission track data to reconstruct the thermal history of the basement, accompanied by U-Pb geochronology and stratigraphy to constrain the evolution of the associated sedimentary basins. Preliminary results combined with published data suggest that inherited structures within the study area have evolved

A Paleomagnetic Investigation of Large-Scale Vertical Axis Rotations in Coastal Sonora: Evidence for Transtensional Proto-Gulf Deformation

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Herman, S. W.; Gans, P. B.

2006-12-01

A paleomagnetic investigation into possible vertical axis rotations has been conducted in the Sierra el Aguaje and Sierra Tinajas del Carmen, Sonora, Mexico, in order assess proposed styles for oblique continental rifting in the Gulf of California. Two styles of rifting have been proposed; (1) strain partitioning (Stock and Hodges, 89), and (2) transtension (Gans, 97), for the Proto-Gulf period of the Gulf of California. The presence of large- scale vertical axis rotations would lend weight to the argument for transtension. The Sierra el Aguaje and Sierra Tinajas del Carmen are located in southwestern coastal Sonora, Mexico. The ranges represent the eastern-rifted margin of the central Gulf of California. This is one of the few areas of that margin which is entirely above water, with new ocean crust of the Guaymas basin lying immediately offshore of the western edge of the ranges. The ranges are composed of volcanic units and their corresponding volcaniclastic units that are the result of persistent magmatic activity between 20 and 8.8 Ma, including three packages of basalt and andesite that make excellent paleomagnetic recorders. Based on cross cutting relations and geochronologic data for pre-, syn-, and post-tectonic volcanic units, most of the faulting and tilting in the Sierra El Aguaje and Sierra Tinajas del Carmen is bracketed between 11.9 and 9.0 Ma, thus falling entirely within Proto-Gulf time. Existing field relations suggest the presence of large (>45°) vertical axis rotations in this region. This evidence includes: a) abrupt changes in the strike of tilted strata in different parts of the range b) ubiquitous NE-SW striking faults with left lateral-normal oblique slip, that terminate against major NW-trending right lateral faults, and c) obliquity between the general strike of tilted strata and the strike of faults. The results of the paleomagnetic investigation are consistent with the field evidence and show large clockwise rotations between ~30° and

Late Miocene (Proto-Gulf) Extension and Magmatism on the Sonoran Margin

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Gans, P.; MacMillan, I.; Roldan-Quintana, J.

2003-12-01

Constraints on the magnitude and character of late Miocene (Proto-Gulf) deformation on the Sonoran margin of the Gulf of California extensional province are key to understanding how and when Baja California was captured by the Pacific plate and how strain was partitioned during the early stages of this transtensional rift system. Our new geologic mapping in southwestern Sonora and 40Ar/39Ar dating of pre-, syn-, and post-tectonic volcanic units indicate that late Miocene deformation and volcanic activity were largely restricted to a NW-trending, 100-120 km wide belt adjacent to the coast. Inboard of this belt, NW-SE extension is mainly older (>15 Ma) and occurred in an intra-arc or back-arc setting. Proto-Gulf deformation within the coastal belt was profoundly transtensional, with NW-striking, dextral strike slip faults operating in concert with N-S and NNE-striking normal and oblique slip faults to produce an inferred NW or NNW tectonic transport direction. The total amount of late Miocene NW directed dextral shear within the coastal belt is still poorly constrained, but may exceed 100 km. The locus of deformation and volcanic activity migrated westward or northwestward within the Sonoran coastal belt. in the eastern portion (Sierra Libre and Sierra El Bacatete) major volcanic activity commenced at ˜13.0 Ma and peaked at 12.0 Ma, and major faulting and tilting is bracketed between 12.0 and 10.6 Ma. Further west in the Sierra El Aguaje/San Carlos region, major volcanic activity commenced at 11.5 Ma and peaked at 10.5 Ma, and most faulting and tilting is bracketed between 10.7 and 9.3 Ma. On the coastal mountains northwest of San Carlos, rift related faulting and tilting continued after 8.5 Ma. Voluminous late Miocene (13-8 Ma) volcanic rocks within the Sonoran coastal belt were erupted from numerous centers (e.g. Sierra Libre, Guaymas, Sierra El Aguaje). These thick volcanic sections are compositionally diverse (basalt to rhyolite, with abundant dacite and

Paleocene-middle Miocene flexural-margin migration of the non marine llanos Foreland basin of Colombia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayona, German; Jaramillo, Carlos; Rueda, Milton; Reyes Harker, Andres; Torres, Vladimir

2007-01-01

A foreland basin is a dynamic system whose depositional systems migrate in response to changes in tectonic uplift patterns, sedimentary filling processes and isostatic rebound of the lithosphere. The Paleocene-middle Miocene foreland system of the llanos foothills and llanos basin of Colombia includes regional unconformities, abrupt changes in lithology/stacking patterns and flooding surfaces bounding reservoir and seal units. Here we integrate a systematic biostratigraphic study, strata architecture and tectonic subsidence analyses, regional seismic profiles, and provenance data to define the diachronism of such surfaces and to document the direction of migration of foreland depozones. Line a flexural-deformed basin, sandstone composition, rates of accommodation and sediment supply vary across and along the basin. we show how a coeval depositional profile in the llanos foothills-llanos foreland basin consists of lithoranites inter b edded with mudstones (seal rock, supplied from the orogenic front to the west) that correlate craton ward with organic-rich mudstones and coal (source rock), and to amalgamated fluvial-estuarine quartzarenites (reservoir rock, supplied from the craton to the east) adjacent to a sub-aerial fore-bulge (unconformity). This system migrated northward and eastward during the Paleocene, westward during the early-middle Eocene, and eastward during the Oligocene. In the lower-middle Miocene succession of the llanos basin, identification of flooding events indicates a westward encroaching of a shallow-water lacustrine system that covered an eastward-directed fluvial-deltaic system. A similar process has been documented in other basins in Venezuela and Bolivia, indicating the regional extent of such flooding event may be related to the onset of Andean-scale mountain-building processes

A paleomagnetic investigation of vertical-axis rotations in coastal Sonora, Mexico: Evidence for distributed transtensional deformation during the Proto-Gulf shift from a subduction-dominated to transform-dominated plate boundary in the Gulf of California

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, Scott William

The history of late Miocene (Proto-Gulf) deformation on the Sonoran margin of the Gulf of California is key to understanding how Baja California was captured by the Pacific plate and how strain was partitioned during the Proto-Gulf period (12.5-6 Ma). The Sierra el Aguaje and Sierra Tinajas del Carmen are located in southwestern coastal Sonora, Mexico, and represent the eastern rifted margin of the central Gulf of California. The ranges are composed of volcanic units and their corresponding volcaniclastic units which are the result of persistent magmatic activity between 20 and 8.8 Ma, including three packages of basalt and andesite that make excellent paleomagnetic recorders. Based on cross cutting relations and geochronologic data for pre-, syn-, and post-tectonic volcanic units, most of the faulting and tilting in the Sierra El Aguaje is bracketed between 11.9 and 9.0 Ma, thus falling entirely within Proto-Gulf time. A paleomagnetic investigation into possible vertical axis rotations in the Sierra el Aguaje has uncovered evidence of clockwise rotations between ~13º and ~105º with possible translations. These results are consistent with existing field relations, which suggest the presence of large (>45°) vertical axis rotations in this region. This evidence includes: a) abrupt changes in the strike of tilted strata in different parts of the range, including large domains characterized by E-W strikes b) ubiquitous NE-SW striking faults with left lateral-normal oblique slip, that terminate against major NW-trending right lateral faults, and c) obliquity between the general strike of tilted strata and the strike of faults. These rotations occurred after 12 Ma and largely prior to 9 Ma, thus falling into the Proto-Gulf period. Such large-scale rotations lend credence to the theory that the area inboard of Baja California was experiencing transtension during the Proto-Gulf period, rather than the pure extension that would be the result of strain partitioning

Detrital Zircon Provenance Record of Pre-Andean to Modern Tectonics in the Northern Andes: Examples from Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia

Science.gov (United States)

George, S. W. M.; Jackson, L. J.; Horton, B. K.

2015-12-01

Detrital zircon U-Pb age distributions from modern rivers and Mesozoic-Cenozoic basin fill in the northern Andes provide insights into pre-Andean, Andean, and active uplift and exhumation of distinctive sediment source regions. Diagnostic age signatures enable straightforward discrimination of competing sediment sources within the Andean magmatic arc (Western Cordillera-Central Cordillera), retroarc fold-thrust belt (Eastern Cordillera-Subandean Zone), and Amazonian craton (composed of several basement provinces). More complex, however, are the mid/late Cenozoic provenance records generated by recycling of basin fill originally deposited during early/mid Mesozoic extension, late Mesozoic thermal subsidence, and early Cenozoic shortening. Although subject to time-transgressive trends, regionally significant provenance patterns in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia reveal: (1) Triassic-Jurassic growth of extensional subbasins fed by local block uplifts (with commonly unimodal 300­-150 Ma age peaks); (2) Cretaceous deposition in an extensive postrift setting fed by principally cratonic sources (with common 1800-900 Ma ages); and (3) Cenozoic growth of a broad flexural basin fed initially fed by magmatic-arc rocks (100-0 Ma), then later dominance by thrust-belt sedimentary rocks with progressively greater degrees of basin recycling (yielding diverse and variable age populations from the aforementioned source regions). U-Pb results from modern rivers and smaller subbasins prove useful in evaluating source-to-sink relationships, downstream mixing relationships, hinterland-foreland basin connectivity, paleodrainage integration, and tectonic/paleotopographic reconstructions. Most but not all of the elevated intermontane basins in the modern hinterland of the northern Andes contain provenance records consistent with genesis in a broader foreland basin developed at low elevation. Downstream variations within modern axial rivers and Cenozoic axial basins inform predictive models of

Andean Basin Evolution Associated with Hybrid Thick- and Thin-Skinned Deformation in the Malargüe Fold-Thrust Belt, Western Argentina

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Horton, B. K.; Fuentes, F.

2015-12-01

Andean deformation and basin evolution in the Malargüe fold-thrust belt of western Argentina (34-36°S) has been dominated by basement faults influenced by pre-existing Mesozoic rift structures of the hydrocarbon-rich Neuquen basin. However, the basement structures diverge from classic inversion structures, and the associated retroarc basin system shows a complex Mesozoic-Cenozoic history of mixed extension and contraction, along with an enigmatic early Cenozoic stratigraphic hiatus. New results from balanced structural cross sections (supported by industry seismic, well data, and surface maps), U-Pb geochronology, and foreland deposystem analyses provide improved resolution to examine the duration and kinematic evolution of Andean mixed-mode deformation. The basement structures form large anticlines with steep forelimbs and up to >5 km of structural relief. Once the propagating tips of the deeper basement faults reached cover strata, they fed slip to shallow thrust systems that were transported in piggyback fashion by newly formed basement structures, producing complex structural relationships. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages for the 5-7 km-thick basin fill succession reveal shifts in sedimentation pathways and accumulation rates consistent with (1) local basement sources during Early-Middle Jurassic back-arc extension, (2) variable cratonic and magmatic arc sources during Late Jurassic-Cretaceous postrift thermal subsidence, and (3) Andean arc and thrust-belt sources during irregular Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic shortening. Although pulses of flexural subsidence can be attributed to periods of fault reactivation (inversion) and geometrically linked thin-skinned thrusting, fully developed foreland basin conditions were only achieved in Late Cretaceous and Neogene time. Separating these two contractional episodes is an Eocene-lower Miocene (roughly 40-20 Ma) depositional hiatus within the Cenozoic succession, potentially signifying forebulge passage or neutral to

Cenozoic intraplate tectonics in Central Patagonia: Record of main Andean phases in a weak upper plate

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Gianni, G. M.; Echaurren, A.; Folguera, A.; Likerman, J.; Encinas, A.; García, H. P. A.; Dal Molin, C.; Valencia, V. A.

2017-11-01

Contraction in intraplate areas is still poorly understood relative to similar deformation at plate margins. In order to contribute to its comprehension, we study the Patagonian broken foreland (PBF) in South America whose evolution remains controversial. Time constraints of tectonic events and structural characterization of this belt are limited. Also, major causes of strain location in this orogen far from the plate margin are enigmatic. To unravel tectonic events, we studied the Cenozoic sedimentary record of the central sector of the Patagonian broken foreland (San Bernardo fold and thrust belt, 44°30‧S-46°S) and the Andes (Meseta de Chalia, 46°S) following an approach involving growth-strata detection, U-Pb geochronology and structural modeling. Additionally, we elaborate a high resolution analysis of the effective elastic thickness (Te) to examine the relation between intraplate contraction location and variations in lithospheric strength. The occurrence of Eocene growth-strata ( 44-40 Ma) suggests that contraction in the Andes and the Patagonian broken foreland was linked to the Incaic phase. Detection of synextensional deposits suggests that the broken foreland collapsed partially during Oligocene to early Miocene. During middle Miocene times, the Quechua contractional phase produced folding of Neogene volcanic rocks and olistostrome deposition at 17 Ma. Finally, the presented Te map shows that intraplate contraction related to Andean phases localized preferentially along weak lithospheric zones (Te < 15 km). Hence, the observed strain distribution in the PBF appears to be controlled by lateral variations in the lithospheric strength. Variations in this parameter could be related to thermo-mechanical weakening produced by intraplate rifting in Paleozoic-Mesozoic times.

Crustal Structure of the Andean Foreland in Northern Argentina: Results From Data-Integrative Three-Dimensional Density Modeling

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Meeßen, C.; Sippel, J.; Scheck-Wenderoth, M.; Heine, C.; Strecker, M. R.

2018-02-01

Previous thermomechanical modeling studies indicated that variations in the temperature and strength of the crystalline crust might be responsible for the juxtaposition of domains with thin-skinned and thick-skinned crustal deformation along strike the foreland of the central Andes. However, there is no evidence supporting this hypothesis from data-integrative models. We aim to derive the density structure of the lithosphere by means of integrated 3-D density modeling, in order to provide a new basis for discussions of compositional variations within the crust and for future thermal and rheological modeling studies. Therefore, we utilize available geological and geophysical data to obtain a structural and density model of the uppermost 200 km of the Earth. The derived model is consistent with the observed Bouguer gravity field. Our results indicate that the crystalline crust in northern Argentina can be represented by a lighter upper crust (2,800 kg/m3) and a denser lower crust (3,100 kg/m3). We find new evidence for high bulk crustal densities >3,000 kg/m3 in the northern Pampia terrane. These could originate from subducted Puncoviscana wackes or pelites that ponded to the base of the crystalline crust in the late Proterozoic or indicate increasing bulk content of mafic material. The precise composition of the northern foreland crust, whether mafic or felsic, has significant implications for further thermomechanical models and the rheological behavior of the lithosphere. A detailed sensitivity analysis of the input parameters indicates that the model results are robust with respect to the given uncertainties of the input data.

When did the Penglai orogeny begin on Taiwan?: Geochronological and petrographic constraints on the exhumed mountain belts and foreland-basin sequences

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, W. S.; Syu, S. J.; Yeh, J. J.

2017-12-01

Foreland basin receives large amounts of synorogenic infill that is eroded from the adjacent exhumed mountain belt, and therefore provides the important information on exhumation evolution. Furthermore, a complete stratigraphic sequence of Taiwan mountain belt consists of five units of Miocene sedimentary rocks (the Western Foothills and the uppermost sequence on the proto-Taiwan mountain belt), Oligocene argillite (the Hsuehshan Range), Eocene quartzite (the Hsuehshan Range), Eocene-Miocene slate and schist (Backbone Range), and Cretaceous schist (Backbone Range) from top to bottom. Based on the progressive unroofing history, the initiation of foreland basin received sedimentary lithic sediments from the uppermost sequence of proto-Taiwan mountain belt, afterwards, and receiving low- to medium-grade metamorphic lithic sediments in ascending order of argillite, quartzite, slate, and schist clasts. Therefore, the sedimentary lithics from mountain belt were deposited which represents the onset of the mountain uplift. In this study, the first appearance of sedimentary lithic sediments occurs in the Hengchun Peninsula at the middle Miocene (ca. 12-10 Ma). Thus, sandstone petrography of the late Miocene formation (10-5.3 Ma) shows a predominantly recycled sedimentary and low-grade metamorphic sources, including sandstone, argillite and quartzite lithic sediments of 10-25% which records erosion to slightly deeper metamorphic terrane on the mountain belt. Based on the results of previous thermogeochronological studies of the Yuli belt, it suggests that the middle Miocene occurred mountain uplift. The occurrence of low-grade metamorphic lithic sediments in the Hengchun Peninsula during late Miocene is coincident with the cooling ages of uplift and denuded Yuli schist belt at the eastern limb of Backbone Range.

New fission-track ages of mio-pliocene tuffs in the Sierras Pampeanas and Precordillera of Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabbutt, K.; Naeser, C.W.; Jordan, T.E.; Cerveny, P.F.

1989-01-01

Fission-track dates were determined for 18 volcanic tuff horizons located in nine Neogene foreland basin sequences distributed throughout the Precordillera and Sierras Pampeanas of Northwestern Argentina, an area of nearly horizontal subduction. These and other data indicate that a lower age limit for the sedimentary sequences studied is approximately 17 Ma. Therefore these fission-track dates constrain both the history of volcanic activity and the time of deposition in several foreland basins from the middle Miocene to Recent. Although the dates range from 3.6±0.8 Ma to 17.0±1.9 Ma, there is a marked increase in the number of ashes younger than 9 Ma. This implies that two distinct episodes of volcanic activity affected the region. The source of some of these tuffs is unknown but they are probably limited to the 'flat-slab' region between 27 deg and 32 deg S. Tuffs at Rio Blanco and Santa Florentina that are spatially associated with the Mogotes dacite domes of the Famatina Range represented magmatism bracketed from about 7 to 4 Ma in the region underlain by the flat-subducted plate. The stratigraphic relations in the basins show that the faulting that uplifted Sierra de Famatina was contemporaneous with the volcanism which reached the surface along the bounding faults. (Author) [es

Late Cenozoic basin evolution and fold-thrust deformation in the southern Central Andes: Initial constraints from synorogenic deposits of the Precordillera, Argentina

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Levina, M.; Horton, B. K.; Fuentes, F.; Stockli, D. F.

2012-12-01

In the Precordillera region of the Argentine Andes, Cenozoic shortening associated with flattening of the Pampean segment of the subducting Nazca plate has resulted in a series of thin skinned fold-thrust systems that partitioned and uplifted Cenozoic foreland basin deposits. The kinematic and temporal evolution of the Andean Precordillera can be approached through detailed analyses of the sedimentary fill now preserved in intermontane regions and the bedrock low-temperature thermochronology of the fold-thrust belt. In this project, we focus on Neogene foreland basin fill exposed in the central and eastern Precordillera along the San Juan River (Quebrada Albarracín and Pachaco regions), on the western flank of the Sierra Talacasto, and in the Loma de las Tapias area near the Ullum dam. The sedimentary successions exposed in these regions record the hinterland development of the Frontal Cordillera (detrital zircon provenance and composition of sandstone and conglomeratic units), regional volcanism (pyroclastic flows and tuffaceous sandstone units), and initial construction of the Precordillera (fault cutoff relationships, growth strata, and paleocurrent changes). We investigate the development and subsequent partitioning and deformation of these synorogenic sections using sediment provenance (detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology, conglomerate clast counts, sandstone petrography, and paleocurrent measurements), facies analysis of measured stratigraphic successions, and initial apatite (U-Th)/He cooling histories to constrain the age of uplift-induced exhumation of successive thrust sheets in the Andean Precordillera.

Proto-planetary nebulae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zuckerman, B.

1978-01-01

A 'proto-planetary nebula' or a 'planetary nebula progenitor' is the term used to describe those objects that are losing mass at a rate >approximately 10 -5 Msolar masses/year (i.e. comparable to mass loss rates in planetary nebulae with ionized masses >approximately 0.2 Msolar masses) and which, it is believed, will become planetary nebulae themselves within 5 years. It is shown that most proto-planetary nebulae appear as very red objects although a few have been 'caught' near the middle of the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. The precursors of these proto-planetaries are the general red giant population, more specifically probably Mira and semi-regular variables. (Auth.)end

Cenozoic sedimentation and exhumation of the foreland basin system preserved in the Precordillera thrust belt (31-32°S), southern central Andes, Argentina

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Levina, Mariya; Horton, Brian K.; Fuentes, Facundo; Stockli, Daniel F.

2014-09-01

Andean retroarc compression associated with subduction and shallowing of the oceanic Nazca plate resulted in thin-skinned thrusting that partitioned and uplifted Cenozoic foreland basin fill in the Precordillera of west-central Argentina. Evolution of the central segment of the Precordillera fold-thrust belt is informed by new analyses of clastic nonmarine deposits now preserved in three intermontane regions between major east directed thrust faults. We focus on uppermost Oligocene-Miocene basin fill in the axial to frontal Precordillera at 31-32°S along the Río San Juan (Albarracín and Pachaco sections) and the flank of one of the leading thrust structures (Talacasto section). The three successions record hinterland construction of the Frontal Cordillera, regional arc volcanism, and initial exhumation of Precordillera thrust sheets. Provenance changes recorded by detrital zircon U-Pb age populations suggest that initial shortening in the Frontal Cordillera coincided with an early Miocene shift from eolian to fluvial accumulation in the adjacent foreland basin. Upward coarsening of fluvial deposits and increased proportions of Paleozoic clasts reflect cratonward (eastward) advance of deformation into the Precordillera and resultant structural fragmentation of the foreland basin into isolated intermontane segments. Apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronometry of basin fill constrains to 12-9 Ma the most probable age of uplift-induced exhumation and cooling of Precordillera thrust sheets. This apparent pulse of exhumation is evident in each succession, suggestive of rapid, large-scale exhumation by synchronous thrusting above a single décollement linking major structures of the Precordillera.

Climate change forces new ecological states in tropical Andean lakes.

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Neal Michelutti

Full Text Available Air temperatures in the tropical Andes have risen at an accelerated rate relative to the global average over recent decades. However, the effects of climate change on Andean lakes, which are vital to sustaining regional biodiversity and serve as an important water resource to local populations, remain largely unknown. Here, we show that recent climate changes have forced alpine lakes of the equatorial Andes towards new ecological and physical states, in close synchrony to the rapid shrinkage of glaciers regionally. Using dated sediment cores from three lakes in the southern Sierra of Ecuador, we record abrupt increases in the planktonic thalassiosiroid diatom Discostella stelligera from trace abundances to dominance within the phytoplankton. This unprecedented shift occurs against the backdrop of rising temperatures, changing atmospheric pressure fields, and declining wind speeds. Ecological restructuring in these lakes is linked to warming and/or enhanced water column stratification. In contrast to seasonally ice-covered Arctic and temperate alpine counterparts, aquatic production has not increased universally with warming, and has even declined in some lakes, possibly because enhanced thermal stability impedes the re-circulation of hypolimnetic nutrients to surface waters. Our results demonstrate that these lakes have already passed important ecological thresholds, with potentially far-reaching consequences for Andean water resources.

Inside ProtoDune

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Brice, Maximilien

2017-01-01

The protoDUNE experimental program is designed to test and validate the technologies and design that will be applied to the construction of the DUNE Far Detector at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF). The protoDUNE detectors will be run in a dedicated beam line at the CERN SPS accelerator complex. The rate and volume of data produced by these detectors will be substantial and will require extensive system design and integration effort. As of Fall 2015, "protoDUNE" is the official name for the two apparatuses to be used in CERN beam test: single-phase and dual-phase LArTPC detectors. Each received a formal CERN experiment designation: NP02 for the dual-phase detector. NP04 for single-phase detector.

Late holocene tectonic damming up in eastern Sierras Pampeanas, Cordoba, Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massabie, A.C.; Limarino, C.O; Panarello, H.O.; Cordero, R.R; Bertels, A

2001-01-01

Neogene deformation due to Andean Orogeny has caused block faulting in the Sierras Pampeanas area, fracturing a Precambrian Paleozoic crystalline basement. These dislocations produced Late Tertiary to Quaternary landscape changes which are mainly expressed in clear and good preserved fluvial path modifications in sedimentary cover. The study of alterations of fluvial channel pattern associated with Quaternary tectonics has special neotectonic value in this central area of Argentina as a basic method to gain more precise temporal restrain of recent movements. Attention to this specific neotectonic field parallels general geologic knowledge evolution in Sierras Pampeanas. But in spite that nowadays better stratigraphic controls are available based on morphostructural, sedimentologic and paleontologic constraints (Massabie, 1999), still remain temporal uncertainties. Major difficulties for a more precise dating of neotectonic in the area of Sierras Pampeanas is a direct consequence of the random distribution of Neogene continental sediments located in different isolated basins which are mainly lacking of good bioestratigraphic control for comprehensive correlation. First steps in the study of Quaternary faulting dating in Sierras Pampeanas starts with the pioneer paper of Schlagintweit (1954) which reported a Quaternary faulting backed by stratigraphic and morphostructural considerations. Afterthen other papers about Quaternary faulting were presented based on similar geologic constraints (Lencinas y Timonieri, 1968; Massabie, 1976, 1987; Massabie and Szlafsztein, 1991; Kraemer et al., 1993; Massabie et al.,1998). In the way up to manage better adjust of Quaternary faulting dating in Sierras Pampeanas, there is a first work for Eastern Sierras Pampeanas presenting 14 C dating (Costa and Vita-Finzi, 1996). The authors postulated a late step of faulting younger than 1,300 for Comechingones fault with radiocarbon analysis based on organic matter in footwall colluvium

The Under-side of the Andes: Using Receiver Functions to Map the North Central Andean Subsurface

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, J. C.; Beck, S. L.; Zandt, G.; Wagner, L. S.; Minaya, E.; Tavera, H.

2012-12-01

The Central Andean Uplift and Geodynamics of High Topography (CAUGHT) project is an interdisciplinary project to investigate connections between lithospheric removal, crustal shortening and surface uplift in the northern Bolivia and southern Peru region of the South American Andean orogen. The central Andes are defined by six major tectonomorphic provinces; the forearc, the volcanically active Western Cordillera (WC, ~6 km elevation), the internally drained Altiplano (~4 km elevation), an inactive fold and thrust belt in the Eastern Cordillera (EC, ~6 km elevation), a lower elevation active fold and thrust belt in the Subandean (SA) zone and the Beni, a foreland basin. Forty seismic stations installed for the CAUGHT project were deployed between 13° and 18° S latitude, covering the transition zone where the Altiplano region pinches out in southern Peru, in an effort to better constrain the changing character of the crust and mantle lithosphere. Geologic studies across the northern Bolivian portion of the eastern Andean margin (15-17° S) have documented a total of 275 km of upper crustal shortening (McQuarrie et al, Tectonics, v27, 2008), which may be associated with crustal thickening and/or the removal of lithospheric material as a thickened lithosphere root becomes unstable. For this receiver function (converted wave) study, we have little coverage in the forearc and foreland, ~75 km spacing in most of the array, and a relatively dense ~20 km spaced profile along the Charaña-La Paz-Yucumo transect, the eastern portion of which is nearly coincident with the balanced cross-section of McQuarrie et al. (2008). Using the first year of available data, more than 1200 receiver functions have been calculated using an iterative deconvolution method, and stacked using the common conversion point (CCP) method, along profiles parallel to and nearly coincident to those used for the geologic shortening estimates. We identified arrivals for the Moho and generated a 3D map of

An Andean-type retro-arc foreland system beneath northwest South China revealed by SINOPROBE profiling

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jianhua; Dong, Shuwen; Cawood, Peter A.; Zhao, Guochun; Johnston, Stephen T.; Zhang, Yueqiao; Xin, Yujia

2018-05-01

In the Mesozoic, South China was situated along the convergent margin between the Asian and Pacific plates, providing an excellent laboratory to understand the interactions between deformation, sedimentation and magmatism in a retroarc environment. The crustal architecture of northwest South China is displayed along the ∼600-km-long SINOPROBE deep seismic reflection profiles and reveals from east to west: (1) highly folded and truncated reflectors in the upper crust of the Yangtze Fold Zone, which correspond to thin- and thick-skinned thrust systems, and document large-scale intraplate structural imbrication and shortening; (2) a crustal-scale flat-ramp-flat structure, termed the Main Yangtze decollement, which forms a weak, viscous layer to accommodate strain decoupling and material transport in the thin- and thick-skinned systems; and (3) nearly flat-lying reflectors in the Sichuan Basin, which support interpretation of the basin as a weakly deformed depocentre. The Yangtze Fold Zone and the Sichuan Basin represent a retro-arc foreland basin system that is >800 km away from the continental-margin magmatic arc. We suggest that tectonic processes across the arc and retro-arc systems, including arc magma flare-up, basin sedimentation, retroarc thrust propagation, lithosphere underthrusting, root foundering, and extension-related magmatism were interrelated and governed mass transfer. Age data and geological relations link the tectonic processes to evolving geodynamics of the subducting Paleo-Pacific plate.

Ludwik Fleck on proto-ideas in medicine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brorson, S

2000-01-01

and his nominalist view on medical taxonomy. Finally, I discuss four philosophical problems implied by Fleck's concept of proto-ideas: (a) the problem of combining two conflicting perspectives on the history of science (b) the problem of accounting for the notion of 'continuity' within a nonrealist theory......'Proto-idea' was a central concept in the thinking of the Polish microbiologist and philosopher of science Ludwik Fleck (1896-1961). Based on studies of the origin of the modern concept of syphilis, Fleck claimed that many established scientific facts are best understood as interpretations...... of prescientific, somewhat hazy 'proto-ideas' in the framework of a certain 'thought-style'. As an example, Fleck saw the modern knowledge of infection as an interpretation of the ancient proto-idea of diseases as caused by minute 'animalcules'. However, the epistemological aspects of the concept of proto-ideas...

77 FR 31039 - Andean Trade Preference Act: Impact on the U.S. Economy and on Andean Drug Crop Eradication

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-24

.... 332-352, Andean Trade Preference Act: Impact on the U.S. Economy and on Andean Drug Crop Eradication... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 332-352] Andean Trade Preference Act: Impact on the U.S. Economy and on Andean Drug Crop Eradication AGENCY: United States International Trade...

Lateral variations in foreland flexure of a rifted continental margin: The Aquitaine Basin (SW France)

Science.gov (United States)

Angrand, P.; Ford, M.; Watts, A. B.

2017-12-01

We study the effects of the inherited Aptian to Cenomanian rift on crustal rheology and evolution of the Late Cretaceous to Neogene flexural Aquitaine foreland basin, northern Pyrenees. We use surface and subsurface geological data to define the crustal geometry and the post-rift thermal subsidence, and Bouguer gravity anomalies and flexural modeling to study the lateral variation of the elastic thickness, flexure of the European plate and controlling loads. The Aquitaine foreland can be divided along-strike into three sectors. The eastern foreland is un-rifted and is associated with a simple flexural subsidence. The central sector is affected by crustal stretching and the observed foreland base is modeled by combining topographic and buried loads, with post-rift thermal subsidence. In the western sector the foreland basin geometry is mainly controlled by post-rift thermal subsidence. These three sectors are separated by major lineaments, which affect both crustal and foreland geometry. These lineaments seem to be part of a larger structural pattern that includes the Toulouse and Pamplona Faults. The European foreland shows lateral variations in flexural behavior: the relative role of surface and sub-surface (i.e., buried) loading varies along-strike and the elastic thickness values decrease from the north-east to the south-west where the plate is the most stretched. We suggest that foreland basins are influenced by the thermal state of the underlying lithosphere if it was initiated soon after rifting and that thermal cooling can contribute significantly to subsidence.

A multinational Andean genetic and health program: growth and development in an hypoxic environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Mueller, W H; Schull, V N; Schull, W J; Soto, P; Rothhammer, F

1978-07-01

In 1972 a multidisciplinary study sought to assess the health status of the indigenous peoples of the Department of Arica in northern Chile, the Aymara, and to relate disease, morphological, physiological and biochemical variation, to the wide changes in altitude of the region. Presented here are the morphological changes which accompany age, altitude and ethnicity amoung 1047 children and adults, permanent residents of the coast, sierra and altiplano. At comparable ages, high-altitude residents were shorter, lighter and leaner but with more expansive and rounder chests than sea-level controls. None of these effects was systematically related to ethnicity (Spanish-Aymara surname), although when stature was held constant, children with greater Aymara ancestry had largest chest circumferences and longer bones. These results suggest that (1) altitude confers allometric growth changes (expensive growth of the chest and diminished growth of the structures less related to oxygen transport); and (2) size changes associated with altitude are acquired during development while shape changes may be under genetic control. Altitude appears to account for less of the variation in growth in this relatively homogeneous Chilean sample than has been reported for other Andean samples, suggesting other concomitants confounding the effects of hypoxia in Andean South America.

Detrital zircon U-Pb and (U-Th)/He double-dating of Upper Cretaceous-Cenozoic Zagros foreland basin strata in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, D. E.; Stockli, D. F.; Koshnaw, R. I.; Horton, B. K.; Tamar-Agha, M. Y.; Kendall, J. J.

2014-12-01

The NW Zagros orogen is the result of the multistage collisional history associated with Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic convergence of the Arabian and Eurasian continents and final closure of Neotethys. Siliciclastic strata preserved within a ~400 km segment of the NW Zagros fold-thrust belt and foreland basin in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR) provide a widespread record of exhumation and sedimentation. As a means of assessing NW Zagros foreland basin evolution and chronostratigraphy, we present coupled detrital zircon (DZ) U-Pb and (U-Th)/He geo-thermochronometric data of Upper Cretaceous to Pliocene siliciclastic strata from the Duhok, Erbil, and Suleimaniyah provinces of IKR. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb age analyses reveal that the foreland basin fill in IKR in general was dominantly derived from Pan-African/Arabian-Nubian, Peri-Gondwandan, Eurasian, and Cretaceous volcanic arc terrenes. However, the provenance of these strata varies systematically along strike and through time, with an overall increase in complexity upsection. DZ age distribution of Paleocene-Eocene strata is dominated by a ~95 Ma grain age population, likely sourced from the Late Cretaceous Hassanbag-Bitlis volcanic arc complex along the northern margin of Arabia. In contrast, DZ U-Pb age distributions of Neogene strata show a major contribution derived from various Eurasian (e.g., Iranian, Tauride, Pontide; ~45, 150, 300 Ma) and Pan-African (~550, 950 Ma) sources. The introduction of Eurasian DZ ages at the Paleogene-Neogene transition likely records the onset of Arabian-Eurasian collision. Along strike to the southeast, the DZ U-Pb spectra of Neogene strata show a decreased percentage of Pan-African, Peri-Gondwandan, Tauride, and Ordovician ages, coupled with a dramatic increase in 40-50 Ma DZ ages that correspond to Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic rocks in Iran. Combined with paleocurrent data, this suggests that Neogene sediments were transported longitudinally southeastward through an unbroken foreland basin

Proto-cooperation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herbert-Read, James E; Romanczuk, Pawel; Krause, Stefan

2016-01-01

beneficial if the cost of attacking is high, and only then when waiting times are short. Our findings provide evidence that cooperative benefits can be realized through the facilitative effects of individuals' hunting actions without spatial coordination of attacks. Such 'proto-cooperation' may be the pre...

Climate warming could increase recruitment success in glacier foreland plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Mondoni, Andrea; Pedrini, Simone; Bernareggi, Giulietta; Rossi, Graziano; Abeli, Thomas; Probert, Robin J; Ghitti, Michele; Bonomi, Costantino; Orsenigo, Simone

2015-11-01

Glacier foreland plants are highly threatened by global warming. Regeneration from seeds on deglaciated terrain will be crucial for successful migration and survival of these species, and hence a better understanding of the impacts of climate change on seedling recruitment is urgently needed to predict future plant persistence in these environments. This study presents the first field evidence of the impact of climate change on recruitment success of glacier foreland plants. Seeds of eight foreland species were sown on a foreland site at 2500 m a.s.l., and at a site 400 m lower in altitude to simulate a 2·7 °C increase in mean annual temperature. Soil from the site of origin was used to reproduce the natural germination substrate. Recruitment success, temperature and water potential were monitored for 2 years. The response of seed germination to warming was further investigated in the laboratory. At the glacier foreland site, seedling emergence was low (0 to approx. 40 %) and occurred in summer in all species after seeds had experienced autumn and winter seasons. However, at the warmer site there was a shift from summer to autumn emergence in two species and a significant increase of summer emergence (13-35 % higher) in all species except two. Survival and establishment was possible for 60-75 % of autumn-emerged seedlings and was generally greater under warmer conditions. Early snowmelt in spring caused the main ecological factors enhancing the recruitment success. The results suggest that warming will influence the recruitment of glacier foreland species primarily via the extension of the snow-free period in spring, which increases seedling establishment and results in a greater resistance to summer drought and winter extremes. The changes in recruitment success observed here imply that range shifts or changes in abundance are possible in a future warmer climate, but overall success may be dependent on interactions with shifts in other components of the

Sedimentology and stratigraphy of the middle Eocene Guara carbonate platform near Arguis, South-West Pyrenean foreland: Implications for basin physiography

Science.gov (United States)

Huyghe, D.; Castelltort, S.; Serra-Kiel, J.; Filleaudeau, P.-Y.; Emmanuel, L.; Mouthereau, F.; Renard, M.

2009-04-01

The Pyrenees results from the collision between Spain and Europe and developed between the upper Cretaceous (Santonian) and the Miocene. Its foreland basins are characterised by a thick fill of detrital and carbonate sediments. The diversity of Eocene deposits in the southern Pyrenean foreland basin is of particular use in facies sedimentology due to their exceptional outcropping quality and well established stratigraphic framework and has been taken as type examples of many different sedimentary environments. Most studies have concerned facies sedimentology of detrital series in turbiditic environments, meandering and braided rivers, alluvial fans, and deltas. In contrast, the Eocene carbonate series have attracted less attention. The marine Guara limestones are a formation of lower to middle Eocene age deposited on the southern border of the western Pyrenean foreland basin (Jaca basin). They were deposited as a retrogradational carbonate platform dominated by large benthic foraminifers near or at the flexural forebulge of the foreland basin as the Pyrenean orogen developed. This formation represents the last episode of carbonate platform in the Pyrenees and remains poorly studied. In the present work our aim is to provide a detailed facies analysis and physiographic reconstructions of the Guara carbonate platform. This is crucial to unravel the respective influences of tectonics, climate and rheology of the lithosphere on the foreland basin tectonic and stratigraphic development, and it brings new constraints on the paleoenvironments and paleogeography during the Lutetian, i.e. at the beginning of the major phase of activity of the Pyrenean orogenesis. Two outcrops were studied in the Sierras Marginales at the localities of Arguis and Lusera. The Lusera section once restored in its initial position is located to the North of the Arguis section in a basinward direction such that comparing time-equivalent facies between these two sections helps us reconstructing

Administrative Law in the Andean Community of Nations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Enrique Santos Rodríguez

2013-12-01

Full Text Available One of the contemporary tendencies of Administrative Law is the recognition of its existence beyond the borders of a State. Under such premise, this paper aims to demonstrate that in the Andean Community of Nations sufficient elements to consider the existence of an Andean administrative Law. In the Andean statutes and rules, it is possible to identify an administrative function, as well as an administrative organization inside the Andean Integration System; and a system of Andean administrative rules and an administrative justice system.

The Emergence of a Proto-institution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boxenbaum, Eva

2004-01-01

of inter-organizational networks, and actors embedded in multiple fields. The making of the proto-institution is intentional, yet the institutional building blocks and the apparent interests of actors are institutionally embedded. The results from this micro-dynamic analysis suggest revisions to current...... conceptualizations of institutional change processes. Keywords: Institutional change, proto-institution, cognition, institutional entrepreneurship, innovation, collaborative networks....

75 FR 24967 - Andean Trade Preference Act: Impact on the U.S. Economy and on Andean Drug Crop Eradication

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-06

... Preference Act: Impact on the U.S. Economy and on Andean Drug Crop Eradication. DATES: June 24, 2010... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 332-352] Andean Trade Preference Act: Impact on the U.S. Economy and on Andean Drug Crop Eradication AGENCY: United States International Trade...

Revised crustal architecture of the southeastern Carpathian foreland from active and passive seismic data

Science.gov (United States)

Enciu, Dana M.; Knapp, Camelia C.; Knapp, James H.

2009-08-01

Integration of active and passive source seismic data is employed in order to study the nature of the relationships between crustal seismicity and geologic structures in the southeastern (SE) Carpathian foreland of Romania and the possible connection with the Vrancea Seismogenic Zone (VSZ) of intermediate-depth seismicity, one of the most active earthquake-prone areas in Europe. Crustal epicenters and focal mechanisms are correlated with four deep industry seismic profiles, the reprocessed Danube and Carpathian Integrated Action on Process in the Lithosphere and Neotectonics (DACIA PLAN) profile and the Deep Reflection Acquisition Constraining Unusual Lithospheric Activity II and III (DRACULA) profiles in order to understand the link between neotectonic foreland deformation and Vrancea mantle seismicity. Projection of crustal foreland hypocenters onto deep seismic profiles identifies several active crustal faults in the SE Carpathian foreland and suggests a mechanical coupling between the mantle located VSZ and the overlying foreland crust. The coupled associated deformation appears to take place on the Trotus Fault, the Sinaia Fault, and the newly detected Ialomita Fault. Seismic reflection imaging reveals the absence of west dipping reflectors in the crystalline crust and a slightly east dipping to horizontal Moho in the proximity of the Vrancea area. These findings argue against previously purported mechanisms to generate mantle seismicity in the VSZ including oceanic lithosphere subduction in place and oceanic slab break off, furthermore suggesting that the Vrancea seismogenic body is undetached from the overlying crust in the foreland.

Tectonic-sedimentary evolution of foreland basins: U-Pb dating of the discharge that would have originated the piggy-back basin of Rodeo-Iglesias, San Juan-Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Romulo Duarte Moreira dos; Hauser, Natalia; Matteini, Massimo; Pimentel, Marcio Martins

2015-01-01

Between the 28 ° and 31 ° LS parallels of the Argentinean west, in the province of San Juan, foreland basins originated by the subhorizontal subduction of oceanic crust as a result of the Andean orogeny in the late Oligocene emerges. The Bermejo basin and Rodeo-Iglesias piggy-back basin would be associated with the progressive development of landslides, backscatter and minor faults, and basin fragmentation. Two samples of volcanic rocks, R-1 (rhyolitic dome) and R-3 (fall deposit) of the Rodeo-Iglesias basin, had ages of 8.2 ± 0.11 Ma and 8.7 ± 0.24 Ma. At the same time, the age of the (R-1) made it possible to infer quantitatively the age of the first cavalcade that occurred approximately 8.2 ± 0.11 Ma. From the data obtained in the Rodeo-Iglesias basin both volcanism and the first cavalcade could have been synchronous

PROTO-II: a short pulse water insulated accelerator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, T.H.; VanDevender, J.P.; Johnson, D.L.; McDaniel, D.H.; Aker, M.

1975-01-01

A new accelerator, designated Proto-II, is presently under construction at Sandia Laboratories. Proto-II will have a nominal output of 100 kJ into a two-sided diode at a voltage of 1.5 MV and a total current of over 6 MA for 24 ns. This accelerator will be utilized for electron beam fusion experiments and for pulsed power and developmental studies leading to a proposed further factor of five scale-up in power. The design of Proto-II is based upon recent water switching developments and represents a 10-fold extrapolation of those results. Initial testing of Proto-II is scheduled to begin in 1976. Proto-II power flow starts with eight Marx generators which charge 16 water-insulated storage capacitors. Eight triggered, 3 MV, SF 6 gas-insulated switches next transfer the energy through oil-water interfaces into the first stage of 16 parallel lines. Next, the 16 first stages transfer their energy into the pulse forming lines and fast switching sections.The energy is then delivered to two converging, back-to-back, disk-shaped transmission line. Two back-to-back diodes then form the electron beams which are focused onto a common anode

El neopaleozoico de la Sierra de Castaño (Cordillera Frontal andina, San Juan, Argentina: Reconstrucción tectónica y paleoambiental The neopaleozoic of the Sierra de Castaño (Andean Cordillera Frontal, San Juan, Argentina: Tectonic and paleoenviromental reconstruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Busquets

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Se efectúa el análisis estratigráfico de la secuencia neopaleozoica aflorante en la Sierra de Castaño (Cordillera Frontal de la provincia de San Juan, donde han sido reconocidas tres unidades estratigráficas. La basal corresponde a la Formación Cerro Agua Negra (Carbonífero tardío-Pérmico temprano?, formada por areniscas y pelitas depositadas en ambiente marino de plataforma somera y litoral. Sobre ella se dispone la Formación San Ignacio, compuesta por sedimentitas silicoclásticas (desde conglomerados hasta pelitas, calizas estromatolíticas-microbiales, rocas volcánicas, en su mayoría de composición mesosilícica y ácida, y depósitos volcanoclásticos. Estas últimas rocas, probablemente depositadas hacia fines del Carbonífero tardío o en el Pérmico más temprano, cubren en discordancia angular a las de la Formación Cerro Agua Negra en la Sierra de Castaño. Dentro de la Formación San Ignacio fueron identificadas 3 asociaciones de facies sedimentarias. La inferior (AFa está formada por brechas, conglomerados brechosos y areniscas líticas, sedimentadas en sistemas aluviales y fluviales entrelazados que rellenaron una irregular topografía labrada sobre la Formación Cerro Agua Negra. La asociación de facies media (AFb, compuesta por conglomerados, areniscas y pelitas, desarrolla ciclos granodecrecientes de escala métrica muy probablemente originados en sistemas fluviales de alta sinuosidad. La asociación de facies superior (AFc comprende calizas estromatolíticas microbiales, pelitas, niveles de volcanitas y piroclastitas, originadas en cuerpos de aguas someros sujetos a recurrente actividad volcánica. La Formación San Ignacio permite caracterizar el pasaje entre las sucesiones no volcánicas de la Formación Cerro Agua Negra y el intenso magmatismo representado en el Grupo Choiyoi (Pérmico medio-Triásico Inferior. Además demuestra la existencia de dos eventos mayores de deformación tectónica en la regi

Provenance and fate of arsenic and other solutes in the Chaco-Pampean Plain of the Andean foreland, Argentina: From perspectives of hydrogeochemical modeling and regional tectonic setting

Science.gov (United States)

Raychowdhury, Nilasree; Mukherjee, Abhijit; Bhattacharya, Prosun; Johannesson, Karen; Bundschuh, Jochen; Sifuentes, Gabriela Bejarano; Nordberg, Erika; Martin, Raúl A.; Storniolo, Angel del Rosario

2014-10-01

Extensive arsenic (As) enriched groundwater is known to occur in the aquifers of the Chaco-Pampean Plain of Argentina. Previous studies speculated that the As mobilization in these groundwaters was a direct result of their elevated pH and oxidative conditions. The volcanic glass layers present in the aquifer matrix were hypothesized as one of the possible sources of As to the groundwaters. Here, we examine the groundwater chemistry of the Santiago del Estero province of Chaco-Pampean Plains of Argentina, and test these hypotheses by using hydrogeochemical modeling within the framework of the regional geologic-tectonic setting. The study area is located in the active foreland of the Andean orogenic belt, which forms a continental arc setting, and is dotted with several hot springs. Rhyolitic volcanic glass fragments derived from arc volcanism are abundant within the aeolian-fluvial aquifer sediments, and are related to the paleo-igneous extrusion in the vicinity. Hydrogeochemical analyses show that the groundwater is in predominantly oxidative condition. In addition, some of the groundwaters exhibit very high Na, Cl- and SO42- concentrations. It is hypothesized in this study that the groundwater chemistry has largely evolved by dissolution of rhyolitic volcanic glass fragments contained within the aquifer sediments along with mixing with saline surface waters from, adjoining salinas, which are thought to be partially evaporated remnants of a paleo inland sea. Flow path modeling, stability diagrams, and thermodynamic analyses undertaken in this study indicate that the dominant evolutionary processes include ion exchange reactions, chemical weathering of silicate and evaporites, in monosialitization-dominated weathering. Geochemical modeling predicts that plagioclase feldspar and volcanic glass are the major solids phases that contribute metal cations and dissolved silica to the local groundwaters. Co-influxed oxyanions, with similar ionic radii and structure (e.g. Mo

New constraints on the origin of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas (south Mexico) from sediment provenance and apatite thermochronometry

Science.gov (United States)

Witt, C.; Brichau, S.; Carter, A.

2012-12-01

The timing and source of deformation responsible for formation of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas (south Mexico) are unclear. To address this, apatite fission track and U-Th-He thermochronometry, combined with zircon U-Pb dating, were performed on bedrock and sedimentary samples of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas to discern timing of exhumation and identify sediment source areas. The U-Pb results show that Paleocene-Eocene terrigenous units outcropping at the northern section of the Sierra were mostly derived from Grenville (˜1 Ga) basement whereas the internal sections of the chain yield mainly Permian to Triassic ages (circa 270-230 Ma) typical of the Chiapas massif complex. Grenville-sourced sediments are most probably sourced by the Oaxacan block or the Guichicovi complex and were deposited to the north of the Sierra in a foreland setting related to a Laramide deformation front. Other possibly source areas may be related to metasedimentary units widely documented at the south Maya block such as the Baldi unit. The apatite fission track and U-Th-He data combined with previously published results record three main stages in exhumation history: (1) slow exhumation between 35 and 25 Ma affecting mainly the Chiapas massif complex; (2) fast exhumation between 16 and 9 Ma related to the onset of major strike-slip deformation affecting both the Chiapas massif complex and Chiapas fold-and-thrust belt; and (3) a 6 to 5 Ma period of rapid cooling that affected the Chiapas fold-and-thrust belt, coincident with the landward migration of the Caribbean-North America plate boundaries. These data suggest that most of the topographic growth of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas took place in the middle to late Miocene. The new thermochronological evidence combined with stratigraphic and kinematic information suggests that the left-lateral strike-slip faults bounding the Chiapas fold-and-thrust belt to the west may have accommodated most of the displacement between the North American and

Human behaviour towards climatic change during the 4th millennium BC in the Swiss Alpine forelands

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karg, Sabine

Human behaviour towards climatic change during the 4th millennium BC in the Swiss Alpine forelands.......Human behaviour towards climatic change during the 4th millennium BC in the Swiss Alpine forelands....

ProtoMD: A prototyping toolkit for multiscale molecular dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Somogyi, Endre; Mansour, Andrew Abi; Ortoleva, Peter J.

2016-05-01

ProtoMD is a toolkit that facilitates the development of algorithms for multiscale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. It is designed for multiscale methods which capture the dynamic transfer of information across multiple spatial scales, such as the atomic to the mesoscopic scale, via coevolving microscopic and coarse-grained (CG) variables. ProtoMD can be also be used to calibrate parameters needed in traditional CG-MD methods. The toolkit integrates 'GROMACS wrapper' to initiate MD simulations, and 'MDAnalysis' to analyze and manipulate trajectory files. It facilitates experimentation with a spectrum of coarse-grained variables, prototyping rare events (such as chemical reactions), or simulating nanocharacterization experiments such as terahertz spectroscopy, AFM, nanopore, and time-of-flight mass spectroscopy. ProtoMD is written in python and is freely available under the GNU General Public License from github.com/CTCNano/proto_md.

Proto-2 seduces America

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

Proto-2, an ALICE detector prototype, overcame its prototype status to become a real part of the STAR experiment at the US Brookhaven National Laboratory. After more than two years across the ocean, it has just arrived back at CERN.

Deformation style and controlling geodynamic processes at the eastern Guadalquivir foreland basin (Southern Spain)

Science.gov (United States)

Marín-Lechado, C.; Pedrera, A.; Peláez, J. A.; Ruiz-Constán, A.; González-Ramón, A.; Henares, J.

2017-06-01

The tectonic structure of the Guadalquivir foreland basin becomes complex eastward evolving from a single depocenter to a compartmented basin. The deformation pattern within the eastern Guadalquivir foreland basin has been characterized by combining seismic reflection profiles, boreholes, and structural field data to output a 3-D model. High-dipping NNE-SSW to NE-SW trending normal and reverse fault arrays deform the Variscan basement of the basin. These faults generally affect Tortonian sediments, which show syntectonic features sealed by the latest Miocene units. Curved and S-shaped fault traces are abundant and caused by the linkage of nearby fault segments during lateral fault propagation. Preexisting faults were reactivated either as normal or reverse faults depending on their position within the foreland. At Tortonian time, reverse faults deformed the basin forebulge, while normal faults predominated within the backbulge. Along-strike variation of the Betic foreland basin geometry is supported by an increasing mechanical coupling of the two plates (Alborán Domain and Variscan basement) toward the eastern part of the cordillera. Thus, subduction would have progressed in the western Betics, while it would have failed in the eastern one. There, the initially subducted Iberian paleomargin (Nevado-Filábride Complex) was incorporated into the upper plate promoting the transmission of collision-related compressional stresses into the foreland since the middle Miocene. Nowadays, compression is still active and produces low-magnitude earthquakes likely linked to NNE-SSW to NE-SW preexiting faults reactivated with reverse oblique-slip kinematics. Seismicity is mostly concentrated around fault tips that are frequently curved in overstepping zones.

Exploring the potential of an Andean fruit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olivares Tenorio, Mary Luz

2017-01-01

Cape gooseberry is a fruit cultivated in Andean countries. Currently it is available some international markets, besides the domestic Andean market. Colombia is the major producer and export country at the moment. The value chain of cape gooseberry faces several barriers of technological and

Two new Cystoderma species from high Andean Ecuador

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Saar, I.; Læssøe, Thomas

2006-01-01

ABSTRACT: Two new agaric species, Cystoderma andinum and C. papallactae are described from high Andean Ecuador.......ABSTRACT: Two new agaric species, Cystoderma andinum and C. papallactae are described from high Andean Ecuador....

Hemoglobin affinity in Andean rodents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HRVOJ OSTOJIC

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Blood hemoglobin oxygen affinity (P50 was measured in three Andean species and in the laboratory rat (control, all raised near sea level. Chinchilla lanigera (Molina, 1792 has an altitudinal habitat range from low Andean slopes up to 3000 m., while Chinchilla brevicaudata (Waterhouse, 1848 has an altitudinal range from 3000 to 5000 m. The laboratory type guinea pig, wild type guinea pig (Cavia porcellus, (Waterhouse, 1748, and laboratory rat (Rattus norvegicus were also raised at sea level. The Andean species had high hemoglobin oxygen affinities (low P50 compared with the rat. Chinchilla brevicaudata had a higher affinity than Chinchilla lanigera. The wild type guinea pig had a higher affinity than the laboratory type. As has been shown in other species, this is another example of an inverse correlation between the altitude level and the P50 values. This is the first hemoglobin oxygen affinity study in Chinchilla brevicaudata.

77 FR 28620 - Andean Trade Preference Act: Impact on the U.S. Economy and on Andean Drug Crop Eradication

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-15

... INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Investigation No. 332-352] Andean Trade Preference Act: Impact on the U.S. Economy and on Andean Drug Crop Eradication AGENCY: United States International Trade... to report biennially to the Congress by September 30 of each reporting year on the economic impact of...

Sierra Structural Dynamics Theory Manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reese, Garth M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-10-19

Sierra/SD provides a massively parallel implementation of structural dynamics finite element analysis, required for high fidelity, validated models used in modal, vibration, static and shock analysis of structural systems. This manual describes the theory behind many of the constructs in Sierra/SD. For a more detailed description of how to use Sierra/SD , we refer the reader to Sierra/SD, User's Notes . Many of the constructs in Sierra/SD are pulled directly from published material. Where possible, these materials are referenced herein. However, certain functions in Sierra/SD are specific to our implementation. We try to be far more complete in those areas. The theory manual was developed from several sources including general notes, a programmer notes manual, the user's notes and of course the material in the open literature. This page intentionally left blank.

North America as an exotic terrane'' and the origin of the Appalachian--Andean Mountain system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dalziel, I.W.D; Gahagan, L.M. (Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Inst. for Geophysics); Dalla Salda, L.H. (Univ. Nacional de La Plata, La Plata (Argentina). Centro de Investigaciones Geologicas)

1992-01-01

North America was sutured to Gondwana in the terminal Alleghanian event of Appalachian orogenesis, thus completing the late Paleozoic assembly of Pangea. The suggestion that the Pacific margins of East Antarctica-Australia and Laurentia may have been juxtaposed during the Neoproterozoic prompts reevaluation of the widely held assumptions that the ancestral Appalachian margin rifted from northwestern Africa during the earliest Paleozoic opening of Iapetus, and remained juxtaposed to that margin, even though widely separated from it at times, until the assembly of Pangea. The lower Paleozoic carbonate platform of northwestern Argentina has been known for a long time to contain Olenellid trilobites of the Pacific or Columbian realm. Although normally regarded as some kind of far-travelled terrane that originated along the Appalachian margin of Laurentia, it has recently been interpreted as a fragment detached from the Ouachita embayment of Laurentia following Taconic-Famatinian collision with Gondwana during the Ordovician. The Oaxaca terrane of Mexico, on the other hand, contains a Tremadocian trilobite fauna of Argentine-Bolivian affinities, and appears to have been detached from Gondwana following the same collision. The Wilson cycle'' of Iapetus ocean basin opening and closing along the Appalachian and Andean orogens may have involved more than one such continental collision during clockwise drift of Laurentia around South America following late Neoproterozoic to earliest Cambrian separation. Together with the collisions of baltic and smaller terranes with Laurentia, this could explain the protracted Paleozoic orogenic history of both the Appalachian and proto-Andean orogens.

Evolution of the Paleogene succession of the western Himalayan foreland basin

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B.P. Singh

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The Paleogene succession of the Himalayan foreland basin is immensely important as it preserves evidence of India-Asia collision and related records of the Himalayan orogenesis. In this paper, the depositional regime of the Paleogene succession of the Himalayan foreland basin and variations in composition of the hinterland at different stages of the basin developments are presented. The Paleogene succession of the western Himalayan foreland basin developed in two stages, i.e. syn-collisional stage and post-collisional stage. At the onset, chert breccia containing fragments derived from the hanging walls of faults and reworked bauxite developed as a result of erosion of the forebulge. The overlying early Eocene succession possibly deposited in a coastal system, where carbonates represent barriers and shales represent lagoons. Up-section, the middle Eocene marl beds likely deposited on a tidal flat. The late Eocene/Oligocene basal Murree beds, containing tidal bundles, indicate that a mixed or semi-diurnal tidal system deposited the sediments and the sedimentation took place in a tide-dominated estuary. In the higher-up, the succession likely deposited in a river-dominated estuary or in meandering rivers. In the beginning of the basin evolution, the sediments were derived from the Precambrian basement or from the metasediments/volcanic rocks possessing terrains of the south. The early and middle Eocene (54.7–41.3 Ma succession of the embryonic foreland possibly developed from the sediments derived from the Trans-Himalayan schists and phyllites and Indus ophiolite of the north during syn-collisional stage. The detrital minerals especially the lithic fragments and the heavy minerals suggest the provenance for the late Eocene/Oligocene sequences to be from the recycled orogenic belt of the Higher Himalaya, Tethyan Himalaya and the Indus-suture zone from the north during post-collisional stage. This is also supported by the paleocurrent

Timing and mechanism of the rise of the Shillong Plateau in the Himalayan foreland.

OpenAIRE

Govin, Gwladys; Najman, Yanina Manya Rachel; Copley, Alex; Millar, Ian; Van der Beek, Peter; Huyghe, Pascale; Grujic, Djordje; Davenport, Jesse

2018-01-01

The Shillong Plateau (northeastern India) constitutes the only significant topography in the Himalayan foreland. Knowledge of its surface uplift history is key to understanding topographic development and unraveling tectonic–climate–topographic coupling in the eastern Himalaya. We use the sedimentary record of the Himalayan foreland basin north of the Shillong Plateau to show that the paleo-Brahmaputra river was redirected north and west by the rising plateau at 5.2–4.9 Ma. We suggest that on...

Proto-ribosome: a theoretical approach based on RNA relics

OpenAIRE

Demongeot, Jacques

2017-01-01

We describe in this paper, based on already published articles, a contribution to the theory postulating the existence of a proto-ribosome, which could have appeared early at the origin of life and we discuss the interest of this notion in an evolutionary perspective, taking into account the existence of possible RNA relics of this proto-ribosome.

Active deformation in the northern Sierra de Valle Fértil, Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina

Science.gov (United States)

Ortiz, Gustavo; Alvarado, Patricia; Fosdick, Julie C.; Perucca, Laura; Saez, Mauro; Venerdini, Agostina

2015-12-01

The Western Sierras Pampeanas region in the San Juan Province is characterized by thick-skinned deformation with approximately N-S trending ranges of average heights of 2500 m and a high frequency occurrence of seismic activity. Its location to the east of the mainly thin-skinned tectonics of the Argentine Precordillera fold-and-thrust belt suggests that at 30°S, deformation is concentrated in a narrow zone involving these two morphostructural units. In this paper, we present new apatite (U-Th)/He results (AHe) across the northern part of the Sierra de Valle Fértil (around 30°S) and analyze them in a framework of thermochronologic available datasets. We found Pliocene AHe results for Carboniferous and Triassic strata in the northern Sierra de Valle Fértil consistent with the hypothesis of recent cooling and inferred erosional denudation concentrated along the northern end of this mountain range. Our analysis shows that this northern region may have evolved under different conditions than the central part of the Sierra de Valle Fértil. Previous studies have observed AHe ages consistent with Permian through Cretaceous cooling, indicating the middle part of the Sierra de Valle Fértil remained near surface before the Pampean slab subduction flattening process. Those studies also obtained ˜5 My cooling ages in the southern part of the Sierra de Valle Fértil, which are similar to our results in the northern end of the range. Taken together, these results suggest a pattern of young deformation in the northern and southern low elevation ends of the Sierra de Valle Fértil consistent with regions of high seismic activity, and Quaternary active faulting along the western-bounding thrust fault of the Sierra de Valle Fértil.

Could a Proto-Ribosome Emerge Spontaneously in the Prebiotic World?

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Ilana C. Agmon

2016-12-01

Full Text Available An indispensable prerequisite for establishing a scenario of life emerging by natural processes is the requirement that the first simple proto-molecules could have had a realistic probability of self-assembly from random molecular polymers in the prebiotic world. The vestige of the proto-ribosome, which is believed to be still embedded in the contemporary ribosome, is used to assess the feasibility of such spontaneous emergence. Three concentric structural elements of different magnitudes, having a dimeric nature derived from the symmetrical region of the ribosomal large subunit, were suggested to constitute the vestige of the proto-ribosome. It is assumed to have materialized spontaneously in the prebiotic world, catalyzing non-coded peptide bond formation and simple elongation. Probabilistic and energetic considerations are applied in order to evaluate the suitability of the three contenders for being the initial proto-ribosome. The analysis points to the simplest proto-ribosome, comprised of a dimer of tRNA-like molecules presently embedded in the core of the symmetrical region, as the only one having a realistic statistical likelihood of spontaneous emergence from random RNA chains. Hence it offers a feasible starting point for a continuous evolutionary path from the prebiotic matter, through natural processes, into the intricate modern translation system.

Mountain building processes at the orogenic front: A study of the unroofing in Neogene foreland sequence (37°S Procesos orogénicos en el frente Andino: Estudio de una secuencia de destechado correspondiente a la cuenca de antepaís neógena

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Lucía Sagripanti

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The orogenic front at 37°S has been mainly formed through at least two contraccional stages, as inferred from the exhumed major angular unconformities at the Late Eocene and the Late Miocene times respectively. A Late Cretaceous event is restricted to the hinterland zones in the Main Cordillera. A series of syntectonic sedimentary packages, that thin to the east is identified through a detailed description of the cannibalized westernmost Neogene foreland basin associated with the Sierra de Reyes. Their detrital microscopic and macroscopic descriptions reveal that the Neogene basin was fed from the west and particularly from the eastern Sierra de Reyes slope at the time of mountain incision. Detrital composition of the upper section reveals that a metamorphic component is present, implying that a domain further east has been exhumed, and therefore that the westernmost foreland basin has been cannibalized. This also implies that exhumation previous to Miocene times should have been minimum in the area, since the Neogene succession represents a complete unroofing. The structural cross sections show Neogene shortening of about 20%, leaving in comparison Eocene contraction as negligible.El frente orogénico a los 37°S ha sido construido por, al menos, dos episodios con-traccionales, determinados a partir de discordancias angulares entre los depósitos del Eoceno Superior y del Mioceno Superior. Un episodio contraccional del Cretácico Superior, ampliamente descrito con anterioridad, se encuentra parcialmente restringido a las zonas internas de la Cordillera Principal. A partir de un detallado análisis de la cuenca de antepaís neógena asociada, canibalizada por el frente de levantamiento de la sierra de Reyes, se puede distinguir una secuencia sedimentaria que experimenta una disminución de su espesor hacia el este. Las descripciones microscópicas y macroscópicas de estos depósitos sinorogénicos revelan que la cuenca neógena fue alimentada

Initial proto II pulsed power tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, D.L.

1976-01-01

The Proto II electron beam accelerator is being developed by Sandia Laboratories to study engineering and physics aspects of electron beam pellet fusion. Currently the Marx generator-water capacitor portion of Proto II is undergoing high voltage testing and timing measurements. Eight 112 kJ Marx generators form the primary energy storage system. Each Marx generator pulse charges two parallel 7.5 nF water capacitors to 3 MV. The water capacitors act as intermediate energy storage elements and will transfer their energy to the water insulated pulse-forming lines in 250 ns by means of eight SF 6 gas insulated, trigatron switches. Test data and design considerations of the trigger systems, Marx generators, water capacitors, and trigatron switches are presented

A Comparative Analysis of Seismological and Gravimetric Crustal Thicknesses below the Andean Region with Flat Subduction of the Nazca Plate

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Mario E. Gimenez

2009-01-01

Full Text Available A gravimetric study was carried out in a region of the Central Andean Range between 28∘ and 32∘ south latitudes and from 72∘ and 66∘ west longitudes. The seismological and gravimetrical Moho models were compared in a sector which coincides with the seismological stations of the CHARGE project. The comparison reveals discrepancies between the gravity Moho depths and those obtained from seismological investigations (CHARGE project, the latter giving deeper values than those resulting from the gravimetric inversion. These discrepancies are attenuated when the positive gravimetric effect of the Nazca plate is considered. Nonetheless, a small residuum of about 5 km remains beneath the Cuyania terrane region, to the east of the main Andean chain. This residuum could be gravimetrically justified if the existence of a high density or eclogitized portion of the lower crust is considered. This result differed from the interpretations from Project “CHARGE” which revealed that the entire inferior crust extending from the Precordillera to the occidental “Sierras Pampeanas” could be “eclogitized”. In this same sector, we calculated the effective elastic thickness (Te of the crust. These results indicated an anomalous value of Te = 30 km below the Cuyania terrane. This is further conclusive evidence of the fact that the Cuyania terrane is allochthonous, for which also geological evidences exist.

The new Andean Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (ROAD)

Science.gov (United States)

Char, Farid; Forero-Romero, Jaime

2015-08-01

The Andean Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (ROAD) is a new effort in South America to serve several goals in astronomical development. Six countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Perú and Venezuela) will work together, representing a common language block in the Andean region and focusing on develop strategies to strengthen the professional research, education and popularization of astronomy. Our current Working Structure comprises a ROAD Coordinator and Coordinators per Task Force, as well as Organizing Committees, Collaborators and Volunteers.The participating institutions of this new ROAD have been involved in many projects involving each of the current OAD’s Task Forces: research, schools and children and public, exploring educational activities/material to be shared among the Andean countries, standardizing the knowledge and creating inspirational experiences. We expect to generate many efforts in order to bring a more homogeneous activity in each Andean country, taking into account the special role of Chile in global astronomy, due to its great conditions for astronomy and the involvement of many professional observatories, universities and astronomy institutions.Our current (and upcoming) most relevant activities includes: Andean Schools on Astronomy, Andean Graduate Program and Massive Open Online Courses (TF1); Virtual Training Sessions and Teaching material for the visually impaired students; Annual TF2 meeting to gather all the collaborators (TF2); Development for planetariums and Communicating Astronomy with the Public (TF3). The Andean region, in the other hand, will also be involved in at least two important events: the CAP Meeting in May 2016 and the XV LARIM in October 2016 (both in Colombia); and Chile will bid to host the XXXI IAU GA in 2021, with the aim of show the great advances in astronomical development from the Andean region and South America.

Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research

African Journals Online (AJOL)

MHRL

Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research. (A publication of the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone). ©Sierra Leone Journal .... was used to. She seemed to have had a change of mind after ingesting.

Coastal evolution of a cuspate foreland (Flakket, Anholt, Denmark) between 2006 and 2010

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clemmensen, Lars B; Bendixen, Mette; Nielsen, Lars

2011-01-01

Flakket is a cuspate marine foreland on the north coast of Anholt in the Kattegat sea. It is composed of a number of gravel-rich beach ridges typically covered by aeolian sand and intervening swales and wetlands including a relatively large lagoon. The most recent evolution of the coastline...... of this marine foreland between May 2006 and September 2010 is documented in this paper. Flakket is under erosion on its northwestern side, which has retreated up to 40 m during the observation period. The shoreline of the northeastern side of the beach-ridge plain moved up to 70 m in a seaward direction during...

Some regularities in the distribution of kenophytes in the Polish Carpathians and their foreland

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Zając Maria

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The Polish Carpathians and their northern foreland are a rewarding object for the kenophyte distribution research. The study, using the cartogram method, showed that the number of kenophyte species decreases with increasing altitude. Only few kenophytes were found in the lower forest zone. This regularity concerns also the species that reach higher altitudes in the mountains of their native lands. A number of species migrated into the Carpathians through rivers and streams. River valleys generate many open habitats, which are easily colonized by kenophytes due to the lack of competition. In the Carpathians, towns used to be founded in the mountain valleys and this was also a favouring factor of kenophyte propagation. The arrangement of mountain ranges in the Polish Carpathians, including their foreland, hindered the migration of some species and allowed to discover the possible migration routes into the area covered by research. Tracing these migration routes was possible only for those species that have not occupied the whole available area yet. Additionally, the study indicated the most dangerous invasive species in the Polish Carpathians and their foreland.

The Earliest Chinese Proto-Porcelain Excavated from Kiln Sites: An Elemental Analysis

OpenAIRE

Li, Yu; Zhang, Bin; Cheng, Huansheng; Zheng, Jianming

2015-01-01

In June 2012, the Piaoshan kiln site was excavated in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, which hitherto proved to be the earliest known Chinese proto-porcelain kiln. Judging from the decorative patterns of unearthed impressed stoneware and proto-porcelain sherds, the site was determined to date to the late Xia (c. 2070-c. 1600 BC), the first dynasty of China. Here, we report on proton-induced X-ray emission analyses of 118 proto-porcelain and 35 impressed stoneware sherds from Piaoshan and five subse...

Helicon normal modes in Proto-MPEX

Science.gov (United States)

Piotrowicz, P. A.; Caneses, J. F.; Green, D. L.; Goulding, R. H.; Lau, C.; Caughman, J. B. O.; Rapp, J.; Ruzic, D. N.

2018-05-01

The Proto-MPEX helicon source has been operating in a high electron density ‘helicon-mode’. Establishing plasma densities and magnetic field strengths under the antenna that allow for the formation of normal modes of the fast-wave are believed to be responsible for the ‘helicon-mode’. A 2D finite-element full-wave model of the helicon antenna on Proto-MPEX is used to identify the fast-wave normal modes responsible for the steady-state electron density profile produced by the source. We also show through the simulation that in the regions of operation in which core power deposition is maximum the slow-wave does not deposit significant power besides directly under the antenna. In the case of a simulation where a normal mode is not excited significant edge power is deposited in the mirror region. ).

Some attempts at a geological explanation for the origin of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in the Nineteenth Century: the naturalists Joaquin Acosta and Jorge Isaacs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro Lopez, Pablo Antonio; Cardona Molina, Agustin

2010-01-01

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, located in the northernmost part of Colombia, has been an object of scientific inquiry since at least the XIXth century, among other things because of its isolated character in relation to the Andean mountain chain. In this article we present some contributions to the knowledge of its origin and geological framework made by Joaquin Acosta (1800-1852) and Jorge Isaacs (1837-1895). Furthermore we establish a possible theoretical and conceptual relationship between these authors and some important European geologists and naturalists in the XIXth century, in the context of a history of ideas pertaining to orogenesis in Colombia.

Education Policy as Proto-Fascism: The Aesthetics of Racial Neo-Liberalism

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, P. Taylor; Gulson, Kalervo N.

2011-01-01

We argue that neo-liberal educational policy has emerged as a proto-fascist governmentality. This contemporary technology relies on State racisms and racial orderings manifested from earlier liberal and neo-liberal practices of biopower. As a proto-fascist technology, education policy, and school choice policies in particular, operate within a…

The Single-Phase ProtoDUNE Technical Design Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abi, B. [Univ. of Padova (Italy); et al.

2017-06-21

ProtoDUNE-SP is the single-phase DUNE Far Detector prototype that is under construction and will be operated at the CERN Neutrino Platform (NP) starting in 2018. ProtoDUNE-SP, a crucial part of the DUNE effort towards the construction of the first DUNE 10-kt fiducial mass far detector module (17 kt total LAr mass), is a significant experiment in its own right. With a total liquid argon (LAr) mass of 0.77 kt, it represents the largest monolithic single-phase LArTPC detector to be built to date. It's technical design is given in this report.

Heat flux estimates of power balance on Proto-MPEX with IR imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Showers, M., E-mail: mshower1@vols.utk.edu [Bredesen Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States); Biewer, T. M.; Caughman, J. B. O.; Goulding, R. H.; Rapp, J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States); Donovan, D. C. [Bredesen Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States)

2016-11-15

The Prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a precursor linear plasma device to the Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX), which will study plasma material interactions (PMIs) for future fusion reactors. This paper will discuss the initial steps performed towards completing a power balance on Proto-MPEX to quantify where energy is lost from the plasma, including the relevant diagnostic package implemented. Machine operating parameters that will improve Proto-MPEX’s performance may be identified, increasing its PMI research capabilities.

Heat flux estimates of power balance on Proto-MPEX with IR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Showers, M.; Biewer, T. M.; Caughman, J. B. O.; Goulding, R. H.; Rapp, J.; Donovan, D. C.

2016-01-01

The Prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a precursor linear plasma device to the Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX), which will study plasma material interactions (PMIs) for future fusion reactors. This paper will discuss the initial steps performed towards completing a power balance on Proto-MPEX to quantify where energy is lost from the plasma, including the relevant diagnostic package implemented. Machine operating parameters that will improve Proto-MPEX’s performance may be identified, increasing its PMI research capabilities.

Trans-Amazon Drilling Project (TADP) : Origins and evolution of the forests, climate, and hydrology of the South American tropics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baker, P.A.; Fritz, S.C.; Silva, C.G.; Rigsby, C.A.; Absy, M.L.; Almeida, R.P.; Caputo, M.; Chiessi, C.M.; Cruz, F.W.; Dick, C. W.; Feakins, S.J.; Figueiredo, J.; Freeman, K.H.; Hoorn, C.; Jaramillo, C.; Kern, A.K.; Latrubesse, E.M.; Ledru, M.P.; Marzoli, A.; Myrbo, A.; Noren, A.; Piller, W.E.; Ramos, M.I.F.; Ribas, C.C.; Trnadade, R.; West, A.J.; Wahnfried, I.; Willard, D.A.

2015-01-01

This article presents the scientific rationale for an ambitious ICDP drilling project to continuously sample Late Cretaceous to modern sediment in four different sedimentary basins that transect the equatorial Amazon of Brazil, from the Andean foreland to the Atlantic Ocean. The goals of this

Spitzer Imaging of Planck-Herschel Dusty Proto-Clusters at z=2-3

Science.gov (United States)

Cooray, Asantha; Ma, Jingzhe; Greenslade, Joshua; Kubo, Mariko; Nayyeri, Hooshang; Clements, David; Cheng, Tai-An

2018-05-01

We have recently introduced a new proto-cluster selection technique by combing Herschel/SPIRE imaging data and Planck/HFIk all-sky survey point source catalog. These sources are identified as Planck point sources with clumps of Herschel source over-densities with far-IR colors comparable to z=0 ULIRGS redshifted to z=2 to 3. The selection is sensitive to dusty starbursts and obscured QSOs and we have recovered couple of the known proto-clusters and close to 30 new proto-clusters. The candidate proto-clusters selected from this technique have far-IR flux densities several times higher than those that are optically selected, such as using LBG selection, implying that the member galaxies are in a special phase of heightened dusty starburst and dusty QSO activity. This far-IR luminous phase may be short but likely to be necessary piece to understand the whole stellar mass assembly history of clusters. Moreover, our photo-clusters are missed in optical selections, suggesting that optically selected proto-clusters alone do not provide adequate statistics and a comparison of the far-IR and optical selected clusters may reveal the importance of the dusty stellar mass assembly. Here, we propose IRAC observations of six of the highest priority new proto-clusters, to establish the validity of the technique and to determine the total stellar mass through SED models. For a modest observing time the science program will have a substantial impact on an upcoming science topic in cosmology with implications for observations with JWST and WFIRST to understand the mass assembly in the universe.

First results from the Thomson scattering diagnostic on proto-MPEX

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biewer, T. M., E-mail: biewertm@ornl.gov; Meitner, S.; Rapp, J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831 (United States); Ray, H.; Shaw, G. [Bredesen Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996 (United States)

2016-11-15

A Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic has been successfully implemented on the prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The diagnostic collects the light scattered by plasma electrons and spectroscopically resolves the Doppler shift imparted to the light by the velocity of the electrons. The spread in velocities is proportional to the electron temperature, while the total number of photons is proportional to the electron density. TS is a technique used on many devices to measure the electron temperature (T{sub e}) and electron density (n{sub e}) of the plasma. A challenging aspect of the technique is to discriminate the small number of Thomson scattered photons against the large peak of background photons from the high-power laser used to probe the plasma. A variety of methods are used to mitigate the background photons in Proto-MPEX, including Brewster angled windows, viewing dumps, and light baffles. With these methods, first results were measured from argon plasmas in Proto-MPEX, indicating T{sub e} ∼ 2 eV and n{sub e} ∼ 1 × 10{sup 19} m{sup −3}. The configuration of the Proto-MPEX TS diagnostic will be described and plans for improvement will be given.

Forms of memory in Andean queros

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Alfredo Cordiviola

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In colonial times, queros were used to drink chicha and to formalize pacts in ritual ceremonies by the indigenous Andean elites. They had been manufactured for centuries, long before the Incas dominated the region, and continued to be made after Spanish domination and compulsory evangelization had been established. During the Inca empire, the surface of the queros was covered just with incisions and geometric forms; in the viceroyalty of Peru they were covered instead with figurative images. In this work we analyze the evolution of these forms and the different ways in which these ceremonial vessels were used to evoke the Andean pasts.

Aragonite precipitation by "proto-polyps" in coral cell cultures.

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Tali Mass

Full Text Available The mechanisms of coral calcification at the molecular, cellular and tissue levels are poorly understood. In this study, we examine calcium carbonate precipitation using novel coral tissue cultures that aggregate to form "proto-polyps". Our goal is to establish an experimental system in which calcification is facilitated at the cellular level, while simultaneously allowing in vitro manipulations of the calcifying fluid. This novel coral culturing technique enables us to study the mechanisms of biomineralization and their implications for geochemical proxies. Viable cell cultures of the hermatypic, zooxanthellate coral, Stylophora pistillata, have been maintained for 6 to 8 weeks. Using an enriched seawater medium with aragonite saturation state similar to open ocean surface waters (Ω(arag~4, the primary cell cultures assemble into "proto-polyps" which form an extracellular organic matrix (ECM and precipitate aragonite crystals. These extracellular aragonite crystals, about 10 µm in length, are formed on the external face of the proto-polyps and are identified by their distinctive elongated crystallography and X-ray diffraction pattern. The precipitation of aragonite is independent of photosynthesis by the zooxanthellae, and does not occur in control experiments lacking coral cells or when the coral cells are poisoned with sodium azide. Our results demonstrate that proto-polyps, aggregated from primary coral tissue culture, function (from a biomineralization perspective similarly to whole corals. This approach provides a novel tool for investigating the biophysical mechanism of calcification in these organisms.

Linkages between orogenic plateau build-up, fold-thrust shortening, and foreland basin evolution in the Zagros (NW Iran)

Science.gov (United States)

Barber, D. E.; Stockli, D. F.

2017-12-01

The Iranian Plateau (IP) is a thickened, low-relief morphotectonic province of diffuse deformation that formed due to Arabia-Eurasia collision and may serve as a younger analogue for the Tibetan Plateau. Despite detailed geophysical characterization of the IP, its deformation history and relationship to the Zagros fold-thrust belt and its foreland basin evolution remains unresolved. Low-temperature thermochronometry and provenance data from a transect across the internal and external Zagros track growth of the IP and delineate multiphase interaction between upper- and lower-plate processes during closure of the Neotethys and Arabia-Eurasia suturing. Inversion of zircon (U-Th)/He and fission-track data from plutonic and metamorphic basement rocks in the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (SSZ) of the IP reveals an initial stage of low-rate exhumation from 36-25 Ma, simultaneous with the onset of tectonic subsidence and marine incursion in the Zagros foreland basin. Overlapping apatite fission-track and (U-Th)/He ages indicate sharp acceleration in SSZ exhumation rates between 20-15 Ma, coincident with rejuvenation of foreland basin subsidence and an influx of Eurasian-derived sediments into the Zagros foreland deposited above an Oligocene unconformity. The mid-Miocene marks a transition in focused exhumation from the SSZ to Arabian lower-plate. Apatite (U-Th)/He ages suggest in-sequence fold-thrust propagation from the High Zagros to simply folded belt from 10 Ma to recent, which is reflected in the foreland by a shift in provenance to dominantly recycled Arabian-derived detritus and clastic facies progradation. Integrated thermochronometric and provenance data document a two-phase outward expansion of the Iranian Plateau and Zagros fold-thrust belt, tightly coupled to distinct phases of basin evolution and provenance shifts in the Zagros foreland. We associate multiple deformation and basin episodes with protracted collisional processes, from subduction of attenuated Arabian

Modeling the interaction between lithospheric and surface processes in foreland basins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Garcia-Castellanos, D.; Cloetingh, S.

2012-01-01

This chapter reviews a number of key advances in quantitative understanding of foreland basins since the early 1990s, with a focus on the interplay between lithospheric flexure, erosion, and river transport. Flexure can be the result of topographic loading and slab-pull forces, though can also

Quaternary tectonic activity of the Murge area (Apulian foreland -Southern Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Tropeano

1997-06-01

Full Text Available Integration of structural, stratigraphical, and sedimentological data and instrumental records of some recent low-energy seismic events in the Murge area allow us to suggest a new seismotectonic picture of this region, generally considered an aseismic and stable sector of the Apulian foreland.

The Earliest Chinese Proto-Porcelain Excavated from Kiln Sites: An Elemental Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yu; Zhang, Bin; Cheng, Huansheng; Zheng, Jianming

2015-01-01

In June 2012, the Piaoshan kiln site was excavated in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, which hitherto proved to be the earliest known Chinese proto-porcelain kiln. Judging from the decorative patterns of unearthed impressed stoneware and proto-porcelain sherds, the site was determined to date to the late Xia (c. 2070-c. 1600 BC), the first dynasty of China. Here, we report on proton-induced X-ray emission analyses of 118 proto-porcelain and 35 impressed stoneware sherds from Piaoshan and five subsequent kiln sites in the vicinity. Using principal components analysis on the major chemical compositions, we reveal the relationships between impressed stoneware and proto-porcelain samples from the six kiln sites. The sherds from different sites have distinctive chemical profiles. The results indicate that the raw materials were procured locally. We find a developmental tendency for early glazes towards mature calcium-based glaze. It is most likely that woody plant ashes with increased calcia-potash ratios were applied to the formula.

The Earliest Chinese Proto-Porcelain Excavated from Kiln Sites: An Elemental Analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Li

Full Text Available In June 2012, the Piaoshan kiln site was excavated in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, which hitherto proved to be the earliest known Chinese proto-porcelain kiln. Judging from the decorative patterns of unearthed impressed stoneware and proto-porcelain sherds, the site was determined to date to the late Xia (c. 2070-c. 1600 BC, the first dynasty of China. Here, we report on proton-induced X-ray emission analyses of 118 proto-porcelain and 35 impressed stoneware sherds from Piaoshan and five subsequent kiln sites in the vicinity. Using principal components analysis on the major chemical compositions, we reveal the relationships between impressed stoneware and proto-porcelain samples from the six kiln sites. The sherds from different sites have distinctive chemical profiles. The results indicate that the raw materials were procured locally. We find a developmental tendency for early glazes towards mature calcium-based glaze. It is most likely that woody plant ashes with increased calcia-potash ratios were applied to the formula.

Equipotential surfaces in the Proto-Cleo Torsatron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trost, P.K.; Shohet, J.L.

1986-01-01

Plasma potential measurements are made in electron cyclotron resonance plasmas in the Proto-Cleo Torsatron with an emissive probe. Plots of equipotential surfaces are presented and compared with the numerical calculated vacuum magnetic surfaces

African Journals Online: Sierra Leone

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research. The Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research publishes papers in all fields of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences including Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Dental Sciences, Behavioural Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Biology, Pharmaceutical ...

Andean cutaneous leishmaniasis (Andean-CL, uta) in Peru and Ecuador: the causative Leishmania parasites and clinico-epidemiological features.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashiguchi, Yoshihisa; Gomez, Eduardo A L; Cáceres, Abraham G; Velez, Lenin N; Villegas, Nancy V; Hashiguchi, Kazue; Mimori, Tatsuyuki; Uezato, Hiroshi; Kato, Hirotomo

2018-01-01

This study provides comprehensive information on the past and current status of the Andean cutaneous leishmaniasis (Andean-CL, uta) in Peru and Ecuador, mainly focusing on the causative Leishmania parasites and clinico-epidemiological features. Available information and data including our unpublished works were analyzed thoroughly. Endemic regions of the Andean-CL (uta) in Peru run from the north Piura/Cajamarca to the south Ayacucho at a wide range of the Pacific watersheds of the Andes through several departments, while in Ecuador those exist at limited and spotted areas in the country's mid-southwestern two provinces, Azuay and Chimborazo. The principal species of the genus Leishmania are completely different at subgenus level, L. (Viannia) peruviana in Peru, and L. (Leishmania) mexicana and L. (L.) major-like (infrequent occurrence) in Ecuador. The Peruvian uta is now prevalent in different age and sex groups, being not clearly defined as found in the past. The precise reasons are not known and should be elucidated further, though probable factors, such as emergence of other Leishmania parasites, non-immune peoples' migration into the areas, etc., were discussed briefly in the text. The Andean-CL cases in Ecuador are more rural than before, probably because of a rapid development of the Leishmania-positive communities and towns, and the change of life-styles of the inhabitants, including newly constructed houses and roads in the endemic areas. Such information is helpful for future management of the disease, not only for Leishmania-endemic areas in the Andes but also for other endemic areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Site fidelity of the declining amphibian Rana sierrae (Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog)

Science.gov (United States)

Kathleen Matthews; Haiganoush Preisler

2010-01-01

From 1997 to 2006, we used mark–recapture models to estimate the site fidelity of 1250 Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogs (Rana sierrae) in Kings Canyon National Park, California, USA, during their three main activity periods of overwintering, breeding, and feeding. To quantify site fidelity, the tendency to return to and reuse previously occupied...

Genetic diversity and germplasm conservation of three minor Andean tuber crop species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malice M.

2009-01-01

Full Text Available In traditional Andean agrosystems, three minor tuber crop species are of regional or local importance: oca (Oxalis tuberosa Molina, ulluco (Ullucus tuberosus Caldas and mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum Ruiz and Pav.. Genetic diversity within these species is very large and could result from the high ecological and cultural variability that characterizes the Andean area. Nowadays, many anthropic or ecological factors cause the loss of diversity and contribute to genetic erosion. The development of conservation strategies for genetic resources of Andean tubers, in situ as well as ex situ, includes a better knowledge of diversity in addition to the study of Andean farming strategies linked to this genetic diversity.

Volcanism and associated hazards: the Andean perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Tilling, R. I.

2009-12-01

Andean volcanism occurs within the Andean Volcanic Arc (AVA), which is the product of subduction of the Nazca Plate and Antarctica Plates beneath the South America Plate. The AVA is Earth's longest but discontinuous continental-margin volcanic arc, which consists of four distinct segments: Northern Volcanic Zone, Central Volcanic Zone, Southern Volcanic Zone, and Austral Volcanic Zone. These segments are separated by volcanically inactive gaps that are inferred to indicate regions where the dips of the subducting plates are too shallow to favor the magma generation needed to sustain volcanism. The Andes host more volcanoes that have been active during the Holocene (past 10 000 years) than any other volcanic region in the world, as well as giant caldera systems that have produced 6 of the 47 largest explosive eruptions (so-called "super eruptions") recognized worldwide that have occurred from the Ordovician to the Pleistocene. The Andean region's most powerful historical explosive eruption occurred in 1600 at Huaynaputina Volcano (Peru). The impacts of this event, whose eruptive volume exceeded 11 km3, were widespread, with distal ashfall reported at distances >1000 km away. Despite the huge size of the Huaynaputina eruption, human fatalities from hazardous processes (pyroclastic flows, ashfalls, volcanogenic earthquakes, and lahars) were comparatively small owing to the low population density at the time. In contrast, lahars generated by a much smaller eruption (Colombia) killed about 25 000 people - the worst volcanic disaster in the Andean region as well as the second worst in the world in the 20th century. The Ruiz tragedy has been attributed largely to ineffective communications of hazards information and indecisiveness by government officials, rather than any major deficiencies in scientific data. Ruiz's disastrous outcome, however, together with responses to subsequent hazardous eruptions in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru has spurred significant

An Andean tectonic cycle: From crustal thickening to extension in a thin crust (34°–37°SL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor A. Ramos

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Several orogenic cycles of mountain building and subsequent collapse associated with periods of shallowing and steepening of subduction zones have been recognized in recent years in the Andes. Most of them are characterized by widespread crustal delamination expressed by large calderas and rhyolitic flare-up produced by the injection of hot asthenosphere in the subduction wedge. These processes are related to the increase of the subduction angle during trench roll-back. The Payenia paleoflat-slab, in the southern Central Andes of Argentina and Chile (34°–37°S recorded a complete cycle from crustal thickening and mountain uplift to extensional collapse and normal faulting, which are related to changes in the subduction geometry. The early stages are associated with magmatic expansion and migration, subsequent deformation and broken foreland. New ages and geochemical data show the middle to late Miocene expansion and migration of arc volcanism towards the foreland region was associated with important deformation in the Andean foothills. However, the main difference of this orogenic cycle with the previously described cycles is that the steepening of the oceanic subducted slab is linked to basaltic flooding of large areas in the retroarc under an extensional setting. Crustal delamination is concentrated only in a narrow central belt along the cordilleran axis. The striking differences between the two types of cycles are interpreted to be related to the crustal thickness when steepening the subducting slab. The crustal thickness of the Altiplano is over 60–80 km, whereas Payenia is less than 42 km in the axial part, and near 30 km in the retroarc foothills. The final extensional regime associated with the slab steepening favors the basaltic flooding of more than 8400 km3 in an area larger than 40,000 km2, through 800 central vents and large fissures. These characteristics are unique in the entire present-day Andes.

On the Nature of Cross-Linguistic Transfer: A Case Study of Andean Spanish

Science.gov (United States)

Muntendam, Antje G.

2013-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study on cross-linguistic transfer in Andean Spanish word order. In Andean Spanish the object appears in preverbal position more frequently than in non-Andean Spanish, which has been attributed to an influence from Quechua (a Subject-Object-Verb language). The high frequency of preverbal objects could be…

Marking behavior of Andean bears in an Ecuadorian cloud forest

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Filipczyková, Eva; Heitkonig, Ignas; Castellanos, Armando; Hantson, Wouter; Steyaert, Sam M.J.G.

2017-01-01

Very little is known about marking behavior of the endangered Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus). Here, we present a first detailed description of Andean bear marking behavior obtained using camera traps. From November 2012 to April 2013, we inspected 16 bear trails in the Napo province of eastern

PIXE analysis of proto-porcelain excavated from the Huoshaoshan kiln site in Deqing County, Zhejiang Province

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Bin; Cheng Huansheng; Zheng Jianming

2014-01-01

Background: Zhejiang Province is an important producing area of proto-porcelain. Huoshaoshan kiln site in Deqing County is the only kiln known currently for firing proto-porcelain from the late Western Zhou Dynasty to the late Spring and Autumn Period. Also it is the earliest kiln site unearthed for only firing proto-porcelain so far. It is of great significance for the exploration of Chinese early celadon firing technology. Purpose: The aim is to disclose the elemental characteristics of these proto-porcelains and study the sources of the raw materials and relationship between these proto-porcelains. Methods: We selected 18 samples made at the early period (from the late Western Zhou Dynasty to the early Spring and Autumn Period), 15 samples made at the middle and last period (the last period of the middle Spring and Autumn Period), and 17 samples made at the last period (the last period of the late Spring and Autumn Period). Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) was used to analyze these samples and measure the chemical compositions of these proto-porcelains. The factor analysis is used to study the sources of the raw materials and relationship between these proto-porcelains made in the different periods. Results: The results show that for the raw materials of body and glaze, the proto-porcelains at the last period are different from those at the early period, while the same as those at the middle and last period. Conclusion: PIXE combining with factor analysis can be used to study effectively the sources of the raw materials and relationship between these proto-porcelains. (authors)

Andean waterways

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Mattias Borg

Andean Waterways explores the politics of natural resource use in the Peruvian Andes in the context of climate change and neoliberal expansion. It does so through careful ethnographic analysis of the constitution of waterways, illustrating how water becomes entangled in a variety of political......, social, and cultural concerns. Set in the highland town of Recuay in Ancash, the book traces the ways in which water affects political and ecological relations as glaciers recede. By looking at the shared waterways of four villages located in the foothills of Cordillera Blanca, it addresses pertinent...

Magnetic diagnostics for the proto-eta Tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferreira, J.L.; Aso, Y.; Ueda, M.; Ferreira, J.G.

1991-04-01

This work gives a general view of the magnetic diagnostics rat will be used in the Proto-Eta Tokamak. These diagnostics will be useful tools to measure currents, electric and magnetic fields involved in the plasma magnetic confinement. (author)

Proto-Acting as a New Concept: Personal Mimicry and the Origins of Role Playing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven Brown

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Proto-acting is introduced here as a new concept that refers to a set of processes that are intermediate between everyday role playing (in the Erving Goffman sense and dramatic acting. Its most characteristic process is the voluntary act of personal mimicry, which can occur in everyday contexts, such as quoting someone during conversation, or in performance contexts, such as impressionism. Proto-acting involves character portrayal, but on a much simpler and more transient scale than in dramatic acting, where a person may portray a character for an extended period of time during a stage performance. For example, this might involve impersonating the characters while reading a bedtime story to a child, or children themselves portraying characters while engaging in pretend play. Other key features of proto-acting are that it tends to be driven by gesture, have minimal scripting, and involve short bouts of alternation between the self and characters. Proto-acting, as based on personal mimicry, might provide a cognitive foundation for dramatic acting in human development. Moreover, proto-acting itself might be underlain evolutionarily by the process of pantomime, which often involves intentional mimicry of the actions of other people. Hence, the proto-acting concept is able to shed light on processes relevant to cognition, development, the performing arts, and human evolution.

Power accounting of plasma discharges in the linear device Proto-MPEX

Science.gov (United States)

Showers, M.; Piotrowicz, P. A.; Beers, C. J.; Biewer, T. M.; Caneses, J.; Canik, J.; Caughman, J. B. O.; Donovan, D. C.; Goulding, R. H.; Lumsdaine, A.; Kafle, N.; Owen, L. W.; Rapp, J.; Ray, H.

2018-06-01

Plasma material interaction (PMI) studies are crucial to the successful development of future fusion reactors. Prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX) is a prototype design for the MPEX, a steady-state linear device being developed to study PMI. The primary purpose of Proto-MPEX is developing the plasma heating source concepts for MPEX. A power accounting study of Proto-MPEX works to identify machine operating parameters that could improve its performance, thereby increasing its PMI research capabilities, potentially impacting the MPEX design concept. To build a comprehensive power balance, an analysis of the helicon region has been performed implementing a diagnostic suite and software modeling to identify mechanisms and locations of heat loss from the main plasma. Of the 106.3 kW of input power, up to 90.5% of the power has been accounted for in the helicon region. When the analysis was extended to encompass the device to its end plates, 49.2% of the input power was accounted for and verified diagnostically. Areas requiring further diagnostic analysis are identified. The required improvements will be implemented in future work. The data acquisition and analysis processes will be streamlined to form a working model for future power balance studies of Proto-MPEX. ).

Sierra/Solid Mechanics 4.48 User's Guide.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Merewether, Mark Thomas; Crane, Nathan K; de Frias, Gabriel Jose; Le, San; Littlewood, David John; Mosby, Matthew David; Pierson, Kendall H.; Porter, Vicki L.; Shelton, Timothy; Thomas, Jesse David; Tupek, Michael R.; Veilleux, Michael; Gampert, Scott; Xavier, Patrick G.; Plews, Julia A.

2018-03-01

Sierra/SolidMechanics (Sierra/SM) is a Lagrangian, three-dimensional code for finite element analysis of solids and structures. It provides capabilities for explicit dynamic, implicit quasistatic and dynamic analyses. The explicit dynamics capabilities allow for the efficient and robust solution of models with extensive contact subjected to large, suddenly applied loads. For implicit problems, Sierra/SM uses a multi-level iterative solver, which enables it to effectively solve problems with large deformations, nonlinear material behavior, and contact. Sierra/SM has a versatile library of continuum and structural elements, and a large library of material models. The code is written for parallel computing environments enabling scalable solutions of extremely large problems for both implicit and explicit analyses. It is built on the SIERRA Framework, which facilitates coupling with other SIERRA mechanics codes. This document describes the functionality and input syntax for Sierra/SM.

Protos2CPN: using colored Petri nets for confuguring and testing business processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gottschalk, F.; Aalst, van der W.M.P.; Vullers - Jansen, M.H.; Verbeek, H.M.W.

2008-01-01

Protos is a popular tool for business process modelling used in more than 1,500 organizations. It has a built-in Petri-net-based simulation engine which shows key performance indicators for the modelled processes. Reference process models offered for Protos reduce modelling efforts by providing

Tracking spatial variation in river load from Andean highlands to inter-Andean valleys

Science.gov (United States)

Tenorio, Gustavo E.; Vanacker, Veerle; Campforts, Benjamin; Álvarez, Lenín; Zhiminaicela, Santiago; Vercruysse, Kim; Molina, Armando; Govers, Gerard

2018-05-01

Mountains play an important role in the denudation of continents and transfer erosion and weathering products to lowlands and oceans. The rates at which erosion and weathering processes take place in mountain regions have a substantial impact on the morphology and biogeochemistry of downstream reaches and lowlands. The controlling factors of physical erosion and chemical weathering and the coupling between the two processes are not yet fully understood. In this study, we report physical erosion and chemical weathering rates for five Andean catchments located in the southern Ecuadorian Andes and investigate their mutual interaction. During a 4-year monitoring period, we sampled river water at biweekly intervals, and we analyzed water samples for major ions and suspended solids. We derived the total annual dissolved, suspended sediment, and ionic loads from the flow frequency curves and adjusted rating curves and used the dissolved and suspended sediment yields as proxies for chemical weathering and erosion rates. In the 4-year period of monitoring, chemical weathering exceeds physical erosion in the high Andean catchments. Whereas physical erosion rates do not exceed 30 t km-2 y-1 in the relict glaciated morphology, chemical weathering rates range between 22 and 59 t km-2 y-1. The variation in chemical weathering is primarily controlled by intrinsic differences in bedrock lithology. Land use has no discernible impact on the weathering rate but leads to a small increase in base cation concentrations because of fertilizer leaching in surface water. When extending our analysis with published data on dissolved and suspended sediment yields from the northern and central Andes, we observe that the river load composition strongly changes in the downstream direction, indicating large heterogeneity of weathering processes and rates within large Andean basins.

The Protos mandate a scientific novel

CERN Document Server

Kanas, Nick

2014-01-01

In the 25th Century, the effects of overpopulation and global warming on Earth have led to the formation of human colonies on the Moon, Mars and elsewhere in the Solar System, yet the limited number of viable places forces humanity to look to the stars. A crash program has been developed to send Protos 1, a giant multigenerational starship, to a newly discovered Earth-like planet orbiting a nearby star. The plan is for awake crewmembers to run the ship, and for people in suspended animation to be roused before planetfall to use their skills in exploration and colony formation. To fulfill the goals of the mission and ensure that the in-flight population does not deplete the limited resources, the Protos Mandate is set up to govern a tightly controlled social system for the duration of the journey, which will take several generations.  But problems threaten to sabotage the mission during its launch and transit, and what finally awaits the crewmembers shocks them in an unpredictable way.  This novel chronicl...

Sierra/SolidMechanics 4.48 Verification Tests Manual.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plews, Julia A.; Crane, Nathan K; de Frias, Gabriel Jose; Le, San; Littlewood, David John; Merewether, Mark Thomas; Mosby, Matthew David; Pierson, Kendall H.; Porter, Vicki L.; Shelton, Timothy; Thomas, Jesse David; Tupek, Michael R.; Veilleux, Michael; Xavier, Patrick G.

2018-03-01

Presented in this document is a small portion of the tests that exist in the Sierra / SolidMechanics (Sierra / SM) verification test suite. Most of these tests are run nightly with the Sierra / SM code suite, and the results of the test are checked versus the correct analytical result. For each of the tests presented in this document, the test setup, a description of the analytic solution, and comparison of the Sierra / SM code results to the analytic solution is provided. Mesh convergence is also checked on a nightly basis for several of these tests. This document can be used to confirm that a given code capability is verified or referenced as a compilation of example problems. Additional example problems are provided in the Sierra / SM Example Problems Manual. Note, many other verification tests exist in the Sierra / SM test suite, but have not yet been included in this manual.

The evolution of witchcraft and the meaning of healing in colonial Andean society.

Science.gov (United States)

Silverblatt, I

1983-12-01

This paper explores the ways in which traditional beliefs of Andean peoples regarding health and sickness were transformed by the process of Spanish colonization. It also examines how the colonial context devolved new meanings and powers on native curers. The analysis of these transformations in Andean systems of meanings and role structures relating to healing depends on an examination of the European witchcraze of the 16th-17th centuries. The Spanish conquest of the Inca empire in the mid-1500's coincided with the European witch hunts; it is argued that the latter formed the cultural lens through which the Spanish evaluated native religion--the matrix through which Andean concepts of disease and health were expressed--as well as native curers. Andean religion was condemned as heresy and curers were condemned as witches. Traditional Andean cosmology was antithetical to 16th century European beliefs in the struggle between god and the devil, between loyal Christians and the Satan's followers. Consequently, European concepts of disease and health based on the power of witches, Satan's adherents, to cause harm and cure were alien to pre-Columbian Andean thought. Ironically European concepts of Satan and the supposed powers of witches began to graft themselves onto the world view of Andean peoples. The ensuing dialectic of ideas as well as the creation of new healers/witches forged during the imposition of colonial rule form the crux of this analysis.

Sierra/solid mechanics 4.22 user's guide.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas, Jesse David

2011-10-01

Sierra/SolidMechanics (Sierra/SM) is a Lagrangian, three-dimensional code for the analysis of solids and structures. It provides capabilities for explicit dynamic and implicit quasistatic and dynamic analyses. The explicit dynamics capabilities allow for the efficient and robust solution of models subjected to large, suddenly applied loads. For implicit problems, Sierra/SM uses a multi-level iterative solver, which enables it to effectively solve problems with large deformations, nonlinear material behavior, and contact. Sierra/SM has a versatile library of continuum and structural elements, and an extensive library of material models. The code is written for parallel computing environments, and it allows for scalable solutions of very large problems for both implicit and explicit analyses. It is built on the SIERRA Framework, which allows for coupling with other SIERRA mechanics codes. This document describes the functionality and input structure for Sierra/SM.

ProtoDESI: First On-Sky Technology Demonstration for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

Fagrelius, Parker; Abareshi, Behzad; Allen, Lori; Ballester, Otger; Baltay, Charles; Besuner, Robert; Buckley-Geer, Elizabeth; Butler, Karen; Cardiel, Laia; Dey, Arjun; Duan, Yutong; Elliott, Ann; Emmet, William; Gershkovich, Irena; Honscheid, Klaus; Illa, Jose M.; Jimenez, Jorge; Joyce, Richard; Karcher, Armin; Kent, Stephen; Lambert, Andrew; Lampton, Michael; Levi, Michael; Manser, Christopher; Marshall, Robert; Martini, Paul; Paat, Anthony; Probst, Ronald; Rabinowitz, David; Reil, Kevin; Robertson, Amy; Rockosi, Connie; Schlegel, David; Schubnell, Michael; Serrano, Santiago; Silber, Joseph; Soto, Christian; Sprayberry, David; Summers, David; Tarlé, Greg; Weaver, Benjamin A.

2018-02-01

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is under construction to measure the expansion history of the universe using the baryon acoustic oscillations technique. The spectra of 35 million galaxies and quasars over 14,000 square degrees will be measured during a 5-year survey. A new prime focus corrector for the Mayall telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory will deliver light to 5,000 individually targeted fiber-fed robotic positioners. The fibers in turn feed ten broadband multi-object spectrographs. We describe the ProtoDESI experiment, that was installed and commissioned on the 4-m Mayall telescope from 2016 August 14 to September 30. ProtoDESI was an on-sky technology demonstration with the goal to reduce technical risks associated with aligning optical fibers with targets using robotic fiber positioners and maintaining the stability required to operate DESI. The ProtoDESI prime focus instrument, consisting of three fiber positioners, illuminated fiducials, and a guide camera, was installed behind the existing Mosaic corrector on the Mayall telescope. A fiber view camera was mounted in the Cassegrain cage of the telescope and provided feedback metrology for positioning the fibers. ProtoDESI also provided a platform for early integration of hardware with the DESI Instrument Control System that controls the subsystems, provides communication with the Telescope Control System, and collects instrument telemetry data. Lacking a spectrograph, ProtoDESI monitored the output of the fibers using a fiber photometry camera mounted on the prime focus instrument. ProtoDESI was successful in acquiring targets with the robotically positioned fibers and demonstrated that the DESI guiding requirements can be met.

Bee pollen as non-wood forest product in the eastern Andean highlands of Colombia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fermín José Chamorro García

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The Andean forests of the Eastern Andean high-lands of Colombia have a high conservation priority given the vulnerable condition of species such as Quercus humboldtii (Fagaceae that inhabit these ecosystems. Beekeeping is regarded as an alternative activity that could play a role in the conservation of Andean forests, but little is known about how the floras of these ecosystems contribute to honey and bee pollen production. We analyzed the contribution of Andean forests to bee pollen production, given the productive potential and commercial importance of this product. Pollen analyses were performed on 25 samples from apiaries near Andean forests located in the states of Cundinamarca, Boyacá and Santander. We found that Q. humboldtii is an important source of pollen with high potential for monofloral bee pollen production. In addition, bees collect pollen from other Andean forests species such as Weinmannia tomentosa, Viburnum spp. and Morella spp. Utilization of bee pollen could lead to incentives to carry out forest conservation practices through beekeeping management.

Guide to Using Sierra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shaw, Ryan Phillip [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Agelastos, Anthony Michael [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Miller, Joel D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-03-01

Sierra is an engineering mechanics simulation code suite supporting the Nation's Nuclear Weapons mission as well as other customers. It has explicit ties to Sandia National Labs' workfow, including geometry and meshing, design and optimization, and visualization. Dis- tinguishing strengths include "application aware" development, scalability, SQA and V&V, multiple scales, and multi-physics coupling. This document is intended to help new and existing users of Sierra as a user manual and troubleshooting guide.

Guide to Using Sierra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shaw, Ryan Phillip; Agelastos, Anthony Michael; Miller, Joel D.

2017-04-01

Sierra is an engineering mechanics simulation code suite supporting the Nation's Nuclear Weapons mission as well as other customers. It has explicit ties to Sandia National Labs' workfow, including geometry and meshing, design and optimization, and visualization. Dis- tinguishing strengths include "application aware" development, scalability, SQA and V&V, multiple scales, and multi-physics coupling. This document is intended to help new and existing users of Sierra as a user manual and troubleshooting guide.

Andean waterways

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Mattias Borg

, social, and cultural concerns. Set in the highland town of Recuay in Ancash, the book traces the ways in which water affects political and ecological relations as glaciers recede. By looking at the shared waterways of four villages located in the foothills of Cordillera Blanca, it addresses pertinent......Andean Waterways explores the politics of natural resource use in the Peruvian Andes in the context of climate change and neoliberal expansion. It does so through careful ethnographic analysis of the constitution of waterways, illustrating how water becomes entangled in a variety of political...... questions concerning water governance and rural lives....

A proto-code of ethics and conduct for European nurse directors.

Science.gov (United States)

Stievano, Alessandro; De Marinis, Maria Grazia; Kelly, Denise; Filkins, Jacqueline; Meyenburg-Altwarg, Iris; Petrangeli, Mauro; Tschudin, Verena

2012-03-01

The proto-code of ethics and conduct for European nurse directors was developed as a strategic and dynamic document for nurse managers in Europe. It invites critical dialogue, reflective thinking about different situations, and the development of specific codes of ethics and conduct by nursing associations in different countries. The term proto-code is used for this document so that specifically country-orientated or organization-based and practical codes can be developed from it to guide professionals in more particular or situation-explicit reflection and values. The proto-code of ethics and conduct for European nurse directors was designed and developed by the European Nurse Directors Association's (ENDA) advisory team. This article gives short explanations of the code' s preamble and two main parts: Nurse directors' ethical basis, and Principles of professional practice, which is divided into six specific points: competence, care, safety, staff, life-long learning and multi-sectorial working.

Sierra Nevada Subregional Boundary - Sierra Nevada Conservancy [ds542

Data.gov (United States)

California Natural Resource Agency — Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) boundary. The boundary was mapped to correspond with statute AB 2600 (2004) and as re-defined in AB 1201 (2005). Work on the boundary...

Characterisation of a Proto-historic bronze collection by micro-EDXRF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Figueiredo, Elin; Araújo, M. Fátima; Silva, Rui J.C.; Vilaça, Raquel

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A collection of Proto-historic metal artefacts was analysed by micro-EDXRF. ► Composition of major and minor elements has been determined. ► Artefacts were manufactured in a bronze alloy with a low impurity pattern. ► The alloy shows parallels with indigenous Late Bronze Age Iberian productions. -- Abstract: Studies concerning European Proto-historic metallic artefacts can provide important clues about technological transfers during a period of time characterised by diverse cultural interactions. A collection of Proto-historic metallic artefacts from Medronhal (western Iberian Peninsula) composed by rings, bracelets and a fibula related to different cultural affiliations were investigated by micro-EDXRF to provide a major and a minor elemental characterisation. Results show that the Medronhal collection was manufactured in a Cu–Sn alloy (binary bronze) with similar Sn contents among the various types of artefacts and a low impurity pattern. Results of the type and quality of metal were compared to other artefact collections to infer about metallurgical parallels. Strong parallels with indigenous Late Bronze Age Iberian metallurgical productions were found

Characterisation of a Proto-historic bronze collection by micro-EDXRF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Figueiredo, Elin, E-mail: elin@itn.pt [IST/ITN, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Estrada Nacional 10, 2686-953 Sacavém (Portugal); CENIMAT/I3N, Departamento de Ciência dos Materiais, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Araújo, M. Fátima [IST/ITN, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Estrada Nacional 10, 2686-953 Sacavém (Portugal); Silva, Rui J.C. [CENIMAT/I3N, Departamento de Ciência dos Materiais, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Vilaça, Raquel [CEAUCP-FCT, Instituto de Arqueologia, Departamento de História, Arqueologia e Artes, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade de Coimbra, Palácio de Sub-Ripas, 3000-395 Coimbra (Portugal)

2013-02-01

Highlights: ► A collection of Proto-historic metal artefacts was analysed by micro-EDXRF. ► Composition of major and minor elements has been determined. ► Artefacts were manufactured in a bronze alloy with a low impurity pattern. ► The alloy shows parallels with indigenous Late Bronze Age Iberian productions. -- Abstract: Studies concerning European Proto-historic metallic artefacts can provide important clues about technological transfers during a period of time characterised by diverse cultural interactions. A collection of Proto-historic metallic artefacts from Medronhal (western Iberian Peninsula) composed by rings, bracelets and a fibula related to different cultural affiliations were investigated by micro-EDXRF to provide a major and a minor elemental characterisation. Results show that the Medronhal collection was manufactured in a Cu–Sn alloy (binary bronze) with similar Sn contents among the various types of artefacts and a low impurity pattern. Results of the type and quality of metal were compared to other artefact collections to infer about metallurgical parallels. Strong parallels with indigenous Late Bronze Age Iberian metallurgical productions were found.

Characteristics of Chinese petroleum geology. Geological features and exploration cases of stratigraphic, foreland and deep formation traps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jia, Chengzao [PetroChina Company Limited, Beijing (China)

2012-07-01

The first book of this subject in the recent 10 years. ''Characteristics of Chinese Petroleum Geology: Geological Features and Exploration Cases of Stratigraphic, Foreland and Deep Formation Traps'' systematically presents the progress made in petroleum geology in China and highlights the latest advances and achievements in oil/gas exploration and research, especially in stratigraphic, foreland and deep formation traps. The book is intended for researchers, practitioners and students working in petroleum geology, and is also an authoritative reference work for foreign petroleum exploration experts who want to learn more about this field in China.

Characterization of a petroleum system in the Himalayan foreland basin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sorkhabi, R. [Japan National Oil Corp., Tokyo (Japan)

1998-10-30

The Himalayan foreland basin that is a part of the Tethyan tectonic belt is a potential target for hydrocarbon exploration. Petroleum has been yield in the west part of basin (Pakistan), and in the east part (Myanmar). This study takes aim to the central parts of the Himalayan foreland basin (India and Nepal), and identifies sediments Paleocene in age (the Subathu Formation made up of limestone and shale, and Murree Group made up of mudstone and shale) as source rock (TOC content up to 0.5 %), and also identifies permeable Siwalik sandstone (Paleocene-Middle to Neogene) as reservoir rock (porosity ranges from 4 to 27%, and permeability ranges from 0.1 to 10 millidarcy). Source rock had been occurred thermal maturity by burial in late Miocene. The serious problem is the localization of seals and traps. It indicates a potentiality that suitable trap structures had been formed by Main Boundary Thrust (MBT), close to Lesser Himalaya, lifting up and transporting the Proterozoic shale and carbonate rocks atop the Siwalik sandstone. The overthrust activities of source rock (Subathu-Murree Group) atop the Siwalik are important for formation of seals and traps. Actuary, gas and oil seeps are found not in Tarai (plain) but in the vicinity of the MBT. (translated by NEDO)

Sierra/SolidMechanics 4.46 Example Problems Manual.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plews, Julia A.; Crane, Nathan K; de Frias, Gabriel Jose; Le, San; Littlewood, David John; Merewether, Mark Thomas; Mosby, Matthew David; Pierson, Kendall H.; Porter, Vicki L.; Shelton, Timothy; Thomas, Jesse David; Tupek, Michael R.; Veilleux, Michael

2018-03-01

Presented in this document are tests that exist in the Sierra/SolidMechanics example problem suite, which is a subset of the Sierra/SM regression and performance test suite. These examples showcase common and advanced code capabilities. A wide variety of other regression and verification tests exist in the Sierra/SM test suite that are not included in this manual.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

Comparison of preliminary herpetofaunas of the Sierras la Madera (Oposura) and Bacadehuachi with the mainland Sierra Madre Occidental in Sonora, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas R. Van Devender; Erik F. Enderson; Dale S. Turner; Roberto A. Villa; Stephen F. Hale; George M. Ferguson; Charles. Hedgcock

2013-01-01

Amphibians and reptiles were observed in the Sierra La Madera (59 species), an isolated Sky Island mountain range, and the Sierra Bacadéhuachi (30 species), the westernmost mountain range in the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) range in east-central Sonora. These preliminary herpetofaunas were compared with the herpetofauna of the Yécora area in eastern Sonora in the main...

Tiled Array of Pixelated CZT Imaging Detectors for ProtoEXIST2 and MIRAX-HXI

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Jaesub; Allen, Branden; Grindlay, Jonathan; Rodrigues, Barbara; Ellis, Jon Robert; Baker, Robert; Barthelmy, Scott; Mao, Peter; Miyasaka, Hiromasa; Apple, Jeff

2013-12-01

We have assembled a tiled array (220 cm2) of fine pixel (0.6 mm) imaging CZT detectors for a balloon borne wide-field hard X-ray telescope, ProtoEXIST2. ProtoEXIST2 is a prototype experiment for a next generation hard X-ray imager MIRAX-HXI on board Lattes, a spacecraft from the Agencia Espacial Brasilieira. MIRAX will survey the 5 to 200 keV sky of Galactic bulge, adjoining southern Galactic plane and the extragalactic sky with 6 ' angular resolution. This survey will open a vast discovery space in timing studies of accretion neutron stars and black holes. The ProtoEXIST2 CZT detector plane consists of 64 of 5 mm thick 2 cm × 2 cm CZT crystals tiled with a minimal gap. MIRAX will consist of 4 such detector planes, each of which will be imaged with its own coded-aperture mask. We present the packaging architecture and assembly procedure of the ProtoEXIST2 detector. On 2012, Oct 10, we conducted a successful high altitude balloon experiment of the ProtoEXIST1 and 2 telescopes, which demonstrates their technology readiness for space application. During the flight both telescopes performed as well as on the ground. We report the results of ground calibration and the initial results for the detector performance in the balloon flight.

Trans-Amazon Drilling Project (TADP): origins and evolution of the forests, climate, and hydrology of the South American tropics

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, P. A.; Fritz, S. C.; Silva, C. G.; Rigsby, C. A.; Absy, M. L.; Almeida, R. P.; Caputo, M.; Chiessi, C. M.; Cruz, F. W.; Dick, C. W.; Feakins, S. J.; Figueiredo, J.; Freeman, K. H.; Hoorn, C.; Jaramillo, C.; Kern, A. K.; Latrubesse, E. M.; Ledru, M. P.; Marzoli, A.; Myrbo, A.; Noren, A.; Piller, W. E.; Ramos, M. I. F.; Ribas, C. C.; Trnadade, R.; West, A. J.; Wahnfried, I.; Willard, D. A.

2015-12-01

This article presents the scientific rationale for an ambitious ICDP drilling project to continuously sample Late Cretaceous to modern sediment in four different sedimentary basins that transect the equatorial Amazon of Brazil, from the Andean foreland to the Atlantic Ocean. The goals of this project are to document the evolution of plant biodiversity in the Amazon forests and to relate biotic diversification to changes in the physical environment, including climate, tectonism, and the surface landscape. These goals require long sedimentary records from each of the major sedimentary basins across the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, which can only be obtained by drilling because of the scarcity of Cenozoic outcrops. The proposed drilling will provide the first long, nearly continuous regional records of the Cenozoic history of the forests, their plant diversity, and the associated changes in climate and environment. It also will address fundamental questions about landscape evolution, including the history of Andean uplift and erosion as recorded in Andean foreland basins and the development of west-to-east hydrologic continuity between the Andes, the Amazon lowlands, and the equatorial Atlantic. Because many modern rivers of the Amazon basin flow along the major axes of the old sedimentary basins, we plan to locate drill sites on the margin of large rivers and to access the targeted drill sites by navigation along these rivers.

Trans-Amazon Drilling Project (TADP): origins and evolution of the forests, climate, and hydrology of the South American tropics

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, P.A.; Fritz, S.C.; Silva, C.G.; Rigsby, C.A.; Absy, M.L.; Almeida, R.P.; Caputo, Maria C.; Chiessi, C.M.; Cruz, F.W.; Dick, C.W.; Feakins, S.J.; Figueiredo, J.; Freeman, K.H.; Hoorn, C.; Jaramillo, C.A.; Kern, A.; Latrubesse, E.M.; Ledru, M.P.; Marzoli, A.; Myrbo, A.; Noren, A.; Piller, W.E.; Ramos, M.I.F.; Ribas, C.C.; Trinadade, R.; West, A.J.; Wahnfried, I.; Willard, Debra A.

2015-01-01

This article presents the scientific rationale for an ambitious ICDP drilling project to continuously sample Late Cretaceous to modern sediment in four different sedimentary basins that transect the equatorial Amazon of Brazil, from the Andean foreland to the Atlantic Ocean. The goals of this project are to document the evolution of plant biodiversity in the Amazon forests and to relate biotic diversification to changes in the physical environment, including climate, tectonism, and the surface landscape. These goals require long sedimentary records from each of the major sedimentary basins across the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, which can only be obtained by drilling because of the scarcity of Cenozoic outcrops. The proposed drilling will provide the first long, nearly continuous regional records of the Cenozoic history of the forests, their plant diversity, and the associated changes in climate and environment. It also will address fundamental questions about landscape evolution, including the history of Andean uplift and erosion as recorded in Andean foreland basins and the development of west-to-east hydrologic continuity between the Andes, the Amazon lowlands, and the equatorial Atlantic. Because many modern rivers of the Amazon basin flow along the major axes of the old sedimentary basins, we plan to locate drill sites on the margin of large rivers and to access the targeted drill sites by navigation along these rivers.

The diversity and biogeography of the communities of Actinobacteria in the forelands of glaciers at a continental scale

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Binglin; Wu, Xiukun; Zhang, Gaosen; Li, Shuyan; Zhang, Wei; Chen, Ximing; Sun, Likun; Zhang, Baogui; Liu, Guangxiu; Chen, Tuo

2016-05-01

Glacier forelands, where the initially exposed area is unvegetated with minimal human influence, are an ideal place for research on the distributions and biogeography of microbial communities. Actinobacteria produce many bioactive substances and have important roles in soil development and biogeochemical cycling. However, little is known about the distribution and biogeography of Actinobacteria in glacier forelands. Therefore, we investigated the patterns of diversity and the biogeography of actinobacterial communities of the inhabited forefields of 5 glaciers in China. Of the bacteria, the mean relative abundance of Actinobacteria was 13.1%, and 6 classes were identified in the phylum Actinobacteria. The dominant class was Actinobacteria (57%), which was followed in abundance by Acidimicrobiia (19%) and Thermoleophilia (19%). When combined, the relative abundance of the other three classes, the MB-A2-108, Nitriliruptoria and Rubrobacteria, was only 2.4%. A biogeographic pattern in the forelands of the 5 glaciers in China was not detected for actinobacterial communities. Compared with 7 other actinobacterial communities found in the forelands of glaciers globally, those in the Southern Hemisphere were significantly different from those in the Northern Hemisphere. Moreover, the communities were significantly different on the separate continents of the Northern Hemisphere. The dissimilarity of the actinobacterial communities increased with geographic distance (r = 0.428, p = 0.0003). Because of environmental factors, the effect of geography was clear when the distance exceeded a certain continent-level threshold. With the analysis of indicator species, we found that each genus had a geographic characteristic, which could explain why the communities with greater diversity were more strongly affected by biogeography.

Sierra toolkit computational mesh conceptual model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baur, David G.; Edwards, Harold Carter; Cochran, William K.; Williams, Alan B.; Sjaardema, Gregory D.

2010-01-01

The Sierra Toolkit computational mesh is a software library intended to support massively parallel multi-physics computations on dynamically changing unstructured meshes. This domain of intended use is inherently complex due to distributed memory parallelism, parallel scalability, heterogeneity of physics, heterogeneous discretization of an unstructured mesh, and runtime adaptation of the mesh. Management of this inherent complexity begins with a conceptual analysis and modeling of this domain of intended use; i.e., development of a domain model. The Sierra Toolkit computational mesh software library is designed and implemented based upon this domain model. Software developers using, maintaining, or extending the Sierra Toolkit computational mesh library must be familiar with the concepts/domain model presented in this report.

Análisis de la cuencua del Bermejo en los últimos 8 Ma.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gimenez Mario Ernesto

2011-12-01

Full Text Available En el presente trabajo se propone un modelo isostático flexural elástico como mecanismo dominante en la generación de las estructuras de la cuenca de antepaís del Bermejo. La región de estudio a partir del Neógeno se comportó de forma diferente, pudiendo dividirse por lo menos en dos etapas. La primera, desde la formación de la cuenca de antepaís andino, hasta el inicio del levantamiento de las sierras Pampeanas occidentales, donde el mecanismo predominante fue la flexión elástica. La segunda etapa, motivo del presente trabajo, que abarca desde la reactivación de la megafalla Desaguadero-Bermejo hasta el presente, donde comienza a actuar el mecanismo de flexión elástica en corteza discontinua o rota. Las respuestas flexurales obtenidas para una corteza con un espesor elástico equivalente (Te entre 5 y 7 km generan una geometría consistente con la actual cuenca del Bermejo y con los modelos de corteza previamente justificados a partir de la anomalía residual de Bouguer.In the present work, we propose an elastic isostatic flexural model as the dominant mechanism in the generation of structures of the Bermejo foreland basin.The study area has behaved in a different way from the Neogene, therefore it has been divided into at least two stages. The first one, initiates with the formation of the Andean foreland basin up to the beginning of the lifting of Western Sierras Pampeanas. In this stage, the elastic flexure was the predominant mechanism. The second stage, which motivates our work, comprises from the reactivation of the mega fault of Bermejo-Desaguadero up to now, when initiates the elastic bending mechanism on the discontinuous or broken crust.The flexural responses obtained for a crust with an equivalent elastic thickness (Te between 5 and 7 km, generates a geometry consistent with the current Bermejo basin. These responses are also consistent with the crustal models previously justified from the Bouguer residual anomaly.

Marcos Zapata's "Last Supper": a feast of European religion and Andean culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Zendt, Christina

2010-01-01

In Marcos Zapata's 1753 painting of the Last Supper in Cuzco, Peru, Christian symbolism is filtered through Andean cultural tradition. Zapata was a late member of the Cuzco School of Painting, a group comprised of few European immigrants and handfuls of mestizo and Indian artists. The painters in Cuzco learned mostly from prints of European paintings, and their style tends to blend local culture into the traditional painting of their conquistadors. Imagery was the most successful tool used by the Spaniards in their quest to Christianize the Andean population. By teaching locals to paint Christian subjects, they were able to infuse Christianity into Andean traditions. Zapata's rendering of the Last Supper utilizes this cultural blending while staying true to the Christian symbolism within the subject. Instead of the traditional lamb, Zapata's Last Supper features a platter of cuy, or guinea pig, an Andean delicacy stocked with protein as well as cultural significance. Cuy was traditionally a sacrificial animal at Inca agricultural festivals and in this way it offers poignant parallel to the lamb, as a traditional Christian sacrificial animal.

Modeling interfacial fracture in Sierra.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, Arthur A.; Ohashi, Yuki; Lu, Wei-Yang; Nelson, Stacy A. C.; Foulk, James W.,; Reedy, Earl David,; Austin, Kevin N.; Margolis, Stephen B.

2013-09-01

This report summarizes computational efforts to model interfacial fracture using cohesive zone models in the SIERRA/SolidMechanics (SIERRA/SM) finite element code. Cohesive surface elements were used to model crack initiation and propagation along predefined paths. Mesh convergence was observed with SIERRA/SM for numerous geometries. As the funding for this project came from the Advanced Simulation and Computing Verification and Validation (ASC V&V) focus area, considerable effort was spent performing verification and validation. Code verification was performed to compare code predictions to analytical solutions for simple three-element simulations as well as a higher-fidelity simulation of a double-cantilever beam. Parameter identification was conducted with Dakota using experimental results on asymmetric double-cantilever beam (ADCB) and end-notched-flexure (ENF) experiments conducted under Campaign-6 funding. Discretization convergence studies were also performed with respect to mesh size and time step and an optimization study was completed for mode II delamination using the ENF geometry. Throughout this verification process, numerous SIERRA/SM bugs were found and reported, all of which have been fixed, leading to over a 10-fold increase in convergence rates. Finally, mixed-mode flexure experiments were performed for validation. One of the unexplained issues encountered was material property variability for ostensibly the same composite material. Since the variability is not fully understood, it is difficult to accurately assess uncertainty when performing predictions.

Andean region study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-10-01

New opportunities for climate change mitigation arising from a higher energy integration among Andean Pact nations were analysed within the framework of the UNEP/GEF Project. Apart from the search for regional mitigation actions, the study was mainly aimed at detecting methodological problems which arise when passing from a strictly national view to the co-ordination of regional actions to deal with climate change. In accordance with the available resources and data, and in view of the mainly methodological nature of the project, it was decided to analyse the opportunities to delve into the energy integration of the Region as regards electricity and natural gas industries and their eventual impact on the emission of greenhouse gases. Although possibilities of setting up electricity and natural gas markets are real, their impacts on GHG emission from the energy system would not prove substantially higher than those which the nations could achieve through the use of their own energy resources, in view that the Andean systems are competitive rather than complementary. More in-depth studies and detail information will be required - unavailable for the present study - to be able to properly evaluate all benefits associated with higher energy integration. Nevertheless, the supply of natural gas to Ecuador seems to be the alternative with the highest impact on GHG emission. If we were to analyse the supply and final consumption of energy jointly, we would most certainly detect additional mitigation options resulting from higher co-operation and co-ordination in the energy field. (EHS)

Tectonic-sedimentary evolution of foreland basins: U-Pb dating of the discharge that would have originated the piggy-back basin of Rodeo-Iglesias, San Juan-Argentina; Evolucao tectono-sedimentar de bacias de antepais: datacao U-Pb do corrimento que teria originado a bacia de piggy-back de Rodeo-Iglesias, San Juan-Argentina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, Romulo Duarte Moreira dos; Hauser, Natalia; Matteini, Massimo; Pimentel, Marcio Martins [Universidade de Brasilia (UnB), DF (Brazil). Instituto de Geociencias. Laboratorio de de Estudos Geocronologicos, Geodinamicos e Ambientais; Limarino, Oscar; Marensi, Sergio; Ciccioli, Patricia; Alonso, Susana, E-mail: romulodms@gmail.com [Departamento de Ciencias Geologicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)

2015-07-01

Between the 28 ° and 31 ° LS parallels of the Argentinean west, in the province of San Juan, foreland basins originated by the subhorizontal subduction of oceanic crust as a result of the Andean orogeny in the late Oligocene emerges. The Bermejo basin and Rodeo-Iglesias piggy-back basin would be associated with the progressive development of landslides, backscatter and minor faults, and basin fragmentation. Two samples of volcanic rocks, R-1 (rhyolitic dome) and R-3 (fall deposit) of the Rodeo-Iglesias basin, had ages of 8.2 ± 0.11 Ma and 8.7 ± 0.24 Ma. At the same time, the age of the (R-1) made it possible to infer quantitatively the age of the first cavalcade that occurred approximately 8.2 ± 0.11 Ma. From the data obtained in the Rodeo-Iglesias basin both volcanism and the first cavalcade could have been synchronous.

Reading Comprehension Instruction Practices in Sierra Leone

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hersbach, S.; Denessen, E.J.P.G.; Droop, W.

2014-01-01

Aim: In this study an attempt was made to give insight in the way reading comprehension is taught in Sierra Leone. Attention was paid to the didactical strategies and the materials used during reading comprehension instruction. Methodology: Primary school teachers in Sierra Leone (N=43) were

The paradox of vertical σ2 in foreland fold and thrust belts

Science.gov (United States)

Tavani, Stefano

2014-05-01

Occurrence of aesthetically appealing thrust systems and associated large scale anticlines, in both active and fossil foreland fold and thrust belts, is commonly interpreted as an evidence for Andersonian compressional framework. Indeed, these structures would testify for a roughly vertical σ3. Such a correlation between thrusts occurrence and stress field orientation, however, frequently fails to explain denser observations at a smaller scale. The syn-orogenic deformation meso-structures hosted in exposed km-scale thrust-related folds, in fact, frequently and paradoxically witness for a syn-thrusting strike-slip stress configuration, with a near-vertical σ2 and a sub-horizontal σ3. This apparent widespread inconsistency between syn-orogenic meso-structures and stress field orientation is here named "the σ2 paradox". A possible explanation for such a paradox is provided by inherited extensional deformation structures commonly developed prior to thrusting, in the flexural foreland basins located ahead of fold and thrust belts. Thrust nucleation and propagation is facilitated and driven by the positive inversion of the extensional inheritances, and their subsequent linkage. This process eventually leads to the development of large reverse fault zones and can occur both in compressive and strike-slip stress configurations.

Time-dependent thermal state of the lithosphere in the foreland of the Eastern Carpathians bend. Insights from new geothermal measurements and modelling results

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Demetrescu, Crisan; Wilhelm, H.; Tumanian, M.

2007-01-01

in establishing the temperature field in the depth range of geothermal measurements. The lateral variation of the palaeoclimatically corrected surface heat flux from the centre of the Focsani Depression (40 mW m-2) to its margin and the foreland platform (70 mW m-2) is mainly the result of the lateral variation...... words: Carpathians foreland, geothermics, heat flow, lithosphere rheology, sedimentation, thermal modelling.  ...

The influence of late Miocene exhumation on the petroleum systems of the greater Caucasus foreland basins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andy, A.; Colin, D.; Sally, H.; Simon, O.

2002-01-01

Full text: Northwards impingement of Arabia during the Cenozoic led to the inversion of the Mesozoic Greater Caucasus Basin and the associated development of areas of enhanced subsidence. However, there is great debate regarding the timing of initiation of thrusting and uplift in the Caucasus region.Traditionally, ages ranging from Middle Eocene through to Middle Miocene have been proposed.More recently. It has become clear that although deformation and flexural subsidence may have initiated during the Late Miocene to Pliocene.The potential causative mechanisms for this late uplift and exhumation did not begin until the Late Miocene to Pliocene.The potential causative mechanisms for this late uplift event have been identified.The late Miocene to Pliocene event influenced a broad region and had important implications for reservoir rock deposition and the generation,migration,trapping and preservation of hydrocarbons in the surrounding basins (e.g. Indolo-Kuban,Terek-Caspian, South Caspian, Kura-Kartli, Rion, Black Sea).One area of particular interest is the development of the Stavropol Arch through time,since foreland basins are presently restricted to the Indolo-Kuban and Terek-Caspian Sub-basins.The Stavropol Arch lies immediately north of the central, most elevated parts of the Caucasus Mountains and separates the main areas of enhanced foreland subsidence.Although in most palaeogeographic reconstructions of the area, the Stavropol Arch is shown as an uplifted massif during much of the Mesozoic and Lower Cenozoic, it seems likely from recent studies that it is a feature of Late Miocene to Pliocene exhumation.One major potential implication is that an Oligocene to Miocene (foreland) succession developed in a major basin across the whole region north of the Greater Caucasus.Much of this was subsequently eroded from the Stavropol Arch during uplift and exhumation, separating the Indolo-Kuban and Terek-Caspian foreland basins.From qualitative section balancing we

On Beam Matching and the Space-Charge Effect in protoDUNE-SP

CERN Document Server

Mandalia, Jesal Paresh

2017-01-01

In this project simulations using LArSoft have been analysed in particular looking at how the space-charge effect will affect the matching of particle tracks from the beam line monitor to the TPC and the TPC's performance measuring $\\frac{dE}{dx}$ in protoDUNE-SP. The analysis here provides some preliminary calibrations for protoDUNE-SP to account for the impact the space charge effect will have. Many areas of pion cross section analysis will be affected by the space charge effect so it is vital for a calibration to be developed.

Andean cutaneous leishmaniasis (Andean-CL, uta) in Peru and Ecuador: the vector Lutzomyia sand flies and reservoir mammals.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashiguchi, Yoshihisa; Gomez L, Eduardo A; Cáceres, Abraham G; Velez, Lenin N; Villegas, Nancy V; Hashiguchi, Kazue; Mimori, Tatsuyuki; Uezato, Hiroshi; Kato, Hirotomo

2018-02-01

The vector Lutzomyia sand flies and reservoir host mammals of the Leishmania parasites, causing the Andean cutaneous leishmaniasis (Andean-CL, uta) in Peru and Ecuador were thoroughly reviewed, performing a survey of literatures including our unpublished data. The Peruvian L. (V.) peruviana, a principal Leishmania species causing Andean-CL in Peru, possessed three Lutzomyia species, Lu. peruensis, Lu. verrucarum and Lu. ayacuchensis as vectors, while the Ecuadorian L. (L.) mexicana parasite possessed only one species Lu. ayacuchensis as the vector. Among these, the Ecuadorian showed a markedly higher rate of natural Leishmania infections. However, the monthly and diurnal biting activities were mostly similar among these vector species was in both countries, and the higher rates of infection (transmission) reported, corresponded to sand fly's higher monthly-activity season (rainy season). The Lu. tejadai sand fly participated as a vector of a hybrid parasite of L. (V.) braziliensis/L. (V.) peruviana in the Peruvian Andes. Dogs were considered to be principal reservoir hosts of the L. (V.) peruviana and L. (L.) mexicana parasites in both countries, followed by other sylvatic mammals such as Phyllotis andium, Didelphis albiventris and Akodon sp. in Peru, and Rattus rattus in Ecuador, but information on the reservoir hosts/mammals was extremely poor in both countries. Thus, the Peruvian disease form demonstrated more complicated transmission dynamics than the Ecuadorian. A brief review was also given to the control of vector and reservoirs in the Andes areas. Such information is crucial for future development of the control strategies of the disease. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pasta Structures of Quark-Hadron Phase Transition in Proto-Neutron Stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasutake, Nobutoshi; Maruyama, Toshiki; Tatsumi, Toshitaka

2011-01-01

We study the quark-hadron mixed phase in proto-neutron stars with the finite-size effects. In the calculations of pasta structures appeared in the mixed phase, the Gibbs conditions require the pressure balance and chemical equilibrium between two phases besides the thermal equilibrium. We find that the region of the mixed phase is limited due to thermal instability. Moreover, we study the effects of neutrinos to the pasta structures. As a result, we find that the existence of neutrinos make the pasta structures unstable, too. These characteristic features of the hadron-quark mixed phase should be important for the middle stage of the evolutions of proto-neutron stars.

Sedimentary Evolution of Marginal Ganga Foreland Basin during the Late Pleistocene

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, R.; Srivastava, P.; Shukla, U. K.

2017-12-01

Ganga foreland basin, an asymmetrical basin, was formed as result of plate-plate collision during middle Miocene. A major thrust event occurred during 500 ka when upper Siwalik sediments were uplifted and the modern Ganga foreland basin shifted towards craton, making a more wide and deep basin. The more distal part of this basin, south of axial river Yamuna, records fluvial sedimentary packages that helps to understand dynamics of peripheral bulge during the late Quaternary. Sedimentary architecture in conjunction with chemical index of alteration (CIA), paleocurrent direction and optically stimulated dating (OSL) from 19 stratigraphic sections helped reconstructing the variations in depositional environments vis-à-vis climate change and peripheral bulge tectonics. Three major units (i) paleosol; (ii) cratonic gravel; (iii) interfluve succession were identified. The lower unit-I showing CIA values close to 70-80 and micro-morphological features of moderately well-developed pedogenic unit that shows development of calcrete, rhizoliths, and mineralized organic matter in abundance. This is a regional paleosols unit and OSL age bracketed 200 ka. This is unconformably overlain by unit-II, a channelized gravel composed of sub-angular to sub-rounded clasts of granite, quartz, quartzite, limestone and calcrete. The gravel have low CIA value up to 55, rich in vertebrate fossil assemblages and mean paleocurrent vector direction is NE, which suggesting deposition by a fan of a river draining craton into foreland. This unit is dated between 100 ka and 54 ka. The top unit-III, interfluve succession of 10-15 m thick is composed of dark and light bands of sheet like deposit of silty clay to clayey silt comprises sand lenses of red to grey color and displaying top most OSL age is 12 ka. The basal mature paleosol signifies a humid climate developed under low subsidence rate at >100 ka. After a hiatus represented by pedogenic surface deposition of unit-II (gravel) suggests uplift

High power plasma heating experiments on the Proto-MPEX facility

Science.gov (United States)

Bigelow, T. S.; Beers, C. J.; Biewer, T. M.; Caneses, J. F.; Caughman, J. B. O.; Diem, S. J.; Goulding, R. H.; Green, D. L.; Kafle, N.; Rapp, J.; Showers, M. A.

2017-10-01

Work is underway to maximize the power delivered to the plasma that is available from heating sources installed on the Prototype Materials Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX) at ORNL. Proto-MPEX is a linear device that has a >100 kW, 13.56 MHz helicon plasma generator available and is intended for material sample exposure to plasmas. Additional plasma heating systems include a 10 kW 18 GHz electron cyclotron heating (ECH) system, a 25 kW 8 MHz ion cyclotron heating ICH system, and a 200 kW 28 GHz electron Bernstein wave (EBW) and ECH system. Most of the heating systems have relatively good power transmission efficiency, however, the 28 GHz EBW system has a lower efficiency owing to stringent requirements on the microwave launch characteristics for EBW coupling combined with the lower output mode purity of the early-model gyrotron in use and its compact mode converter system. A goal for the Proto-MPEX is to have a combined heating power of 200 kW injected into the plasma. Infrared emission diagnostics of the target plate combined with Thomson Scattering, Langmuir probe, and energy analyzer measurements near the target are utilized to characterize the plasmas and coupling efficiency of the heating systems. ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. DOE under contract DE-AC-05-00OR22725.

A MULTIWAVELENGTH CHARACTERIZATION OF PROTO-BROWN-DWARF CANDIDATES IN SERPENS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Riaz, B.; Caselli, P. [Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstrasse 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Vorobyov, E. [Institute of Astrophysics, University of Vienna, Vienna 1180 (Austria); Research Institute of Physics, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don 344090 (Russian Federation); Harsono, D. [Universitt Heidelberg, Zentrum fr Astronomie, Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik, Albert-Ueberle-Str. 2, D-69120, Heidelberg (Germany); Tikare, K. [IRAP, BP 44346-31028 Toulouse Cedex 4 (France); Gonzalez-Martin, O., E-mail: briaz@mpe.mpg.de [Instituto de Radioastronoma y Astrofsica (IRyA), UNAM, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro # 8701, Col. Ex Hacienda San José de la Huerta, Morelia, Michoacán, C.P. 58089 (Mexico)

2016-11-10

We present results from a deep submillimeter survey in the Serpens Main and Serpens/G3–G6 clusters, conducted with the Submillimetre Common-User Bolometer Array (SCUBA-2) at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. We have combined near- and mid-infrared spectroscopy, Herschel PACS far-infrared photometry, submillimeter continuum, and molecular gas line observations, with the aim of conducting a detailed multiwavelength characterization of “proto-brown-dwarf” (proto-BD) candidates in Serpens. We have performed continuum and line radiative transfer modeling and have considered various classification schemes to understand the structure and the evolutionary stage of the system. We have identified four proto-BD candidates, of which the lowest-luminosity source has an L {sub bol} ∼ 0.05 L {sub ☉}. Two of these candidates show characteristics consistent with Stage 0/I systems, while the other two are Stage I-T/Class Flat systems with tenuous envelopes. Our work has also revealed a ∼20% fraction of misidentified Class 0/I/Flat sources that show characteristics consistent with Class II edge-on disk systems. We have set constraints on the mass of the central object using the measured bolometric luminosities and numerical simulations of stellar evolution. Considering the available gas+dust mass reservoir and the current mass of the central source, three of these candidates are likely to evolve into BDs.

Proto-oncogene expression: a predictive assay for radiation biodosimetry applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miller, A.C.; Luo, L.; Chin, W.K.; Director-Myska, A.E.; Prasanna, P.G.S.; Blakely, W.F

2002-07-01

Using a model system of in vitro human peripheral blood lymphocytes, the effect of low-dose (0.25 to 1.50 Gy) 250-kV{sub p} X ray radiation (1 Gy.min{sup -1}) on the expression of several proto-oncogenes was examined (c-Haras, c-src, c-met, c-jun, c-fos, and c-myc) and {beta}-actin from 0.25 to 17 h post-radiation. RNA was extracted from cells harvested at various times after exposure and examined for levels of particular mRNAs by northern blot hybridisation. A progressive time- and dose-dependent increase in mRNA levels was observed for c-Haras mRNA, while the other proto-oncogenes (c-src, c-met, c-fos, c-jun, and c-myc) examined were variable during the same time period. {beta}-actin levels were initially decreased but at 17 h post-radiation had returned to control levels. A comparison of the rate of c-Haras transcription at 5 and 17 h post-irradiation revealed that c-Haras transcription was higher at 5 h than at 17 h. These findings suggest that the level of specific proto-oncogene expression, particularly c-Haras, may be useful early diagnostic molecular biomarkers for biodosimetry applications. The use of real-time PCR technologies to quantify gene expression changes will also be discussed. (author)

The metamorphic basement of the southern Sierra de Aconquija, Eastern Sierras Pampeanas: Provenance and tectonic setting of a Neoproterozoic back-arc basin

Science.gov (United States)

Cisterna, Clara Eugenia; Altenberger, Uwe; Mon, Ricardo; Günter, Christina; Gutiérrez, Antonio

2018-03-01

The Eastern Sierras Pampeanas are mainly composed of Neoproterozoic-early Palaeozoic metamorphic complexes whose protoliths were sedimentary sequences deposited along the western margin of Gondwana. South of the Sierra de Aconquija, Eastern Sierras Pampeanas, a voluminous metamorphic complex crops out. It is mainly composed of schists, gneisses, marbles, calk-silicate schists, thin layers of amphibolites intercalated with the marbles and granitic veins. The new data correlate the Sierra de Aconquija with others metamorphic units that crop out to the south, at the middle portion of the Sierra de Ancasti. Bulk rock composition reflects originally shales, iron rich shales, wackes, minor litharenites and impure limestones as its protoliths. Moreover, comparisons with the northern Sierra de Aconquija and from La Majada (Sierra de Ancasti) show similar composition. Amphibolites have a basaltic precursor, like those from the La Majada (Sierra de Ancasti) ones. The analyzed metamorphic sequence reflects low to moderate weathering conditions in the sediments source environment and their chemical composition would be mainly controlled by the tectonic setting of the sedimentary basin rather than by the secondary sorting and reworking of older deposits. The sediments composition reveal relatively low maturity, nevertheless the Fe - shale and the litharenite show a tendency of minor maturity among them. The source is related to an acid one for the litharenite protolith and a more basic to intermediate for the other rocks, suggesting a main derivation from intermediate to felsic orogen. The source of the Fe-shales may be related to and admixture of the sediments with basic components. Overall the composition point to an upper continental crust as the dominant sediment source for most of the metasedimentary rocks. The protolith of the amphibolites have basic precursors, related to an evolving back-arc basin. The chemical data in combination with the specific sediment association

Quantifying the role of mantle forcing, crustal shortening and exogenic forcing on exhumation of the North Alpine Foreland Basin

Science.gov (United States)

von Hagke, C.; Luijendijk, E.; Hindle, D.

2017-12-01

In contrast to the internal zones of orogens, where the stacking of thrust sheets can overwhelm more subtle signals, foreland basins can record long-wavelength subsidence or uplift signals caused by mantle processes. We use a new and extensive compilation of geological and thermochronology data from the North Alpine Foreland Basin to understand the dynamics of foreland basins and their interaction with surface and geodynamic processes. We quantify cooling and exhumation rates in the basin by combining published and new vitrinite reflectance, apatite fission track and U-Th/He data with a new inverse burial and thermal history model, pybasin. No correlation is obvious between inferred cooling and exhumation rates and elevation, relief or tectonics. Uncertainty analysis shows that thermochronometers can be explained by cooling starting as early as the Miocene or as late as the Pleistocene. We compare derived temperature histories to exhumation estimates based on the retro-deformation of Molasse basin and the Jura mountains, and to exhumation caused by drainage reorganization and incision. Drainage reorganization can explain at most 25% of the observed cooling rates in the basin. Tectonic transport of the basin's sediments over the inclined basement of the alpine foreland as the Jura mountains shortened can explain part of the cooling signal in the western part of the basin. However, overall a substantial amount of cooling and exhumation remains unexplained by known tectonic and surface processes. Our results document basin wide exhumation that may be related to slab roll-back or other lithospheric processes. We suggest that new (U-Th)/He data from key areas close to the Alpine front may provide better constraints on the timing of exhumation.

Petrogenesis of the postcollisional Middle Devonian monzonitic to granitic magmatism of the Sierra de San Luis, Argentina

Science.gov (United States)

López de Luchi, Mónica G.; Siegesmund, Siegfried; Wemmer, Klaus; Nolte, Nicole

2017-09-01

Middle Devonian granitoids intruded the Eastern Sierras Pampeanas basement ca. 600 km east of the inferred proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana along which a ca. 390 Ma collisional event developed. In the Sierra de San Luis, voluminous Middle Devonian (393-382 Ma) batholiths are composed of I- to A-type hybrid Monzonite and Granite suites. Shoshonite and subordinated high-K series, stocks, synplutonic dikes and enclaves make up the Monzonite Suite; rocks are metaluminous alkali-calcic magnesian porphyritic or equigranular monzonite, quartz monzonite, monzodiorite and scarce monzogabbro. High-K and subordinated shoshonite series metaluminous to mildly peraluminous magnesian alkali-calcic to calc-alkalic porphyritic or equigranular quartz monzonite, granodiorite, monzogranite and equigranular leucomonzogranites make up the Granite Suite plutons and batholiths. Only a small group of highly evolved granites are ferroan. SiO2 (46-62%), Cr, Ni, V, Sc, LILE, LREE, Th, Zr and variable, Sr/Y, (La/Yb)N and (Tb/Yb)N, smooth Eu/Eu*, moderate Na2O (ca 3.5), and troughs at Nb and Ta for Monzonite Suite rocks suggest an subduction-related enriched lithospheric mantle source. Sm-Nd data (TDM 0.98-1.08 Ga, εNd(380 Ma) 0.66-1.47) and 87Sr/86Sri (0.703520-0.704203) are compatible with an enriched mantle source. The metaluminous porphyritic quartz monzonite-monzogranite and the mildly peraluminous equigranular biotite monzogranites of the Granite Suite are characterized by relatively moderate Al2O3, CaO, and 87Sr/86Sri, high LILE, Cr, variable Sr/Y, (La/Yb)N and Eu/Eu* and low Rb/Sr ( 1.5, ASI 1.05-1.18, and Ga/Al 2.6-3.9, εNd(380 Ma) - 3.74 to - 3.95 and (87Sr/86Sr)i 0.710743-0.712955 which would point to metasedimentary or felsic igneous crustal sources. Nevertheless their TDM 1.36-1.38 Ga is considerably younger than the mean 1.8-1.6 Ga Eastern Sierras Pampeanas crustal residence age and less radiogenic. Middle Devonian magmatism would record an episode of crustal growth by enriched

Interaction of an Introduced Predator with Future Effects of Climate Change in the Recruitment Dynamics of the Imperiled Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog (Rana sierrae)

Science.gov (United States)

I Lacan; Kathleen R. Matthews; K.V. Feldman

2008-01-01

Between-year variation in snowpack (from 20 to 200% of average) and summer rainfall cause large fluctuations in volume of small lakes in the higher elevation (> 3000 m) Sierra Nevada, which are important habitat for the imperiled Sierra Nevada Yellow-legged Frog, Rana sierrae. Climate change (global warming) is predicted to increase these...

Sierra/SD User's Notes.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Munday, Lynn Brendon; Day, David M.; Bunting, Gregory; Miller, Scott T; Crane, Nathan K

2018-03-01

Sierra/SD provides a massively parallel implementation of structural dynamics finite element analysis, required for high fidelity, validated models used in modal, vibration, static and shock analysis of weapons systems. This document provides a users guide to the input for Sierra/SD. Details of input specifications for the different solution types, output options, element types and parameters are included. The appendices contain detailed examples, and instructions for running the software on parallel platforms.

TRANSGRESSIVE SEQUENCES ON FORELAND MARGINS: A CASE STUDY OF THE NEOGENE CENTRAL GUADALQUIVIR BASIN, SOUTHERN SPAIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. GABRIEL PENDÓN

2004-07-01

Full Text Available The Guadalquivir foreland basin, located between the Iberian basement northward and the Betic orogen to the South, represents the western sector of the earlier foredeep basin of the Betic Cordillera. Along the northern foreland margin, the sedimentary fill of this basin includes a Tortonian Basal Transgressive Complex (BTC, composed of five internal sequences bounded by transgressive surfaces. Two main parts are distinguished within each sequence: the lower transgressive lag deposits, and the upper stillstand/prograding sediments. Three facies associations were distinguished within this stratigraphic succession along the central sector of this basin margin: unfossiliferous conglomerates and coarse-grained sands (A, fossiliferous conglomerates and coarse-grained sands (B, and yellow medium-coarse-grained fossiliferous sands (C. A fourth facies association (D: blue silty marlstones and shales overlies the BTC. Deposits of alluvial sediments (facies association A and shallow-marine/foreshore sediments (facies association C, were recurrently interrupted by transgressive pulses (facies associations B and C. Every pulse is recorded by an erosional, cemented sandy-conglomerate bar with bivalves (Ostreidae, Isognomon, balanids, gastropods and other marine bioclasts; or their transgressive equivalents. The lateral facies changes in each individual sequence of the BTC are related to: (1 the influence on the northern foreland margin of the tectonic activity of the southern orogenic margin; (2 the palaeorelief formed by irregularities of the substrate which controls the sediment dispersal; and (3 the evolution stages of the sedimentary systems. 

From Dearth to El Dorado: Andean Nature, Plate Tectonics, and the Ontologies of Ecuadorian Resource Wealth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Kneas

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Since the early 1990s, the Ecuadorian government has pledged to convert the nation into a “mining country” of global standing. Contemporary claims of mineral wealth, however, stand in stark contrast to previous assessments. Indeed, through much of the 20th century, geologists described Ecuador as a country of mineral dearth. Exploring the process through which Ecuador seemingly transitioned from a nation of resource scarcity to one of mineral plenty, I demonstrate how assessments of Ecuador’s resource potential relate to ideas of Andean nature. Promoters of resource abundance have emphasized Andean uniformity and equivalence—the notion that Ecuador’s mineral wealth is inevitable by virtue of the resource richness of its Andean neighbors. Geologists who have questioned Ecuador’s mineral content, on the other hand, have emphasized Andean heterogeneity. In the recent promotion of Ecuador’s resource potential, notions of Andean uniformity have been bolstered by models of subsoil copper that emerged in the in 1970s in the context of plate-tectonic theory. In highlighting the linkage between ideas of Andean nature and appraisals of Ecuadorian resource potential since the late 19th century, I outline the dialectics between nature and natural resources that underpin processes of resource becoming.

Archaeological obsidian from La Sierra Gorda Mexico, by PIXE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juarez-Cossio, D.; Terreros, E.; Quiroz-Moreno, J.; Romero-Sanchez, S.; Calligaro, T.F.; Tenorio, D.; Jimenez-Reyes, M.; Los Rios, M. de

2009-01-01

The chemical compositions of 42 obsidian pre-Hispanic artifacts from Tancama and Purisima, both archaeological sites of La Sierra Gorda Valleys, Mexico, were analyzed by PIXE technique. These obsidians came from four sources: Sierra de Pachuca Hidalgo, Paraiso Queretaro, Ucareo Michoacan and mainly from Zacualtipan/Metzquititlan Hidalgo. According to archaeological evidences, La Sierra Gorda valleys participated in commercial exchange with other regional sites, from Classic to Post-classic periods (A.D. 300-1500).

protoDUNE-Single Phase and protDUNE-DualPhase

CERN Multimedia

Brice, Maximilien

2016-01-01

At the EHN1 two big 8m x 8m x8m detector prototypes (protoDUNE-Single Phase and protDUNE-DualPhase) are being constructed. The aim is to test technologies and detector performances for DUNE, a new generation of LBN neutr

Bacterial diversity in the foreland of the Tianshan No. 1 glacier, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Xiukun; Zhang Wei; Liu Guangxiu; Zhang Gaosen; Yang Xuan; Hu Ping; Chen Tuo; Li Zhongqin

2012-01-01

There is compelling evidence that glaciers are retreating in many mountainous areas of the world due to global warming. With this glacier retreat, new habitats are being exposed that are colonized by microorganisms whose diversity and function are less well studied. Here, we characterized bacterial diversity along the chronosequences of the glacier No. 1 foreland that follows glacier retreat. An average of 10 000 sequences was obtained from each sample by 454 pyrosequencing. Using non-parametric and rarefaction estimated analysis, we found bacterial phylotype richness was high. The bacterial species turnover rate was especially high between sites exposed for 6 and 10 yr. Pyrosequencing showed tremendous bacterial diversity, among which the Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were found to be present at larger numbers at the study area. Meanwhile, the proportion of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria decreased and the proportion of Acidobacteria increased along the chronosequences. Some known functional bacterial genera were also detected and the sulfur- and sulfate-reducing bacteria were present in a lower proportion of sequences. These findings suggest that high-throughput pyrosequencing can comprehensively detect bacteria in the foreland, including rare groups, and give a deeper understanding of the bacterial community structure and variation along the chronosequences. (letter)

Bacterial diversity in the foreland of the Tianshan No. 1 glacier, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiukun, Wu; Wei, Zhang; Guangxiu, Liu; Gaosen, Zhang [Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou (China); Xuan, Yang; Ping, Hu [School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou (China); Tuo, Chen; Li Zhongqin, E-mail: liugx@lzb.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou (China)

2012-03-15

There is compelling evidence that glaciers are retreating in many mountainous areas of the world due to global warming. With this glacier retreat, new habitats are being exposed that are colonized by microorganisms whose diversity and function are less well studied. Here, we characterized bacterial diversity along the chronosequences of the glacier No. 1 foreland that follows glacier retreat. An average of 10 000 sequences was obtained from each sample by 454 pyrosequencing. Using non-parametric and rarefaction estimated analysis, we found bacterial phylotype richness was high. The bacterial species turnover rate was especially high between sites exposed for 6 and 10 yr. Pyrosequencing showed tremendous bacterial diversity, among which the Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were found to be present at larger numbers at the study area. Meanwhile, the proportion of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria decreased and the proportion of Acidobacteria increased along the chronosequences. Some known functional bacterial genera were also detected and the sulfur- and sulfate-reducing bacteria were present in a lower proportion of sequences. These findings suggest that high-throughput pyrosequencing can comprehensively detect bacteria in the foreland, including rare groups, and give a deeper understanding of the bacterial community structure and variation along the chronosequences. (letter)

Mississippian lamprophyre dikes in western Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina: Evidence of transtensional tectonics along the SW margin of Gondwana

Science.gov (United States)

Martina, Federico; Canelo, Horacio N.; Dávila, Federico M.; de Hollanda, María Helena M.; Teixeira, Wilson

2018-04-01

In the Famatina range, Sierras Pampeanas of Argentina (SW Gondwana), subvertical calc-alkaline lamprophyric dike swarms crop out through >300 km. The dikes cut Ordovician units with a prominent NW-SE trending and are covered by continental sedimentary successions of Pennsylvanian to Permian age. The dikes show a strong structural control associated with Riedel fault systems. Detailed field analysis suggested a ∼N-S opening direction oblique to the attitude of dike walls and a left-lateral transtensional tectonics during the emplacement. 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of a lamprophyric sample defined a crystallization age (plateau; whole rock) of 357.1 ± 7.1 Ma (MSWD = 2.3). Coetaneous ductile zones with dominant strike-slip motion, documented along western Argentina for >600 km, suggest a regional event in SW Gondwana during the Mississippian. We propose that this deformation was the result of the counterclockwise fast rotation of Gondwana between 365 and 345 Ma, when the Famatina range and western Argentina occupied a sub-polar position. A transform margin along SW Gondwana better explains our (and others) data rather than a subduction margin. This scenario is also consistent with the occurrence of A-type granites and normal-fault basins within the foreland as well as bimodal volcanics.

Organochlorine compounds in soils and sediments of the mountain Andean Lakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borghini, Francesca; Grimalt, Joan O.; Sanchez-Hernandez, Juan C.; Barra, Ricardo; Garcia, Carlos J. Torres; Focardi, Silvano

2005-01-01

Semi-volatile organochlorine compounds (OC) were analyzed in remote Andean soils and lake sediments. The sampling sites covered a wide latitudinal gradient from 18 deg. S to 46 deg. S along Chile and an altitudinal gradient (10-4500 m). The concentrations were in the order of background levels, involving absence of major pollution sources in the high mountain areas. Significant correlations were found between log-transformed concentrations of hexachlorobenzene, α- and γ-hexachlorocyclohexane in soils and total organic content (TOC). In addition, TOC-normalized concentrations of the most volatile OC showed a significant linear dependence with air temperature. This good agreement points to temperature as a significant factor for the retention of long range transported OC in remote ecosystems such as the Andean mountains, although other variables should not be totally excluded. The highest concentrations of OCs were achieved in the sites located at highest altitude and lowest temperature of the dataset. - Distribution of persistent organochlorine compounds in the Andean Mountain lakes is influenced by temperature

Predicting Polylepis distribution: vulnerable and increasingly important Andean woodlands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian R. Zutta

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Polylepis woodlands are a vital resource for preserving biodiversity and hydrological functions, which will be altered by climate change and challenge the sustainability of local human communities. However, these highaltitude Andean ecosystems are becoming increasingly vulnerable due to anthropogenic pressure including fragmentation, deforestation and the increase in livestock. Predicting the distribution of native woodlands has become increasingly important to counteract the negative effects of climate change through reforestation and conservation. The objective of this study was to develop and analyze the distribution models of two species that form extensive woodlands along the Andes, namely Polylepis sericea and P. weberbaueri. This study utilized the program Maxent, climate and remotely sensed environmental layers at 1 km resolution. The predicted distribution model for P. sericea indicated that the species could be located in a variety of habitats along the Andean Cordillera, while P. weberbaueri was restricted to the high elevations of southern Peru and Bolivia. For both species, elevation and temperature metrics were the most significant factors for predicted distribution. Further model refinement of Polylepis and other Andean species using increasingly available satellite data demonstrate the potential to help define areas of diversity and improve conservation strategies for the Andes.

Observational Corollaries of Proto-AGN: Understanding Formation of Supermassive Black Hole Seeds

Science.gov (United States)

Shlosman, Isaac

2016-10-01

Formation of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) is still an enigma. Recent detections of high-z quasars which harbor massive SMBHs provide a challenge to models of structure buildup in the universe. Main alternatives for the formation of SMBH seeds are (1) remnants of Population III stars, and (2) a direct baryonic collapse within dark matter (DM) halos of 10^8 Mo -- first halos whose virial temperature exceeds 10^4 K, and which can lead to the formation of proto-AGN -- luminous pre-SMBH objects. Potentially, this can involve both high-z objects as well as low-z dwarf galaxies in voids. We focus on the direct collapse in 10^8 Mo halos which circumvents the pitfalls of Pop III remnants. The collapse can proceed via a radiation pressure-supported quasistar -- with a modified blackbody continuum. Such a configuration requires a very efficient angular momentum transfer. Or, it can form a thick, differentially rotating, self-gravitating disk, which is associated with an X-ray-infrared continuum and Seyfert-level luminosity, anisotropic emission, massive bi-conical outflows, and will be a powerful source of the Ly-alpha emission. We propose to perform radiative transfer in the continuum and hydrogen lines (e.g., Lyman and Balmer), using our models of proto-AGN, and do it on-the-fly -- concurrently with the collapse. We shall test the path to quasistellar and disky proto-AGN, produce first synthetic spectra of proto-AGN, and address the issue of feasibility of their detection by the JWST. Finally, we shall develop the strategy of searching for these objects at high- and low-z, based on the specific features in the spectra and associated variability.

Use of spatial capture–recapture to estimate density of Andean bears in northern Ecuador

Science.gov (United States)

Molina, Santiago; Fuller, Angela K.; Morin, Dana J.; Royle, J. Andrew

2017-01-01

The Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) is the only extant species of bear in South America and is considered threatened across its range and endangered in Ecuador. Habitat loss and fragmentation is considered a critical threat to the species, and there is a lack of knowledge regarding its distribution and abundance. The species is thought to occur at low densities, making field studies designed to estimate abundance or density challenging. We conducted a pilot camera-trap study to estimate Andean bear density in a recently identified population of Andean bears northwest of Quito, Ecuador, during 2012. We compared 12 candidate spatial capture–recapture models including covariates on encounter probability and density and estimated a density of 7.45 bears/100 km2 within the region. In addition, we estimated that approximately 40 bears used a recently named Andean bear corridor established by the Secretary of Environment, and we produced a density map for this area. Use of a rub-post with vanilla scent attractant allowed us to capture numerous photographs for each event, improving our ability to identify individual bears by unique facial markings. This study provides the first empirically derived density estimate for Andean bears in Ecuador and should provide direction for future landscape-scale studies interested in conservation initiatives requiring spatially explicit estimates of density.

Neogene shortening and exhumation of the Zagros fold-thrust belt and foreland basin in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq

Science.gov (United States)

Koshnaw, Renas I.; Horton, Brian K.; Stockli, Daniel F.; Barber, Douglas E.; Tamar-Agha, Mazin Y.; Kendall, Jerome J.

2017-01-01

The Zagros fold-thrust belt in the Kurdistan region of Iraq encroached southward toward a rapidly subsiding Neogene foreland basin and was later partitioned by out-of-sequence shortening focused along the Mountain Front Flexure (MFF), as defined by new low-temperature thermochronologic, stratigraphic, and provenance results. Apatite (U-Th)/He ages document rapid deformation advance from the Main Zagros Fault to southern frontal structures (Kirkuk, Shakal, and Qamar thrusts) at 10-8 Ma, followed by potential basement-involved out-of-sequence development of the MFF (Qaradagh anticline) by 5 Ma. Distinct shifts in detrital zircon U-Pb provenance signatures for Neogene foreland basin fill provide evidence for drainage reorganization during fold-thrust belt advance. U-Pb age spectra and petrologic data from the Injana (Upper Fars) Formation indicate derivation from a variety of Eurasian, Pan-African, ophiolitic and Mesozoic-Cenozoic volcanic terranes, whereas the Mukdadiya (Lower Bakhtiari) and Bai-Hasan (Upper Bakhtiari) Formations show nearly exclusive derivation from the Paleogene Walash-Naopurdan volcanic complex near the Iraq-Iran border. Such a sharp cutoff in Eurasian, Pan-African, and ophiolitic sources is likely associated with drainage reorganization and tectonic development of the geomorphic barrier formed by the MFF. As a result of Zagros crustal shortening, thickening and loading, the Neogene foreland basin developed and accommodated an abrupt influx of fluvial clastic sediment that contains growth stratal evidence of synkinematic accumulation. The apparent out-of-sequence pattern of upper crustal shortening in the hinterland to foreland zone of Iraqi Kurdistan suggests that structural inheritance and the effects of synorogenic erosion and accumulation are important factors influencing the irregular and episodic nature of orogenic growth in the Zagros.

Formation of a hybrid-type proto-atmosphere on Mars accreting in the solar nebula

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Hiroaki; Kuramoto, Kiyoshi

2018-03-01

Recent studies of the chronology of Martian meteorites suggest that the growth of Mars was almost complete within a few Myr after the birth of the Solar system. During such rapid accretion, proto-Mars likely gravitationally maintained both the solar nebula component and the impact degassing component, containing H2O vapour and reduced gas species, as a proto-atmosphere to be called a hybrid-type proto-atmosphere. Here we numerically analyse the mass and composition of the degassed component and the atmospheric thermal structure sustained by accretional heating. Our results predict that a growing Mars possibly acquired a massive and hot hybrid-type proto-atmosphere with surface pressure and temperature greater than several kbar and 2000 K, respectively, which is sufficient to produce a deep magma ocean. In such a high-temperature and high-pressure environment, a significant amount of H2O, CH4, CO, and H2 is expected to be partitioned into the planetary interior, although this would strongly depend on the dynamics of the magma ocean and mantle solidification. The dissolved H2O may explain the wet Martian mantle implied from basaltic Martian meteorites. Along with the remnant reduced atmosphere after the hydrodynamic atmospheric escape, dissolved reduced gas species may have maintained an earliest Martian surface environment that allowed prebiotic chemical evolution and liquid H2O activities.

Crustal structure of the Central Precordillera of San Juan, Argentina (31°S) using teleseismic receiver functions

Science.gov (United States)

Ammirati, Jean-Baptiste; Alvarado, Patricia; Perarnau, Marcelo; Saez, Mauro; Monsalvo, Guillermo

2013-10-01

The subduction of the Nazca plate under the South American plate around 31°S is characterized by flat slab geometry. The (Chilean) Pampean flat slab of Argentina associated with the subduction of the Juan Fernandez ridge lies in a region of a series of foreland uplifts corresponding to the thin-skinned Precordillera and basement cored Sierras Pampeanas ranges. The SIEMBRA project deployed 40 broadband stations in 2008-2009 in both the Precordillera and the Sierras Pampeanas with the aim to foster the understanding of the entire central Andean flat slab region. One of the SIEMBRA station (DOCA) located on the western flank of Sierra de la Invernada in the Central Precordillera appears particularly appropriate to study the crustal structure and eventually detect discontinuities related to terranes establishment. We thus performed a receiver function analysis using teleseismic data recorded at the DOCA station during the SIEMBRA project and from October 2011 to June 2012 using a broadband UNSJ (National University of San Juan) seismic station with the purpose to obtain crustal images with details of the intracrustal structure consistent with a mechanism that could explains both the observed earthquake depths and the uplift pattern in the Central Precordillera. Our results show that the Moho beneath the Precordillera lies at a depth of about 66 km. The Moho signal appears diminished and behaves irregularly as a function of azimuthal orientations. Although this observation could be the result of an irregular geometry it also correlates with the hypothesis of partial eclogitisation in the lower crust. Two mid-crustal discontinuities have also been revealed. The shallower one could correspond to a décollement level between the Precordilleran strata and the Cuyania basement at 21 km depth. The deeper one which the presence has been matched with a sharp decrease of the crustal seismic activity drove us to the hypothesis of a major change in crustal composition at 36 km

Numerical modelling of Quaternary terrace staircase formation in the Ebro foreland basin, southern Pyrenees, NE Iberia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Balen, R.T.; Stange, K.M.; Cloetingh, S.A.P.L.; Garcia-Castellanos, D.

2016-01-01

The southern foreland basin of the Pyrenees (Ebro basin) is an exorheic drainage basin since Late Miocene times. Remnants of an early exorheic Ebro drainage system are not preserved, but morphology provides evidence for the Pliocene–Quaternary drainage development. The incision history of the Ebro

Biosphere and atmosphere interactions in Sierra Nevada forests

Science.gov (United States)

Allen H. Goldstein

2004-01-01

In the Sierra Nevada, studies are being conducted to assess the impacts of both anthropogenic and biogenic hydrocarbon emissions on regional tropospheric ozone and fine aerosol production. Impacts of ozone deposition and management practices on ecosystem health are also being studied. Human-induced changes in regional air quality have consequences for Sierra Nevada...

Late Oligocene-Early Miocene compressional tectosedimentary episode and associated land-mammal faunas in the Andes of central Chile and adjacent Argentina (32 37°s)

Science.gov (United States)

Semper, Thierry; Marshall, Larry G.; Rivano, Sergio; Godoy, Estanislao

1994-01-01

A reassessment of the geologic and land-mammal fossil evidence used in attribution of a tectosedimentary episode in the Andes between 32 and 37°S to the Middle Eocene "Incaic tectonic phase" of Peru indicates that the episode occurred during Late Oligocene-Early Miocene times(~ 27-20 Ma). From west to east, three structural domains are recognized for this time span in the study area: a volcanic arc (Chile); a thin-skinned, E-verging fold-thrust belt (Cordillera Principal, Chile-Argentina border strip); and a foreland basin (Argentina). Initiation of thrusting in the Cordillera Principal fold-thrust belt produced the coeval initiation of sedimentation in the foreland basin of adjacent Argentina. This onset of foreland deposition postdates strata bearing a Divisaderan Land Mammal Age fauna (i.e. ~ 35-30 Ma) and is marked at ~ 36°30'S by the base of the "Rodados Lustrosos" conglomerates, which are conformably overlain by sedimentary rocks containing a Deseadan Land Mammal Age fauna (i.e. ~ 29-21 Ma). Geologic relationships between the thick volcanic Abanico (Coya-Machalí) and Farellones formations also demonstrate that this tectosedimentary episode practically ended at ~ 20 Ma at least in the volcanic arc, and was therefore roughly coeval with the major tectonic crisis (~ 27-19 Ma) known in northwestern Andean Bolivia some 1500 km to the north. This strongly suggests that a long, outstanding tectonic upheaval affected at least an extended 12-37°S segment of the Andean margin of South America during Late Oligocene and Early Miocene times.

Comparison of the tropical floras of the Sierra la Madera and the Sierra Madre Occidental, Sonora, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas R. Van Devender; Gertrudis Yanes-Arvayo; Ana Lilia Reina-Guerrero; Melissa Valenzuela-Yanez; Maria de la Paz Montanez-Armenta; Hugo Silva-Kurumiya

2013-01-01

The floras of the tropical vegetation in the Sky Island Sierra la Madera (SMA) near Moctezuma in northeastern Sonora (30°00’N 109°18’W) and the Yécora (YEC) area in the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) in eastern Sonora (28°25’N 109°15”W) were compared. The areas are 175 km apart. Tropical vegetation includes foothills thornscrub (FTS) in both areas and tropical deciduous...

SIERRA Low Mach Module: Fuego Theory Manual Version 4.44

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sierra Thermal/Fluid Team

2017-04-01

The SIERRA Low Mach Module: Fuego along with the SIERRA Participating Media Radiation Module: Syrinx, henceforth referred to as Fuego and Syrinx, respectively, are the key elements of the ASCI fire environment simulation project. The fire environment simulation project is directed at characterizing both open large-scale pool fires and building enclosure fires. Fuego represents the turbulent, buoyantly-driven incompressible flow, heat transfer, mass transfer, combustion, soot, and absorption coefficient model portion of the simulation software. Syrinx represents the participating-media thermal radiation mechanics. This project is an integral part of the SIERRA multi-mechanics software development project. Fuego depends heavily upon the core architecture developments provided by SIERRA for massively parallel computing, solution adaptivity, and mechanics coupling on unstructured grids.

SIERRA Low Mach Module: Fuego Theory Manual Version 4.46.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sierra Thermal/Fluid Team

2017-09-01

The SIERRA Low Mach Module: Fuego along with the SIERRA Participating Media Radiation Module: Syrinx, henceforth referred to as Fuego and Syrinx, respectively, are the key elements of the ASCI fire environment simulation project. The fire environment simulation project is directed at characterizing both open large-scale pool fires and building enclosure fires. Fuego represents the turbulent, buoyantly-driven incompressible flow, heat transfer, mass transfer, combustion, soot, and absorption coefficient model portion of the simulation software. Syrinx represents the participating-media thermal radiation mechanics. This project is an integral part of the SIERRA multi-mechanics software development project. Fuego depends heavily upon the core architecture developments provided by SIERRA for massively parallel computing, solution adaptivity, and mechanics coupling on unstructured grids.

SIERRA Low Mach Module: Fuego User Manual Version 4.44

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sierra Thermal/Fluid Team

2017-04-01

The SIERRA Low Mach Module: Fuego along with the SIERRA Participating Media Radiation Module: Syrinx, henceforth referred to as Fuego and Syrinx, respectively, are the key elements of the ASCI fire environment simulation project. The fire environment simulation project is directed at characterizing both open large-scale pool fires and building enclosure fires. Fuego represents the turbulent, buoyantly-driven incompressible flow, heat transfer, mass transfer, combustion, soot, and absorption coefficient model portion of the simulation software. Syrinx represents the participating-media thermal radiation mechanics. This project is an integral part of the SIERRA multi-mechanics software development project. Fuego depends heavily upon the core architecture developments provided by SIERRA for massively parallel computing, solution adaptivity, and mechanics coupling on unstructured grids.

SIERRA Low Mach Module: Fuego User Manual Version 4.46.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sierra Thermal/Fluid Team

2017-09-01

The SIERRA Low Mach Module: Fuego along with the SIERRA Participating Media Radiation Module: Syrinx, henceforth referred to as Fuego and Syrinx, respectively, are the key elements of the ASCI fire environment simulation project. The fire environment simulation project is directed at characterizing both open large-scale pool fires and building enclosure fires. Fuego represents the turbulent, buoyantly-driven incompressible flow, heat transfer, mass transfer, combustion, soot, and absorption coefficient model portion of the simulation software. Syrinx represents the participating-media thermal radiation mechanics. This project is an integral part of the SIERRA multi-mechanics software development project. Fuego depends heavily upon the core architecture developments provided by SIERRA for massively parallel computing, solution adaptivity, and mechanics coupling on unstructured grids.

Sierra Structural Dynamics User's Notes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reese, Garth M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-10-19

Sierra/SD provides a massively parallel implementation of structural dynamics finite element analysis, required for high fidelity, validated models used in modal, vibration, static and shock analysis of weapons systems. This document provides a users guide to the input for Sierra/SD. Details of input specifications for the different solution types, output options, element types and parameters are included. The appendices contain detailed examples, and instructions for running the software on parallel platforms.

Evolution of sedimentary architecture in retro-foreland basin: Aquitaine basin example from Paleocene to lower Eocene.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, Carole; Lasseur, Eric; Guillocheau, François; Serrano, Olivier; Malet, David

2017-04-01

The Aquitaine basin located in south western Europe, is a Pyrenean retro-foreland basin. Two main phases of compression are recorded in this retro-foreland basin during the Pyrenean orogeny. A first upper Cretaceous phase corresponding to the early stage of the orogeny, and a second one usually related to a Pyrenean paroxysmal phase during the middle Eocene. During Paleocene to lower Eocene deformations are less pronounced, interpreted as a tectonically quiet period. The aim of the study is to better constrain the sedimentary system of the Aquitaine basin during this period of Paleocene-lower Eocene, in order to discuss the evolution of the sedimentary architecture in response of the Pyrenean compression. This work is based on a compilation of a large set of subsurface data (wells logs, seismic lines and cores logs) represented by isopachs and facies map. Three main cycles were identified during this structural quiet period: (1) The Danian cycle, is recorded by the aggradation of carbonate reef-rimmed platform. This platform is characterized by proximal facies (oncoid carbonate and mudstone with thalassinoides) to the north, which leads to distal deposit facies southern (pelagic carbonate with globigerina and slump facies) and present a significant thickness variation linked to the platform-slope-basin morphology. (2) The upper Selandian-Thanetian cycle follows a non-depositional/erosional surface associated with a Selandian hiatus. The base of this cycle marked the transition between the last reef rimmed platform and a carbonate ramp. The transgressive cycle is characterized by proximal lagoon facies to the north that leads southward to distal hemipelagic facies interfingered by turbiditic Lowstand System Tracks (LST). The location of these LST is strongly controlled by inherited Danian topography. The regressive cycle ends with a major regression associated with an erosional surface. This surface is linked with a network of canyons in the north, an important

Locations and magnitudes of historical earthquakes in the Sierra of Ecuador (1587-1996)

Science.gov (United States)

Beauval, Céline; Yepes, Hugo; Bakun, William H.; Egred, José; Alvarado, Alexandra; Singaucho, Juan-Carlos

2010-06-01

The whole territory of Ecuador is exposed to seismic hazard. Great earthquakes can occur in the subduction zone (e.g. Esmeraldas, 1906, Mw 8.8), whereas lower magnitude but shallower and potentially more destructive earthquakes can occur in the highlands. This study focuses on the historical crustal earthquakes of the Andean Cordillera. Several large cities are located in the Interandean Valley, among them Quito, the capital (~2.5 millions inhabitants). A total population of ~6 millions inhabitants currently live in the highlands, raising the seismic risk. At present, precise instrumental data for the Ecuadorian territory is not available for periods earlier than 1990 (beginning date of the revised instrumental Ecuadorian seismic catalogue); therefore historical data are of utmost importance for assessing seismic hazard. In this study, the Bakun & Wentworth method is applied in order to determine magnitudes, locations, and associated uncertainties for historical earthquakes of the Sierra over the period 1587-1976. An intensity-magnitude equation is derived from the four most reliable instrumental earthquakes (Mw between 5.3 and 7.1). Intensity data available per historical earthquake vary between 10 (Quito, 1587, Intensity >=VI) and 117 (Riobamba, 1797, Intensity >=III). The bootstrap resampling technique is coupled to the B&W method for deriving geographical confidence contours for the intensity centre depending on the data set of each earthquake, as well as confidence intervals for the magnitude. The extension of the area delineating the intensity centre location at the 67 per cent confidence level (+/-1σ) depends on the amount of intensity data, on their internal coherence, on the number of intensity degrees available, and on their spatial distribution. Special attention is dedicated to the few earthquakes described by intensities reaching IX, X and XI degrees. Twenty-five events are studied, and nineteen new epicentral locations are obtained, yielding

THE PHOTOECCENTRIC EFFECT AND PROTO-HOT JUPITERS. III. A PAUCITY OF PROTO-HOT JUPITERS ON SUPER-ECCENTRIC ORBITS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dawson, Rebekah I.; Murray-Clay, Ruth A.; Johnson, John Asher

2015-01-01

Gas giant planets orbiting within 0.1 AU of their host stars are unlikely to have formed in situ and are evidence for planetary migration. It is debated whether the typical hot Jupiter smoothly migrated inward from its formation location through the proto-planetary disk, or was perturbed by another body onto a highly eccentric orbit, which tidal dissipation subsequently shrank and circularized during close stellar passages. Socrates and collaborators predicted that the latter model should produce a population of super-eccentric proto-hot Jupiters readily observable by Kepler. We find a paucity of such planets in the Kepler sample, which is inconsistent with the theoretical prediction with 96.9% confidence. Observational effects are unlikely to explain this discrepancy. We find that the fraction of hot Jupiters with an orbital period P > 3 days produced by the star-planet Kozai mechanism does not exceed (at two-sigma) 44%. Our results may indicate that disk migration is the dominant channel for producing hot Jupiters with P > 3 days. Alternatively, the typical hot Jupiter may have been perturbed to a high eccentricity by interactions with a planetary rather than stellar companion, and began tidal circularization much interior to 1 AU after multiple scatterings. A final alternative is that early in the tidal circularization process at high eccentricities tidal circularization occurs much more rapidly than later in the process at low eccentricities, although this is contrary to current tidal theories

Andean contributions to the biogeochemistry of the amazon river system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

1995-01-01

Atlántico. Un nuevo programa colaborativo de investigación se inició en 1994 con el propósito de caracterizar de una manera más completa la biogeoquímica de los ríos andinos. Contributions from Andean rivers may play a significant role in determining the basin-wide biogeochemistry integrated into the mainstem Amazon River of Brazil. Concentration data for organic C, NO3-, and PO43- in Andean rivers are highly variable and reveal no clear spatial or altitudinal patterns. Concentrations measured in Andean rivers are similar to those reported in the mainstem Amazon river and its major tributaries. Explanations of processes which alter Andean-derived particulates and solutes as they exit the Cordillera are only speculative at this time, but their net effect is to diminish Andean signals through decomposition and dilution by lowland inputs. The 13C of particulate and dissolved organic matter in the mainstem Amazon provides evidence that some fraction of Andean derived material persists within the river system, ultimately to be discharged to the Atlantic Ocean. In 1994 a new collaborative research program was launched to further characterize the biogeochemistry of Andean rivers.

FIRST DETECTION OF THERMAL RADIOJETS IN A SAMPLE OF PROTO-BROWN DWARF CANDIDATES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morata, Oscar [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, P.O. Box 23-141, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Palau, Aina; González, Ricardo F. [Centro de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, P.O. Box 3-72, 58090 Morelia, Michoacán, México (Mexico); Gregorio-Monsalvo, Itziar de [Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO), Alonso de Córdova 3107, Vitacura, Santiago (Chile); Ribas, Álvaro [European Space Astronomy Centre (ESA), P.O. Box 78, E-28691 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid (Spain); Perger, Manuel [Institut de Ciències de l’Espai (CSIC-IEEC), Campus UAB—Facultat de Ciències, Torre C5—parell 2, E-08193 Bellaterra, Catalunya (Spain); Bouy, Hervé; Barrado, David; Huélamo, Nuria; Morales-Calderón, María [Centro de Astrobiología, INTA-CSIC, Dpto.Astrofísica, ESAC Campus, P.O. Box 78, E-28691 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid (Spain); Eiroa, Carlos [Departamento de Física Teórica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Bayo, Amelia, E-mail: omorata@asiaa.sinica.edu.tw [Max Planck Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117, Heidelberg (Germany); and others

2015-07-01

We observed with the Jansky Very Large Array at 3.6 and 1.3 cm a sample of 11 proto-brown dwarf (BD) candidates in Taurus in a search for thermal radio jets driven by the most embedded BDs. We detected for the first time four thermal radio jets in proto-BD candidates. We compiled data from UKIDSS, 2MASS, Spitzer, WISE, and Herschel to build the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the objects in our sample, which are similar to typical Class I SEDs of young stellar objects (YSOs). The four proto-BD candidates driving thermal radio jets also roughly follow the well-known trend of centimeter luminosity against bolometric luminosity determined for YSOs, assuming they belong to Taurus, although they present some excess of radio emission compared to the known relation for YSOs. Nonetheless, we are able to reproduce the flux densities of the radio jets modeling the centimeter emission of the thermal radio jets using the same type of models applied to YSOs, but with corresponding smaller stellar wind velocities and mass-loss rates, and exploring different possible geometries of the wind or outflow from the star. Moreover, we also find that the modeled mass outflow rates for the bolometric luminosities of our objects agree reasonably well with the trends found between the mass outflow rates and bolometric luminosities of YSOs, which indicates that, despite the “excess” centimeter emission, the intrinsic properties of proto-BDs are consistent with a continuation of those of very low-mass stars to a lower mass range. Overall, our study favors the formation of BDs as a scaled-down version of low-mass stars.

Population size, survival, growth, and movements of Rana sierrae

Science.gov (United States)

Fellers, Gary M.; Kleeman, Patrick M.; Miller, David A. W.; Halstead, Brian J.; Link, William

2013-01-01

Based on 2431 captures of 757 individual frogs over a 9-yr period, we found that the population of R. sierrae in one meadow–stream complex in Yosemite National Park ranged from an estimated 45 to 115 adult frogs. Rana sierrae at our relatively low elevation site (2200 m) grew at a fast rate (K = 0.73–0.78), had high overwintering survival rates (44.6–95%), lived a long time (up to 16 yr), and tended to be fairly sedentary during the summer (100% minimum convex polygon annual home ranges of 139 m2) but had low year-to-year site fidelity. Even though the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, Bd) has been present in the population for at least 13 yr, there was no clear downward trend as might be expected from reports of R. sierrae population declines associated with Bd or from reports of widespread population decline of R. sierrae throughout its range.

Lassa fever in post-conflict sierra leone.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey G Shaffer

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Lassa fever (LF, an often-fatal hemorrhagic disease caused by Lassa virus (LASV, is a major public health threat in West Africa. When the violent civil conflict in Sierra Leone (1991 to 2002 ended, an international consortium assisted in restoration of the LF program at Kenema Government Hospital (KGH in an area with the world's highest incidence of the disease.Clinical and laboratory records of patients presenting to the KGH Lassa Ward in the post-conflict period were organized electronically. Recombinant antigen-based LF immunoassays were used to assess LASV antigenemia and LASV-specific antibodies in patients who met criteria for suspected LF. KGH has been reestablished as a center for LF treatment and research, with over 500 suspected cases now presenting yearly. Higher case fatality rates (CFRs in LF patients were observed compared to studies conducted prior to the civil conflict. Different criteria for defining LF stages and differences in sensitivity of assays likely account for these differences. The highest incidence of LF in Sierra Leone was observed during the dry season. LF cases were observed in ten of Sierra Leone's thirteen districts, with numerous cases from outside the traditional endemic zone. Deaths in patients presenting with LASV antigenemia were skewed towards individuals less than 29 years of age. Women self-reporting as pregnant were significantly overrepresented among LASV antigenemic patients. The CFR of ribavirin-treated patients presenting early in acute infection was lower than in untreated subjects.Lassa fever remains a major public health threat in Sierra Leone. Outreach activities should expand because LF may be more widespread in Sierra Leone than previously recognized. Enhanced case finding to ensure rapid diagnosis and treatment is imperative to reduce mortality. Even with ribavirin treatment, there was a high rate of fatalities underscoring the need to develop more effective and/or supplemental treatments for

The Special Court for Sierra Leone

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgaard, Ciara Therése

2004-01-01

The focus of this article is the Special Court for Sierra Leone and the extent to which it can be said that the Special Court has already challenged, or will, in the future, challenge the tradition of impunity for gender-based crimes. In this regard, an analysis is undertaken of the Special Court......'s Statute, Rules of Procedure and Evidence and practice to date, in order to determine its treatment of gender-based crimes and whether it can be said that the Special Court for Sierra Leone challenges the tradition of impunity for gender-based crimes. Udgivelsesdato: december 2004...

Sierra/Aria 4.48 Verification Manual.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sierra Thermal Fluid Development Team

2018-04-01

Presented in this document is a portion of the tests that exist in the Sierra Thermal/Fluids verification test suite. Each of these tests is run nightly with the Sierra/TF code suite and the results of the test checked under mesh refinement against the correct analytic result. For each of the tests presented in this document the test setup, derivation of the analytic solution, and comparison of the code results to the analytic solution is provided. This document can be used to confirm that a given code capability is verified or referenced as a compilation of example problems.

THE OFFICE OF THE PROTOS ARCHON IN BITHYNIA AND THRACE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ligia Ruscu

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The paper examines the occurrence of the office of the protos archon and of the synarchia in Greek cities of the provinces of Pontus et Bithynia and of Thrace, particularly as it concerns its relevance for the relations and reciprocal influences of the two provinces.

SierraDNA – Demonstrating the Usefulness of Direct ILS Database Access

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James Padgett

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Innovative Interface’s Sierra(™ Integrated Library System (ILS brings with it a Database Navigator Application (SierraDNA - in layman's terms SierraDNA gives Sierra sites read access to their ILS database. Unlike the closed use cases produced by vendor supplied APIs, which restrict Libraries to limited development opportunities, SierraDNA enables sites to publish their own APIs and scripts based upon custom SQL code to meet their own needs and those of their users and processes. In this article we give examples showing how SierraDNA can be utilized to improve Library services. We highlight three example use cases which have benefited our users, enhanced online security and improved our back office processes. In the first use case we employ user access data from our electronic resources proxy server (WAM to detect hacked user accounts. Three scripts are used in conjunction to flag user accounts which are being hijacked to systematically steal content from our electronic resource provider’s websites. In the second we utilize the reading histories of our users to augment our search experience with an Amazon style “People who borrowed this book also borrowed…these books” feature. Two scripts are used together to determine which other items were borrowed by borrowers of the item currently of interest. And lastly, we use item holds data to improve our acquisitions workflow through an automated demand based ordering process. Our explanation and SQL code should be of direct use for adoption or as examples for other Sierra customers willing to exploit their ILS data in similar ways, but the principles may also be useful to non-Sierra sites that also wish to enhancement security, user services or improve back office processes.

Noteworthy records of two species of mammals in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, Mexico Registros notables de dos especies de mamíferos de la Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, México

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel Briones-Salas

2006-12-01

Full Text Available We conducted mammal surveys in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca (Sierra Norte in Oaxaca, Mexico, and recorded the occurrence of two conspicuous mammal species: the spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi vellerosus and the coyote (Canis latrans cagottis. Spider monkeys has not been previously recorded in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, and coyotes have not been previously observed in Mexico at elevations as high as the present one (3 200 mas1 in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca.Se efectuaron colectas de mamíferos en la Sierra Madre de Oaxaca (Sierra Norte en Oaxaca, México, y se registró la notoria presencia de dos mamíferos: el mono araña (Ateles geoffroyi vellerosus y el coyote (Canis latrans cagottis. El mono araña no se había registrado previamente en la Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, en tanto que el coyote, no había sido registrado en México a tan gran altitud (3 200 m como la de la localidad de captura.

Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) in Ecuador: Geographic Distribution, Population Size and Extinction Risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Naveda-Rodríguez, Adrián; Vargas, Félix Hernán; Kohn, Sebastián; Zapata-Ríos, Galo

2016-01-01

The Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) in Ecuador is classified as Critically Endangered. Before 2015, standardized and systematic estimates of geographic distribution, population size and structure were not available for this species, hampering the assessment of its current status and hindering the design and implementation of effective conservation actions. In this study, we performed the first quantitative assessment of geographic distribution, population size and population viability of Andean Condor in Ecuador. We used a methodological approach that included an ecological niche model to study geographic distribution, a simultaneous survey of 70 roosting sites to estimate population size and a population viability analysis (PVA) for the next 100 years. Geographic distribution in the form of extent of occurrence was 49 725 km2. During a two-day census, 93 Andean Condors were recorded and a population of 94 to 102 individuals was estimated. In this population, adult-to-immature ratio was 1:0.5. In the modeled PVA scenarios, the probability of extinction, mean time to extinction and minimum population size varied from zero to 100%, 63 years and 193 individuals, respectively. Habitat loss is the greatest threat to the conservation of Andean Condor populations in Ecuador. Population size reduction in scenarios that included habitat loss began within the first 15 years of this threat. Population reinforcement had no effects on the recovery of Andean Condor populations given the current status of the species in Ecuador. The population size estimate presented in this study is the lower than those reported previously in other countries where the species occur. The inferences derived from the population viability analysis have implications for Condor management in Ecuador. This study highlights the need to redirect efforts from captive breeding and population reinforcement to habitat conservation.

Neogene stratigraphy and Andean geodynamics of southern Ecuador

Science.gov (United States)

Hungerbühler, Dominik; Steinmann, Michael; Winkler, Wilfried; Seward, Diane; Egüez, Arturo; Peterson, Dawn E.; Helg, Urs; Hammer, Cliff

2002-01-01

The present paper reviews Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary formations in the Inter-Andean region of southern Ecuador (between 2°S and 4°20'S) in order to develop a geodynamic model of the region. The formations occur in the southern shallow prolongation of the Inter-Andean Valley between the Cordillera Real to the east, and the Cordillera Occidental and Amotape-Tahuín Provinces to the west. One hundred fifty zircon fission-track analyses has established a detailed chronostratigraphy for the sedimentary and volcanic formations and several small intrusions. The Paleogene to early Miocene formations are dominated by intermediate and acidic volcanic and pyroclastic rocks. In addition, relics of Eocene continental sedimentary series have been identified. The Neogene sedimentary series lie unconformably on deformed and eroded metamorphic, sedimentary and volcanic formations. They were deposited in two stages, which are separated by a major unconformity dated at ≈10-9 Ma. (1) During the middle and early late Miocene (≈15-10 Ma) marginal marine deltaic, lagoonal, lacustrine and fluvial environments prevailed, which we group under the heading "Pacific Coastal sequences". They presumably covered a greater surface area in southern Ecuador than their present occurrence in small topographic depressions. We suggest that they were deposited in the shallow marine Cuenca and Loja Embayments. Deposition in a marginal marine environment is also supported by the occurrence of brackish water ostracods and other fauna. (2) Above the regional (angular) unconformity, the coastal facies are overlain by late Miocene (≈9-5 Ma) continental alluvial fan and fluvial facies which are in turn covered by mainly airborne volcanic material. They represent the "Intermontane sequences" of the basins of Cuenca, Girón-Santa Isabel, Nabón, Loja and Malacatos-Vilcabamba. Sedimentologic and stratigraphic results are used to discuss the tectonic setting of Neogene sedimentation in the forearc

Invasive exotic plant species in Sierra Nevada ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Carla M. D' Antonio; Eric L. Berlow; Karen L. Haubensak

2004-01-01

The Sierra Nevada is a topographically and floristically diverse region of the western United States. While it comprises only a fifth of the total land area of California, half of the native plant species in the state occur within the range. In addition, more than 400 plant species are endemic to the Sierra Nevada and many of these are listed as threatened or have...

Preliminary flora of the Sierra Bacadehuachi, Sonora, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas R. Van Devender; Ana Lilia Reina-Guerrero; George M. Ferguson; George Yatskievych; Beatriz E. Loyola-Reina; Gertrudis Yanes-Arvayo; Maria de la Paz Montanez-Armenta; John L. Anderson; Stephen F. Hale; Sky Jacobs

2013-01-01

The Sierra Bacadéhuachi in east-central Sonora is the westernmost mountain range in the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO), located east of Bacadéhuachi, Municipio de Bacadéhuachi, 34 km east of the Chihuahua border, and 165 km south of the Arizona border. The vegetation ranges from lowland foothills thornscrub up through desert grassland to oak woodland and pine-oak forest...

Contrasting patterns of Andean diversification among three diverse clades of Neotropical clearwing butterflies.

Science.gov (United States)

Chazot, Nicolas; De-Silva, Donna Lisa; Willmott, Keith R; Freitas, André V L; Lamas, Gerardo; Mallet, James; Giraldo, Carlos E; Uribe, Sandra; Elias, Marianne

2018-04-01

The Neotropical region is the most biodiverse on Earth, in a large part due to the highly diverse tropical Andean biota. The Andes are a potentially important driver of diversification within the mountains and for neighboring regions. We compared the role of the Andes in diversification among three subtribes of Ithomiini butterflies endemic to the Neotropics, Dircennina, Oleriina, and Godyridina. The diversification patterns of Godyridina have been studied previously. Here, we generate the first time-calibrated phylogeny for the largest ithomiine subtribe, Dircennina, and we reanalyze a published phylogeny of Oleriina to test different biogeographic scenarios involving the Andes within an identical framework. We found common diversification patterns across the three subtribes, as well as major differences. In Dircennina and Oleriina, our results reveal a congruent pattern of diversification related to the Andes with an Andean origin, which contrasts with the Amazonian origin and multiple Andean colonizations of Godyridina. In each of the three subtribes, a clade diversified in the Northern Andes at a faster rate. Diversification within Amazonia occurred in Oleriina and Godyridina, while virtually no speciation occurred in Dircennina in this region. Dircennina was therefore characterized by higher diversification rates within the Andes compared to non-Andean regions, while in Oleriina and Godyridina, we found no difference between these regions. Our results and discussion highlight the importance of comparative approaches in biogeographic studies.

Single-phase ProtoDUNE, the Prototype of a Single-Phase Liquid Argon TPC for DUNE at the CERN Neutrino Platform

CERN Document Server

Cavanna, F; Touramanis, C

2017-01-01

ProtoDUNE-SP is the single-phase DUNE Far Detector prototype that is under construction and will be operated at the CERN Neutrino Platform (NP) starting in 2018. It was proposed to the CERN SPSC in June 2015 (SPSC-P-351) and was approved in December 2015 as experiment NP04 (ProtoDUNE). ProtoDUNE-SP, a crucial part of the DUNE effort towards the construction of the first DUNE 10-kt fiducial mass far detector module (17 kt total LAr mass), is a significant experiment in its own right. With a total liquid argon (LAr) mass of 0.77 kt, it represents the largest monolithic single phase LArTPC detector to be built to date. It is housed in an extension to the EHN1 hall in the North Area, where the CERN NP is providing a new dedicated charged-particle test beamline. ProtoDUNE-SP aims to take its first beam data before the LHC long shutdown (LS2) at the end of 2018. ProtoDUNE-SP prototypes the designs of most of the single-phase DUNE far detector module (DUNE-SP) components at a 1:1 scale, with an extrapolation of abo...

Locations and magnitudes of historical earthquakes in the Sierra of Ecuador (1587–1996)

Science.gov (United States)

Beauval, Celine; Yepes, Hugo; Bakun, William H.; Egred, Jose; Alvarado, Alexandra; Singaucho, Juan-Carlos

2010-01-01

The whole territory of Ecuador is exposed to seismic hazard. Great earthquakes can occur in the subduction zone (e.g. Esmeraldas, 1906, Mw8.8), whereas lower magnitude but shallower and potentially more destructive earthquakes can occur in the highlands. This study focuses on the historical crustal earthquakes of the Andean Cordillera. Several large cities are located in the Interandean Valley, among them Quito, the capital (∼2.5 millions inhabitants). A total population of ∼6 millions inhabitants currently live in the highlands, raising the seismic risk. At present, precise instrumental data for the Ecuadorian territory is not available for periods earlier than 1990 (beginning date of the revised instrumental Ecuadorian seismic catalogue); therefore historical data are of utmost importance for assessing seismic hazard. In this study, the Bakun & Wentworth method is applied in order to determine magnitudes, locations, and associated uncertainties for historical earthquakes of the Sierra over the period 1587–1976. An intensity-magnitude equation is derived from the four most reliable instrumental earthquakes (Mwbetween 5.3 and 7.1). Intensity data available per historical earthquake vary between 10 (Quito, 1587, Intensity ≥VI) and 117 (Riobamba, 1797, Intensity ≥III). The bootstrap resampling technique is coupled to the B&W method for deriving geographical confidence contours for the intensity centre depending on the data set of each earthquake, as well as confidence intervals for the magnitude. The extension of the area delineating the intensity centre location at the 67 per cent confidence level (±1σ) depends on the amount of intensity data, on their internal coherence, on the number of intensity degrees available, and on their spatial distribution. Special attention is dedicated to the few earthquakes described by intensities reaching IX, X and XI degrees. Twenty-five events are studied, and nineteen new epicentral locations are obtained, yielding

Dispersal, isolation and diversification with continued gene flow in an Andean tropical dry forest.

Science.gov (United States)

Toby Pennington, R; Lavin, Matt

2017-07-01

The Andes are the world's longest mountain chain, and the tropical Andes are the world's richest biodiversity hot spot. The origin of the tropical Andean cordillera is relatively recent because the elevation of the mountains was relatively low (400-2500 m palaeoelevations) only 10 MYA with final uplift being rapid. These final phases of the Andean orogeny are thought to have had a fundamental role in shaping processes of biotic diversification and biogeography, with these effects reaching far from the mountains themselves by changing the course of rivers and deposition of mineral-rich Andean sediments across the massive Amazon basin. In a recent issue of Molecular Ecology, Oswald, Overcast, Mauck, Andersen, and Smith (2017) investigate the biogeography and diversification of bird species in the Andes of Peru and Ecuador. Their study is novel in its focus on tropical dry forests (Figure 1) rather than more mesic biomes such as rain forests, cloud forests and paramos, which tend to be the focus of science and conservation in the Andean hot spot. It is also able to draw powerful conclusions via the first deployment of genomic approaches to a biogeographic question in the threatened dry forests of the New World. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Noteworthy records of two species of mammals in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, Mexico Registros notables de dos especies de mamíferos de la Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, México

OpenAIRE

Miguel Briones-Salas; María D. Luna-Krauletz; Ariadna Marín-Sánchez; Jorge Servín

2006-01-01

We conducted mammal surveys in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca (Sierra Norte) in Oaxaca, Mexico, and recorded the occurrence of two conspicuous mammal species: the spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi vellerosus) and the coyote (Canis latrans cagottis). Spider monkeys has not been previously recorded in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, and coyotes have not been previously observed in Mexico at elevations as high as the present one (3 200 mas1) in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca.Se efectuaron colectas de mamífero...

Maternal Knowledge and Use of Galactagogues in Andean Communities of Cusco, Peru

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Madalena Monteban

2017-09-01

Full Text Available A commonly reported reason for early breastfeeding cessation is inadequate milk production. In response, women across the globe turn to galactagogues – substances used to increase the milk supply. Andean women have traditional knowledge about the medicinal and nutritional properties of plants and animals that are considered good to eat during breastfeeding. This research explores the maintenance and use of galactagogues, and specifically the use of the Andean flicker bird, within the wider framework of breastfeeding and nutrition policies in Peru. To elicit maternal knowledge and use of galactagogues, semi-structured and free-listing interviews were conducted with 33 mothers. Data analysis calculated the frequency and percentage of women reporting each type of galactagogue. In addition, thematic codes and relevant text passages were used in an iterative analytic process to document emerging themes. Identified galactagogues included five plants and six animals. Several galactagogues included protein-rich foods such as lamb meat and the Andean flicker bird. The use of protein-rich galactagogues as solid food is reinforced by public health messages. However, galactagogues in the research communities are usually consumed as soups or drinks, which are less rich in proteins than solid meals. The potential role of liquid galactagogues in the maintenance of appropriate hydration levels during breastfeeding in an environment where safe drinking water is scarce is a new contribution to the existing literature. The results are relevant to the design of maternal and child health policies that comply with intercultural health premises that value and respect the knowledge and practices of Andean Peoples.

Molecular Identification of Adult and Juvenile Linyphiid and Theridiid Spiders in Alpine Glacier Foreland Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Raso, Lorna; Sint, Daniela; Rief, Alexander; Kaufmann, Rüdiger; Traugott, Michael

2014-01-01

In glacier forelands spiders constitute a large proportion of the invertebrate community. Therefore, it is important to be able to determine the species that can be found in these areas. Linyphiid and theridiid spider identification is currently not possible in juvenile specimens using traditional morphological based methods, however, a large proportion of the population in these areas are usually juveniles. Molecular methods permit identification of species at different life stages, making juvenile identification possible. In this study we tested a molecular tool to identify the 10 most common species of Linyphiidae and Theridiidae found in three glacier foreland communities of the Austrian Alps. Two multiplex PCR systems were developed and over 90% of the 753 field-collected spiders were identified successfully. The species targeted were found to be common in all three valleys during the summer of 2010. A comparison between the molecular and morphological data showed that although there was a slight difference in the results, the overall outcome was the same independently of the identification method used. We believe the quick and reliable identification of the spiders via the multiplex PCR assays developed here will aid the study of these families in Alpine habitats. PMID:25050841

Andean shrublands of Moquegua, South Peru: Prepuna plant communities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Montesinos, D.B.; Cleef, A.M.; Sykora, K.V.

2012-01-01

A syntaxonomic overview of shrubland vegetation in the southern Andean regions of Peru is presented. For each plant community, information is given on physiognomy, floristic diversity, ecology and geographical distribution. The shrub vegetation on the slopes of the upper Tambo river valley includes

Utwory wczesnokredowego basenu protoślaskiego w polsko - czeskich Karpatach fliszowych

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Waśkowska, A.; Golonka, J.; Strzeboński, P.; Krobicki, M.; Vašíček, Zdeněk; Skupien, P.

2009-01-01

Roč. 35, 2/1 (2009), s. 39-47 ISSN 0138-0974 Grant - others:GA ČR(CZ) GA205/07/1365 Program:GA Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30860518 Keywords : Flysch Carpathians * Proto - Silesian Basin * basin deposits Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy

Differential cooling and uplift of the eastern Sierras Pampeanas (Central Argentina)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steenken, A; Martino, R.; Wemmer, K.; Siegesmund, S.; Drobe, M.; Lopez de Luchi, M.

2007-01-01

The Eastern Sierras Pampean as are constituted by the Neo proterozoic to early Cambrian basement of the Sierras de Cordoba, San Luis and eastern La Rioja (29grades 00seconds - 33grades 30seconds, 64grades 00seconds - 6 00W) outcropping in the east of the Chaco-Parana basin. High-grade metamorphic gneisses and schists dominate the basement. The intrusion of magmatic rocks took place during the Pampean, Famatinian and Achalian cycles. The basement is divided in different lithological and structural domains by N-S trending ductile shear-zones. The east-dipping compressive Los Tuneles and Guacha Corral shear-zones at the western limit of the Sierras de Cordoba are the most important with respect to the exhumation history of the Sierras. An extensive survey on the cooling history by K/Ar biotite and muscovite dating of the basement rocks of the Sierras de Cordoba and San Luis was carried out and interpreted in terms of a differential exhumation history of the different blocks. Beginning of cooling in the Sierra de San Luis is documented by large muscovite booklets from pegmatites yielding ages between 438 Ma and 448 Ma. Slow cooling rates (3grades/Ma) led to a systematic reset of the K/Ar ages in the fine-grained muscovites forming two groups between 430 Ma and 410 Ma and 410 Ma and 380 Ma resulting from the Achalian deformation in the upper Silurian-Upper Devonian. In contrast to the Upper Ordovician/-Llandoverian cooling onset in the Sierra de San Luis, large pegmatitic muscovites from the Sierras de Cordoba record late Cambrian to Early Ordovician ages between 493 Ma and 474 Ma. The limit between those age domains is marked by the Los Tuneles and Guacha Corral shear-zones accommodating the vertical displacement responsible for the different ages. Cooling ages from the shear-zone rocks at 430 Ma define the upper limit for the contraction that is related to the collision with the Cuyania Terrane to the western outboard of Gondwana

DNA sequences of troglobitic nicoletiid insects support Sierra de El Abra and the Sierra de Guatemala as a single biogeographical area: Implications for Astyanax

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis Espinasa

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The blind Mexican tetra fish, Astyanax mexicanus, has become the most influential model for research of cave adapted organisms. Many authors assume that the Sierra de Guatemala populations and the Sierra de El Abra populations are derived from two independent colonizations. This assumption arises in part from biogeography. The 100 m high, 100 m wide Servilleta Canyon of the Boquillas River separates both mountain ranges and is an apparent barrier for troglobite dispersion. Anelpistina quinterensis (Nicoletiidae, Zygentoma, Insecta is one of the most troglomorphic nicoletiid silverfish insects ever described. 16S rRNA sequences support that this species migrated underground to reach both mountain ranges within less than 12,000 years. Furthermore, literature shows a plethora of aquatic and terrestrial cave restricted species that inhabit both mountain ranges. Thus, the Servilleta canyon has not been an effective biological barrier that prevented underground migration of troglobites between the Sierra de Guatemala and the Sierra de El Abra. The Boquillas River has changed its course throughout time. Caves that in the past connected the two Sierras were only recently geologically truncated by the erosion of the new river course. It is likely that, with the geological changes of the area and throughout the 2-8 million years of evolutionary history of cave Astyanax, there have been opportunities to migrate across the Servilleta canyon.

Seismotectonics of Bhutan: Evidence for segmentation of the Eastern Himalayas and link to foreland deformation

Science.gov (United States)

Diehl, Tobias; Singer, Julia; Hetényi, György; Grujic, Djordje; Clinton, John; Giardini, Domenico; Kissling, Edi; Gansser Working Group

2017-08-01

The instrumental record of Bhutan is characterized by a lower seismicity compared to other parts of the Himalayan arc. To understand this low activity and its impact on the seismic hazard, a seismic network was installed in Bhutan for 22 months between 2013 and 2014. Recorded seismicity, earthquake moment tensors and local earthquake tomography reveal along-strike variations in structure and crustal deformation regime. A thickened crust imaged in western Bhutan suggests lateral differences in stresses on the Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT), potentially affecting the interseismic coupling and deformation regime. Sikkim, western Bhutan and its foreland are characterized by strike-slip faulting in the Indian basement. Strain is particularly localized along a NW-SE striking mid-crustal fault zone reaching from Chungthang in northeast Sikkim to Dhubri at the northwestern edge of the Shillong Plateau in the foreland. The dextral Dhubri-Chungthang fault zone (DCF) causes segmentation of the Indian basement and the MHT between eastern Nepal and western Bhutan and connects the deformation front of the Himalaya with the Shillong Plateau by forming the western boundary of the Shillong block. The Kopili fault, the proposed eastern boundary of this block, appears to be a diffuse zone of mid-crustal seismicity in the foreland. In eastern Bhutan we image a seismogenic, flat portion of the MHT, which might be either related to a partially creeping segment or to increased background seismicity originating from the 2009 MW 6.1 earthquake. In western-central Bhutan clusters of micro-earthquakes at the front of the High-Himalayas indicate the presence of a mid-crustal ramp and stress buildup on a fully coupled MHT. The area bounded by the DCF in the west and the seismogenic MHT in the east has the potential for M7-8 earthquakes in Bhutan. Similarly, the DCF has the potential to host M7 earthquakes as documented by the 2011 Sikkim and the 1930 Dhubri earthquakes, which were potentially

Sierra/SolidMechanics 4.48 User's Guide: Addendum for Shock Capabilities.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plews, Julia A.; Crane, Nathan K; de Frias, Gabriel Jose; Le, San; Littlewood, David John; Merewether, Mark Thomas; Mosby, Matthew David; Pierson, Kendall H.; Porter, Vicki L.; Shelton, Timothy; Thomas, Jesse David; Tupek, Michael R.; Veilleux, Michael; Xavier, Patrick G.

2018-03-01

This is an addendum to the Sierra/SolidMechanics 4.48 User's Guide that documents additional capabilities available only in alternate versions of the Sierra/SolidMechanics (Sierra/SM) code. These alternate versions are enhanced to provide capabilities that are regulated under the U.S. Department of State's International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) export-control rules. The ITAR regulated codes are only distributed to entities that comply with the ITAR export-control requirements. The ITAR enhancements to Sierra/SM in- clude material models with an energy-dependent pressure response (appropriate for very large deformations and strain rates) and capabilities for blast modeling. Since this is an addendum to the standard Sierra/SM user's guide, please refer to that document first for general descriptions of code capability and use.

Interrill and rill erodibility in the northern andean highlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Romero, C.; Stroosnijder, L.; Baigorria, G.A.

2007-01-01

There is a lack of quantitative information describing the physical processes causing soil erosion in the Andean Highlands, especially those related to interrill and rill erodibility factors. To assess how susceptible are soils to erosion in this region, field measurements of interrill (Ki) and rill

Delineating priority habitat areas for the conservation of Andean bears in northern Ecuador

Science.gov (United States)

Peralvo, M.F.; Cuesta, F.; Van Manen, F.

2005-01-01

We sought to identify priority areas for the conservation of Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) habitat in the northern portion of the eastern Andean cordillera in Ecuador. The study area included pa??ramo and montane forest habitats within the Antisana and Cayambe-Coca ecological reserves, and unprotected areas north of these reserves with elevations ranging from 1,800 to 4,300 m. We collected data on bear occurrence along 53 transects during 2000-01 in the Oyacachi River basin, an area of indigenous communities within the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve. We used those data and a set of 7 environmental variables to predict suitability of Andean bear habitat using Mahalanobis distance, a multivariate measure of dissimilarity. The Mahalanobis distance values were classified into 5 classes of habitat suitability and generalized to a resolution of 1,650-m ?? 1,650-m grid cells. Clusters of grid cells with high suitability values were delineated from the generalized model and denned as important habitat areas (IHAs) for conservation. The IHAs were ranked using a weighted index that included factors of elevation range, influence from disturbed areas, and current conservation status. We identified 12 IHAs, which were mainly associated with pa??ramo and cloud forest habitats; 2 of these areas have high conservation priorities because they are outside existing reserves and close to areas of human pressure. The distribution of the IHAs highlighted the role of human land use as the main source of fragmentation of Andean bear habitat in this region, emphasizing the importance of preserving habitat connectivity to allow the seasonal movements among habitat types that we documented for this species. Furthermore, the existence of areas with high habitat suitability close to areas of intense human use indicates the importance of bear-human conflict management as a critical Andean bear conservation strategy. We suggest that a promising conservation opportunity for this species is

Captivity Shapes the Gut Microbiota of Andean Bears: Insights into Health Surveillance

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Andrea Borbón-García

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The Andean bear is an endemic species of the tropical Andes who has an almost exclusively plant-based diet. Since herbivorous mammals do not carry enzymes for fiber degradation, the establishment of symbiosis with cellulolytic microorganisms in their gastrointestinal (GI tract is necessary to help them fulfill their nutritional needs. Furthermore, as described for other mammals, a stable, diverse, and balanced gut microbial composition is an indicator of a healthy status of the host; under disturbances this balance can be lost, leading to potential diseases of the host. The goal of this study was to describe the gut microbiota of wild and captive Andean bears and determine how habitat status influences the composition and diversity of the gut symbiotic community. Fecal samples from wild (n = 28 and captive (n = 8 Andean bears were collected in “Reserva Pantano de Martos” and “Fundación Bioandina”, Colombia. Composition and diversity analyses were performed using amplicons from the V4 region of the 16S rDNA gene sequenced using the Ion PGM platform. PICRUSt algorithm was applied to predict the gene content of the gut microbiome of wild and captive Andean bears. A total of 5,411 and 838 OTUs were identified for wild and captive bears, respectively. Captive bears contained a lower number of bacterial phyla (n = 7 compared to wild individuals (n = 9. Proteobacteria (59.03% and Firmicutes (14.03% were the phyla that contributed the most to differences between wild and captive bears (overall dissimilarity = 87.72%. At family level, Enterobacteriaceae drove the main differences between the two groups (13.7%. PICRUSt metagenomics predictions suggested a similar pattern of relative abundance of gene families associated with the metabolism of carbohydrates across samples in wild individuals, despite the taxonomic differences of their gut microbiota. Captivity alters the availability and diversity of food resources, which likely reduces microbiota

Surname-inferred Andean ancestry is associated with child stature and limb lengths at high altitude in Peru, but not at sea level.

Science.gov (United States)

Pomeroy, Emma; Wells, Jonathan C K; Stanojevic, Sanja; Miranda, J Jaime; Moore, Lorna G; Cole, Tim J; Stock, Jay T

2015-01-01

Native Andean ancestry gives partial protection from reduced birthweight at high altitude in the Andes compared with European ancestry. Whether Andean ancestry is also associated with body proportions and greater postnatal body size at altitude is unknown. Therefore, we tested whether a greater proportion of Andean ancestry is associated with stature and body proportions among Peruvian children at high and low altitude. Height, head circumference, head-trunk height, upper and lower limb lengths, and tibia, ulna, hand and foot lengths, were measured in 133 highland and 169 lowland children aged 6 months to 8.5 years. For highland and lowland groups separately, age-sex-adjusted anthropometry z scores were regressed on the number of indigenous parental surnames as a proxy for Andean ancestry, adjusting for potential confounders (maternal age and education, parity, altitude [highlands only]). Among highland children, greater Andean ancestry was negatively associated with stature and tibia, ulna, and lower limb lengths, independent of negative associations with greater altitude for these measurements. Relationships were strongest for tibia length: each additional Andean surname or 1,000 m increase at altitude among highland children was associated with 0.18 and 0.65 z score decreases in tibia length, respectively. Anthropometry was not significantly associated with ancestry among lowland children. Greater Andean ancestry is associated with shorter stature and limb measurements at high but not low altitude. Gene-environment interactions between high altitude and Andean ancestry may exacerbate the trade-off between chest dimensions and stature that was proposed previously, though we could not test this directly. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Observations of paraglacial processes on glacier forelands in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, Southern Alps, New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Winkler, Stefan

2015-04-01

The large and extensively debris-covered valley glaciers in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park immediate east of the Main Divide in the Southern Alps of New Zealand experienced a substantial frontal retreat and vertical downwasting during the past few decades, often connected with the development of a proglacial lake and retreat by calving. Their Holocene glacier forelands are characterised by huge lateral moraines and multi-ridged lateral moraine systems alongside smaller terminal moraines and frontal outwash heads. Placed within a very dynamic general geomorphological regime of various efficient process-systems, these Holocene glacier forelands are currently affected by substantial paraglacial modification. These paraglacial processes have already caused some consequences for the touristic infrastructure in the area and are likely to cause further problems for the accessibility of established tramping routes, tourist huts, and lookouts in the near and medium future. One of the first steps in a project under development presented here is a detailed visual comparison of changes documented during the past 15 Years on the glacier forelands of Hooker, Mueller and Tasman Glaciers in Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. It reveals considerable erosion especially on the proximal slopes of the lateral moraines by gully development and retreat of erosion scars at their crest in order of several metres in just a few years. Different processes contribute to high erosion rates, among others rill erosion connected to mid-slope springs that only are temporarily active following substantial rainfall events, efficient gully incision, and slumping. Although any quantification of the actual erosion rates is just preliminary and further studies are necessary in order to make reliable predictions for future development, the amount of paraglacial erosion in this environment is very high compared to other regions and highlights the current importance of the paraglacial process-system in the

Health complications of female genital mutilation in Sierra Leone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bjälkander O

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Owolabi Bjälkander,1 Laurel Bangura,2 Bailah Leigh,3 Vanja Berggren,1 Staffan Bergström,1 Lars Almroth11Division of Global Health, Department of Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; 2Inter Africa Committee, Sierra Leone; 3Department of Community Health, College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Sierra LeoneAbstract: Sierra Leone has one of the highest rates of female genital mutilation (FGM in the world, and yet little is known about the health consequences of the practice.Purpose: To explore whether and what kind of FGM-related health complications girls and women in Sierra Leone experience, and to elucidate their health care-seeking behaviors.Patients and methods: A feasibility study was conducted to test and refine questionnaires and methods used for this study. Thereafter, a cross-section of girls and women (n = 258 attending antenatal care and Well Women Clinics in Bo Town, Bo District, in the southern region and in Makeni Town, Bombali District, in the northern region of Sierra Leone were randomly selected. Participants answered interview-administrated pretested structured questionnaires with open-ended-questions, administrated by trained female personnel.Results: All respondents had undergone FGM, most between 10 and 14 years of age. Complications were reported by 218 respondents (84.5%, the most common ones being excessive bleeding, delay in or incomplete healing, and tenderness. Fever was significantly more often reported by girls who had undergone FGM before 10 years of age compared with those who had undergone the procedure later. Out of those who reported complications, 187 (85.8% sought treatment, with 89 of them visiting a traditional healer, 75 a Sowei (traditional circumciser, and 16 a health professional.Conclusion: The high prevalence rate of FGM and the proportion of medical complications show that FGM is a matter for public health concern in Sierra Leone. Girls who

Curriculum Diversification Re-examined--A Case Study of Sierra Leone.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Cream A. H.

This paper deals with a case study of secondary curriculum diversification as a vocationalization strategy in Sierra Leone. It explores diversification issues from four crucial standpoints that are distinct but highly interrelated. First, diversification is dealt with as a policy that was adopted and actively pursued by Sierra Leone for over a…

SIERRA - A 3-D device simulator for reliability modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Chern, Jue-Hsien; Arledge, Lawrence A., Jr.; Yang, Ping; Maeda, John T.

1989-05-01

SIERRA is a three-dimensional general-purpose semiconductor-device simulation program which serves as a foundation for investigating integrated-circuit (IC) device and reliability issues. This program solves the Poisson and continuity equations in silicon under dc, transient, and small-signal conditions. Executing on a vector/parallel minisupercomputer, SIERRA utilizes a matrix solver which uses an incomplete LU (ILU) preconditioned conjugate gradient square (CGS, BCG) method. The ILU-CGS method provides a good compromise between memory size and convergence rate. The authors have observed a 5x to 7x speedup over standard direct methods in simulations of transient problems containing highly coupled Poisson and continuity equations such as those found in reliability-oriented simulations. The application of SIERRA to parasitic CMOS latchup and dynamic random-access memory single-event-upset studies is described.

A germline RET proto-oncogene mutation in multiple members of an ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN2A) is a rare cancer associated-syndrome, inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion and caused by germline mutation in RET proto-oncogene. Clinical diagnosis depends on the manifestation of two or more certain endocrine tumors in an individual, such as ...

Exhumation of the North Alpine Foreland Basin- Quantitative insights from structural analysis, thermochronology and a new thermal history model

Science.gov (United States)

Luijendijk, Elco; von Hagke, Christoph; Hindle, David

2016-04-01

Due to a wealth of geological and thermochronology data the northern foreland basin of the European Alps is an ideal natural laboratory for understanding the dynamics of foreland basins and their interaction with surface and geodynamic processes. We present an unprecedented compilation of thermochronological data from the basin and quantify cooling and exhumation rates in the basin by combining published and new vitrinite reflectance, apatite fission track and U-Th/He data with a new inverse burial and thermal history model. No correlation is obvious between inferred cooling and exhumation rates and elevation, relief or tectonics. We compare derived temperature histories to exhumation estimates based on the retro-deformation of Molasse basin and the Jura mountains, and to exhumation caused by drainage reorganization and incision. Drainage reorganization can explain at most 25% of the observed cooling rates in the basin. Tectonic transport of the basin's sediments over the inclined basement of the alpine foreland as the Jura mountains shortened can explain part of the cooling signal in the western part of the basin. However, overall a substantial amount of cooling and exhumation remains unexplained by known tectonic and surface processes. Our results document basin wide exhumation that may be related to slab roll-back or other lithospheric processes. Uncertainty analysis shows that thermochronometers can be explained by cooling and exhumation starting as early as the Miocene or as late as the Pleistocene. New (U-Th)/He data from key areas close to the Alpine front may provide better constraints on the timing of exhumation.

Provenance and detrital zircon geochronologic evolution of lower Brookian foreland basin deposits of the western Brooks Range, Alaska, and implications for early Brookian tectonism

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Thomas; O'Sullivan, Paul B.; Potter, Christopher J.; Donelick, Raymond A.

2015-01-01

The Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous part of the Brookian sequence of northern Alaska consists of syntectonic deposits shed from the north-directed, early Brookian orogenic belt. We employ sandstone petrography, detrital zircon U-Pb age analysis, and zircon fission-track double-dating methods to investigate these deposits in a succession of thin regional thrust sheets in the western Brooks Range and in the adjacent Colville foreland basin to determine sediment provenance, sedimentary dispersal patterns, and to reconstruct the evolution of the Brookian orogen. The oldest and structurally highest deposits are allochthonous Upper Jurassic volcanic arc–derived sandstones that rest on accreted ophiolitic and/or subduction assemblage mafic igneous rocks. These strata contain a nearly unimodal Late Jurassic zircon population and are interpreted to be a fragment of a forearc basin that was emplaced onto the Brooks Range during arc-continent collision. Synorogenic deposits found at structurally lower levels contain decreasing amounts of ophiolite and arc debris, Jurassic zircons, and increasing amounts of continentally derived sedimentary detritus accompanied by broadly distributed late Paleozoic and Triassic (359–200 Ma), early Paleozoic (542–359 Ma), and Paleoproterozoic (2000–1750 Ma) zircon populations. The zircon populations display fission-track evidence of cooling during the Brookian event and evidence of an earlier episode of cooling in the late Paleozoic and Triassic. Surprisingly, there is little evidence for erosion of the continental basement of Arctic Alaska, its Paleozoic sedimentary cover, or its hinterland metamorphic rocks in early foreland basin strata at any structural and/or stratigraphic level in the western Brooks Range. Detritus from exhumation of these sources did not arrive in the foreland basin until the middle or late Albian in the central part of the Colville Basin.These observations indicate that two primary provenance areas provided

Soil organic matter dynamics at the paramo and puna highlands in the Andean mountains

Science.gov (United States)

Ángeles Muñoz, M.; Faz, Ángel; Mermut, Ahmet R.; Zornoza, Raúl

2014-05-01

Mountains and uplands represent the most diverse and fragile ecosystems in the world, cover about 20% of the terrestrial surface and are distributed across all continents and major ecoregions. The Andean Plateau is the main mountain range of the American continent and one of the largest in the world with more than 7,500 km. The soil organic matter is a corner stone in the fertility management of the Andean agriculture as well as in the erosion control. However, its role is still much unknown in these ecosystems. Moreover, the influence of current global climatic change on soil organic C reservoirs and dynamics is still not clearly understood. The aim of this work was to review the soil C dynamics and the implication of the soil organic matter in the fertility management, erosion control, conservation of biodiversity and global climate change to improve the knowledge on the mountain Andean highlands. Climate, landscape, soil C pools, biomass and management were studied. In general, the Andean climate is affected by three main factors: ocean currents, winds and orography characterized by an abrupt topography. The entire Andean belt is segmented into the Northern, Central and Southern Andes. Northern Andes are called paramo and are characterized by humid climate while Central and Southern Andes dryer zones are called puna. Most of the region is tectonically and volcanically active. Sedimentary rocks predominated in the paramo while sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic ones prevailed in the puna. The most common soils were Andosols, Regosols, Umbrisols and Histosols. The cold and wet climate and the low atmospheric pressure favored organic matter accumulation in the soil. The accumulation of organic matter is further enhanced by the formation of organomineral complexes strongly resistant to the microbial breakdown mainly in the paramo. High organic C contents were observed in the paramo (10%) oppositely to the low contents found in the dryer puna (1%). The C/N ratio

Lost crops of the Incas: Origins of domestication of the Andean pulse crop tarwi, Lupinus mutabilis.

Science.gov (United States)

Atchison, Guy W; Nevado, Bruno; Eastwood, Ruth J; Contreras-Ortiz, Natalia; Reynel, Carlos; Madriñán, Santiago; Filatov, Dmitry A; Hughes, Colin E

2016-09-01

The Andean highlands are a hotspot of domestication, yet our understanding of the origins of early Andean agriculture remains fragmentary. Key questions of where, when, how many times, and from what progenitors many Andean crops were domesticated remain unanswered. The Andean lupine crop tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis) is a regionally important pulse crop with exceptionally high seed protein and oil content and is the focus of modern breeding efforts, but its origins remain obscure. A large genome-wide DNA polymorphism data set was generated using nextRADseq to infer relationships among more than 200 accessions of Andean Lupinus species, including 24 accessions of L. mutabilis and close relatives. Phylogenetic and demographic analyses were used to identify the likely progenitor of tarwi and elucidate the area and timing of domestication in combination with archaeological evidence. We infer that tarwi was domesticated once in northern Peru, most likely in the Cajamarca region within, or adjacent to the extant distribution of L. piurensis, which is the most likely wild progenitor. Demographic analyses suggest that tarwi split from L. piurensis around 2600 BP and suffered a classical domestication bottleneck. The earliest unequivocal archaeological evidence of domesticated tarwi seeds is from the Mantaro Valley, central Peru ca. 1800 BP. A single origin of tarwi from L. piurensis in northern Peru provides a robust working hypothesis for the domestication of this regionally important crop and is one of the first clear-cut examples of a crop originating in the highlands of northern Peru. © 2016 Botanical Society of America.

A Miocene hyperdiverse crocodylian community reveals peculiar trophic dynamics in proto-Amazonian mega-wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Salas-Gismondi, Rodolfo; Flynn, John J.; Baby, Patrice; Tejada-Lara, Julia V.; Wesselingh, Frank P.; Antoine, Pierre-Olivier

2015-01-01

Amazonia contains one of the world's richest biotas, but origins of this diversity remain obscure. Onset of the Amazon River drainage at approximately 10.5 Ma represented a major shift in Neotropical ecosystems, and proto-Amazonian biotas just prior to this pivotal episode are integral to understanding origins of Amazonian biodiversity, yet vertebrate fossil evidence is extraordinarily rare. Two new species-rich bonebeds from late Middle Miocene proto-Amazonian deposits of northeastern Peru document the same hyperdiverse assemblage of seven co-occurring crocodylian species. Besides the large-bodied Purussaurus and Mourasuchus, all other crocodylians are new taxa, including a stem caiman—Gnatusuchus pebasensis—bearing a massive shovel-shaped mandible, procumbent anterior and globular posterior teeth, and a mammal-like diastema. This unusual species is an extreme exemplar of a radiation of small caimans with crushing dentitions recording peculiar feeding strategies correlated with a peak in proto-Amazonian molluscan diversity and abundance. These faunas evolved within dysoxic marshes and swamps of the long-lived Pebas Mega-Wetland System and declined with inception of the transcontinental Amazon drainage, favouring diversification of longirostrine crocodylians and more modern generalist-feeding caimans. The rise and demise of distinctive, highly productive aquatic ecosystems substantially influenced evolution of Amazonian biodiversity hotspots of crocodylians and other organisms throughout the Neogene. PMID:25716785

Unity and Difference in Andean Songs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles Maurice Pigott

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This essay explores the concepts of “unity” and “difference” in Andean songs. The verses pertain to the Masha ritual enacted annually in Mangas, central Peru, and combine Quechua (the indigenous language with Spanish. Through detailed exegesis of the texts, this essay argues that, far from being irreconcilable, “unity” and “difference” are best understood as mutually informing since the recognition of difference opens up the parameters of potential exchange. This optic is informed by a worldview that emphasizes “relation” over “entities.”

Identifying signatures of natural selection in Tibetan and Andean populations using dense genome scan data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abigail Bigham

2010-09-01

Full Text Available High-altitude hypoxia (reduced inspired oxygen tension due to decreased barometric pressure exerts severe physiological stress on the human body. Two high-altitude regions where humans have lived for millennia are the Andean Altiplano and the Tibetan Plateau. Populations living in these regions exhibit unique circulatory, respiratory, and hematological adaptations to life at high altitude. Although these responses have been well characterized physiologically, their underlying genetic basis remains unknown. We performed a genome scan to identify genes showing evidence of adaptation to hypoxia. We looked across each chromosome to identify genomic regions with previously unknown function with respect to altitude phenotypes. In addition, groups of genes functioning in oxygen metabolism and sensing were examined to test the hypothesis that particular pathways have been involved in genetic adaptation to altitude. Applying four population genetic statistics commonly used for detecting signatures of natural selection, we identified selection-nominated candidate genes and gene regions in these two populations (Andeans and Tibetans separately. The Tibetan and Andean patterns of genetic adaptation are largely distinct from one another, with both populations showing evidence of positive natural selection in different genes or gene regions. Interestingly, one gene previously known to be important in cellular oxygen sensing, EGLN1 (also known as PHD2, shows evidence of positive selection in both Tibetans and Andeans. However, the pattern of variation for this gene differs between the two populations. Our results indicate that several key HIF-regulatory and targeted genes are responsible for adaptation to high altitude in Andeans and Tibetans, and several different chromosomal regions are implicated in the putative response to selection. These data suggest a genetic role in high-altitude adaption and provide a basis for future genotype/phenotype association

Topographic Evolution of the Sierra Nevada Resolved by Inversion of Low-Temperature Thermochronology

Science.gov (United States)

McPhillips, D. F.; Brandon, M. T.

2011-12-01

At present, there are two competing ideas for the topographic evolution of the Sierra Nevada Range. One idea is that the Sierra Nevada was formed as a monocline in the Cretaceous, marking the transition from the Great Valley forearc basin to the west, and a high Nevadaplano plateau to the east, similar to the west flank of the modern Altiplano of the Andes. Both the thermochronologic signature of local relief and the stable isotopic evidence of a topographic rain shadow support this hypothesis. However, a suite of geomorphic observations suggests that the Sierra gained a large fraction of its present elevation as recently as the Pliocene. This recent surface uplift could have been driven by convective removal of in the lower part of the lithosphere and/or by changes in dynamic topography associated with deep subduction of the Farallon plate. Here we present the first comprehensive analysis of low-temperature thermochronology in the Sierra Nevada, which provides a definitive solution, which indicates that both ideas are likely correct. Our analysis is distinguished by three new factors: The first is that we allow for separate evolutions for the local relief and the long-wavelength topography. Second, we use Al-in-Hb paleobarometry to constrain the initial depth of emplacement for the Sierra Nevada plutons. Third, our analysis is tied to a sea-level reference by using the paleo-bathymetric record of the Great Valley basin, where it on-laps the Sierra Nevada batholith. According to our analysis, westward tilting of the Sierra accounts for 2 km of uplift since 20 Ma. Topographic relief increased by a factor of 2. These findings suggest that the Sierra Nevada lost elevation through most of the Tertiary but regained much of its initial elevation following the onset of surface uplift in the Miocene.

Production and use of the pastures of the Colombia high Andean areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lotero Cadavid, J.

1993-01-01

A relationship of the most common pastures is made in the Andean high area between the 2000 and 3000 m.s.n.m. and of their native vegetable associations, as well as of the invaders plants and overgrowths. The gramineae germoplasm and leguminous is indicated that has been proven lower those conditions. Data of yield average of dry matter are presented for native and introduced grasses of cold climate in Colombia. Equally it is indicated the daily earnings by animal, the load capacity and the animal production with different fertilization systems and some parameters of productivity are shown of gramineous and leguminous introduced in the high areas of Colombia. The nutritious value of gramineous and leguminous of cold climate and its chemical composition are made. A description is made of the ecological areas of the Andean high area and the pastures types that prevail in them. The factors are described that they impact in the degree of deterioration of the pastures like the environment, the same grass, the handling, the livestock, the type of exploitation, the holding of the earth and the administration. The agricultural production systems are mentioned that are associate the Andean pastures, as well as the main obstacles to increase the production of the systems and pastures and their possible solutions

Bioinformatics of non small cell lung cancer and the ras proto-oncogene

CERN Document Server

Kashyap, Amita; Babu M, Naresh

2015-01-01

Cancer is initiated by activation of oncogenes or inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Mutations in the K-ras proto-oncogene are responsible for 10–30% of adenocarcinomas. Clinical Findings point to a wide variety of other cancers contributing to lung cancer incidence. Such a scenario makes identification of lung cancer difficult and thus identifying its mechanisms can contribute to the society. Identifying unique conserved patterns common to contributing proto-oncogenes may further be a boon to Pharmacogenomics and pharmacoinformatics. This calls for ab initio/de novo drug discovery that in turn will require a comprehensive in silico approach of Sequence, Domain, Phylogenetic and Structural analysis of the receptors, ligand screening and optimization and detailed Docking studies. This brief involves extensive role of the RAS subfamily that includes a set of proteins, which cause an over expression of cancer-causing genes like M-ras and initiate tumour formation in lungs. SNP Studies and Structure based ...

The Andean Common Market: An Experiment in Regional Cooperation.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Reynold E.

The Grupo Andino (GRAN) was formed in 1969 as an effort at economic integration by six Latin American countries (Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela). It was an outgrowth of its predecessor, the Latin American Free Trade Association (LAFTA), which had been formed in 1960 with eleven member countries. The Andean Group (GRAN) from…

High Sierra Ecosystems: The Role of Fish Stocking in Amphibian Declines

Science.gov (United States)

Kathleen Matthews

2003-01-01

With a rich diversity of aquatic habitats, including deep lakes, shallow ponds, and rushing streams, Dusy Basinin Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks typifies the high Sierra ecosystem where mountain yellow-legged frogs usually thrive. Yet throughout the Sierra, aquatic ecologist Kathleen Matthews found entire water basins empty of these amphibians. Comprehensive...

La Sierra de Piura: ¿al margen de la evolución agraria andina?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

1991-01-01

Full Text Available LES ANDES DE PIURA : EN MARGE DE L’EVOLUTION AGRICOLE ANDINE ? La diversité productive des Andes centrales de Piura, au Nord du Pérou, obéit à trois principales modalités de reproduction de la fertilité, qui s’appuient sur les trois éléments suivants : 1- l’arbre et la défriche-brûlis, 2- l’animal et la culture attelée légère (araire, et 3- l’eau et l’irrigation. Il s’avère intéressant d’essayer de dater l’apparition de ces différentes formes d’agriculture qui coexistent dans les Andes de Piura. Cette micro-région constitue un espace marginal, car ni la révolution agro-hydraulique andine, ni la révolution fourragère du XIXème siècle, ni la révolution verte récente ne s’y sont généralisées. Malgré son enclavement et son retard par rapport à l’accumulation spectaculaire des forces productives dans les vallées de la côte, la micro-région possède une dynamique du développement agricole propre, qui combine des techniques d’arborisation, d’irrigation et d’articulation entre l’agriculture et l’élevage avec des relations sociales originales (rondes paysannes. La diversidad productiva de la sierra de Piura, al Norte del Perú, obedece a tres modalidades principales de reproducción de la fertilidad, basadas en: 1- el árbol y la roza y quema, 2- el animal y la agricultura de yunta ligera (arado de palo, y 3- el agua y la irrigación. Resulta fecundo para aproximarse a la evolución agrícola andina, intentar poner fechas a la aparición de estas diferentes formas de agricultura que coexisten en la sierra central de Piura. Ésta constituye un espacio marginal, pues ni la revolución agrohidraúlica andina, ni la revolución forrajera del siglo XIX, ni la revolución verde reciente se han generalizado. Pese a su marginación y su atraso con relación a la espectacular acumulación de las fuerzas productivas en los valles de la costa, la micro región posee una dinámica del desarrollo agrario propia, que

A Self-Assessment of the Effectiveness to Control Radiation Sources in Sierra Leone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bun-Tejan, Umaru Remilekun [KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Byung Soo [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

There is an urgent need to effectively control sources of ionizing radiation. Sources of ionizing radiation pose serious occupational, public health, and environmental consequences, if not properly controlled. The government of Sierra Leone knows the importance of controlling these sources of ionizing radiation and of establishing an independent Nuclear Safety Infrastructure. Sierra Leone has no nuclear facilities but, it is rapidly developing its infrastructure in order to obtain nuclear technology. However, the regulatory effectiveness in controlling radiation risk is essential for the International Atomic Energy Agency to allow the transfer of nuclear technology. For this reason, this study will evaluate the status of the regulatory authority in Sierra Leone to control radiation risk. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review mission to Sierra Leone found that the RPBA did not give sufficient enforcement powers to the Board Secretariat. The research evaluated the status of the regulatory authority of Sierra Leone. The status of the regulatory authority was evaluated against several parameters including management systems, regulatory processes, authorization, inspection, and enforcement. The ability to effectively control ionizing radiation sources depends on the status of the regulatory body. The Integrated Regulatory Review Service Report on Sierra Leone led us to infer that there is a need for the regulatory authority to rapidly improve its ability to control ionizing radiation sources in the country. The findings however, revealed that the overall strengths of the regulatory body in Sierra Leone slightly outnumber the weaknesses. Management systems have a ratio of 0.85:1 of strengths to weaknesses. This ratio makes management systems the weakest parameter evaluated. Thus there is need for stronger collaboration between management staff. The Regulatory processes have a ratio of 1.3:1, authorizations have a ratio of 4.3:1, inspections have ratio of 2

A Self-Assessment of the Effectiveness to Control Radiation Sources in Sierra Leone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bun-Tejan, Umaru Remilekun; Lee, Byung Soo

2016-01-01

There is an urgent need to effectively control sources of ionizing radiation. Sources of ionizing radiation pose serious occupational, public health, and environmental consequences, if not properly controlled. The government of Sierra Leone knows the importance of controlling these sources of ionizing radiation and of establishing an independent Nuclear Safety Infrastructure. Sierra Leone has no nuclear facilities but, it is rapidly developing its infrastructure in order to obtain nuclear technology. However, the regulatory effectiveness in controlling radiation risk is essential for the International Atomic Energy Agency to allow the transfer of nuclear technology. For this reason, this study will evaluate the status of the regulatory authority in Sierra Leone to control radiation risk. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) review mission to Sierra Leone found that the RPBA did not give sufficient enforcement powers to the Board Secretariat. The research evaluated the status of the regulatory authority of Sierra Leone. The status of the regulatory authority was evaluated against several parameters including management systems, regulatory processes, authorization, inspection, and enforcement. The ability to effectively control ionizing radiation sources depends on the status of the regulatory body. The Integrated Regulatory Review Service Report on Sierra Leone led us to infer that there is a need for the regulatory authority to rapidly improve its ability to control ionizing radiation sources in the country. The findings however, revealed that the overall strengths of the regulatory body in Sierra Leone slightly outnumber the weaknesses. Management systems have a ratio of 0.85:1 of strengths to weaknesses. This ratio makes management systems the weakest parameter evaluated. Thus there is need for stronger collaboration between management staff. The Regulatory processes have a ratio of 1.3:1, authorizations have a ratio of 4.3:1, inspections have ratio of 2

A Miocene hyperdiverse crocodylian community reveals peculiar trophic dynamics in proto-Amazonian mega-wetlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Salas-Gismondi, Rodolfo; Flynn, John J; Baby, Patrice; Tejada-Lara, Julia V; Wesselingh, Frank P; Antoine, Pierre-Olivier

2015-04-07

Amazonia contains one of the world's richest biotas, but origins of this diversity remain obscure. Onset of the Amazon River drainage at approximately 10.5 Ma represented a major shift in Neotropical ecosystems, and proto-Amazonian biotas just prior to this pivotal episode are integral to understanding origins of Amazonian biodiversity, yet vertebrate fossil evidence is extraordinarily rare. Two new species-rich bonebeds from late Middle Miocene proto-Amazonian deposits of northeastern Peru document the same hyperdiverse assemblage of seven co-occurring crocodylian species. Besides the large-bodied Purussaurus and Mourasuchus, all other crocodylians are new taxa, including a stem caiman-Gnatusuchus pebasensis-bearing a massive shovel-shaped mandible, procumbent anterior and globular posterior teeth, and a mammal-like diastema. This unusual species is an extreme exemplar of a radiation of small caimans with crushing dentitions recording peculiar feeding strategies correlated with a peak in proto-Amazonian molluscan diversity and abundance. These faunas evolved within dysoxic marshes and swamps of the long-lived Pebas Mega-Wetland System and declined with inception of the transcontinental Amazon drainage, favouring diversification of longirostrine crocodylians and more modern generalist-feeding caimans. The rise and demise of distinctive, highly productive aquatic ecosystems substantially influenced evolution of Amazonian biodiversity hotspots of crocodylians and other organisms throughout the Neogene. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Proto pectin degradation of raw material by the acid hydrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalikov, D.Kh.; Gorshkova, R.M.; Khalikova, S.; Avloev, Kh.Kh.; Mukhiddinov, Z.K.

2007-01-01

The article presents results of hydrolysis proto pectin apples, an orange and a basket of sunflower depending on ph a solution. The reaction products are divided into three fractions conditionally named as micro gel, pectin substances and oligosaccharide. It was shown that the high-quality pectin extracted from orange, but high percentage of carboxylic group in the sunflower pectin allow it to by used as a drug delivery materials

Proto-2, an ALICE detector prototype, went to the United States (during transport)

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

Proto-2, an ALICE detector prototype, overcame its prototype status to become a real part of the STAR experiment at the US Brookhaven National Laboratory.After more than two years across the ocean, it has just arrived back at CERN

Good laboratory practices guarantee biosafety in the Sierra Leone-China friendship biosafety laboratory

OpenAIRE

Wang, Qin; Zhou, Wei-Min; Zhang, Yong; Wang, Huan-Yu; Du, Hai-Jun; Nie, Kai; Song, Jing-Dong; Xiao, Kang; Lei, Wen-Wen; Guo, Jian-Qiang; Wei, He-Jiang; Cai, Kun; Wang, Yan-Hai; Wu, Jiang; Kamara, Gerard

2016-01-01

Background The outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa between 2014 and 2015 was the largest EDV epidemic since the identification of Ebola virus (EBOV) in 1976, and the countries most strongly affected were Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia. Findings The Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory (SLE-CHN Biosafety Lab), a fixed Biosafety Level 3 laboratory in the capital city of Sierra Leone, was established by the Chinese government and has been active in EBOV ...

Genome-wide association study of anthracnose resistance in Andean beans

Science.gov (United States)

Anthracnose is a seed-borne disease of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) caused by the fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, and the pathogen is cosmopolitan in distribution. The objectives of this study were to identify new sources of anthracnose resistance in a diverse panel of 230 Andean beans ...

Adding seismic broadband analysis to characterize Andean backarc seismicity in Argentina

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarado, P.; Giuliano, A.; Beck, S.; Zandt, G.

2007-05-01

Characterization of the highly seismically active Andean backarc is crucial for assessment of earthquake hazards in western Argentina. Moderate-to-large crustal earthquakes have caused several deaths, damage and drastic economic consequences in Argentinean history. We have studied the Andean backarc crust between 30°S and 36°S using seismic broadband data available from a previous ("the CHARGE") IRIS-PASSCAL experiment. We collected more than 12 terabytes of continuous seismic data from 22 broadband instruments deployed across Chile and Argentina during 1.5 years. Using free software we modeled full regional broadband waveforms and obtained seismic moment tensor inversions of crustal earthquakes testing for the best focal depth for each event. We also mapped differences in the Andean backarc crustal structure and found a clear correlation with different types of crustal seismicity (i.e. focal depths, focal mechanisms, magnitudes and frequencies of occurrence) and previously mapped terrane boundaries. We now plan to use the same methodology to study other regions in Argentina using near-real time broadband data available from the national seismic (INPRES) network and global seismic networks operating in the region. We will re-design the national seismic network to optimize short-period and broadband seismic station coverage for different network purposes. This work is an international effort that involves researchers and students from universities and national government agencies with the goal of providing more information about earthquake hazards in western Argentina.

The Andean Swallow (Orochelidon andecola) in Argentina

OpenAIRE

Mazar Barnett, Juan; Pugnali, Germán D.; Pearman Morrison, Mark; Bodrati, Alejandro; Moschione, Flavio; Clark, Ricardo; Roesler, Carlos Ignacio; Monteleone, Diego; Casañas, Hernán; Burgos Gallardo, Freddy; Segovia, José; Pagano, Luis; Povedano, Hernán; Areta, Juan Ignacio

2016-01-01

During ornithological studies in the provinces of Jujuy, Salta, and San Juan, we recorded the Andean Swallow Orochelidon andecola at 40 localities. These are the first records in Argentina, and also represent the southernmost for the species. Some of these localities are up to 1500 m lower than the previously known elevational limit (now 800 masl), and up to 1100 km southwards. This is a relatively poorly known swallow, and we present novel natural history data. We found evidence of breeding ...

Phylogeny and historical biogeography of trans-Andean cichlid fishes (Teleostei: Cichlidae)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Musilová, Zuzana; Říčan, O.; Říčanová, Š.; Janšta, P.; Gahura, O.; Novák, J.

2015-01-01

Roč. 65, č. 3 (2015), s. 333-350 ISSN 1864-5755 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC06073 Institutional support: RVO:67985904 Keywords : Andean uplift * Andinoacara * Mesoheros Subject RIV: EG - Zoology Impact factor: 0.722, year: 2015

Characterization of ion fluxes and heat fluxes for PMI relevant conditions on Proto-MPEX

Science.gov (United States)

Beers, Clyde; Shaw, Guinevere; Biewer, Theodore; Rapp, Juergen

2016-10-01

Plasma characterization, in particular, particle flux and electron and ion temperature distributions nearest to an exposed target, are critical to quantifying Plasma Surface Interaction (PSI). In the Proto-Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX), the ion fluxes and heat fluxes are derived from double Langmuir Probes (DLP) and Thomson Scattering in front of the target assuming Bohm conditions at the sheath entrance. Power fluxes derived from ne and Te measurements are compared to heat fluxes measured with IR thermography. The comparison will allow conclusions on the sheath heat transmission coefficient to be made experimentally. Different experimental conditions (low and high density plasmas (0.5 - 6 x 1019 m-3) with different magnetic configuration are compared. This work was supported by the U.S. D.O.E. contract DE-AC05-00OR22725.

Level-2 Milestone 6007: Sierra Early Delivery System Deployed to Secret Restricted Network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bertsch, A. D. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2017-09-06

This report documents the delivery and installation of Shark, a CORAL Sierra early delivery system deployed on the LLNL SRD network. Early ASC program users have run codes on the machine in support of application porting for the final Sierra system which will be deployed at LLNL in CY2018. In addition to the SRD resource, Shark, unclassified resources, Rzmanta and Ray, have been deployed on the LLNL Restricted Zone and Collaboration Zone networks in support of application readiness for the Sierra platform.

Study on the pre-qin pottery and proto-porcelain from boluo county, Guangdong province with INAA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jianping; Chen Tiemei

2003-01-01

Seventy-seven pottery and proto-porcelain sherds collected from Meihuadun, Yingang and Henglingshan sites of Boluo County, Guangdong Province were studied with INAA. These sherds are of Western Zhou to Warring States Period. Concentrations of 27 elements were measured, then principal component analysis and other statistical procedures were applied to the data set in order to classify these sherds. This study shows: (1) Though these 3 archaeological sites are located close to each other within an area of about 1000 km 2 , ancient potters of these sites might use raw materials of different origins for pottery production, as pottery sherds of these 3 sites show different chemical compositions. Such differentiation is also observed for the proto-porcelain samples, indicating that proto-porcelain samples found at Meihuadun and Henglingshan might be of different provenance; (2) In each site during the Western Zhou to Spring-Autumn Period the same raw material was used for both hard pottery and soft pottery manufacturing, while during the Warring States Period no similarity in chemical compositions was observed between hard pottery and soft pottery samples. It is wondered if this phenomenon means an advancement of ceramic technology

Southern Sierra Nevada Continental Dynamics Project: 1993 field observations of the NPE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keller, G.R. [Univ. of Texas, El Paso, TX (United States); Malin, P.E. [Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States); Ruppert, S.D. [LLNL, Livermore, CA (United States)

1994-12-31

The Southern Sierra Nevada Continental Dynamics Project is a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional investigation of the cause of the uplift of the Sierra Nevada and its relationship to extension in the adjacent Basin and Range. A broad range of geologic and geophysical data have been collected as part of this project. These data include both passive and active seismic measurements, as well as gravity and magnetotelluric observations. Three seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection profiles were recorded: (1) a 325-km-long, north-south profile extending from just east of Mono Lake south across the Garlock fault, (2) a 400-km-long, east-west profile extending from Death Valley west across the Sierra Nevada to near the San Andreas fault, and (3) a 480-km-long, east-west profile deployed for the NPE. This profile extended from Beatty, Nevada, west across the Sierra Nevada along the previously recorded east-west profile and continued nearly to the Pacific Ocean. Up to 675 seismic recorders were deployed for each profile. These data are allowing us to develop refined models of the crustal and upper mantle structure of the southern Sierra Nevada and to evaluate alternative hypotheses for its uplift and for Basin and Range extension. They also provide insight into the propagation of regional phases across complex structures.

Aspen Delineation - Sierra State Parks [ds380

Data.gov (United States)

California Natural Resource Agency — The database represents delineations of aspen stands associated with stand assessment data (SIERRA_SP_PTS) collected in aspen stands on lands administered by the...

Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research publishes papers in all fields of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences including Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Dental Sciences, Behavioural Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Molecular Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biotechnology in relation to Medicine, ...

Constraints on the Moment of Inertia of a Proto Neutron Star from the ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

0} system. It is found that for a proto neu- tron star, the mass, the moment of inertia and their own maximum values as a function of .... Our previous work shows that such hyperon coupling constants can give the neutron star matter a better ...

Scaling up family planning in Sierra Leone: A prospective cost-benefit analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Keen, Sarah; Begum, Hashina; Friedman, Howard S; James, Chris D

2017-12-01

Family planning is commonly regarded as a highly cost-effective health intervention with wider social and economic benefits. Yet use of family planning services in Sierra Leone is currently low and 25.0% of married women have an unmet need for contraception. This study aims to estimate the costs and benefits of scaling up family planning in Sierra Leone. Using the OneHealth Tool, two scenarios of scaling up family planning coverage to currently married women in Sierra Leone over 2013-2035 were assessed and compared to a 'no-change' counterfactual. Our costing included direct costs of drugs, supplies and personnel time, programme costs and a share of health facility overhead costs. To monetise the benefits, we projected the cost savings of the government providing five essential social services - primary education, child immunisation, malaria prevention, maternal health services and improved drinking water - in the scale-up scenarios compared to the counterfactual. The total population, estimated at 6.1 million in 2013, is projected to reach 8.3 million by 2035 in the high scenario compared to a counterfactual of 9.6 million. We estimate that by 2035, there will be 1400 fewer maternal deaths and 700 fewer infant deaths in the high scenario compared to the counterfactual. Our modelling suggests that total costs of the family planning programme in Sierra Leone will increase from US$4.2 million in 2013 to US$10.6 million a year by 2035 in the high scenario. For every dollar spent on family planning, Sierra Leone is estimated to save US$2.10 in expenditure on the five selected social sector services over the period. There is a strong investment case for scaling up family planning services in Sierra Leone. The ambitious scale-up scenarios have historical precedent in other sub-Saharan African countries, but the extent to which they will be achieved depends on a commitment from both the government and donors to strengthening Sierra Leone's health system post-Ebola.

Transit time magnetic pumping experiments in the proto-cleo stellarator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millar, W.

1975-04-01

Experiments are described in which magnetic field perturbations at frequencies approximately 100 kHz, of the type required for Transit Time Magnetic Pumping, are applied to the PROTO-CLEO stellarator. The chief effect is an increase in the plasma loss rate, which is investigated in some detail. The importance of electrostatic fields is discussed, and attention is drawn to the possibility of operating in a region not explored here, with long wavelength and low frequency. (author)

Forests of the tropical eastern Andean flank during the middle Pleistocene

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cárdenas, M.L.; Gosling, W.D.; Pennington, R.T.; Poole, I.; Sherlock, S.C.; Mothes, P.

2014-01-01

Inter-bedded volcanic and organic sediments from Erazo (Ecuador) indicate the presence of four different forest assemblages on the eastern Andean flank during the middle Pleistocene. Radiometric dates (40Ar-39Ar) obtained from the volcanic ash indicate that deposition occurred between 620,000 and

Classification of ISO SWS 01 spectra of proto-planetary nebulae: a search for precursors of planetary nebulae with [WR] central stars

OpenAIRE

Szczerba, R.; Stasi{ń}ska, G.; Siódmiak, N.; Górny, S. K.

2002-01-01

We have analyzed ISO SWS 01 observations for 61 proto-planetary nebulae candidates and classified their spectra according to their dominant chemistry. On the basis of our classification and the more general classification of SWS 01 spectra by Kraemer et al. (2002) we discuss the connection between proto-planetary nebulae candidates and planetary nebulae, with emphasis on possible precursors of planetary nebulae with [WR] central stars.

Tropical Andean ecosystems and the need to keep warming limits below a +1.5°C threshold

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz-Carrascal, D.; Herzog, S. K.; Guitierrez Lagoueyte, M. E.; Gonzalez-Duque, D.; Cuevas-Moreno, J.; del Valle, J. I.; Andreu-Hayles, L.; Herrera, D. A.; Martínez, R.

2017-12-01

Long-term climate change and rapid land-use change are synergistically threatening the integrity and functioning of tropical Andean ecosystems. The main goal of our research was to integrate climate change projections, biodiversity data and anthropogenically driven ecosystem disruption assessments to quantify the vulnerability of Andean ecosystems and species to global change at a local scale. We merged discernible trends in local quality-controlled weather station data with reanalysis data, as well as with historical and prospective simulation outputs of five well-known GCMs to assess a long-term context for the analysis of climate change exposure (temperature severity intervals). Individual, medium-term, multi-member GCM simulations included: altitude-corrected 2046-2065 (IPCC-AR4) climate change scenarios for the A1B emission scenario; and spatially-downscaled 2040-2069 (IPCC-AR5) projections for the RCP4.5. Previous studies reported mean annual temperature anomaly intervals that resulted in exceedingly high thresholds: the lowest severity interval ( +2.71°C). The least severe interval extended up to the threshold widely recognized as `dangerous' climate change, thereby leading to an underestimation of the true vulnerability of Andean species. Our analyses suggest that temperature anomalies for the full extent of the tropical Andes will likely range from low ( +2.61°C), exceeding the threshold of 'natural' climate variability (+1.78°C). Our results suggest that most species that were used as proxies of ecosystem vulnerabilities will likely experience overall low-to-medium-to-high temperature increases. Since many of them have potentially high sensitivity to such long-term changes, Andean species will likely experience greatly increases in vulnerability. The already-disrupted Andean ecosystems will suffer a further climatic stress, which will worsen the well-known detrimental synergies between climate and land-use changes. There is an imperative need to

Structural setting of the Metán Basin (NW Argentina): new insights from 2D seismic profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Conti, Alessia; Maffucci, Roberta; Bigi, Sabina; Corrado, Sveva; Giordano, Guido; Viramonte, José G.

2017-04-01

The Metán Basin is located in the sub-Andean foreland, in the southernmost portion of the Santa Barbara system structural province (NW Argentina). The upper crust in this region shows a strong segmentation due to inherited stratigraphic and structural discontinuities, related to a Palaeozoic orogenic event and to a Cretaceous to Paleogene rifting event (Kley et al., 1999; Iaffa et al., 2011). This study seeks to unravel the deep structural setting of the basin, in order to better understand the tectonic evolution of the area. Different seismic sections are analysed, located in the Metán basin and acquired by YPF (Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales, former national oil company of Argentina) in different surveys during the '70s - '80s. Stratigraphic control for the seismic interpretation is provided by petroleum exploratory wells drilled in the basin; they show a stratigraphic succession of syn-rift and post-rift deposits, mainly constituted by a continental succession of red beds, with minor limestone intercalations (Salta Group), overlain by a thick continental foreland basin succession (Orán Group) (Salfity et al., 1981). From a structural point of view, the Metán basin is characterized by a variety of structural trends, with thrust faults and related folds mainly trending N-S, NE-SW and NNE-SSW. Different mechanism can be responsible for the folding of the sedimentary cover; hangingwall anticlines are represented both by high angle thrust faults produced by inversion of Cretaceous extensional faults (Maffucci et al., 2015), and by fault propagation folds formed during the Andean shortening event. The study of the interaction between the older reactivated faults and the newly generated ones could provide new insights to unravel the complex structural setting of the area. References Iaffa D. N., Sàbat, F., Muñoz, J.A., Mon, R., Gutierrez, A.A., 2011. The role of inherited structures in a foreland basin evolution. The Metán Basin in NW Argentina. Journal of

Stratigraphy and Mesozoic–Cenozoic tectonic history of northern Sierra Los Ajos and adjacent areas, Sonora, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Page, William R.; Gray, Floyd; Iriondo, Alexander; Miggins, Daniel P.; Blodgett, Robert B.; Maldonado, Florian; Miller, Robert J.

2010-01-01

Geologic mapping in the northern Sierra Los Ajos reveals new stratigraphic and structural data relevant to deciphering the Mesozoic–Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the range. The northern Sierra Los Ajos is cored by Proterozoic, Cambrian, Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian strata, equivalent respectively to the Pinal Schist, Bolsa Quartzite and Abrigo Limestone, Martin Formation, Escabrosa Limestone, and Horquilla Limestone. The Proterozoic–Paleozoic sequence is mantled by Upper Cretaceous rocks partly equivalent to the Fort Crittenden and Salero Formations in Arizona, and the Cabullona Group in Sonora, Mexico.Absence of the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Bisbee Group below the Upper Cretaceous rocks and above the Proterozoic–Paleozoic rocks indicates that the Sierra Los Ajos was part of the Cananea high, a topographic highland during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Deposition of Upper Cretaceous rocks directly on Paleozoic and Proterozoic rocks indicates that the Sierra Los Ajos area had subsided as part of the Laramide Cabullona basin during Late Cretaceous time. Basal beds of the Upper Cretaceous sequence are clast-supported conglomerate composed locally of basement (Paleozoic) clasts. The conglomerate represents erosion of Paleozoic basement in the Sierra Los Ajos area coincident with development of the Cabullona basin.The present-day Sierra Los Ajos reaches elevations of greater than 2600 m, and was uplifted during Tertiary basin-and-range extension. Upper Cretaceous rocks are exposed at higher elevations in the northern Sierra Los Ajos and represent an uplifted part of the inverted Cabullona basin. Tertiary uplift of the Sierra Los Ajos was largely accommodated by vertical movement along the north-to-northwest-striking Sierra Los Ajos fault zone flanking the west side of the range. This fault zone structurally controls the configuration of the headwaters of the San Pedro River basin, an important bi-national water resource in the US

Andean rural children's views of the environment: A qualitative study

Science.gov (United States)

Maurial, Mahia

Andean rural children's drawings and narratives about their crops and the immediate biological environment are rich tools to understand local views of the environment. Children's drawings and narratives were collected and linked to interviews as well as participant observation gathered from parents, leaders and teachers. The research sites are the community of Willca and the school of Mayu. Fieldwork was completed in 1998. In the conceptual framework I distinguish between two dissimilar knowledges, school knowledge and local knowledge. These knowledges produce two dissimilar views of the environment. I further analyze relationships of knowledge and power and argue that school knowledge overpowers local knowledge. Concomitantly, I studied set of ideas associated with two knowledges aforementioned: superacion (surpass) and regeneration (Apffel-Marglin 1995). Although these ideas coexist in peoples' minds they are not linked or effectively connected. In order to link local knowledge and school knowledge together, I propose the integration of environmental studies and art education to enhance a local sense of place (Blandy et. al 1993) in Andean and other schools. This will contribute to grassroots educational policy.

Photo series for quantifying forest fuels in Mexico: montane subtropical forests of the Sierra Madre del Sur and temperate forests and montane shrubland of the northern Sierra Madre Oriental

Science.gov (United States)

Jorge E. Morfin-Rios; Ernesto Alvarado-Celestino; Enrique J. Jardel-Pelaez; Robert E. Vihnanek; David K. Wright; Jose M. Michel-Fuentes; Clinton S. Wright; Roger D. Ottmar; David V. Sandberg; Andres Najera-Diaz

2008-01-01

Single wide-angle and stereo photographs display a range of forest ecosystems conditions and fuel loadings in montane subtropical forests of the Sierra Madre del Sur and temperate forests and montane shrubland of the northern Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico. Each group of photographs includes inventory information summarizing overstory vegetation composition and...

Secondary metabolites of lichens in the snow zone of the Sierra Nevada in Mérida-Venezuela and their role in the absorption of ultraviolet radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojas Fernández, J.A.; Balza Quintero, A.; Marcano, V.; Rojas, P.A.; Dávila Vera, D.; Peña Contreras, Z.; Mendoza Briceño, R.V.; Palacios Prü, E.

2008-01-01

Photochemical analyses of secondary compounds in lichens from the Venezuelan Andean snow zone were carried out in order to know the absorbance capacity of UV radiation at the UVA, UVB and UVC ranges and to determine its probable UV protective function. Spectrophotometric (UV) and fine layer chromatographic techniques (TLC) were utilized to separate and identify the compounds. UV radiation values were obtained from the Red Bioclimática del Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada de Mérida which constitutes a program supported by the University of Los Andes, Venezuela. Results indicated the existence of 22 species of lichens at the snow zone; 55% of these species showed a strong resistance to UVC radiation, 95% to UVB radiation, whereas the 100% revealed a strong resistance to UVA radiation. The substances that have the highest resistance to UVA and UVB radiation are characterized by having ester bonds among phenolic units depsids and constitute the most abundant products in lichens, whereas the substances having both ester and ether bonds among the two phenolic units depsidones revealed a higher capacity to absorb UVC radiation that could indicate a primitive origin [es

78 FR 15031 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Andean Trade Preferences Act

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-08

... Management and Budget (OMB) approval. All comments will become a matter of public record. In this document..., Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) Certificate of Origin. This form can be used... 17. Type of Review: Extension (without change). Affected Public: Businesses. ATPA Certificate of...

Diversity and ecological ranges of plant species from dry inter-Andean valleys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Quintana, Catalina

found on steep slopes and in ravines. These areas of original dry valley vegetation preserve many wild relatives of cultivated plants on the one hand and old lineages of other wild plant groups. Dry inter-Andean valleys (DIAVs) in Ecuador therefore makeup a biodiversity hot spot for both plants......Dry valleys in the American Andes and other mountains have provided excellent agricultural lands since millennia. Besides agriculture, wood extraction and the establishment of urban areas have diminished the native vegetation of these valleys. Consequently the original vegetation is now mostly...... and animals, but unfortunately only very few botanical studies have been carried out in these areas. This thesis intends to shed light on the vegetation of the Dry Ecuadorean Inter-Andean Valleys in four chapters, each with a different focus. 1) A review paper that summarizes all scientific knowledge...

MHD stability studies in the Proto S-1 A/B device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munson, C.; Janos, A.; Newhouse, M.; Salberta, E.; Wysocki, F.; Yamada, M.

1982-01-01

An experimental study of the gross MHD stability properties of Spheromak plasmas in the Proto S-1 A/B device is presented. Utilizing the previously demonstrated S-1 slow formation technique, plasmas have been produced which exhibit the predicted tilting instability in a regime of slightly negative field index. A relatively simple passive coil system suggested by numerical stability studies has proven to be effective in stabilizing the observed tilting mode

Running Parallel Discrete Event Simulators on Sierra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barnes, P. D. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Jefferson, D. R. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2015-12-03

In this proposal we consider porting the ROSS/Charm++ simulator and the discrete event models that run under its control so that they run on the Sierra architecture and make efficient use of the Volta GPUs.

Erotic Love and the Development of Proto-Capitalist Ideology in Early Modern Comedy

Science.gov (United States)

Damsen, Silver

2009-01-01

My dissertation, "Erotic Love and the Development of Proto-Capitalist Ideology in Early Modern Comedy" demonstrates how increased crown authority, and an expanded market combine with the mixed agency of the romantic comedy daughter to further encourage early modern economic growth. The triumph of rebelling daughter over blocking father has…

Proliferation of hydroelectric dams in the Andean Amazon and implications for Andes-Amazon connectivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Finer, Matt; Jenkins, Clinton N

2012-01-01

Due to rising energy demands and abundant untapped potential, hydropower projects are rapidly increasing in the Neotropics. This is especially true in the wet and rugged Andean Amazon, where regional governments are prioritizing new hydroelectric dams as the centerpiece of long-term energy plans. However, the current planning for hydropower lacks adequate regional and basin-scale assessment of potential ecological impacts. This lack of strategic planning is particularly problematic given the intimate link between the Andes and Amazonian flood plain, together one of the most species rich zones on Earth. We examined the potential ecological impacts, in terms of river connectivity and forest loss, of the planned proliferation of hydroelectric dams across all Andean tributaries of the Amazon River. Considering data on the full portfolios of existing and planned dams, along with data on roads and transmission line systems, we developed a new conceptual framework to estimate the relative impacts of all planned dams. There are plans for 151 new dams greater than 2 MW over the next 20 years, more than a 300% increase. These dams would include five of the six major Andean tributaries of the Amazon. Our ecological impact analysis classified 47% of the potential new dams as high impact and just 19% as low impact. Sixty percent of the dams would cause the first major break in connectivity between protected Andean headwaters and the lowland Amazon. More than 80% would drive deforestation due to new roads, transmission lines, or inundation. We conclude with a discussion of three major policy implications of these findings. 1) There is a critical need for further strategic regional and basin scale evaluation of dams. 2) There is an urgent need for a strategic plan to maintain Andes-Amazon connectivity. 3) Reconsideration of hydropower as a low-impact energy source in the Neotropics.

Proliferation of hydroelectric dams in the Andean Amazon and implications for Andes-Amazon connectivity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matt Finer

Full Text Available Due to rising energy demands and abundant untapped potential, hydropower projects are rapidly increasing in the Neotropics. This is especially true in the wet and rugged Andean Amazon, where regional governments are prioritizing new hydroelectric dams as the centerpiece of long-term energy plans. However, the current planning for hydropower lacks adequate regional and basin-scale assessment of potential ecological impacts. This lack of strategic planning is particularly problematic given the intimate link between the Andes and Amazonian flood plain, together one of the most species rich zones on Earth. We examined the potential ecological impacts, in terms of river connectivity and forest loss, of the planned proliferation of hydroelectric dams across all Andean tributaries of the Amazon River. Considering data on the full portfolios of existing and planned dams, along with data on roads and transmission line systems, we developed a new conceptual framework to estimate the relative impacts of all planned dams. There are plans for 151 new dams greater than 2 MW over the next 20 years, more than a 300% increase. These dams would include five of the six major Andean tributaries of the Amazon. Our ecological impact analysis classified 47% of the potential new dams as high impact and just 19% as low impact. Sixty percent of the dams would cause the first major break in connectivity between protected Andean headwaters and the lowland Amazon. More than 80% would drive deforestation due to new roads, transmission lines, or inundation. We conclude with a discussion of three major policy implications of these findings. 1 There is a critical need for further strategic regional and basin scale evaluation of dams. 2 There is an urgent need for a strategic plan to maintain Andes-Amazon connectivity. 3 Reconsideration of hydropower as a low-impact energy source in the Neotropics.

Proposing a Digital Information System for the Management and Conservation of the Qhapaq ÑAN - Andean Road System

Science.gov (United States)

Duperré, G. N.

2017-08-01

The ancient network of roads in the Andean region is one of the most important works of infrastructure in South America. The extensive territory where the main exchanges between their communities were locally performed is previous to the expansion of the Inca Empire. In the year 2014, the region was included on the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. This communication network is the Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System. The Incas planned their route in the diverse landscape of the Andes to promote social and economic ties among the Andean communities. The routes originated in the central square of Cusco, creating cross-connections in a wide geographical area. The Tawantinsuyu depended on this sole route to link very distant production and worship centers. The Qhapaq Ñan was the result of a political project. Even nowadays, it continues to articulate the development of cultural traditions in the Andean region. The present contribution analyzes its transcendental importance as a Cultural Heritage and the singularity of its nomination by the UNESCO, as for the first time six countries are sharing common objectives towards guaranteeing its protection. Furthermore, this research explores the sense of timing in Latin American countries and the implicit challenges in the implementation of the new information technologies for the dissemination of information on Main Andean Road and for its conservation. Although many of the countries have already incorporated the necessary digital tools in this matter, we conclude that there is a need to implement an Integrated Digital Model for the coordinated management in the countries that form the region.

Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the Tahoe-Martis, Central Sierra, and Southern Sierra study units, 2006-2007--California GAMA Priority Basin Project

Science.gov (United States)

Fram, Miranda S.; Belitz, Kenneth

2012-01-01

Groundwater quality in the Tahoe-Martis, Central Sierra, and Southern Sierra study units was investigated as part of the Priority Basin Project of the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The three study units are located in the Sierra Nevada region of California in parts of Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Madera, Tulare, and Kern Counties. The GAMA Priority Basin Project is being conducted by the California State Water Resources Control Board, in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The project was designed to provide statistically robust assessments of untreated groundwater quality within the primary aquifer systems used for drinking water. The primary aquifer systems (hereinafter, primary aquifers) for each study unit are defined by the depth of the screened or open intervals of the wells listed in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) database of wells used for municipal and community drinking-water supply. The quality of groundwater in shallower or deeper water-bearing zones may differ from that in the primary aquifers; shallower groundwater may be more vulnerable to contamination from the surface. The assessments for the Tahoe-Martis, Central Sierra, and Southern Sierra study units were based on water-quality and ancillary data collected by the USGS from 132 wells in the three study units during 2006 and 2007 and water-quality data reported in the CDPH database. Two types of assessments were made: (1) status, assessment of the current quality of the groundwater resource, and (2) understanding, identification of the natural and human factors affecting groundwater quality. The assessments characterize untreated groundwater quality, not the quality of treated drinking water delivered to consumers by water purveyors. Relative-concentrations (sample concentrations divided by benchmark concentrations) were used for evaluating groundwater quality for those

Andean settlers rush for Amazonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Serra-vega, J

1990-01-01

Governments of Andean countries (Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela) have encouraged migration to the Amazon Basin, which has contributed to its destruction. Population pressure, landlessness, and poverty are the inducements to migrate. Efforts to populate the Amazon forest were begun as early as 1964 in Peru without international notice. By 1980, logging was allowed in Peru, and Brazil considered colonization of the Amazon essential to national sovereignty. By 1986, outside of Lima, Peru, a development project originally funded by the World Bank, the InterAmerican Development Bank, and the US, resulted in conflicts between settlers and Indians, in loggers indiscriminately cutting, and in farmers using slash and burn techniques to clear forests. Elsewhere the Peruvian Amazon, in San Ignacio, the population was growing by 5.5%/year. The jungle road that had been started but never completed, Carretera Marginal, destroyed 5 million hectares of primary forest, and much of the 600,000 hectares of arable land gained by the road suffered from inappropriate farming practices which caused massive erosion and laterization of the soils. Food crop production declined, and production of coca for cocaine increased. Coca crops are controlled by the Shining Path guerrillas, who are trying to overthrow the Peruvian government. Devastation of Ecuador around Lago Agrio continues. In Colombia, east of Bogota, forests have disappeared and hills have eroded and silted up rivers and dams. The Andean piedmont in Bolivia has also been devastated by loggers and by slash and burn farming. Southeastern Bolivian forests have been cleared for soya bean cultivation on poor soils. Social and economic crises propel people into the remaining forests. The solution is to ease foreign debt, transfer appropriate technology at affordable prices, refuse to finance destructive development, and help to educate and train scientific researchers. Family planning services are also urgently needed

Mio Pliocene volcaniclastic deposits in the Famatina Ranges, southern Central Andes: A case of volcanic controls on sedimentation in broken foreland basins

Science.gov (United States)

Martina, Federico; Dávila, Federico M.; Astini, Ricardo A.

2006-04-01

A well-constrained record of Miocene-Pliocene explosive volcanism is preserved within the broken foreland of Western Argentina along the Famatina Ranges. This paper focuses on the volcaniclastic record known as the Río Blanco member of the El Durazno Formation. Three facies can be recognized in the study area: (1) massive tuffs; (2) volcaniclastic conglomerates and (3) pumiceous sandstones. These facies are interpreted as primary pyroclastic flow deposits (ignimbrites) and reworked volcanogenic deposits within interacting volcanic-fluvial depositional systems. Alternation between ignimbrites and volcanogenic sandstones and conglomerates suggest a recurrent pattern of sedimentation related to recurrent volcanic activity. Considering the facies mosaic and relative thicknesses of facies, short periods of syn-eruption sedimentation (volcaniclastic deposits) seem to have been separated by longer inter-eruption periods, where normal stream-flow processes were dominant. The volcaniclastic component decreases up-section, suggesting a gradual reduction in volcanic activity. The mean sedimentation rate of the Río Blanco member is higher (0.44 mm/year) than those obtained for the underlying and overlying units. This increase cannot be fully explained by foreland basement deformation and tectonic loading. Hence, we propose subsidence associated with volcanic activity as the causal mechanism. Volcanism would have triggered additional accommodation space through coeval pyroclastic deposition, modification of the stream equilibrium profile, flexural loading of volcanoes, and thermal processes. These mechanisms may have favored the preservation of volcaniclastic beds in the high-gradient foreland system of Famatina during the Mio-Pliocene. Thus, the Río Blanco member records the response of fluvial systems to large, volcanism-induced sediment loads.

Pre-Cenozoic basement rocks of the Proto-Philippine Sea Plate: Constraints for the birthplace of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc

Science.gov (United States)

Tani, K.; Ishizuka, O.; Horie, K.; Barth, A. P.; Harigane, Y.; Ueda, H.

2016-12-01

The Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc is widely regarded to be a typical intra-oceanic arc, with the oceanic Pacific Plate subducting beneath the Philippine Sea Plate, an evolving complex of active and inactive arcs and back-arc basins. However, little is known about the origin of the proto-Philippine Sea Plate, which existed along with the Pacific Plate at the time of subduction initiation in the Eocene. To investigate the crustal structures of the proto-Philippine Sea Plate, we conducted manned-submersible and dredge surveys in the Daito Ridges and the Kyushu-Palau Ridge. The Daito Ridges comprise the northwestern Philippine Sea Plate along with what are regarded as remnants of the proto-Philippine Sea Plate. Submersible observations and rock sampling revealed that the Daito Ridges expose deep crustal sections of gabbroic, granitic, metamorphic, and ultra-mafic rocks, along with volcanic rocks ranging from basalt to andesite. Mesozoic magmatic zircon U-Pb ages have been obtained from the plutonic rocks, and whole-rock geochemistry of the igneous rocks indicates arc origins. Furthermore, mafic schist collected from the Daito Ridge has experienced amphibolite facies metamorphism, with phase assemblages suggesting that the crust was thicker than 20 km at the time. Similar amphibolite-facies metamorphic rocks with Proterozoic zircons have been recovered in the southern Kyushu-Palau Ridge, indicating that such distinctively older basement rocks exist as isolated tectonic blocks within the present Philippine Sea Plate. These finds show that the parts of the Daito Ridges and Kyushu-Palau Ridge represent developed crustal sections of the Pre-Cenozoic arc that comprises part of the proto-Philippine Sea Plate, and, together with the tectonic reconstruction of the proto-Philippine Sea Plate (Deschamps and Lallemand 2002, JGR), they suggest that subduction of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc initiated at the continental margin of the Southeast Asia.

Natural Selection on Genes Related to Cardiovascular Health in High-Altitude Adapted Andeans.

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, Jacob E; Amaru, Ricardo; Song, Jihyun; Julian, Colleen G; Racimo, Fernando; Cheng, Jade Yu; Guo, Xiuqing; Yao, Jie; Ambale-Venkatesh, Bharath; Lima, João A; Rotter, Jerome I; Stehlik, Josef; Moore, Lorna G; Prchal, Josef T; Nielsen, Rasmus

2017-11-02

The increase in red blood cell mass (polycythemia) due to the reduced oxygen availability (hypoxia) of residence at high altitude or other conditions is generally thought to be beneficial in terms of increasing tissue oxygen supply. However, the extreme polycythemia and accompanying increased mortality due to heart failure in chronic mountain sickness most likely reduces fitness. Tibetan highlanders have adapted to high altitude, possibly in part via the selection of genetic variants associated with reduced polycythemic response to hypoxia. In contrast, high-altitude-adapted Quechua- and Aymara-speaking inhabitants of the Andean Altiplano are not protected from high-altitude polycythemia in the same way, yet they exhibit other adaptive features for which the genetic underpinnings remain obscure. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing to scan high-altitude Andeans for signals of selection. The genes showing the strongest evidence of selection-including BRINP3, NOS2, and TBX5-are associated with cardiovascular development and function but are not in the response-to-hypoxia pathway. Using association mapping, we demonstrated that the haplotypes under selection are associated with phenotypic variations related to cardiovascular health. We hypothesize that selection in response to hypoxia in Andeans could have vascular effects and could serve to mitigate the deleterious effects of polycythemia rather than reduce polycythemia itself. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Environmental values and risk: A review of Sierra Club policies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craig, P.P.

1999-01-01

Sierra Club values are driven by an overriding environmental ethic. Sierra Club environmental values may be characterized by the concept of 'usufruct' a term favored by United States Founding Father Thomas Jefferson. Usufruct conveys the idea that the environment is ours to use, but not to destroy. Each generation has the obligation to pass on to future generations a world at least as environmentally rich as the one it inherited. It is appropriate to accept risk today in order to preserve the environment for generations yet to come. As viewed through the lens of its formal policies, the Sierra Club is an organization that embraces technology, but insists that technology be evaluated comprehensively, taking full account of both environmental and social externalities. The Club is 'risk averse' with respect to early introduction of technologies seen as likely to have significant negative environmental or social impact. The Club places heavy emphasis on process, which must involve the public meaningfully

Environmental values and risk: A review of Sierra Club policies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Craig, P.P. [Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States). Graduate Group in Ecology

1999-12-01

Sierra Club values are driven by an overriding environmental ethic. Sierra Club environmental values may be characterized by the concept of 'usufruct' a term favored by United States Founding Father Thomas Jefferson. Usufruct conveys the idea that the environment is ours to use, but not to destroy. Each generation has the obligation to pass on to future generations a world at least as environmentally rich as the one it inherited. It is appropriate to accept risk today in order to preserve the environment for generations yet to come. As viewed through the lens of its formal policies, the Sierra Club is an organization that embraces technology, but insists that technology be evaluated comprehensively, taking full account of both environmental and social externalities. The Club is 'risk averse' with respect to early introduction of technologies seen as likely to have significant negative environmental or social impact. The Club places heavy emphasis on process, which must involve the public meaningfully.

Insights into evolution in Andean Polystichum (Dryopteridaceae) from expanded understanding of the cytosolic phosphoglucose isomerase gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Brendan M; McHenry, Monique A; Barrington, David S

2017-07-01

Cytosolic phosphoglucose isomerase (pgiC) is an enzyme essential to glycolysis found universally in eukaryotes, but broad understanding of variation in the gene coding for pgiC is lacking for ferns. We used a substantially expanded representation of the gene for Andean species of the fern genus Polystichum to characterize pgiC in ferns relative to angiosperms, insects, and an amoebozoan; assess the impact of selection versus neutral evolutionary processes on pgiC; and explore evolutionary relationships of selected Andean species. The dataset of complete sequences comprised nine accessions representing seven species and one hybrid from the Andes and Serra do Mar. The aligned sequences of the full data set comprised 3376 base pairs (70% of the entire gene) including 17 exons and 15 introns from two central areas of the gene. The exons are highly conserved relative to angiosperms and retain substantial homology to insect pgiC, but intron length and structure are unique to the ferns. Average intron size is similar to angiosperms; intron number and location in insects are unlike those of the plants we considered. The introns included an array of indels and, in intron 7, an extensive microsatellite array with potential utility in analyzing population-level histories. Bayesian and maximum-parsimony analysis of 129 variable nucleotides in the Andean polystichums revealed that 59 (1.7% of the 3376 total) were phylogenetically informative; most of these united sister accessions. The phylogenetic trees for the Andean polystichums were incongruent with previously published cpDNA trees for the same taxa, likely the result of rapid evolutionary change in the introns and contrasting stability in the exons. The exons code a total of seven amino-acid substitutions. Comparison of non-synonymous to synonymous substitutions did not suggest that the pgiC gene is under selection in the Andes. Variation in pgiC including two additional accessions represented by incomplete sequences

Rock magnetism and magnetic fabric of the Triassic rocks from the West Spitsbergen Fold-and-Thrust Belt and its foreland

Science.gov (United States)

Dudzisz, Katarzyna; Szaniawski, Rafał; Michalski, Krzysztof; Chadima, Martin

2018-03-01

Magnetic fabric and magnetomineralogy of the Early Triassic sedimentary rocks, collected along the length of the West Spitsbergen Fold-and-Thrust Belt (WSFTB) and from subhorizontal beds on its foreland, is presented with the aim to compare magnetic mineralogy of these areas, determine the carriers of magnetic fabric and identify tectonic deformation reflected in the magnetic fabric. Magnetic mineralogy varies and only in part depends on the lithology. The magnetic fabric at all sampling sites is controlled by paramagnetic minerals (phyllosilicates and Fe-carbonates). In the fold belt, it reflects the low degree of deformation in a compressional setting with magnetic lineation parallel to fold axis (NW-SE). This is consistent with pure orthogonal compression model of the WSFTB formation, but it also agrees with decoupling model. Inverse fabric, observed in few sites, is carried by Fe-rich carbonates. In the WSFTB foreland, magnetic lineation reflects the Triassic paleocurrent direction (NE-SW). The alternation between normal and inverse magnetic fabric within the stratigraphic profile could be related to sedimentary cycles.

South African Ebola diagnostic response in Sierra Leone: A modular high biosafety field laboratory.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janusz T Paweska

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In August 2014, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD in South Africa established a modular high-biosafety field Ebola diagnostic laboratory (SA FEDL near Freetown, Sierra Leone in response to the rapidly increasing number of Ebola virus disease (EVD cases.The SA FEDL operated in the Western Area of Sierra Leone, which remained a "hotspot" of the EVD epidemic for months. The FEDL was the only diagnostic capacity available to respond to the overwhelming demand for rapid EVD laboratory diagnosis for several weeks in the initial stages of the EVD crisis in the capital of Sierra Leone. Furthermore, the NICD set out to establish local capacity amongst Sierra Leonean nationals in all aspects of the FEDL functions from the outset. This led to the successful hand-over of the FEDL to the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation in March 2015. Between 25 August 2014 and 22 June 2016, the laboratory tested 11,250 specimens mostly from the Western Urban and Western Rural regions of Sierra Leone, of which 2,379 (21.14% tested positive for Ebola virus RNA.The bio-safety standards and the portability of the SA FEDL, offered a cost-effective and practical alternative for the rapid deployment of a field-operated high biocontainment facility. The SA FEDL teams demonstrated that it is highly beneficial to train the national staff in the course of formidable disease outbreak and accomplished their full integration into all operational and diagnostic aspects of the laboratory. This initiative contributed to the international efforts in bringing the EVD outbreak under control in Sierra Leone, as well as capacitating local African scientists and technologists to respond to diagnostic needs that might be required in future outbreaks of highly contagious pathogens.

South African Ebola diagnostic response in Sierra Leone: A modular high biosafety field laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Paweska, Janusz T; Jansen van Vuren, Petrus; Meier, Gunther H; le Roux, Chantel; Conteh, Ousman S; Kemp, Alan; Fourie, Cardia; Naidoo, Prabha; Naicker, Serisha; Ohaebosim, Phumza; Storm, Nadia; Hellferscee, Orienka; Ming Sun, Lisa K; Mogodi, Busisiwe; Prabdial-Sing, Nishi; du Plessis, Desiree; Greyling, Deidre; Loubser, Shayne; Goosen, Mark; McCulloch, Stewart D; Scott, Terence P; Moerdyk, Alexandra; Dlamini, Wesley; Konneh, Kelfala; Kamara, Idrissa L; Sowa, Dauda; Sorie, Samuel; Kargbo, Brima; Madhi, Shabir A

2017-06-01

In August 2014, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in South Africa established a modular high-biosafety field Ebola diagnostic laboratory (SA FEDL) near Freetown, Sierra Leone in response to the rapidly increasing number of Ebola virus disease (EVD) cases. The SA FEDL operated in the Western Area of Sierra Leone, which remained a "hotspot" of the EVD epidemic for months. The FEDL was the only diagnostic capacity available to respond to the overwhelming demand for rapid EVD laboratory diagnosis for several weeks in the initial stages of the EVD crisis in the capital of Sierra Leone. Furthermore, the NICD set out to establish local capacity amongst Sierra Leonean nationals in all aspects of the FEDL functions from the outset. This led to the successful hand-over of the FEDL to the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation in March 2015. Between 25 August 2014 and 22 June 2016, the laboratory tested 11,250 specimens mostly from the Western Urban and Western Rural regions of Sierra Leone, of which 2,379 (21.14%) tested positive for Ebola virus RNA. The bio-safety standards and the portability of the SA FEDL, offered a cost-effective and practical alternative for the rapid deployment of a field-operated high biocontainment facility. The SA FEDL teams demonstrated that it is highly beneficial to train the national staff in the course of formidable disease outbreak and accomplished their full integration into all operational and diagnostic aspects of the laboratory. This initiative contributed to the international efforts in bringing the EVD outbreak under control in Sierra Leone, as well as capacitating local African scientists and technologists to respond to diagnostic needs that might be required in future outbreaks of highly contagious pathogens.

SIERRA/Aero Theory Manual Version 4.44

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sierra Thermal/Fluid Team

2017-04-01

SIERRA/Aero is a two and three dimensional, node-centered, edge-based finite volume code that approximates the compressible Navier-Stokes equations on unstructured meshes. It is applicable to inviscid and high Reynolds number laminar and turbulent flows. Currently, two classes of turbulence models are provided: Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and hybrid methods such as Detached Eddy Simulation (DES). Large Eddy Simulation (LES) models are currently under development. The gas may be modeled either as ideal, or as a non-equilibrium, chemically reacting mixture of ideal gases. This document describes the mathematical models contained in the code, as well as certain implementation details. First, the governing equations are presented, followed by a description of the spatial discretization. Next, the time discretization is described, and finally the boundary conditions. Throughout the document, SIERRA/ Aero is referred to simply as Aero for brevity.

SIERRA/Aero Theory Manual Version 4.46.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sierra Thermal/Fluid Team

2017-09-01

SIERRA/Aero is a two and three dimensional, node-centered, edge-based finite volume code that approximates the compressible Navier-Stokes equations on unstructured meshes. It is applicable to inviscid and high Reynolds number laminar and turbulent flows. Currently, two classes of turbulence models are provided: Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and hybrid methods such as Detached Eddy Simulation (DES). Large Eddy Simulation (LES) models are currently under development. The gas may be modeled either as ideal, or as a non-equilibrium, chemically reacting mixture of ideal gases. This document describes the mathematical models contained in the code, as well as certain implementation details. First, the governing equations are presented, followed by a description of the spatial discretization. Next, the time discretization is described, and finally the boundary conditions. Throughout the document, SIERRA/ Aero is referred to simply as Aero for brevity.

Pathogenicity evaluation of native isolates of entomopathogenic fungí against andean weevil, Premnotrypes vorax (Hustache

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giselle Rivera

2001-07-01

Full Text Available The main goal of this study was pathogenicity evaluation of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae native isolates, obtained from natural habitats and stocked potato, against potato andean weevil, Premnotrypes vorax (Hustache (COLEOPTERA: Curculionidae, and important potato insect pest in Colombia and other Andean countries. Patogenicity was determined by laboratory bioassays, using either reared insects or field captured insects. Insect rearing data are presented. Pathogenicity evaluation was express as mortality against time, estimating LT50 and LT90 for all the fungal isolates, and mortality against spore concentration, estimating CL50 for two selected isolates. In all cases, total mortality percentils were above 45%. Differences between reared and field captured insects were evident. According to obtained data one of the fungal isolates: B. bassiana 9770, obtained from R vorax larva (TL50: 4.7 days - 9.8 days; TL90: 14.1 days - 20.8 days; CL50:7.03 x 104spores/ml appears as a promisory fungal isolate for further studies. Out of this study, differences in the andean weevil, P. vorax, adult mortality, with regard to entomopathogenic fungal isolate and insect origin were manifest.

Homotopy Lie algebras associated with a proto-bialgebra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bangoura, Momo

2003-10-01

Motivated by the search for examples of homotopy Lie algebras, to any Lie proto-bialgebra structure on a finite-dimensional vector space F, we associate two homotopy Lie algebra structures defined on the suspension of the exterior algebra of F and that of its dual F*, respectively, with a 0-ary map corresponding to the image of the empty set. In these algebras, all n-ary brackets for n ≥ 4 vanish. More generally, to any element of odd degree in Λ(F*+F), we associate a set of n-ary skew-symmetric mappings on the suspension of ΛF (resp. Λ F*), which satisfy the generalized Jacobi identities if the given element is of square zero. (author)

PROBLEMS IN THE ADMISSION TO HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE LOWER SIERRA DE SONORA, CASE: UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rubén Ángel Vásquez-Navarro

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to clarify the issues and find solutions to align somewhat academic models of institutions of higher average level and above found in the central highlands of the state of Sonora, as are the University of Sierra, and the CBTA 53 and confront the culture of the people of the importance of young people studying a degree in that region.The above educational institutions are located in the geographical catchment area and education, in fact, in the same population, in the northeastern state of Sonora. The mountains of Sonora had always intended to have a school of higher education. To justify the town of Montezuma as a geographically strategic point, and thanks to the efforts made by the governor in turn was as the University of Sierra opens its doors to students on the mountain in August 2002.For the analysis of the functioning of an educational institution in the rural sector, should take into account a wide range of factors, however, this work will be key to analyze the dislocation and inconsistency of educational models from an institution of higher average level in relationship to another level, which serve as a unique educational opportunities for the people of Sonora and surrounding Montezuma. In addition, the cultural aspect, which reflects a regional behavior of the inhabitants of the region. La Sierra University is located in the mountainous region of the state of Sonora, in the town of Montezuma, with a catchment area of more than 30 municipalities in this area, which lacked a college until recently time.

The Rise and Fall of Andean Empires: El Nino History Lessons.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Kenneth R.

2000-01-01

Provides information on El Nino and the methods for investigating ancient climate record. Traces the rise and fall of the Andean empires focusing on the climatic forces that each empire (Tiwanaku, Wari, Moche, and Inca) endured. States that modern societies should learn from the experiences of these ancient civilizations. (CMK)

Proto-I switching and diode studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prestwich, K.R.; Miller, P.A.; McDaniel, D.H.; Poukey, J.W.; Widner, M.M.; Goldstein, S.A.

1975-01-01

Proto-I is a 3 MV, 800 kA, 24 ns electron beam accelerator that is under development at Sandia Laboratories. It represents an initial effort to develop a scalable technology that is applicable to accelerators for electron beam driven, inertial confinement fusion studies. Energy is supplied to each of the two diodes from six oil-dielectric Blumlein transmission lines (PFL) operating in parallel. A Marx generator charges three intermediate storage, water-dielectric capacitors which subsequently transfer the stored energy to the PFL. The discharge of the PFL is initiated by the simultaneous closure of 12 triggered oil-dielectric rail switches. Data will be presented on the operation of these multichannel switches. The two diodes have a common anode. Cathode diameters can be varied from 10 to 60 cm. Results of initial diode experiments and comparisons with theory are discussed. Plasma filled diode experiments are also reported, indicating pinch collapse velocities in excess of 10 9 cm/s

The subduction erosion and mantle source region contamination model of Andean arc magmatism: Isotopic evidence from igneous rocks of central Chile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stern, Charles R

2001-01-01

Continental crust may be incorporated in mantle-derived Andean magmas as these magmas rise through the crust (Hildreth and Moorbath, 1988), or alternatively, crust may be tectonically transported into the mantle by subduction of trench sediments and subduction erosion of the continental margin, and then added into the mantle source region of Andean magmas (Stern, 1991). Since the mantle has relatively low Sr, Nd, and Pb concentrations compared to continental crust, differences in the isotopic compositions of magmas erupted in different region of the Andes may be produced by relatively small differences in the amount of subducted crust added to the mantle source region of these magmas. By comparison, significantly larger amounts of crust must be assimilated by mantle-derived magmas to produce isotopic differences of similar magnitude. Therefore, constraining the process by which continental crust is incorporated in Andean magmas has important implications for understanding the chemical cycling that takes place in the Andean subduction-related magma factory. Isotopic data suggest the incorporation of a greater proportion of crust in Andean magmas erupted at the northern portion of the Southern Volcanic Zone of central Chile compared to those erupted in the southern portion of the Southern Volcanic Zone of south central Chile (SSVZ) (Stern et al., 1984; Futa and Stern, 1988; Hildreth and Moorbath, 1988). The NSVZ occurs just south of the current locus of the subduction of the Juan Fernandez Ridge. The southward migration of the locus of subduction of this ridge has resulted in decreasing subduction angle below the NSVZ, the eastward migration of the volcanic front of the Andean arc, and an increase in the crustal thickness below the arc. These factors together have caused changes, since the middle Miocene, in the isotopic composition of Andean igneous rocks of central Chile. The data indicate a close chronologic relation between the southward migrations of the locus

Total decay heat estimates in a proto-type fast reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sridharan, M.S.

2003-01-01

Full text: In this paper, total decay heat values generated in a proto-type fast reactor are estimated. These values are compared with those of certain fast reactors. Simple analytical fits are also obtained for these values which can serve as a handy and convenient tool in engineering design studies. These decay heat values taken as their ratio to the nominal operating power are, in general, applicable to any typical plutonium based fast reactor and are useful inputs to the design of decay-heat removal systems

Provenance of sands from the confluence of the Amazon and Madeira rivers based on detrital heavy minerals and luminescence of quartz and feldspar

Science.gov (United States)

do Nascimento, Daniel R.; Sawakuchi, André O.; Guedes, Carlos C. F.; Giannini, Paulo C. F.; Grohmann, Carlos H.; Ferreira, Manuela P.

2015-03-01

Source-to-sink systems are poorly known in tropical rivers. For the Amazonian rivers, the majority of the provenance studies remain focused on the suspended load, implying a poor understanding of the processes governing production and distribution of sands. In this study, we perform heavy mineral and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) analysis to cover the entire spectrum (heavy and light minerals fraction) of 29 sand samples of the Lower Madeira river region (Amazon and Madeira rivers), of which the main goal was to find provenance indicators specific to these rivers. Despite the tropical humid climate, the sands of the Amazon and Lower Madeira rivers are rich in unstable heavy minerals as augite, hypersthene, green hornblende and andalusite. The Madeira river is highlighted by its higher content of andalusite, with source attributed to the Amazon Craton (medium-to-high grade metamorphic rocks), while the Amazon river, upstream of the Madeira river mouth, has a signature of augite and hypersthene, that suggests an Andean provenance (volcanic rocks). Sands from the Madeira river can be tracked in the Amazon river by the increasing concentration in andalusite. OSL analysis of the light minerals fraction was used as an index of feldspar concentration and sedimentary history of quartz grains. Lower feldspar concentration and quartz grains with longer sedimentary history (higher OSL sensitivity) also point to a major contribution of cratonic sources for the sands in the Madeira river. While the sands from the Lower Madeira would be mainly supplied by cratonic rocks, previous work recognised that suspended sediments (silt and clay) are derived from Andean rocks. Therefore, we interpret a decoupling between the sources of sand and mud (silt and clay) under transport in the Madeira river. Andean sands (rich in augite and hypersthene) would be trapped in the foreland zones of the Beni and Mamoré tributaries. In the Amazon river sands, the low OSL sensitivity of the

Mass loss from the proto-sun: Formation and evolution of the solar nebula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trivedi, B.M.P.

1984-01-01

We consider the formation and evolution of the solar nebula in the light of observations of T Tauri stars, oxygen-isotopic anomalies in meteorites, and the mass and angular momentum distribution in the present solar system. It is argued that the solar nebula formed from the mass lost by the proto-Sun. The outflow of initially partially ionized material in the presence of a strong proto-solar magnetic field would lead to the transfer of angular momentum from the central Sun to the outflowing matter. This explains the present angular momentum distribution between the Sun and the planetary system. When the outflowing matter cooled sufficiently, to less than 2000 K, approx. l0 12 cm from the Sun, the material would neutralize, and the magnetic field would then decouple from the outflowing matter. Further motion would be governed by the gravitational field of the proto-Sun, the gas pressure, and the centrifugal force. When these forces balance, the radial flow would stop, and a rotating solar nebula would form. Chemical condensation would occur in the outflowing matter when suitable pressure-temperature conditions would develop. The condensation of the refractory mineral Al 2 O 3 would start at a distance of approx.2 x l0 12 cm from the Sun, where the pressure would be approx. 3 x l0 8 atm, and temperature approx. l450 K. The condensation sequence of other lower temperature minerals would follow this. All the refractory minerals and iron would condense within the orbit of the planet Mercury. All the volatiles would condense before the outflowing matter crossed the asteroid region. The grains would move to the outer part of the nebula along with the outflowing gas

Geochemical constraints on the relationship between the Miocene-Pliocene volcanism and tectonics in the Palaoco and Fortunoso volcanic fields, Mendoza Region, Argentina

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dyhr, Charlotte Thorup; Holm, Paul Martin; Llambias, Eduardo J.

2013-01-01

New 40Ar/39Ar analyses constrain the formation of the volcanic succession of Sierra de Palaoco in the present back-arc of the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ), near 36°S, to the Late Miocene and assigns them to the Huincán II Formation. The composition of major and trace elements, Sr, Nd and P...

First experimental result of toroidal confinement of non-neutral plasma on Proto-RT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Himura, H.; Yoshida, Z.; Morikawa, J.

1999-01-01

Recently, an internal-ring device named Proto-RT (Prototype Ring Trap) was constructed at University of Tokyo, and experiments on the device have been just initiated. The goal of Proto-RT is to explore an innovative way which has a possibility to attain a plasma equilibrium with extremely high-β (β>1) in a toroidal geometry using non-neutral condition. At the first series of the experiments, pure electron plasma (n e ∼10 12 m -3 ) is successfully confined inside a separatrix. No disruption is so far observed. The confinement time of the electron plasma is the order of 1 sec. A shear effect of magnetic fields seems to result in longer confinement. The non-neutrality of Δn e ∼10 12 m -3 is already beyond the value required to produce an enough self-electric field E in plasma, causing a strong ExB flow thoroughly all over the plasma where the hydrodynamic pressure of the flow is predicted to balance with the thermal pressure of the plasma. (author)

Studies on Colombian Cryptogams VI. High Andean species of Radula (Hepaticae)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jans, Els

1979-01-01

This study deals with the genus Radula (Hepaticae) from the high Andean forests and paramos of Colombia, above 2500 m, and is based on the determination of Colombian collections gathered by H. Bischler and by A. M. Cleef and collaborators. A key to the 8 species known from the area is given and

Social inequality and child malnutrition in four Andean countries

OpenAIRE

Carlos Larrea; Wilma Freire

2002-01-01

Objective. To analyze the effects of socioeconomic, regional, and ethnic conditions on chronic malnutrition in four Andean countries of South America: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Methods. The study was based on Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for Colombia (1995), Peru (1996), and Bolivia (1997), and on a Living Standard Measurement Survey for Ecuador (1998). We developed an index of household socioeconomic status using categorical principal components analysis. We broke down th...

PROPOSING A DIGITAL INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF THE QHAPAQ ÑAN – ANDEAN ROAD SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. N. Duperré

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The ancient network of roads in the Andean region is one of the most important works of infrastructure in South America. The extensive territory where the main exchanges between their communities were locally performed is previous to the expansion of the Inca Empire. In the year 2014, the region was included on the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. This communication network is the Qhapaq Ñan, Andean Road System. The Incas planned their route in the diverse landscape of the Andes to promote social and economic ties among the Andean communities. The routes originated in the central square of Cusco, creating cross-connections in a wide geographical area. The Tawantinsuyu depended on this sole route to link very distant production and worship centers. The Qhapaq Ñan was the result of a political project. Even nowadays, it continues to articulate the development of cultural traditions in the Andean region. The present contribution analyzes its transcendental importance as a Cultural Heritage and the singularity of its nomination by the UNESCO, as for the first time six countries are sharing common objectives towards guaranteeing its protection. Furthermore, this research explores the sense of timing in Latin American countries and the implicit challenges in the implementation of the new information technologies for the dissemination of information on Main Andean Road and for its conservation. Although many of the countries have already incorporated the necessary digital tools in this matter, we conclude that there is a need to implement an Integrated Digital Model for the coordinated management in the countries that form the region.

77 FR 49789 - Record of Decision for Issuing a Presidential Permit to Energia Sierra Juarez U.S. Transmission...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-17

... Energia Sierra Juarez U.S. Transmission, LLC, for the Energia Sierra Juarez U.S. Transmission Line Project...: Record of Decision (ROD). SUMMARY: DOE announces its decision to issue a Presidential permit to Energia... analyzed in the Environmental Impact Statement for the Energia Sierra Juarez U.S. Transmission Line Project...

ProtoBee: Hierarchical classification and annotation of the honey bee proteome

OpenAIRE

Kaplan, Noam; Linial, Michal

2006-01-01

The recently sequenced genome of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) has produced 10,157 predicted protein sequences, calling for a computational effort to extract biological insights from them. We have applied an unsupervised hierarchical protein-clustering method, which was previously used in the ProtoNet system, to nearly 200,000 proteins consisting of the predicted honey bee proteins, the SWISS-PROT protein database, and the complete set of proteins of the mouse (Mus musculus) and the fruit fl...

SIERRA/Aero User Manual Version 4.44

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sierra Thermal/Fluid Team

2017-04-01

SIERRA/Aero is a compressible fluid dynamics program intended to solve a wide variety compressible fluid flows including transonic and hypersonic problems. This document describes the commands for assembling a fluid model for analysis with this module, henceforth referred to simply as Aero for brevity. Aero is an application developed using the SIERRA Toolkit (STK). The intent of STK is to provide a set of tools for handling common tasks that programmers encounter when developing a code for numerical simulation. For example, components of STK provide field allocation and management, and parallel input/output of field and mesh data. These services also allow the development of coupled mechanics analysis software for a massively parallel computing environment. In the definitions of the commands that follow, the term Real_Max denotes the largest floating point value that can be represented on a given computer. Int_Max is the largest such integer value.

SIERRA/Aero User Manual Version 4.46.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sierra Thermal/Fluid Team

2017-09-01

SIERRA/Aero is a compressible fluid dynamics program intended to solve a wide variety compressible fluid flows including transonic and hypersonic problems. This document describes the commands for assembling a fluid model for analysis with this module, henceforth referred to simply as Aero for brevity. Aero is an application developed using the SIERRA Toolkit (STK). The intent of STK is to provide a set of tools for handling common tasks that programmers encounter when developing a code for numerical simulation. For example, components of STK provide field allocation and management, and parallel input/output of field and mesh data. These services also allow the development of coupled mechanics analysis software for a massively parallel computing environment. In the definitions of the commands that follow, the term Real_Max denotes the largest floating point value that can be represented on a given computer. Int_Max is the largest such integer value.

Gravitational waves from rotating proto-neutron stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrari, V; Gualtieri, L; Pons, J A; Stavridis, A

2004-01-01

We study the effects of rotation on the quasi-normal modes (QNMs) of a newly born proto-neutron star (PNS) at different evolutionary stages, until it becomes a cold neutron star (NS). We use the Cowling approximation, neglecting spacetime perturbations, and consider different models of evolving PNS. The frequencies of the modes of a PNS are considerably lower than those of a cold NS, and are further lowered by rotation; consequently, if QNMs were excited in a sufficiently energetic process, they would radiate waves that could be more easily detectable by resonant-mass and interferometric detectors than those emitted by a cold NS. We find that for high rotation rates, some of the g-modes become unstable via the CFS instability; however, this instability is likely to be suppressed by competing mechanisms before emitting a significant amount of gravitational waves

The Letters and Memorials Written by Alonso de Medina: Is It Possible to Speak of a «Sense of the Creole» During the XVIth Century?

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Ivan Reyna

2016-05-01

Full Text Available The article suggests that an early «creole identity» can be observed in some of the early colonizers of the Viceroyalty of Peru. Following the argument elaborated by José Antonio Mazzotti regarding the presence of a proto-creole identity that preceded the creoles in the Andean region, and seeing indigenismo , (understanding indigenismo as a «current of opinion favorable to the Indians» as Henri Favre defines the movement as one of the characteristics of this proto-creole identity , this article tries to find in the letters and memorials written by Alonso de Medina hints of this identity, which can be perceived in the constant preoccupation for the well-being of the indigenous population depicted in his letters and memorials.

Trade in Andean Condor Vulture gryphus feathers and body parts in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

body parts in the city of Cusco and the Sacred Valley,. Cusco region, Peru. Robert S. R. ... The sale of Andean Condor feathers and body parts is undertaken openly in the tourist markets of Cusco and the Sacred .... and shops. Prices in local currency – Nuevo Sol and US Dollar equivalent given in parentheses). Feather.

Assessment of Anemia Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors among Pregnant Women in Sierra Leone

Science.gov (United States)

M'Cormack, Fredanna A. D.; Drolet, Judy C.

2012-01-01

Introduction: Iron deficiency anemia prevalence of pregnant Sierra Leone women currently is reported to be 59.7%. Anemia is considered to be a direct cause of 3-7% of maternal deaths and an indirect cause of 20-40% of maternal deaths. This study explores knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of urban pregnant Sierra Leone women regarding anemia.…

Fumarole/plume and diffuse CO2 emission from Sierra Negra volcano, Galapagos archipelago

Science.gov (United States)

Padron, E.; Hernandez Perez, P. A.; Perez, N.; Theofilos, T.; Melian, G.; Barrancos, J.; Virgil, G.; Sumino, H.; Notsu, K.

2009-12-01

The active shield-volcano Sierra Negra is part of the Galapagos hotspot. Sierra Negra is the largest shield volcano of Isabela Island, hosting a 10 km diameter caldera. Ten historic eruptions have occurred and some involved a frequently visited east caldera rim fissure zone called Volcan Chico. The last volcanic event occurred in October 2005 and lasted for about a week, covering approximately twenty percent of the eastern caldera floor. Sierra Negra volcano has experienced some significant changes in the chemical composition of its volcanic gas discharges after the 2005 eruption. This volcanic event produced an important SO2 degassing that depleted the magmatic content of this gas. Not significant changes in the MORB and plume-type helium contribution were observed after the 2005 eruption, with a 65.5 % of MORB and 35.5 % of plume contribution. In 2006 a visible and diffuse gas emission study was performed at the summit of Sierra Negra volcano, Galapagos, to evaluate degassing rate from this volcanic system. Diffuse degassing at Sierra Negra was mainly confined in three different DDS: Volcan Chico, the southern inner margin of the caldera, and Mina Azufral. These areas showed also visible degassing, which indicates highly fractured areas where volcano-hydrothermal fluids migrate towards surface. A total fumarole/plume SO2 emission of 11 ± 2 td-1 was calculated by mini-DOAS ground-based measurements at Mina Azufral fumarolic area. Molar ratios of major volcanic gas components were also measured in-situ at Mina Azufral with a portable multisensor. The results showed H2S/SO2, CO2/SO2 and H2O/SO2 molar ratios of 0.41, 52.2 and 867.9, respectively. Multiplying the observed SO2 emission rate times the observed (gas)i/SO2 mass ratio we have estimated other volatiles emission rates. The results showed that H2O, CO2 and H2S emission rates from Sierra Negra are 562, 394, and 2.4 t d-1, respectively. The estimated total output of diffuse CO2 emission from the summit of

76 FR 44535 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, Northern Sierra Air Quality Management...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-26

... the California State Implementation Plan, Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, and South Coast Air Quality Management District AGENCY... the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District (NSAQMD), Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality...

76 FR 44493 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, Northern Sierra Air Quality Management...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-26

... California State Implementation Plan, Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, and South Coast Air Quality Management District AGENCY... approve revisions to the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District (NSAQMD), Sacramento Metropolitan...

Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research Original Article

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

A publication of the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone ... disability associated with venomous snakebites result in lasting .... 1Mean ± Standard Error. 95% Confidence Limit. Community. Self. Reported.

Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research Case Study

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Zackary Suleiman

A publication of the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone ... Case Study ... Peri-operative management of patients with significant cardio-respiratory disease ... contribute to patient safety by preventing any.

Agronomic performance and stability of andean common bean lines with white grains in Brazil

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Helton Santos Pereira

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This work evaluated the effect of genotype by environment interaction in Andean common bean lines with white grains, in Central Southern Brazil, to identify lines with high agronomic performance, stability and adaptability, aiming to meet domestic demand and to increase the Brazilian participation in the foreign market of common bean. Nineteen trials with twelve Andean lines were conducted in 2007, 2008 and 2009, in Central Southern Brazil. Grain yield and other agronomic traits were evaluated. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and of adaptability/stability using Annicchiarico and modified AMMI methods. Significant differences were found between lines for all traits evaluated. Genotype by environment interaction was important for lines with Andean origin and white seed. The utilization of weighted mean of absolute scores and yield with the AMMI results enabled the identification of the most stable and adapted lines. Lines Poroto Alubia, CNFB 16211, Ouro Branco and WAF 160 were stable and adapted, using both methods. CNFB 16211 line presented high agronomic performance, stability and adaptability and therefore this line may be a new cultivar. USWA 70 and WAF 75 lines presented grain size similar to that required by the foreign market and superior to the Brazilian cultivars, besides favorable agronomic traits, and thus these lines may be indicated as new cultivars.

Photon detection system for ProtoDUNE dual phase

CERN Document Server

Cuesta, C. (on behalf of DUNE collaboration)

2017-01-01

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a 40-kton underground liquid argon time-projection-chamber (LAr TPC) detector, for long-baseline neutrino oscillation studies and for neutrino astrophysics and nucleon decay searches. Photon detector systems embedded within the LAr TPC add precise timing capabilities for non-beam events. The ProtoDUNE dual phase detector will consist of a 6x6x6 m3 liquid argon time-projection chamber placed at CERN and the light readout will be formed by 8-inch cryogenic photomultipliers from Hamamatsu. The characterization of the 36 photomultipliers, the base design, and the light calibration system are described. In addition, preliminary results from a 3x1x1 m3 LAr double phase detector operating at CERN are presented.

The Sierra de Cabral range: a restraining bend related to the Sierra Ballena shear zone in Dom Feliciano belt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masquelin, H.

2010-01-01

Restraining and releasing bends occurring in all crustal environments are common but enigmatic features of strike-slip fault systems. They can be reported in all scales of observation. Regional-scale restraining bends are sites of mountain building, transpressional deformation and basement exhumation. Releasing bends are sites of subsidence, transtensional deformation and pull-apart basins. The Dom Feliciano Belt of Southern Uruguay has two main structures observed from the outer space: (i) the Sierra Ballena Shear Zone and (ii) the Sierra de Cabral flexure located to the SW of the former. Although a transpressional regime is commonly accepted for the Dom Feliciano Belt, the available tectonic models do not provide satisfactory explanations for its building mechanism. A restraining bend is proposed at the SW termination of Sierra Ballena strike-slip ductile shear zone. In a key-area (Alvariza Range) the relationship between the Zanja del Tigre volcanic-detritic and the calcareous succession shows three en-échelon upright bends of the same quartzite hanging-wall between two sub-vertical strike-slip faults, suggesting the existence of a shortened strike-slip duplex operating in viscous-elastic rheology. The deformation partitioning includes strike-slip and dip-slip simple-shear components as well as one contractional pure-shear component. Because restraining bends were scarcely described in Neoproterozoic low-grade regional exhumation conditions, this structural framework would be a natural laboratory to study fault kinematics, fault dynamics, their associated deformation and the tectonic and erosion constraints related to the exhumation of many crystalline terrains

Physico-chemical and sensory properties of marmalades made from mixtures of fruits and under-exploited Andean tubers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lotufo Haddad, Agustina M; Margalef, María Isabel; Armada, Margarita; Goldner, María Cristina

2017-09-01

This work studies the added value to the Andean tuber crops through the production of jams. The objective were: (1) to study the sensory and instrumental characteristics of dietetic marmalades made with fruits and Andean tubers; (2) to research consumer's acceptability and emotional responses; (3) to assess the relationship between sensory and instrumental variables and (4) to determine sensory, instrumental and emotional variables that influence the acceptability. Pearson's correlations showed that spreadability was the variable better predicted by sensory and instrumental ones. The analysis of variance showed that sourness increased with the increase of strawberry and the decrease of apple contents (P analysis of sensory/acceptability/emotion data, 'typical', 'autochthonous', 'urban' and 'present' resulted in positive emotions which favored the consumer liking. Formulating marmalades with mixtures of fruits and Andean tubers will allow giving value-added to these crops. The elaboration of products using innovative raw materials will be an incentive for farmers to cultivate them. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Structure of Sierra Blanca (Alpujarride Complex, west of the Betic Cordillera

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Andreo, B.

1995-04-01

Full Text Available Sierra Blanca, situated in the SW of Málaga, forms part of the Blanca unit, belonging to the Alpujarride Complex of the Betic Cordillera. Its lithologic sequences are made up of a group of migmatites, gneisses and schists and an upper formation of marbles (white dolomitic and the bottom and blue calcareous towards the top, linked with a transitional contact. The structure of Sierra Blanca is comprised of folds, generally isoclinal, with reversed limbs and with important tectonic transpositions, the direction of which is approximately E-W in the eastern area and N-S and E-W in the West. In both areas the folds present opposing vergences, consistently towards the interior of the sierra. The origin of these structures is explained with a model of westerly movements of the Blanca unit, in relation to the Los Reales unit, with the formation of frontal and lateral folds. In its advancement, the western part of Sierra Blanca underwent an important anti-clockwise rotation responsible for the co-existence of folds in N-S and E-W directions. These structures occurred under ductile conditions, owing to the presence of important overthrusting peridotitic masses of the Los Reales unit. This model of westerly displacement is inserted in the process undergone by the Betic-Rif Internal Zones (with Blanca and Los Reales units included which occurred at the end of the Oligocene-Early Miocene when the Gibraltar arch began to be formed.Sierra Blanca, situada al SW de Málaga, forma parte de la unidad de Blanca que pertenece al complejo Alpujárride de la Cordillera Bética. Su secuencia litológica está compuesta por un conjunto inferior de migmatitas, gneises y esquistos, y por una formación superior de mármoles, blancos dolomíticos en la base y mármoles calizos azules hacia la parte superior, entre los que existe un tránsito gradual. La estructura de Sierra Blanca está formada por pliegues, generalmente isoclinales, con flancos invertidos que muestran

Taxonomic review of the species of Helina R.-D. (Diptera: Muscidae) from Andean-Patagonian forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Patitucci, Luciano Damián; Mulieri, Pablo Ricardo; Mariluis, Juan Carlos

2016-08-12

Helina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 is the second genus of Muscidae in terms of richness. This genus includes several species collected at high altitudes and high latitudes, and is poorly studied in the Neotropical region. Only 12 species of Helina have been recorded in the southern limit of South America in the Andean-Patagonian forests. In the present work, we studied all the species known from the Andean-Patagonian forests, with the exception of H. viola Malloch, 1934, present three new species, H. araucana sp. nov., H. dorada sp. nov., and H. ouina sp. nov., and provide the first description of the females of H. australis Carvalho & Pont, 1993 and H. rufoapicata Malloch, 1934. We also propose four new synonymies: H. nigrimana basilaris (Carvalho & Pont, 1993) and H. nigrimana grisea (Malloch, 1934) as new junior synonyms of H. nigrimana (Macquart, 1851); and H. fulvocalyptrata Malloch, 1934 and H. simplex Malloch, 1934 as new junior synonyms of H. chilensis Malloch, 1934. Finally, we provide a generic diagnosis and a new key for the Helina species of the Andean-Patagonian forests, as well as notes on the biology and distribution maps of each specimen, and discuss a preliminary contruction of groups of species.

Transient fuel rod behavior prediction with RODEX-3/SIERRA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Billaux, M R; Shann, S H; Swam, L.F. Van [Siemens Power Corp., Richland, WA (United States)

1997-08-01

This paper discusses some aspects of the fuel performance code SIERRA (SIEmens Rod Response Analysis). SIERRA, the latest version of the code RODEX-3, has been developed to improve the fuel performance prediction capabilities of the code, both at high burnup and during transient reactor conditions. The paper emphasizes the importance of the mechanical models of the cracked pellet and of the cladding, in the prediction of the transient response of the fuel rod to power changes. These models are discussed in detail. Other aspects of the modelling of high burnup effects are also presented, in particular the modelling of the rim effect and the way it affects the fuel temperature. (author). 12 refs, 5 figs.

Transient fuel rod behavior prediction with RODEX-3/SIERRA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billaux, M.R.; Shann, S.H.; Swam, L.F. Van

1997-01-01

This paper discusses some aspects of the fuel performance code SIERRA (SIEmens Rod Response Analysis). SIERRA, the latest version of the code RODEX-3, has been developed to improve the fuel performance prediction capabilities of the code, both at high burnup and during transient reactor conditions. The paper emphasizes the importance of the mechanical models of the cracked pellet and of the cladding, in the prediction of the transient response of the fuel rod to power changes. These models are discussed in detail. Other aspects of the modelling of high burnup effects are also presented, in particular the modelling of the rim effect and the way it affects the fuel temperature. (author). 12 refs, 5 figs

Transitions between Andean and Amazonian centers of endemism in the radiation of some arboreal rodents

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background The tropical Andes and Amazon are among the richest regions of endemism for mammals, and each has given rise to extensive in situ radiations. Various animal lineages have radiated ex situ after colonizing one of these regions from the other: Amazonian clades of dendrobatid frogs and passerine birds may have Andean ancestry, and transitions from the Amazon to Andes may be even more common. To examine biogeographic transitions between these regions, we investigated the evolutionary history of three clades of rodents in the family Echimyidae: bamboo rats (Dactylomys-Olallamys-Kannabateomys), spiny tree-rats (Mesomys-Lonchothrix), and brush-tailed rats (Isothrix). Each clade is distributed in both the Andes and Amazonia, and is more diverse in the lowlands. We used two mitochondrial (cyt-b and 12S) and three nuclear (GHR, vWF, and RAG1) markers to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships. Tree topologies and ancestral geographic ranges were then used to determine whether Andean forms were basal to or derived from lowland radiations. Results Four biogeographic transitions are identified among the generic radiations. The bamboo rat clade unambiguously originated in the Amazon ca. 9 Ma, followed by either one early transition to the Andes (Olallamys) and a later move to the Amazon (Dactylomys), or two later shifts to the Andes (one in each genus). The Andean species of both Dactylomys and Isothrix are sister to their lowland species, raising the possibility that highland forms colonized the Amazon Basin. However, uncertainty in their reconstructed ancestral ranges obscures the origin of these transitions. The lone Andean species of Mesomys is confidently nested within the lowland radiation, thereby indicating an Amazon-to-Andes transition ca. 2 Ma. Conclusions Differences in the timing of these biogeographic transitions do not appear to explain the different polarities of these trees. Instead, even within the radiation of a single family, both Andean and

Sierra/SM theory manual.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Crane, Nathan Karl

2013-07-01

Presented in this document are the theoretical aspects of capabilities contained in the Sierra/SM code. This manuscript serves as an ideal starting point for understanding the theoretical foundations of the code. For a comprehensive study of these capabilities, the reader is encouraged to explore the many references to scientific articles and textbooks contained in this manual. It is important to point out that some capabilities are still in development and may not be presented in this document. Further updates to this manuscript will be made as these capabilites come closer to production level.

Increasing elevation of fire in the Sierra Nevada and implications for forest change

Science.gov (United States)

Mark W. Schwartz; Nathalie Butt; Christopher R. Dolanc; Andrew Holguin; Max A. Moritz; Malcolm P. North; Hugh D. Safford; Nathan L. Stephenson; James H. Thorne; Phillip J. van Mantgem

2015-01-01

Fire in high-elevation forest ecosystems can have severe impacts on forest structure, function and biodiversity. Using a 105-year data set, we found increasing elevation extent of fires in the Sierra Nevada, and pose five hypotheses to explain this pattern. Beyond the recognized pattern of increasing fire frequency in the Sierra Nevada since the late 20th century, we...

Landsat-Derived Estimates of Mangrove Extents in the Sierra Leone Coastal Landscape Complex during 1990-2016.

Science.gov (United States)

Mondal, Pinki; Trzaska, Sylwia; de Sherbinin, Alex

2017-12-21

This study provides the first assessment of decadal changes in mangrove extents in Sierra Leone. While significant advances have been made in mangrove mapping using remote sensing, no study has documented long-term changes in mangrove extents in Sierra Leone-one of the most vulnerable countries in West Africa. Such understanding is critical for devising regional management strategies that can support local livelihoods. We utilize multi-date Landsat data and cloud computational techniques to quantify spatiotemporal changes in land cover, with focus on mangrove ecosystems, for 1990-2016 along the coast of Sierra Leone. We specifically focus on four estuaries-Scarcies, Sierra Leone, Yawri Bay, and Sherbro. We relied on the k-means approach for an unsupervised classification, and validated the classified map from 2016 using ground truth data collected from Sentinel-2 and high-resolution images and during field research (accuracy: 95%). Our findings indicate that the Scarcies river estuary witnessed the greatest mangrove loss since 1990 (45%), while the Sierra Leone river estuary experienced mangrove gain over the last 26 years (22%). Overall, the Sierra Leone coast lost 25% of its mangroves between 1990 and 2016, with the lowest coverage in 2000, during the period of civil war (1991-2002). However, natural mangrove dynamics, as supported by field observations, indicate the potential for regeneration and sustainability under carefully constructed management strategies.

On the Relationship of Dynamic Forearc Processes in Southern Peru to the Development and Preservation of Andean Topography

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, S. R.; Farber, D. L.; Audin, L.; Saillard, M.; Finkel, R. C.

2008-12-01

After more than 40 years of study, the timing and nature of Andean uplift remains an area of great scientific debate. The forearc of the Andean margin is of particular neotectonic interest, as previous models of Andean orogenesis attributed little-no Neogene deformation to the western margin of Altiplano. However, using the combination of remote sensing with high-resolution data, in situ cosmogenic isotope concentrations and thermochronology, in recent years the community has made important advances in addressing the rates, timings, styles, and locations of active deformation within the forearc of the Andean margin. To first order, we find that - both in terms of tectonics and climate - since 10Ma, the Andean forearc has been quite a dynamic region. Neotectonic studies in this region have been facilitated by the high degree of geomorphic surface preservation that the hyperarid (for at least the last 3My) coastal Atacama Desert has provided. Specifically, in southern Peru (14°-18°S), vast pediment surfaces have been abandoned through incision along the major river drainages that carve the deep canyons into the Precordillera and Western Cordillera. While the exact timing of the periods of more intense incision plausibly correspond with climate events, the total amount of incision integrated over many climate cycles is a useful indicator of tectonic activity. In this region, we find a number of geomorphic and structural features that provide strong evidence for distributed crustal deformation along range-sub-parallel contractile and strike-slip structures. Specifically, we see 1) ancient surfaces reflecting erosion rates as low as chronologies, and 6) Pleistocene mass-wasting events accommodating the redistribution of ~109-1010 m3 of material per event. Furthermore, the observation that Pleistocene incision rates are comparable with Late Miocene and Pliocene rates, suggests to us, that the rates and style of surface uplift within the forearc of southern Peru has

Modelling of the PROTO-II crossover network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Proulx, G.A.; Lackner, H.; Spence, P.; Wright, T.P.

1985-01-01

In order to drive a double ring, symmetrically fed bremsstrahlung diode, the PROTO II accelerator was redesigned. The radially converging triplate water line was reconfigured to drive two radial converging triplate lines in parallel. The four output lines were connected to the two input lines via an electrically enclosed tubular crossover network. Low-voltage Time Domain Reflectrometry (TDR) experiments were conducted on a full scale water immersed model of one section of the crossover network as an aid in this design. A lumped element analysis of the power flow through the network was inadequate in explaining the observed wave transmission and reflection characteristics. A more detailed analysis was performed with a circuit code in which we considered both localized lump-element and transmission line features of the crossover network. Experimental results of the model tests are given and compared with the circuit simulations. 7 figs

Expression of hepatocyte growth factor and the proto-oncogenic receptor c-Met in canine osteosarcoma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fieten, H; Spee, B; Ijzer, J; Kik, M J; Penning, L C; Kirpensteijn, J

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and the proto-oncogenic receptor c-Met are implicated in growth, invasion, and metastasis in human cancer. Little information is available on the expression and role of both gene products in canine osteosarcoma. We hypothesized that the expression of c-Met is

Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research: Submissions

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search · USING ... Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research (SLJBR) publishes papers in all ... An original article should give sufficient detail of experimental procedures for .... For references cited in a paper which has been accepted for publication but not ...

Rebellion and Agrarian Tensions in Sierra Leone

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peters, K.; Richards, P.

2011-01-01

This paper assesses the extent to which customary governance in Sierra Leone can be held responsible for an increasingly unstable two-class agrarian society. A case is made for regarding the civil war (1991–2002) as being an eruption of long-term, entrenched agrarian tensions exacerbated by chiefly

Vestiges of the proto-Caribbean seaway: Origin of the San Souci Volcanic Group, Trinidad

Science.gov (United States)

Neill, Iain; Kerr, Andrew C.; Chamberlain, Kevin R.; Schmitt, Axel K.; Urbani, Franco; Hastie, Alan R.; Pindell, James L.; Barry, Tiffany L.; Millar, Ian L.

2014-06-01

Outcrops of volcanic-hypabyssal rocks in Trinidad document the opening of the proto-Caribbean seaway during Jurassic-Cretaceous break-up of the Americas. The San Souci Group on the northern coast of Trinidad comprises the San Souci Volcanic Formation (SSVF) and passive margin sediments of the ~ 130-125 Ma Toco Formation. The Group was trapped at the leading edge of the Pacific-derived Caribbean Plate during the Cretaceous-Palaeogene, colliding with the para-autochthonous margin of Trinidad during the Oligocene-Miocene. In-situ U-Pb ion probe dating of micro-zircons from a mafic volcanic breccia reveal the SSVF crystallised at 135.0 ± 7.3 Ma. The age of the SSVF is within error of the age of the Toco Formation. Assuming a conformable contact, geodynamic models indicate a likely origin for the SSVF on the passive margin close to the northern tip of South America. Immobile element and Nd-Hf radiogenic isotope signatures of the mafic rocks indicate the SSVF was formed by ≪10% partial melting of a heterogeneous spinel peridotite source with no subduction or continental lithospheric mantle component. Felsic breccias within the SSVF are more enriched in incompatible elements, with isotope signatures that are less radiogenic than the mafic rocks of the SSVF. The felsic rocks may be derived from re-melting of mafic crust. Although geochemical comparisons are drawn here with proto-Caribbean igneous outcrops in Venezuela and elsewhere in the Caribbean more work is needed to elucidate the development of the proto-Caribbean seaway and its rifted margins. In particular, ion probe dating of micro-zircons may yield valuable insights into magmatism and metamorphism in the Caribbean, and in altered basaltic terranes more generally.

Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research Original Article

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

university hospital in southern Sierra Leone, a total of 66 (4.71±2.52) victims reported having been bitten by snakes in 11 ... social, economic, psychological and health impacts of snakebite ..... Epidemiological profile of snakebite cases from.

Germline mutation of RET proto-oncogene’s exons 17 and 18 in Iranian medullary thyroid carcinoma patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marjan Zarif Yeganeh

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Thyroid carcinoma is the most common endocrine malignancy. Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC approximately accounts for 5-10% of all thyroid carcinoma. Nowadays, it is obviously, the mutations in REarranged during transfection (RET proto-oncogene, especially, mutations in exons 10, 11 and 16 are associated with MTC pathogenesis and occurrence. Thus, early diagnosis of MTC by mutation detection in RET proto-oncogene allows to identify patients who do not have any developed symptoms. The aim of this study was to screening of germline mutations in RET proto-oncogene exons 17 and 18 in MTC patients and their first degree relatives in Iranian population. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, three hundred eleven participates (190 patients, 121 their relatives were referred to endocrine research center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science during September 2013 until September 2015. The inclusion criteria were pathological and clinical diagnosis. After whole blood sampling, genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leucocytes using the standard Salting Out/Proteinase K method. Nucleotide change detection in exons 17 and 18 was performed using PCR and direct DNA sequencing methods. Results: In this study, twenty missense mutations [CGC>TGC, c.2944C>T, p.Arg982Cys (rs17158558] which included 16 heterozygote and 4 homozygote mutations were found in codon 982 (exon 18. In the present study, 154 G>A (rs2742236 and 4 C>T (rs370072408 nucleotide changes were detected in exons 18 and intron 17 respectively. There was no mutation in exon 17. Conclusion: It seems that because of arginine to cysteine substitutions in RET tyrosine kinase protein structure and its polyphen score (0.955 and SIFT score (0.01 the mutation in codon 982 (exon 18 could be have pathogenic effects. On the other hands, the mentioned mutation frequency was 6.4% among MTC patients, so this mutation of exon 18 could be checked in genetic screening tests of RET

THERE ARE NO STARLESS MASSIVE PROTO-CLUSTERS IN THE FIRST QUADRANT OF THE GALAXY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ginsburg, A.; Bally, J.; Battersby, C. [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Bressert, E. [European Southern Observatory, Karl Schwarzschild str. 2, D-85748 Garching bei Muenchen (Germany)

2012-10-20

We search the {lambda} = 1.1 mm Bolocam Galactic Plane Survey for clumps containing sufficient mass to form {approx}10{sup 4} M{sub Sun} star clusters. Eighteen candidate massive proto-clusters are identified in the first Galactic quadrant outside of the central kiloparsec. This sample is complete to clumps with mass M{sub clump} > 10{sup 4} M{sub Sun} and radius r {approx}< 2.5 pc. The overall Galactic massive cluster formation rate is CFR(M{sub cluster} > 10{sup 4}) {approx}<5 Myr{sup -1}, which is in agreement with the rates inferred from Galactic open clusters and M31 massive clusters. We find that all massive proto-clusters in the first quadrant are actively forming massive stars and place an upper limit of {tau}{sub starless} < 0.5 Myr on the lifetime of the starless phase of massive cluster formation. If massive clusters go through a starless phase with all of their mass in a single clump, the lifetime of this phase is very short.

Proto-2, an ALICE detector prototype, part of the STAR experiment at the Brookhaven National Laboratory

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

Proto-2, an LAICE detector prototype, overcame its prototype status to become a real part of the SDTAR, epxeriment at the US Brookhaven National Laboratory. After more than two years across the ocean, it has just arrived back at CERN.

The radioisotopically constrained Viséan onset of turbidites in the Moravian-Silesian part of the Rhenohercynian foreland basin (Central European Variscides)

Science.gov (United States)

Jirásek, Jakub; Otava, Jiří; Matýsek, Dalibor; Sivek, Martin; Schmitz, Mark D.

2018-03-01

The Březina Formation represents the initiation of siliciclastic flysch turbidite sedimentation at the eastern margin of Bohemian Massif or within the Rhenohercynian foreland basin. Its deposition started after drowning of the Devonian carbonate platform during Viséan (Mississippian) times, resulting in a significant interval of black siliceous shale and variegated fossiliferous shale deposition in a starved basin. Near the top of the Březina Formation an acidic volcanoclastic layer (tuff) of rhyolitic composition has been dated with high precision U-Pb zircon chemical abrasion isotope dilution method at 337.73 ± 0.16 Ma. This new radiometric age correlates with the previously inferred stratigraphic age of the locality and the current calibration of the Early Carboniferous geologic time scale. Shales of the Březina Formation pass gradually upwards into the siliciclastics of the Rozstání Formation of the Drahany culm facies. Thus our new age offers one of the few available radioisotopic constraints on the time of onset of siliciclastic flysch turbidites in the Rhenohercynian foreland basin of the European Variscides.

Rebuilding after emergency: Revamping agricultural research in Sierra Leone after civil war

OpenAIRE

Asenso-Okyere, Kwadwo; Workneh, Sindu; Rhodes, Edward; Sutherland, John

2009-01-01

"The civil war in Sierra Leone, caused by a mix of political, social, and economic factors, had a huge impact on the overall economy in general and on the performance of the agricultural sector in particular. The agricultural research system of Sierra Leone was severely affected by the civil war. Research infrastructure was destroyed, laboratories were damaged and abandoned, and well-trained researchers and scientists fled from the country. With the cessation of hostilities in 2002, the gover...

The proto-Earth geo-reactor: Reassessing the hypotheses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claude Degueldre

2016-09-01

The present paper focuses on the geo-reactor hypothetical conditions including history, spatial extension and regimes. The discussion based on recent calculations involves investigations on the limits in term of fissile inventory, size and power, based on coupling of geochemical reactions and stratification through the gravitational field considering behavior through the inner mantle, the boundary with the core and the core. The reconstruction allows to formulating that from the history point of view it would have been possible that the geo-reactor reached criticality in a proto-Earth period as a reactor triggered by 235-uranium and that thorium may have worked as an absorber if the actinide concentration was locally large enough. Without actinide separation the initiation of the criticality is unlikely. However did the segregation of actinides occur in any Earth layer?

Rice genetic resources in postwar Sierra Leone

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chakanda, R.T.M.

2009-01-01

This research presents the effect of the 10-year long civil war in Sierra Leone on rice genetic resources, using farmers and their seed systems in three selected districts as reference points. The war disrupted all forms of production and development in the country and like other sectors of the

SIERRA Code Coupling Module: Arpeggio User Manual Version 4.44

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sierra Thermal/Fluid Team

2017-04-01

The SNL Sierra Mechanics code suite is designed to enable simulation of complex multiphysics scenarios. The code suite is composed of several specialized applications which can operate either in standalone mode or coupled with each other. Arpeggio is a supported utility that enables loose coupling of the various Sierra Mechanics applications by providing access to Framework services that facilitate the coupling. More importantly Arpeggio orchestrates the execution of applications that participate in the coupling. This document describes the various components of Arpeggio and their operability. The intent of the document is to provide a fast path for analysts interested in coupled applications via simple examples of its usage.

Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research Original Article

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

recommendations to the health sector of Sierra Leone for it prevention. This retrospective .... pressure. 27% of the population is exposed to 3 to. 5 of these risk factors. According to .... Many studies have identified foot ulcer as the most common ...

Estado poblacional del orden Plecoptera (Insecta en el Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada en Venezuela y sus implicaciones para planes de conservación

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maribet Gamboa

2010-12-01

Full Text Available La distribución longitudinal de las especies de plecópteros fue examinada a lo largo del Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada en la región Andina del estado Mérida, Venezuela. El PNSN es uno de las más grandes regiones protegidas y abarca dos subcuencas hidrográficas importantes. Muestras cuantitativas fueron recolectadas en 7 ríos tributarios de estas cuencas a lo largo del PNSN desde febrero a mayo del 2009, con un total de 135 individuos de 4 especies del género Anacroneuria. Sólo en tres ríos (Nuestra Señora, La Picón y Corcovada se encontró la presencia de plecópteros, los análisis de componentes principales muestran que la caracterización del hábitat, la velocidad de la corriente, el oxígeno disuelto y la ausencia de fuentes de perturbación antrópica influyen en un hábitat idóneo para las poblaciones. Los plecópteros se hallan en peligro de desaparición o incluso se han llegado a extinguir en gran parte de su área de distribución como consecuencia de actividades humanas. Planes de conservación deben ser implementados con urgencia, como evitar zonas recreacionales y/o económicas en las cercanías de los mismos.Population status of insects of Plecoptera order in Sierra Nevada National Park in Venezuela and its implications for conservation planning. Longitudinal distribution of Plecoptera species were examined along the Sierra Nevada National Park in the Andean region of Merida State, Venezuela. PNSN is one of the largest protected areas and consists of two major sub-basins. Quantitative samples were collected in 7 river tributaries along the PNSN from February to May of 2009, and a total of 135 individuals and 4 species of the genus Anacroneuria were collected. Only three rivers (Nuestra Señora, La Picón y Corcovada found the presence of stoneflies, the principal component analysis show that the characterization of habitat, current velocity, dissolved oxygen and the absence of human disturbance sources of influence in

Nitrogen dynamics of spring-fed wetland ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada foothills oak woodland

Science.gov (United States)

Randall D. Jackson; Barbara Allen-Diaz

2002-01-01

Spring-fed wetlands are small, highly productive, patchy ecosystems nested within the oak woodland/annual grassland matrix of the Sierra Nevada foothills. In an effort to place these wetlands in a landscape context, we described seasonal variation (1999-2000 growing season) in nitrogen cycling parameters at 6 spring-fed wetland sites of the Sierra Nevada foothill oak...

Geomorphological evidences of Quaternary tectonic activities in the Santa Cruz river valley, Patagonia, Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massabie, A.; Sanguinetti, A.; Nestiero, O.

2007-01-01

From Argentin lake, at west on Andean hills, to Puerto Santa Cruz on Atlantic coast, Santa Cruz river cross eastward Santa Cruz province over 250 km in Patagonia at southern Argentina. Present bed of the river has a meandering outline with first order meanders of great ratio bends and second order meanders of minor ratio bends. Principal wanderings are 45 to 55 km spaced from near Estancia La Julia or Rio Bote at west to Comandante Luis Piedrabuena at east. On river's bed middle sector these great curvatures are located at Estancia Condor Cliff and Estancia Rincon Grande. Regional and partial detailed studies allow to recognize structural control on river's bed sketch and valley s geomorphology that relates first order bends with reactivated principal faults. These faults fit well with parallel system of northwest strike of Austral Basin.On geological, geomorphologic and structural evidences recognized in Santa Cruz river, quaternary tectonic activity, related to Andean movements in southern Patagonian foreland, is postulated. (author)

Magma mixing in granitic rocks of the central Sierra Nevada, California

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, John B.; Evans, Owen C.; Fates, Dailey G.

1983-12-01

The El Capitan alaskite exposed in the North American Wall, Yosemite National Park, was intruded by two sets of mafic dikes that interacted thermally and chemically with the host alaskite. Comparisons of petrographic and compositional data for these dikes and alaskite with published data for Sierra Nevada plutons lead us to suggest that mafic magmas were important in the generation of the Sierra Nevada batholith. Specifically, we conclude that: (1) intrusion of mafic magmas in the lower crust caused partial melting and generation of alaskite (rhyolitic) magmas; (2) interaction between the mafic and felsic magmas lead to the observed linear variation diagrams for major elements; (3) most mafic inclusions in Sierra Nevada plutons represent chilled pillows of mafic magmas, related by fractional crystallization and granitoid assimilation, that dissolve into their felsic host and contaminate it to intermediate (granodioritic) compositions; (4) vesiculation of hydrous mafic magma upon chilling may allow buoyant mafic inclusions and their disaggregation products to collect beneath a pluton's domed ceiling causing the zoning (mafic margins-to-felsic core) that these plutons exhibit.

High Compressive Stresses Near the Surface of the Sierra Nevada, California

Science.gov (United States)

Martel, S. J.; Logan, J. M.; Stock, G. M.

2012-12-01

Observations and stress measurements in granitic rocks of the Sierra Nevada, California reveal strong compressive stresses parallel to the surface of the range at shallow depths. New overcoring measurements show high compressive stresses at three locations along an east-west transect through Yosemite National Park. At the westernmost site (west end of Tenaya Lake), the mean compressive stress is 1.9. At the middle site (north shore of Tenaya Lake) the mean compressive stress is 6.8 MPa. At the easternmost site (south side of Lembert Dome) the mean compressive stress is 3.0 MPa. The trend of the most compressive stress at these sites is within ~30° of the strike of the local topographic surface. Previously published hydraulic fracturing measurements by others elsewhere in the Sierra Nevada indicate surface-parallel compressive stresses of several MPa within several tens of meters of the surface, with the stress magnitudes generally diminishing to the west. Both the new and the previously published compressive stress magnitudes are consistent with the presence of sheeting joints (i.e., "exfoliation joints") in the Sierra Nevada, which require lateral compressive stresses of several MPa to form. These fractures are widespread: they are distributed in granitic rocks from the north end of the range to its southern tip and across the width of the range. Uplift along the normal faults of the eastern escarpment, recently measured by others at ~1-2 mm/yr, probably contributes to these stresses substantially. Geodetic surveys reveal that normal faulting flexes a range concave upwards in response to fault slip, and this flexure is predicted by elastic dislocation models. The topographic relief of the eastern escarpment of the Sierra Nevada is 2-4 km, and since alluvial fill generally buries the bedrock east of the faults, the offset of granitic rocks is at least that much. Compressive stresses of several MPa are predicted by elastic dislocation models of the range front

The niche and phylogeography of a passerine reveal the history of biological diversification between the Andean and the Atlantic forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Trujillo-Arias, Natalia; Dantas, Gisele P M; Arbeláez-Cortés, Enrique; Naoki, Kazuya; Gómez, Maria I; Santos, Fabricio R; Miyaki, Cristina Y; Aleixo, Alexandre; Tubaro, Pablo L; Cabanne, Gustavo S

2017-07-01

The Atlantic Forest is separated from the Andean tropical forest by dry and open vegetation biomes (Chaco and Cerrado). Despite this isolation, both rainforests share closely related lineages, which suggest a past connection. This connection could have been important for forest taxa evolution. In this study, we used the Saffron-billed Sparrow (Arremon flavirostris) as a model to evaluate whether the Andean and the Atlantic forests act as a refugia system, as well as to test for a history of biogeographic connection between them. In addition, we evaluated the molecular systematic of intraspecific lineages of the studied species. We modeled the current and past distribution of A. flavirostris, performed phylogeographic analyses based on mitochondrial and nuclear genes, and used Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) analyses to test for biogeographic scenarios. The major phylogeographic disjunction within A. flavirostris was found between the Andean and the Atlantic forests, with a divergence that occurred during the Mid-Pleistocene. Our paleodistribution models indicated a connection between these forest domains in different periods and through both the Chaco and Cerrado. Additionally, the phylogeographic and ABC analyses supported that the Cerrado was the main route of connection between these rainforests, but without giving decisive evidence against a Chaco connection. Our study with A. flavirostris suggest that the biodiversity of the Andean and of the Atlantic forests could have been impacted (and perhaps enriched?) by cycles of connections through the Cerrado and Chaco. This recurrent cycle of connection between the Andean and the Atlantic Forest could have been important for the evolution of Neotropical forest taxa. In addition, we discussed taxonomic implications of the results and proposed to split the studied taxon into two full species. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preliminary phylogenetic analysis of the Andean clade and the placement of new Colombian blueberries (Ericaceae, Vaccinieae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Pedraza-Penalosa

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The blueberry tribe Vaccinieae (Ericaceae is particularly diverse in South America and underwent extensive radiation in Colombia where many endemics occur. Recent fieldwork in Colombia has resulted in valuable additions to the phylogeny and as well in the discovery of morphologically noteworthy new species that need to be phylogenetically placed before being named. This is particularly important, as the monophyly of many of the studied genera have not been confirmed. In order to advance our understanding of the relationships within neotropical Vaccinieae and advice the taxonomy of the new blueberry relatives, here we present the most comprehensive phylogenetic analysis for the Andean clade. Anthopterus, Demosthenesia, and Pellegrinia are among the putative Andean genera recovered as monophyletic, while other eight Andean genera were not. The analyses also showed that genera that have been traditionally widely defined are non-monophyletic and could be further split into more discrete groups. Four newly discovered Colombian Vaccinieae are placed in the monophyletic Satyria s.s. and the Psammisia I clade. Although these new species are endemic to the Colombian Western Cordillera and Chocó biogeographic region and three are not known outside of Las Orquídeas National Park, they do not form sister pairs.

Estimating Aboveground Biomass and Carbon Stocks in Periurban Andean Secondary Forests Using Very High Resolution Imagery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicola Clerici

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Periurban forests are key to offsetting anthropogenic carbon emissions, but they are under constant threat from urbanization. In particular, secondary Neotropical forest types in Andean periurban areas have a high potential to store carbon, but are currently poorly characterized. To address this lack of information, we developed a method to estimate periurban aboveground biomass (AGB—a proxy for multiple ecosystem services—of secondary Andean forests near Bogotá, Colombia, based on very high resolution (VHR GeoEye-1, Pleiades-1A imagery and field-measured plot data. Specifically, we tested a series of different pre-processing workflows to derive six vegetation indices that were regressed against in situ estimates of AGB. Overall, the coupling of linear models and the Ratio Vegetation Index produced the most satisfactory results. Atmospheric and topographic correction proved to be key in improving model fit, especially in high aerosol and rugged terrain such as the Andes. Methods and findings provide baseline AGB and carbon stock information for little studied periurban Andean secondary forests. The methodological approach can also be used for integrating limited forest monitoring plot AGB data with very high resolution imagery for cost-effective modelling of ecosystem service provision from forests, monitoring reforestation and forest cover change, and for carbon offset assessments.

Anfibios y reptiles de la sierra de Cuatro Venados, Oaxaca, México

OpenAIRE

Martín-Regalado, N.; Lavariega, M. C.; Gómez-Ugalde, R. M.; Rodríguez-Pérez, C.

2016-01-01

Amphibians and reptiles of the Sierra de Cuatro Venados, Oaxaca, Mexico We surveyed amphibian and reptile communities in temperate forest in the Sierra de Cuatro Venados to increase knowledge of the Oaxacan herpetofauna. We obtained 193 visual and 106 voucher records during 38 days of fieldwork. During the study, we recorded 36 of the 40 species predicted to occur in this mountain range: nine amphibians and 27 reptiles, five of which represent new records at the regional scale. Pine-o...

Active avoidance from a crude oil soluble fraction by an Andean paramo copepod.

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, Cristiano V M; Moreira-Santos, Matilde; Sousa, José P; Ochoa-Herrera, Valeria; Encalada, Andrea C; Ribeiro, Rui

2014-09-01

Several oil spills due to ruptures in the pipeline oil systems have occurred at the Andean paramo. A sample of this crude oil was mixed with water from a nearby Andean lagoon and the toxicity of the soluble fraction was assessed through lethal and avoidance assays with a locally occurring copepod (Boeckella occidentalis intermedia). The integration of mortality and avoidance aimed at predicting the immediate decline of copepod populations facing an oil leakage. The 24-h median lethal PAH concentration was 42.7 (26.4-91.6) µg L(-1). In the 12-h avoidance assay, 30% avoidance was recorded at the highest PAH concentration (19.4 µg L(-1)). The mortality at this PAH concentration would be of 25% and, thus, the population immediate decline would be of 55%. The inclusion of non-forced exposure testing with the quantification of the avoidance response in environmental risk assessments is, therefore, supported due to underestimation of the lethal assays.

Composition and diversity of High Andean in the Fauna Production Reserve Chimborazo, Ecuador

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jorge Caranqui

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The present study inquire the floristic diversity of 9 sampling in four plots of 1 m² of high andean in several locations in the “Reserva de Producción de Fauna Chimborazo”. For the development of this study, we used an adaptation of the method of plots “Gloria”. With coverage (% in each of the plots, Further the diversity indices and similarity with respective analysis were obtained. The data obtained reflect a diversity that can range from medium to low, believe that this is due to anthropogenic activities that have taken place in these ecosistems. With the presence mostly Calamagrostis intermedia, it could establish that the type of vegetation is herbaceous in high andean is higher percentage; is the species that is almost always present in most types of vegetation of the RPF Chimborazo and high dominance that influences the results of low floristic diversity indices was found in the analysis. As a result the most abundant family Asteraceae is well Poaceae.

The Andean Paepalanthus pilosus complex (Eriocaulaceae): a revision with three new taxa

Science.gov (United States)

Hensold, Nancy

2016-01-01

Abstract A herbarium-based revision is provided for Paepalanthus pilosus and allies, five commonly confused species of cushion plants native to Andean paramo. These are placed in the recircumscribed Paepalanthus subsect. Cryptanthella Suess. The group includes Paepalanthus pilosus, Paepalanthus dendroides, and Paepalanthus lodiculoides. An additional two species and one variety are newly described: Paepalanthus caryonauta, Paepalanthus huancabambensis, and Paepalanthus pilosus var. leoniae. The latter two are Peruvian endemics, while Paepalanthus caryonauta is known from four countries, and has long been confused with other species. An additional, possibly undescribed taxon is noted from the Serrania de Perijá, Colombia. Five new synonyms and three lectotypes are proposed, and the common misapplication of some names is noted. Within the Paepalanthus pilosus complex, species differences were found in timing of peduncle elongation, sex ratio, and leaf, perianth, diaspore and nectary morphology. Ecological differences are suggested by specimen data and a review of ecological literature. Descriptions, photographs and maps are provided for all species, as is a key to the groups of eriocaulaceous cushion plants from Andean South America. PMID:27489483

Link between Neogene and modern sedimentary environments in the Zagros foreland basin

Science.gov (United States)

Pirouz, Mortaza; Simpson, Guy; Bahroudi, Abbas

2010-05-01

The Zagros mountain belt, with a length of 1800 km, is located in the south of Iran and was produced by collision between the Arabian plate and the Iran micro plate some time in the early Tertiary. After collision, the Zagros carbonate-dominated sedimentary basin has been replaced by a largely clastic system. The Neogene Zagros foreland basin comprises four main depositional environments which reflect the progressive southward migration of the deformation front with time. The oldest unit - the Gachsaran formation - is clastic in the northern part of the basin, but is dominated by evaporates in southern part, being deposited in a supratidal Sabkha-type environment. Overlying the Gachsaran is the Mishan formation, which is characterized by the Guri limestone member at the base, overlain by marine green marls. The thickness of the Guri member increases dramatically towards the southeast. The next youngest unit is the Aghajari Formation which consists of well sorted lenticular sandstone bodies in a red silty-mudstone. This formation is interpreted as representing the floodplain of dominantly meandering rivers. Finally, the Bakhtiari formation consists of mainly coarse-grained gravel sheets which are interpreted to represent braided river deposits. Each of these Neogene depositional environments has a modern day equivalent. For example, the braided rivers presently active in the Zagros mountains are modern analogues of the Bakhtiari. In the downstream direction, these braided rivers become meandering systems, which are equivalents of the Aghajari. Eventually, the meandering rivers meet the Persian gulf which is the site of the ‘modern day' Mishan shallow marine marls. Finally, the modern carbonate system on the southern margin of Persian Gulf represents the Guri member paleo-environment, behind which Sabkha-type deposits similar to the Gachsaran are presently being deposited. One important implication of this link between the Neogene foreland basin deposits and the

The offset dependent behavior of narrow optical emission features in the Red Rectangle proto-planetary nebula

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wehres, N.; Linnartz, H.; Van Winckel, H.; Tielens, A. G. G. M.

Context. The Red Rectangle proto-planetary nebula provides a unique laboratory to study the physical conditions and chemical processes in stellar outflows. Snapshots of the ongoing chemical evolution are obtained by monitoring spectra as function of the offset from the central star. Aims. The focus

Micrometeorological Observations in a Sierra Nevada Meadow

Science.gov (United States)

Blackburn, D. A.; Oliphant, A. J.

2016-12-01

Mountain meadows play important roles on watershed and ecosystem services, including improving water quality, moderating runoff and providing biodiversity hotspots. In the Sierra Nevada, mountain meadows are an integral part of the mountain ecosystem and watersheds that impact more than 20 million people. Grazing, logging and other forms of anthropogenic land use in the Sierra Nevada have degraded the functioning of meadows, by altering the morphology, hydrology and vegetation. Existing meandering stream networks become incised and straightened by increased runoff, which effectively lowers the water table and completely alters the ecosystem from moist meadow sedges, grasses, and herbs to dryland grass and shrubs. Given the large growth cycle in healthy meadows, it is also expected that they sequester a significant amount of carbon and enhance atmospheric humidity through evapotranspiration, but relatively little work has been done on the bio-micrometeorology of meadows. The purpose of this study is to assess the growing season carbon, water and energy budgets of a partly degraded meadow in the northern Sierra Nevada. Loney Meadow, located at nearly 2,000 m in the Tahoe National Forest, has been identified as a degraded meadow and is scheduled to undergo restoration work to raise the water table in 2017. A micrometeorological tower with eddy covariance instruments was deployed at the site for most of the snow-free period from May to October 2016. The measurements include: fluxes of CO2, water vapor, surface radiation and energy budget components; ancillary meteorological and soil data; and an automated camera capturing daily images of the meadow surface. The poster will present diurnal and seasonal CO2 on a daily basis with a very rapid increase at the onset of the growing season.

Spike synchrony reveals emergence of proto-objects in visual cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Anne B; von der Heydt, Rüdiger

2015-04-29

Neurons at early stages of the visual cortex signal elemental features, such as pieces of contour, but how these signals are organized into perceptual objects is unclear. Theories have proposed that spiking synchrony between these neurons encodes how features are grouped (binding-by-synchrony), but recent studies did not find the predicted increase in synchrony with binding. Here we propose that features are grouped to "proto-objects" by intrinsic feedback circuits that enhance the responses of the participating feature neurons. This hypothesis predicts synchrony exclusively between feature neurons that receive feedback from the same grouping circuit. We recorded from neurons in macaque visual cortex and used border-ownership selectivity, an intrinsic property of the neurons, to infer whether or not two neurons are part of the same grouping circuit. We found that binding produced synchrony between same-circuit neurons, but not between other pairs of neurons, as predicted by the grouping hypothesis. In a selective attention task, synchrony emerged with ignored as well as attended objects, and higher synchrony was associated with faster behavioral responses, as would be expected from early grouping mechanisms that provide the structure for object-based processing. Thus, synchrony could be produced by automatic activation of intrinsic grouping circuits. However, the binding-related elevation of synchrony was weak compared with its random fluctuations, arguing against synchrony as a code for binding. In contrast, feedback grouping circuits encode binding by modulating the response strength of related feature neurons. Thus, our results suggest a novel coding mechanism that might underlie the proto-objects of perception. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/356860-11$15.00/0.

British Military Intervention into Sierra Leone: A Case Study

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Roberson, Walter G

2007-01-01

.... The successful British intervention led to the defeat of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and final peace accords, restored order to a failed state, and allowed the democratic restoration of the government of Sierra Leone...

A new age model for the early-middle Miocene in the North Alpine Foreland Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Reichenbacher, Bettina; Krijgsman, Wout; Pippèrr, Martina; Sant, Karin; Kirscher, Uwe

2016-04-01

The establishment of high-resolution age models for sedimentary successions is crucial for numerous research questions in the geosciences and related disciplines. Such models provide an absolute chronology that permits precise dating of depositional episodes and related processes such as mountain uplift or climate change. Recently, our work in the Miocene sediments of the North Alpine Foreland Basin (NAFB) has revealed a significantly younger age (16.6 Myr) for sediments that were thought to have been deposited 18 Myr ago. This implies that a fundamentally revised new age model is needed for the entire suite of lower-middle Miocene sedimentary rocks in the NAFB (20 to 15-Myr). Our new data also indicate that previously published reconstructions of early-middle Miocene palaeogeography, sedimentation dynamics, mountain uplift and climate change in the NAFB all require a critical review and revision. Further, the time-span addressed is of special interest, since it encompasses the onset of a global warming phase. However, it appears that a fundamentally revised new age model for the entire suite of lower-middle Miocene sedimentary rocks in the NAFB can only be achieved based on a 500 m deep drilling in the NAFB for which we currently seek collaboration partners to develop a grant application to the International Continental Deep Drilling Program (ICDP). Reference: Reichenbacher, B., W. Krijgsman, Y. Lataster, M. Pippèrr, C. G. C. Van Baak, L. Chang, D. Kälin, J. Jost, G. Doppler, D. Jung, J. Prieto, H. Abdul Aziz, M. Böhme, J. Garnish, U. Kirscher, and V. Bachtadse. 2013. A new magnetostratigraphic framework for the Lower Miocene (Burdigalian/Ottnangian, Karpatian) in the North Alpine Foreland Basin. Swiss Journal of Geosciences 106:309-334.

Explaining Violence in Sierra Leone's Civil War

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Explaining the violence of civil war is never a simple task for the scholar. In the case of the Sierra Leone, paradoxically, the task has in some ways been rendered more difficult by the sheer variety of compelling scholarship on the question. This paper seeks to identify the most useful of the explanations offered thus far, and ...

Landscape genetics, historical isolation and cross-Andean gene flow in the wax palm, Ceroxylon echinulatum (Arecaceae)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trénel, P.; Hansen, Michael Møller; Nordmand, S.

2008-01-01

-Huancabamba zone (AHZ) of southern Ecuador/northern Peru, as indicated by observations on fruit morphology. Second, we assessed the timeframe of cross-Andean divergence, and third, we investigated the impact of contemporary and historical landscape features on observed spatio-genetic patterns. Individual-based...... Bayesian clustering (BC) identified a northeastern, southeastern, southwestern, and northwestern cluster, with areas of genetic discontinuity coinciding with the Andes and the Giron-Paute deflection. F-statistics derived from BC suggested an east-to-west dispersal history. Population-based analyses...... impact of climatic friction. Coalescent analysis revealed that cross-Andean divergence took place during the Quaternary. Significant historical isolation (RST > FST) was found in the southwestern population. The current study illustrates a joint effect of founder dynamics, divergence by distance...

Can Andean medicine coexist with biomedical healthcare? A comparison of two rural communities in Peru and Bolivia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathez-Stiefel, Sarah-Lan; Vandebroek, Ina; Rist, Stephan

2012-07-24

It is commonly assumed that indigenous medical systems remain strong in developing countries because biomedicine is physically inaccessible or financially not affordable. This paper compares the health-seeking behavior of households from rural Andean communities at a Peruvian and a Bolivian study site. The main research question was whether the increased presence of biomedicine led to a displacement of Andean indigenous medical practices or to coexistence of the two healing traditions. Open-ended interviews and free listing exercises were conducted between June 2006 and December 2008 with 18 households at each study site. Qualitative identification of households' therapeutic strategies and use of remedies was carried out by means of content analysis of interview transcriptions and inductive interference. Furthermore, a quantitative assessment of the incidence of culture-bound illnesses in local ethnobiological inventories was performed. Our findings indicate that the health-seeking behavior of the Andean households in this study is independent of the degree of availability of biomedical facilities in terms of quality of services provided, physical accessibility, and financial affordability, except for specific practices such as childbirth. Preference for natural remedies over pharmaceuticals coexists with biomedical healthcare that is both accessible and affordable. Furthermore, our results show that greater access to biomedicine does not lead to less prevalence of Andean indigenous medical knowledge, as represented by the levels of knowledge about culture-bound illnesses. The take-home lesson for health policy-makers from this study is that the main obstacle to use of biomedicine in resource-poor rural areas might not be infrastructural or economic alone. Rather, it may lie in lack of sufficient recognition by biomedical practitioners of the value and importance of indigenous medical systems. We propose that the implementation of health care in indigenous

Effect of previous chilling storage on quality loss in frozen (–20 °C sierra (Scomberomorus sierra muscle packed with a low-density polyethylene film containing butylated hydroxytoluene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Herlinda Soto-Valdez

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Rancidity development during frozen storage (–20 °C of sierra fish (Scomberomorus sierra was studied. Fillets were packed in low-density polyethylene films with and without butylated hydroxytoluene added (BHT-LDPE and LDPE respectively. Fillets stored with no package were used as control. Special attention was given to the effect of previous ice storage (0, 3, 6, 9 and 15 days on the quality of the frozen fish. Physical (pH and texture and chemical (peroxide value, PV and thiobarbituric acid index, TBA-i analyses were carried out. Lipid oxidation increased with ice storage time in fish muscle without film packing, being greater than the film packed muscle (with and without antioxidant. An effect of previous ice storage time was observed on the frozen product (in all treatments. However, fish muscle with film packing containing antioxidant showed less lipid deterioration. Under the conditions applied in this study, the plastic films with antioxidant prevented the lipids oxidation during the cold handling of the sierra muscle.

Gravity data from the Sierra Vista Subwatershed, Upper San Pedro Basin, Arizona

Science.gov (United States)

Kennedy, Jeffrey R.

2015-01-01

Observations of very small changes of Earth’s gravitational field (time-lapse gravity) provide a direct, non-invasive method for measuring changes in aquifer storage change. An existing network of gravity stations in the Sierra Vista Subwatershed was revised in 2014 to better understand the spatial distribution of changes in aquifer storage, especially with relation to ephemeral channel recharge and a groundwater cone of depression associated with pumping in the greater Sierra Vista area. In addition, the network was extended to provide baseline data for possible future enhanced-recharge projects.

Dataset of Passerine bird communities in a Mediterranean high mountain (Sierra Nevada, Spain).

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Luque, Antonio Jesús; Barea-Azcón, José Miguel; Álvarez-Ruiz, Lola; Bonet-García, Francisco Javier; Zamora, Regino

2016-01-01

In this data paper, a dataset of passerine bird communities is described in Sierra Nevada, a Mediterranean high mountain located in southern Spain. The dataset includes occurrence data from bird surveys conducted in four representative ecosystem types of Sierra Nevada from 2008 to 2015. For each visit, bird species numbers as well as distance to the transect line were recorded. A total of 27847 occurrence records were compiled with accompanying measurements on distance to the transect and animal counts. All records are of species in the order Passeriformes. Records of 16 different families and 44 genera were collected. Some of the taxa in the dataset are included in the European Red List. This dataset belongs to the Sierra Nevada Global-Change Observatory (OBSNEV), a long-term research project designed to compile socio-ecological information on the major ecosystem types in order to identify the impacts of global change in this area.

Tectonic, volcanic, and climatic geomorphology study of the Sierras Pampeanas Andes, northwestern Argentina

Science.gov (United States)

Bloom, A. L.; Strecker, M. R.; Fielding, E. J.

1984-01-01

A proposed analysis of Shuttle Imaging Radar-B (SIR-B) data extends current research in the Sierras Pampeanas and the Puna of northwestern Argentina to the determination - by the digital analysis of mountain-front sinuousity - of the relative age and amount of fault movement along mountain fronts of the late-Cenozoic Sierras Pampeanas basement blocks; the determination of the age and history of the boundary across the Andes at about 27 S latitude between continuing volcanism to the north and inactive volcanism to the south; and the determination of the age and extent of Pleistocene glaciation in the High Sierras, as well as the comparative importance of climatic change and tectonic movements in shaping the landscape. The integration of these studies into other ongoing geology projects contributes to the understanding of landform development in this active tectonic environment and helps distinguish between climatic and tectonic effects on landforms.

Thermal History and Volatile Partitioning between Proto-Atmosphere and Interior of Mars Accreted in a Solar Nebula

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, Hiroaki; Kuramoto, Kiyoshi

2015-11-01

Recent precise Hf-W chronometry of Martian meteorites reveals that Mars had likely reached the half of its present mass within 3 Myr from the birth of the solar system (Dauphas and Pourmand, 2011). Hence, the accretion is considered to almost proceed within the solar nebula associated with the capture of nebula gas components. At the same time, the impact degassing may inevitably occur because impact velocity increases high enough for such degassing when a proto-planet gets larger than around lunar size. Thus, we can expect the formation of a hybrid-type proto-atmosphere that consists of nebula gas and degassed one.This study analyzes the thermal structure of this proto-atmosphere sustained by accretional heating by building a 1D radiative-convective equilibrium model. Raw materials of Mars are supposed to be volatile-rich on the basis of the geochemical systematics of Mars meteorites (Dreibus and Wanke, 1988). The composition of degassed component comprised of H2, H2O, CH4, and CO is determined by chemical equilibrium with silicate and metal under the physical condition of locally heated region generated by each impact (Kuramoto, 1997). Degassed component lies beneath the nebula gas atmosphere at altitudes below the compositional boundary height that would change depending on the amount of degassed component. The accretion time is taken to be from 1 to 6 Myr.Our model predicts that the surface temperature exceeds the liquidus temperature of rock when a proto Mars grows larger than 0.7 times of its present mass for the longest accretion time case. In this case, the magma ocean mass just after the end of accretion is 0.2 times of its present mass if heat transfer and heat sources such as short-lived radionuclides are neglected in the interior. The corresponding amount of water dissolved into the magma ocean would be around 1.8 times the present Earth ocean mass. These results suggest that the earliest Mars would be hot enough to form deep magma oceans, which

Relaxation and particle diffusion in the Proto S-1/C spheromak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyerhofer, D.D.

1987-01-01

The relationship between relaxation and particle diffusion in the Proto S-1C spheromak has been studied. The plasma was formed in a magnetic configuration which was not the minimum-energy Taylor state, and went through a period of relaxation before its magnetic configuration was that of the Taylor state. Early in the relaxation phase, the internal and external magnetic fluctuations were correlated and it was found that, at the time of peak amplitude, they had a radial structure of a tearing mode. After the reconnection of these modes, the plasma continued to evolve towards the Taylor state with only small magnetic fluctuations at the center of plasma. The local particle diffusion coefficient was measured in these Proto S-1C discharges, the technique used was to inject a delta-function source of impurities into the plasma and observe the motion of the impurities relative to the flux surface. It was found that, during the decay phase of the spheromak discharge, when the plasma was in a Taylor state, the carbon diffusion coefficient was explained classically. While the plasma was relaxing towards the Taylor state, the diffusion coefficient was 2 ∼ 4a times larger than classical. At this time, the plasma was not yet force-free. This nonclassical diffusion appears to have been caused by v/sub ExB/ velocities due to correlations between the fluctuating electric field and density. Because the v/sub ExB/ velocity acts on all of the plasma species similarly, the anomalous hydrogen-particle diffusion coefficient should have been as large as that of carbon

Reducing CO2 emissions in Sierra Leone and Ghana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidson, O.

1991-01-01

With soring population growth rates and minimal economic growth, the nations of Africa are afflicted with innumerable problems. Why then should Africa's developing countries worry about CO 2 emissions? First, because agricultural activities form the backbone of most African economies; thus, these nations may be particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. Second, acting to reduce carbon emissions will bring about more efficient energy use. All of Africa could benefit from the improved use of energy. Finally, the accumulation of CO 2 in the atmosphere is a global problem with individual solutions; in order to reduce international emissions, all countries, including those in Africa, must contribute. Typical of many African countries, Ghana and Sierra Leone have among the lowest levels of energy demand per capita across the globe. primary energy demand per capita in these two West African nations equals about one quarter of the world's average and about one twentieth of the US average. This work summarizes the results of two long-term energy use and carbon emissions scenarios for Sierra Leone and Ghana. In the high emissions (HE) scenario for 2025, policy changes focused on galvanizing economic growth lead to significant increases in energy use and carbon emissions in Ghana and Sierra Leone between 1985 and 2025. In the low emissions (LE) scenario, the implementation of policies aimed specifically at curtailing CO 2 emissions significantly limits the increase in carbon in both nations by 2025

Assessing unmet anaesthesia need in Sierra Leone: a secondary ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Department of Surgery, Connaught Hospital Freetown, Sierra Leone. 3. Department of .... need, is a key part of planning for increasing surgical capacity. Limitations. As noted by Groen et al24 this data .... Emergency and surgery services of ...

75 FR 26786 - Notice of Public Meeting: Sierra Front-Northwestern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council, NV

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-12

... 261A; 10-08807; MO 4500012081; TAS: 14X1109] Notice of Public Meeting: Sierra Front-Northwestern Great..., Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Sierra Front-Northwestern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council (RAC... discussion will include, but are not limited to: District Manager's reports on current program of work, Draft...

The TF1 Radio Astronomy Working Group in the Andean ROAD: goals and challenges for 2025

Science.gov (United States)

Chaparro Molano, G.

2017-07-01

Since the creation of the Andean Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) of the International Astronomical Union, one of the main goals has been to foster a scientific culture of radio astronomy in countries of the central and northern Andes (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, and Venezuela). For this reason, Andean ROAD Task Force 1 (Research and Education in Universities) created the Radio Astronomy Working Group to set a path along which collaborative endeavors can grow and yield scientific results. The first official meeting of the Working Group took place in Bogotá, Colombia during the 2nd Astronomá en los Andes Workshop (2015) where scientists actively developing projects in radio astronomy set goals for the near future, such as improving mobility for researchers and students, developing collaborations in related areas such as engineering and data science, and building transnational collaborations aiming at developing VLBI across the countries of the Andean ROAD and beyond. In this poster, I present current projects and associated research groups (ROAS - Perú, SiAMo - Colombia, Alfa-Orion UTP - Colombia, RAIG - Chile) and discuss goalposts and current challenges in the development of transnational radioastronomical projects. As a case study, I present the development and early astronomical results of the privately funded UECCI 4m Radio Telescope for 21 cm line observations in Bogotá, Colombia.

Quaternary environments in Sierra Nevada

OpenAIRE

Oliva, Marc; Gómez Ortiz, Antonio; Palacios Estremera, David; Salvador Franch, Ferran; Salvà Catarineu, Monserrat

2016-01-01

El conocimiento relativo a la evolución ambiental cuaternaria en las montañas de la Península Ibérica ha avanzado sustancialmente en las últimas décadas. Particularmente significativos son los progresos realizados en el macizo de Sierra Nevada, en el sur peninsular. En este caso, los investigadores se han servido de registros naturales y fuentes documentales para reconstruir la dinámica ambiental desde la Última Glaciación y posterior deglaciación del macizo hasta su evolución reciente. Los c...

Avistamientos recientes de águila real (Aquila chrysaetos en la sierra El Mechudo, Baja California Sur, México Recent sightings of Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos in the Sierra El Mechudo, Baja California Sur, Mexico

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Israel Guerrero-Cárdenas

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Se reportan nuevos avistamientos de águila real durante 3 años consecutivos (2007-2010 en 2 localidades de la sierra El Mechudo (El Saucito y las Tarabillas, Baja California Sur. Los avistamientos, se realizaron con cámaras-trampa y por observación directa. En BCS, los registros más recientes son de la sierra de la Laguna en el 2000. Se han detectado al menos 4 individuos diferentes, entre juveniles y adultos. La importancia de estos nuevos avistamientos reside en que por primera vez se registra la presencia del águila real en cuerpos de agua dulce.We report new sightings of Golden Eagle for 3 consecutive years (2007-2010 at 2 localities of the Sierra El Mechudo (El Saucito and Tarabillas, Baja California Sur. These sightings were recorded with camera traps and by direct observation. Most recent records from BCS are for the Sierra de la Laguna in 2000. At least 4 different individuals, both juveniles and adults, have been recorded. The importance of these new sightings is that for the first time we registered Golden Eagles infresh water wetlands.

A Multi-Proxy Analysis of two Loess-Paleosol Sequences in the Northern Harz Foreland

Science.gov (United States)

Krauss, Lydia; Zens, Joerg; Zeeden, Christian; Schulte, Philipp; Eckmeier, Eileen; Lehmkuhl, Frank

2016-04-01

Within the second phase of the "Collaborative Research Centre 806 (CRC806) - Our Way to Europe - Culture-Environment Interaction and Human Mobility in the Late Quaternary" two loess-paleosol sections in the northern Harz foreland are being investigated. The region is part of the Northern European loess belt. The northern edge of the loess distribution is characterized by an interlocking of Weichselian silt and sand sized aeolian sediments. To the south the Northern European loess belt is limited by the central German uplands (Mittelgebirge). Here the continuous loess cover disperses into separated loess basins. In comparison to relatively long, continuous and intensively studied sections, e.g. along the Rhine river, investigations on loess-paleosol sequences in the northern Harz foreland have been sparse so far. In 2006 REINECKE created an overview of Pleistocene landscape developments by investigating terrace sequences and loess sections in this area. Due to improvements of research methods over the last ten years, the two loess-paleosol sequences Hecklingen and Zilly are being reinvestigated. Aiming towards a better understanding of the paleoenvironmental conditions during the Weichselian in an area close to the Scandinavian ice sheet, results from grain size, geochemical (XRF, CNS) and color measurements are combined. The results show an increased input of aeolian material during the last glacial maximum and the last cover loess period, supporting the theory of dryer and colder conditions during this time frame. Further, we can see a stronger short distant input within the recent soil and during the last glacial maximum in both profiles. In Hecklingen this is also observed within the MIS 3 soil material. Since soil material dating to the MIS 3 is present, we can assume that surface processes where less intrusive during the MIS 3 and 2 as in e.g. the Lower Rhine Embayment. REINECKE, V. (2006): Untersuchungen zur mittel- und jungpleistozänen Reliefentwicklung und

Soil Organic Carbon Variability in High-Andean Ecosystems: Bringing Together Machine Learning and Proximal Soil Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Gavilan, C.; Grunwald, S.; Quiroz, R.

2017-12-01

The Andes represent the largest and highest mountain range in the tropics and is considered an important reserve of biodiversity, water provision and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Nevertheless, limited attention has been given to estimate these stocks due to the lack of recent soil data, the poor accessibility and the wide range of coexistent ecosystems. In addition, conventional methods to determine SOC are usually time consuming and expensive to use in large-scale studies, hindering the possibility to have an accurate SOC assessment in the region. Proximal soil sensing techniques, such as visible near infrared (VNIR) and mid infrared (MIR) spectroscopy, have proven to be useful as an alternative to conventional methods for characterizing SOC but have not been tested in Andean soils. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of using VNIR and MIR spectroscopy to predict SOC content in the Central Andean region, using multivariate methods. Three study areas were selected across the Peruvian Central Andes. A total of 400 topsoil samples (0-30 cm) were collected and analyzed for SOC. The VNIR and MIR reflectance of the soil samples was measured in the laboratory. Three modeling approaches: Partial least squares regression (PLSR), random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) were used to predict SOC from VNIR and MIR spectra in the study areas. The data was preprocessed in order to minimize the noise and optimize the accuracy of predictions. The models, for each study area, were assessed using 10-fold cross validation. Independent validation was implemented in the whole dataset (400 observations) by splitting it into calibration (70 %) and validation (30%) sets. Overall, the results indicate potential for both VNIR and MIR spectra to predict SOC content in the Andean soils. SOC content predictions from MIR spectra outperformed those from VNIR spectra. The evaluation of model performance shows that RF and SVM provide more accurate SOC predictions

Stable isotope variations (δ18O and δD) in modern waters across the Andean Plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Bershaw, John; Saylor, Joel E.; Garzione, Carmala N.; Leier, Andrew; Sundell, Kurt E.

2016-12-01

Environmental parameters that influence the isotopic composition of meteoric water (δ18O and δD) are well characterized up the windward side of mountains, where orographic precipitation results in a predictable relationship between the isotopic composition of precipitation and elevation. The topographic and climatic evolution of the Andean Plateau and surrounding regions has been studied extensively by exploiting this relationship through the use of paleowater proxies. However, interpretation on the plateau itself is challenged by a poor understanding of processes that fractionate isotopes during vapor transport and rainout, and by the relative contribution of unique moisture sources. Here, we present an extensive dataset of modern surface water samples for the northern Andean Plateau and surrounding regions to elucidate patterns and causes of isotope fractionation in this continental environment. These data show a progressive increase in δ18O of stream water west of the Eastern Cordillera (∼1‰/70 km), almost identical to the rate observed across the Tibetan Plateau, attributed to a larger fraction of recycled water in precipitation and/or increased evaporative enrichment downwind. This may lead to underestimates of paleoelevation, particularly for sites deep into the rainshadow of the Eastern Cordilleran crest. That said, elevation is a primary control on the isotopic composition of surface waters across the entire Andean Plateau and its flanks when considering the most negative δ18O values, highlighting the need for sufficiently large datasets to distinguish minimally evaporated samples. There is a general increase in δ18O on the plateau from north to south, concomitant with an increase in aridity and decrease in convective moistening (amount effect). Lastly, stable isotope and seasonal precipitation patterns suggest easterlies provide the vast majority of moisture that falls as precipitation across the Andean Plateau and Western Cordillera, from Peru to

Airborne Pesticides as an Unlikely Cause for Population Declines of Alpine Frogs in the Sierra Nevada, California

Science.gov (United States)

Airborne pesticides from the Central Valley of California have been implicated as a cause for population declines of several amphibian species, with the strongest evidence for the mountain yellow-legged frog complex (Rana muscosa and R. sierrae) in the Sierra Nevada. We measured...

Evaluating potential overlap between pack stock and Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae) in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California

Science.gov (United States)

Klinger, Robert C.; Few, Alexandra P.; Knox, Kathleen A.; Hatfield, Brian E.; Clark, Jonathan; German, David W.; Stephenson, Thomas R.

2015-01-01

Pack stock (horses, mules, burros, llamas, and goats) are frequently assumed to have negative effects on public lands, but there is a general lack of data to be able to quantify the degree to which this is actually the case. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have received complaints that pack stock may affect Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis sierrae; SNBS), a federally endangered subspecies that occurs in largely disjunct herds in the Sierra Nevada Range of California. The potential effects are thought to be displacement of SNBS from meadows on their summer range (altered habitat use) or, more indirectly, through changes in SNBS habitat or forage quality. Our goals were to conduct an association analysis to quantify the degree of potential spatial overlap in meadow use between SNBS and pack stock and to compare differences in vegetation community composition, structure, and diversity among meadows with different levels of use by bighorn sheep and pack stock. For the association analysis, we used two approaches: (1) we quantified the proportion of meadows that were within the herd home ranges of bighorn sheep and were potentially open to pack stock, and, (2) we used Monte Carlo simulations and use-availability analyses to compare the proportion of meadows used by bighorn sheep relative to the proportional occurrence or area of meadows available to bighorn sheep that were used by pack stock. To evaluate potential effects of pack stock on meadow plant communities and SNBS forage, we sampled vegetation in 2011 and 2012 at 100 plots to generate data that allowed us to compare:

Regional water resources management in the Andean region with numerical models and satellite remote sensing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Menenti, M.; Mulders, C.W.B.

1999-01-01

This report describes the development and adaptation of distributed numerical simulation models of hydrological processes in complex watersheds typical of the Andean region. These distributed models take advantage of the synoptic capabilities of sensors on-board satellites and GIS procedures have

Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research Original Article

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

A publication of the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra ... TESTING (VCT) FOR HIV AMONG NURSING STUDENTS IN ZAMBIA ... All students were aware of where to go for VCT, and 80% .... attitudes that assure patients that they will be .... them better practitioners, but their awareness of.

Coca: The History and Medical Significance of an Ancient Andean Tradition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amy Sue Biondich

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Coca leaf products are an integral part of the lives of the Andean peoples from both a cultural and traditional medicine perspective. Coca is also the whole plant from which cocaine is derived. Coca products are thought to be a panacea for health troubles in regions of South America. This review will examine the toxicology of whole coca and will also look at medicinal applications of this plant, past, present, and future.

Recognizing rural territorial heritage: characterization of Andean tuber production systems in Boyacá

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clavijo Ponce Neidy Lorena

2011-08-01

Full Text Available

In the municipalities Ventaquemada and Turmequé (Boyacá- Colombia, we identified 20 small agricultures by their production systems including the following Andean tubers: Ullucus tuberosus Caldas (ulluco, Oxalis tuberosa Molina (oca, and Tropaeolum tuberosum R. & P. (Mashua, which were important in their family meals and culture, however, their use has declined and the area has not seen research and development processes that provide alternatives for handling, conservation, use and marketing, and now are at the risk of disappearing. This research conducted participatory assessment processes for the characterization of production systems and initiated reassessment processes of territorial heritage, identifying common sub-farm agrobiodiversity and projects for these traditional Andean tuber crops in order to enhance the special and knowhow knowledge surrounding the production.

Dataset of Passerine bird communities in a Mediterranean high mountain (Sierra Nevada, Spain)

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez-Luque, Antonio Jesús; Barea-Azcón, José Miguel; Álvarez-Ruiz, Lola; Bonet-García, Francisco Javier; Zamora, Regino

2016-01-01

Abstract In this data paper, a dataset of passerine bird communities is described in Sierra Nevada, a Mediterranean high mountain located in southern Spain. The dataset includes occurrence data from bird surveys conducted in four representative ecosystem types of Sierra Nevada from 2008 to 2015. For each visit, bird species numbers as well as distance to the transect line were recorded. A total of 27847 occurrence records were compiled with accompanying measurements on distance to the transect and animal counts. All records are of species in the order Passeriformes. Records of 16 different families and 44 genera were collected. Some of the taxa in the dataset are included in the European Red List. This dataset belongs to the Sierra Nevada Global-Change Observatory (OBSNEV), a long-term research project designed to compile socio-ecological information on the major ecosystem types in order to identify the impacts of global change in this area. PMID:26865820

Regional deformation of late Quaternary fluvial sediments in the Apennines foreland basin (Emilia, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Stefani, Marco; Minarelli, Luca; Fontana, Alessandro; Hajdas, Irka

2018-04-01

Our research is aimed at estimating the vertical deformation affecting late Quaternary units accumulated into the foreland basin of the Northern Apennines chain. Beneath the study alluvial plain, compressive fault-fold structures are seismically active. We reconstructed the stratigraphic architecture and the depositional evolution of the alluvial deposits, which accumulated in the first 40 m of subsurface, through the last 45,000 years, from before the Last Glacial Maximum to the present. A 58 km-long stratigraphic profile was correlated from the foothill belt near Bologna to the vicinity of the Po River. The analysis of the profile documents subsidence movements through the last 12,000 years, exceeding - 18 m in syncline areas, with subsidence rates of at least 1.5 m/ka. Anticlines areas experienced a much lower subsidence than the syncline ones.

Monitoring Forest Dynamics in the Andean Amazon: The Applicability of Breakpoint Detection Methods Using Landsat Time-Series and Genetic Algorithms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabián Santos

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The Andean Amazon is an endangered biodiversity hot spot but its forest dynamics are less studied than those of the Amazon lowland and forests from middle or high latitudes. This is because its landscape variability, complex topography and cloudy conditions constitute a challenging environment for any remote-sensing assessment. Breakpoint detection with Landsat time-series data is an established robust approach for monitoring forest dynamics around the globe but has not been properly evaluated for implementation in the Andean Amazon. We analyzed breakpoint detection-generated forest dynamics in order to determine its limitations when applied to three different study areas located along an altitude gradient in the Andean Amazon in Ecuador. Using all available Landsat imagery for the period 1997–2016, we evaluated different pre-processing approaches, noise reduction techniques, and breakpoint detection algorithms. These procedures were integrated into a complex function called the processing chain generator. Calibration was not straightforward since it required us to define values for 24 parameters. To solve this problem, we implemented a novel approach using genetic algorithms. We calibrated the processing chain generator by applying a stratified training sampling and a reference dataset based on high resolution imagery. After the best calibration solution was found and the processing chain generator executed, we assessed accuracy and found that data gaps, inaccurate co-registration, radiometric variability in sensor calibration, unmasked cloud, and shadows can drastically affect the results, compromising the application of breakpoint detection in mountainous areas of the Andean Amazon. Moreover, since breakpoint detection analysis of landscape variability in the Andean Amazon requires a unique calibration of algorithms, the time required to optimize analysis could complicate its proper implementation and undermine its application for large

Paleozoic-involving thrust array in the central Sierras Interiores (South Pyrenean Zone, Central Pyrenees): regional implications

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, L.; Cuevas, J.; Tubía, J. M.

2012-04-01

This work deals with the structural evolution of the Sierras Interiores between the Tena and Aragon valleys. The Sierras Interiores is a WNW-trending mountain range that bounds the South Pyrenean Zone to the north and that is characterized by a thrust-fold system with a strong lithological control that places preferably decollements in Triassic evaporites. In the studied area of the Sierras Interiores Cenomanian limestones cover discordantly the Paleozoic rocks of the Axial Zone because there is a stratigraphic lacuna developed from Triassic to Late Cretaceous times. A simple lithostratigraphy of the study area is made up of Late Cenomanian to Early Campanian limestones with grey colour and massive aspect in landscape (170 m, Lower calcareous section), Campanian to Maastrichtian brown coloured sandstones (400-600 m, Marboré sandstones) and, finally, Paleocene light-coloured massive limestones (130-230 m), that often generate the higher topographic levels of the Sierras Interiores due to their greater resistance to erosion. Above the sedimentary sequence of the Sierras Interiores, the Jaca Basin flysch succession crops out discordantly. Based on a detailed mapping of the studied area of the Sierras Interiores, together with well and structural data of the Jaca Basin (Lanaja, 1987; Rodríguez and Cuevas, 2008) we have constructed a 12 km long NS cross section, approximately parallel to the movement direction deduced for this region (Rodríguez et al., 2011). The main structure is a thrust array made up of at least four Paleozoic-involving thrusts (the deeper thrust system) of similar thickness in a probably piggyback sequence, some of which are blind thrusts that generate fold-propagation-folds in upper levels. The higher thrust of the thrust array crops out duplicating the lower calcareous section all over the Sierras Interiores. The emplacement of the deeper thrust system generated the tightness of previous structures: south directed piggyback duplexes (the upper

Magmatism and mineralization ages from northeast area of La Sierra de San Luis, Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ulacco, Jose H

2001-01-01

Three igneous rock groups, characterized as pre, sin and post-kinematics, have intruded the crystalline basement of Sierra de San Luis, Argentina. The ore deposits are associated with Devonian to Carboniferous epizonal granite stocks and batholiths in an area underlain by metamorphic rocks. This granitoids are characterized as post-kinematics magmatism. Model lead ages on the ore deposits (338,8 - 292,1 Ma) are strongly supported by K-Ar ages of the intrusives. The bulk of the north Sierra de San Luis ore deposits are genetically related to late Carboniferous granite plutons. The ore bodies are tungsten veins with greisen envelopes, lead veins, epithermal fluorite veins and REE and Th deposit. A generalized scheme of ore bodies related to granites is proposed. The ore deposits and their lithotectonic setting are characteristic of Gondwana metallogenetic Epoch in the Sierra de San Luis (au)

Hydrologic response and watershed sensitivity to climate warming in California's Sierra Nevada.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah E Null

Full Text Available This study focuses on the differential hydrologic response of individual watersheds to climate warming within the Sierra Nevada mountain region of California. We describe climate warming models for 15 west-slope Sierra Nevada watersheds in California under unimpaired conditions using WEAP21, a weekly one-dimensional rainfall-runoff model. Incremental climate warming alternatives increase air temperature uniformly by 2 degrees, 4 degrees, and 6 degrees C, but leave other climatic variables unchanged from observed values. Results are analyzed for changes in mean annual flow, peak runoff timing, and duration of low flow conditions to highlight which watersheds are most resilient to climate warming within a region, and how individual watersheds may be affected by changes to runoff quantity and timing. Results are compared with current water resources development and ecosystem services in each watershed to gain insight into how regional climate warming may affect water supply, hydropower generation, and montane ecosystems. Overall, watersheds in the northern Sierra Nevada are most vulnerable to decreased mean annual flow, southern-central watersheds are most susceptible to runoff timing changes, and the central portion of the range is most affected by longer periods with low flow conditions. Modeling results suggest the American and Mokelumne Rivers are most vulnerable to all three metrics, and the Kern River is the most resilient, in part from the high elevations of the watershed. Our research seeks to bridge information gaps between climate change modeling and regional management planning, helping to incorporate climate change into the development of regional adaptation strategies for Sierra Nevada watersheds.

Petrography of the Paleogene Volcanic Rocks of the Sierra Maestra, Southeastern Cuba

Science.gov (United States)

Bemis, V. L.

2006-12-01

This study is a petrographic analysis of over 200 specimens of the Paleogene volcanic rocks of the Sierra Maestra (Southerneastern Cuba), a key structure in the framework of the northern Caribbean plate boundary evolution. The purpose of this study is to understand the eruptive processes and the depositional environments. The volcanic sequence in the lower part of the Sierra Maestra begins with highly porphyritic pillow lavas, topped by massive tuffs and autoclastic flows. The presence of broken phenocrystals, palagonitic glass and hyaloclastites in this section of the sequence suggests that the prevalent mode of eruption was explosive. The absence of welding in the tuffs suggests that the rocks were emplaced in a deep submarine environment. Coherent flows, much less common than the massive tuffs, show evidence of autoclastic fracturing, also indicating low temperature-submarine environments. These observations support the hypothesis that the Sierra Maestra sequence may be neither part of the Great Antilles Arc of the Mesozoic nor any other fully developed volcanic arc, rather a 250 km long, submarine eruptive system of dikes, flows and sills, most likely a back-arc structure. The volcanic rocks of the upper sequence are all very fine grained, reworked volcaniclastic materials, often with the structures of distal turbidities, in mode and texture similar to those drilled on the Cayman Rise. This study suggests that the Sierra Maestra most likely records volcanism of diverse sources: a local older submarine source, and one or more distal younger sources, identifiable with the pan-Caribbean volcanic events of the Tertiary.

Helicon wave field measurements in Proto-MPEX

Science.gov (United States)

Caneses, Juan Francisco; Piotrowicz, Pawel; Goulding, Richard; Caughman, John; Showers, Missy; Kafle, Nischal; Rapp, Juergen; Campbell, Ian; Proto-MPEX Team

2016-10-01

A high density Deuterium discharge (ne 5e19 m-3, Te 4 eV) has been recently observed in ProtoMPEX (Prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment). The discharge (100 kW, 13.56 MHz, D2, 700 G at the source, 1e4 G at the Target) begins with a low density plasma with hollow Te profile and transitions in about 100 ms to a high density mode with flat Te profile. It is believed that the transition to the high density mode is produced by a ``helicon resonance'' as evidenced by the centrally-peaked power deposition profile observed with IR imaging on a 2 mm thick metallic target plate. In this work, we present b-dot probe measurements of the radial helicon wavefields 30 cm downstream of the antenna during both the low and high density modes. In addition, we compare the experimental results with full wave simulations. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Radiative Transfer Modeling in Proto-planetary Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Kasper, David; Jang-Condell, Hannah; Kloster, Dylan

2016-01-01

Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) are rich astronomical research environments. Planets form in circumstellar disks of gas and dust around YSOs. With ever increasing capabilities of the observational instruments designed to look at these proto-planetary disks, most notably GPI, SPHERE, and ALMA, more accurate interfaces must be made to connect modeling of the disks with observation. PaRTY (Parallel Radiative Transfer in YSOs) is a code developed previously to model the observable density and temperature structure of such a disk by self-consistently calculating the structure of the disk based on radiative transfer physics. We present upgrades we are implementing to the PaRTY code to improve its accuracy and flexibility. These upgrades include: creating a two-sided disk model, implementing a spherical coordinate system, and implementing wavelength-dependent opacities. These upgrades will address problems in the PaRTY code of infinite optical thickness, calculation under/over-resolution, and wavelength-independent photon penetration depths, respectively. The upgraded code will be used to better model disk perturbations resulting from planet formation.

Equipotential surfaces in the Proto-Cleo Torsatron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trost, P.; Shohet, J.L.

1984-01-01

Space potential measurements have been made with the use of an emissive probe in the Proto-Cleo Torsatron. The emissive probe surface is heated to a temperature at which thermionic emission of electrons can occur. When the potential of the probe is less than the space potential, the probe predominately emits electrons, thus raising its potential. If the potential of the probe becomes greater than the space potential, the probe emits electrons at a much lower rate than it collects electrons, and thus the probe drops in potential. The dependence of the emitted and collected electron currents on the potential difference provides an accurate method to determine the space potential in the plasma. Space potential measurements have been made with this probe. The data are plotted as equipotential contours. A good correlation is seen between the equipotential measurements and the numerically predicted E.C.R.H. absorption layer, while the E.C.R.H. is on. During the time after the E.C.R.H. has been turned off, there is good correspondence between numerically calculated magnetic surfaces and the equipotential plots

Birds of Sierra de Vallejo, Nayarit, Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Figueroa-Esquivel, E.M.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Sierra de Vallejo, is considered a priority region for conservation, and is strongly affected by anthropogenic pressures. The inventory of birds are refers to studies in near areas. This study is a concrete contribution of the birds of the mountain chain and north of it. We considered bibliographic records and databases available on the web with records of ocurrence and specimens of scientific collections. Also we perform point counts in different localities inside the reserve. We observed a richness of 261 birds species, the family Tyrannidae is the best represented. Of the species recorded, 177 are permanent residents (31 are endemic and 15 are quasi-endemics to Mexico and 73 are migratory; the remaining eleven records have other status. Also 43 species are in endangered categories. We include species that have not been recorded in the lists of the area and records of species expand their ranges at Nayarit. Due to the great diversity of birds observed, it is necesary to continue the research work about habitat use, abundance and monitoring, it will provides the basis for the conservation of birds of Sierra de Vallejo.

Successional position of dry Andean dwarf forest species as a basis for restoration trials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groenendijk, J.P.; Duivenvoorden, J.F.; Cleef, A.M.; Rietman, N.

2005-01-01

The successional affinity of nine woody species was inferred from the structure, diversity and disturbance history of the vegetation where these occurred. This was done in order to obtain a basis for a restoration experiment, currently in execution, in the dry Andean dwarf forest zone on the edge of

Sierra Madre Oriental in Coahuila, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

This desolate landscape is part of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range, on the border between the Coahuila and Nuevo Leon provinces of Mexico. This image was acquired by Landsat 7's Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) sensor on November 28, 1999. This is a false-color composite image made using shortwave infrared, infrared, and green wavelengths. The image has also been sharpened using the sensor's panchromatic band. Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch

The rigid Andean sliver hypothesis challenged : impact on interseismic coupling on the Chilean subduction zone

Science.gov (United States)

Metois, M.

2017-12-01

Convergence partitioning between subduction zones and crustal active structures has been widely evidenced. For instance, the convergence between the Indian and Sunda plates is accommodated both by the Sumatra subduction zone and the Great Sumatran strike-slip fault, that defines a narrow sliver. In Cascadia, small-scale rotating rigid blocks bounded by active faults have been proposed (e.g. McCaffrey et al. 2007). Recent advances in geodetic measurements along the South-American margin especially in Ecuador, Peru and Chile and the need for precise determination of the coupling amount on the megathrust interface in particular for seismic hazard assessment, led several authors to propose the existence of large-scale Andean slivers rotating clockwise and counter-clockwise South and North of the Arica bend, respectively (e.g. Chlieh et al. 2011, Nocquet et al. 2014, Métois et al. 2013). In Chile, one single large Andean sliver bounded to the west by the subduction thrust and to the east by the subandean fold-an-thrust belt active front is used to mimic the velocities observed in the middle to far field that are misfitted by elastic coupling models on the megathrust interface alone (Métois et al. 2016). This rigid sliver is supposed to rotate clockwise around a Euler pole located in the South Atlantic ocean, consistently with long-term observed rotations detected by paleomagnetism (e.g. Arriagada et al. 2008). However, recent GPS data acquired in the Taltal area ( 26°S, Klein et al. submitted) show higher than expected middle-field eastward velocities and question the first-order assumption of a rigid Andean sliver. Mis-modeling the fore-arc deformation has a direct impact on the inverted coupling amount and distribution, and could therefore bias significantly the megathrust rupture scenarios. Correctly estimating the current-day deformation of the Andes is therefore required to properly assess for coupling on the plate interface and is challenging since crustal

Growth of the Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt and Foreland Basin, Northern Iraq, Kurdistan

Science.gov (United States)

Koshnaw, Renas; Horton, Brian; Stockli, Daniel; Barber, Douglas; Ghalib, Hafidh; Dara, Rebwar

2016-04-01

The Zagros orogenic belt in the Middle Eastern segment of the Alpine-Himalayan system is among the youngest seismically active continental collision zones on Earth. However, due to diachronous and incremental collision, the precise ages and kinematics of shortening and deposition remain poorly understood. The Kurdistan region of the Zagros fold-thrust belt and foreland basin contains well-preserved Neogene wedge-top and foredeep deposits that include clastic nonmarine fill of the Upper Fars, Lower Bakhtiari, and Upper Bakhtiari Formations. These deposits record significant information about orogenic growth, fold-thrust dynamics, and advance of the deformation front. Thermochronologic and geochronologic data from thrust sheets and stratigraphic archives combined with local earthquake data provide a unique opportunity to address the linkages between surface and subsurface geologic relationships. This research seeks to constrain the timing and geometry of exhumation and deformation by addressing two key questions: (1) Did the northwestern Zagros fold-thrust belt evolve from initial thin-skinned shortening to later thick-skinned deformation or vice-versa? (2) Did the fold-thrust belt advance steadily under critical/supercritical wedge conditions involving in-sequence thrusting or propagate intermittently under subcritical conditions with out-of-sequence deformation? From north to south, apatite (U-Th)/He ages from the Main Zagros Thrust, the Mountain Front Flexure (MFF), and additional frontal thrusts suggest rapid exhumation by ~10 Ma, ~5 Ma, and ~8 Ma respectively. Field observations and seismic sections indicate progressive tilting and development of growth strata within the Lower Bakhtiari Formation adjacent to the frontal thrusts and within the Upper Bakhtiari Formation near the MFF. In the Kurdistan region of Iraq, a regional balanced cross section constrained by new thermochronometric results, proprietary seismic reflection profiles, and earthquake hypocenters

Ecosystems and diversity of the Sierra Madre Occidental

Science.gov (United States)

M. S. Gonzalez-Elizondo; M. Gonzalez-Elizondo; L. Ruacho Gonzalez; I. L. Lopez Enriquez; F. I . Retana Renteria; J. A. Tena Flores

2013-01-01

The Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) is the largest continuous ignimbrite plate on Earth. Despite its high biological and cultural diversity and enormous environmental and economical importance, it is yet not well known. We describe the vegetation and present a preliminary regionalization based on physiographic, climatic, and floristic criteria. A confluence of three main...

77 FR 23476 - Energia Sierra Juarez U.S., LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-19

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER12-1470-000] Energia Sierra Juarez U.S., LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for... Energia Sierra Juarez U.S., LLC's application for market-based rate authority, with an accompanying rate...

Deforestation and benthic indicators: how much vegetation cover is needed to sustain healthy Andean streams?

Science.gov (United States)

Iñiguez-Armijos, Carlos; Leiva, Adrián; Frede, Hans-Georg; Hampel, Henrietta; Breuer, Lutz

2014-01-01

Deforestation in the tropical Andes is affecting ecological conditions of streams, and determination of how much forest should be retained is a pressing task for conservation, restoration and management strategies. We calculated and analyzed eight benthic metrics (structural, compositional and water quality indices) and a physical-chemical composite index with gradients of vegetation cover to assess the effects of deforestation on macroinvertebrate communities and water quality of 23 streams in southern Ecuadorian Andes. Using a geographical information system (GIS), we quantified vegetation cover at three spatial scales: the entire catchment, the riparian buffer of 30 m width extending the entire stream length, and the local scale defined for a stream reach of 100 m in length and similar buffer width. Macroinvertebrate and water quality metrics had the strongest relationships with vegetation cover at catchment and riparian scales, while vegetation cover did not show any association with the macroinvertebrate metrics at local scale. At catchment scale, the water quality metrics indicate that ecological condition of Andean streams is good when vegetation cover is over 70%. Further, macroinvertebrate community assemblages were more diverse and related in catchments largely covered by native vegetation (>70%). Our results suggest that retaining an important quantity of native vegetation cover within the catchments and a linkage between headwater and riparian forests help to maintain and improve stream biodiversity and water quality in Andean streams affected by deforestation. This research proposes that a strong regulation focused to the management of riparian buffers can be successful when decision making is addressed to conservation/restoration of Andean catchments.

Bayesian inferences suggest that Amazon Yunga Natives diverged from Andeans less than 5000 ybp: implications for South American prehistory.

Science.gov (United States)

Scliar, Marilia O; Gouveia, Mateus H; Benazzo, Andrea; Ghirotto, Silvia; Fagundes, Nelson J R; Leal, Thiago P; Magalhães, Wagner C S; Pereira, Latife; Rodrigues, Maira R; Soares-Souza, Giordano B; Cabrera, Lilia; Berg, Douglas E; Gilman, Robert H; Bertorelle, Giorgio; Tarazona-Santos, Eduardo

2014-09-30

Archaeology reports millenary cultural contacts between Peruvian Coast-Andes and the Amazon Yunga, a rainforest transitional region between Andes and Lower Amazonia. To clarify the relationships between cultural and biological evolution of these populations, in particular between Amazon Yungas and Andeans, we used DNA-sequence data, a model-based Bayesian approach and several statistical validations to infer a set of demographic parameters. We found that the genetic diversity of the Shimaa (an Amazon Yunga population) is a subset of that of Quechuas from Central-Andes. Using the Isolation-with-Migration population genetics model, we inferred that the Shimaa ancestors were a small subgroup that split less than 5300 years ago (after the development of complex societies) from an ancestral Andean population. After the split, the most plausible scenario compatible with our results is that the ancestors of Shimaas moved toward the Peruvian Amazon Yunga and incorporated the culture and language of some of their neighbors, but not a substantial amount of their genes. We validated our results using Approximate Bayesian Computations, posterior predictive tests and the analysis of pseudo-observed datasets. We presented a case study in which model-based Bayesian approaches, combined with necessary statistical validations, shed light into the prehistoric demographic relationship between Andeans and a population from the Amazon Yunga. Our results offer a testable model for the peopling of this large transitional environmental region between the Andes and the Lower Amazonia. However, studies on larger samples and involving more populations of these regions are necessary to confirm if the predominant Andean biological origin of the Shimaas is the rule, and not the exception.

Uranium-lead isotopic ages from the Sierra Nevada Batholith, California

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, J.

1982-01-01

This study provides new information on the timing and distribution of Mesozoic magmatic events in the Sierra Nevada batholithic complex chiefly between 36° and 37°N. latitude. U-Pb ages have been determined for 133 zircon and 7 sphene separates from 82 samples of granitoid rocks. Granitoid rocks in this area range in age from 217 to 80 m.y. Triassic intrusions are restricted to the east side of the batholith; Jurassic plutons occur south of the Triassic plutons east of the Sierra Nevada, as isolated masses within the Cretaceous batholith, and in the western foothills of the range; Cretaceous plutons form a continuous belt along the axis of the batholith and occur as isolated masses east of the Sierra Nevada. No granitic intrusions were emplaced for 37 m.y. east of the Sierra Nevada following the end of Jurassic plutonism. However, following emplacement of the eastern Jurassic granitoids, regional extension produced a fracture system at least 350 km long into which the dominantly mafic, calc-alkalic Independence dike swarm was intruded 148 m.y. ago. The dike fractures probably represents a period of regional crustal extension caused by a redistribution of the regional stress pattern accompanying the Nevadan orogeny. Intrusion of Cretaceous granitic plutons began in large volume about 120 m.y. ago in the western Sierra Nevada and migrated steadily eastward for 40 m.y. at a rate of 2.7 mm/y. This slow and constant migration indicates remarkably uniform conditions of subduction with perhaps downward migration of parent magma generation or a slight flattening of the subduction zone. Such steady conditions could be necessary for the production of large batholithic complexes such as the Sierra Nevada. The abrupt termination of plutonism 80 m.y. ago may have resulted from an increased rate of convergence of the American and eastern Pacific plates and dramatic flattening of the subduction zone. U-Pb ages of the Giant Forest-alaskite sequence in Sequoia National Park are

A preliminary floristic inventory in the Sierra de Mazatan, Municipios of Ures and Mazatan, Sonora, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Jose Jesus Sanchez-Escalante; Manuel Espericueta-Betancourt; Reyna Amanda Castillo-Gamez

2005-01-01

Presently, the flora of the Sierra de Mazatán contains 357 species of vascular plants distributed in 248 genera and 80 families. The families with the most species are Asteraceae (48), Fabaceae (45), Poaceae (28), Euphorbiaceae (18), and Acanthaceae, Cactaceae, Scrophulariaceae, and Solanaceae (11 each). The results show that the flora of the Sierra de Mazat...

Expression of proto-oncogenes in non-Hodgkin's lymphomas by in situ hybridization with biotinylated DNA probes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamatani, Kiyohiro; Yoshida, Kuniko; Abe, Masumi; Shimaoka, Katsutaro; Shiku, Hiroshi; Akiyama, Mitoshi; Kondo, Hisayoshi.

1989-11-01

Expression of six proto-oncogenes (fos, myc, myb, Ki-ras, Ha-ras, and N-ras) in 43 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was analyzed by means of in situ hybridization. Biotinylated DNA probes of the six oncogenes and those of the immunoglobulin H-chain (IgH) gene and the T cell receptor β-chain (TCRβ) gene were used. The results of in situ hybridization performed under blind conditions by IgH and TCRβ gene probes were compatible with those of typing by cell surface markers. The nuclear protein-related proto-oncogenes, fos myc, and myb, were expressed in about 70 % - 80 % of all cases regardless of phenotypes, histology or histologic grade. On the contrary, genes of the ras family were expressed in fewer cases except for the Ki-ras gene which was more frequently expressed by cases of the T cell immunophenotype with a high malignancy grade. The results of dot hybridization with RNA extracted from some cases were compatible with those of in situ hybridization, further demonstrating the specificity of in situ hybridization. (author)

Paleomagnetic constraints on the Cenozoic kinematic evolution of the Pamir plateau from the Western Kunlun Shan foreland

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhenyu; Ding, Lin; Lippert, Peter C.; Wei, Honghong

2013-09-01

Thick Cenozoic marine and terrestrial sediments are widely distributed along the perimeter of the Pamir plateau and provide valuable information on the kinematic evolution of the region. Here, we report new biostratigraphic and paleomagnetic results from the piedmont of the Western Kunlun Shan to constrain the magnitude and timing of vertical-axis rotations along the eastern margin of the Pamir. Sampling sites were selected by rock formations and ages, which are based on previous field mapping and on litholostratigraphic and biostratigraphic work presented here. Thermomagnetic analysis, step-wise thermal demagnetization behavior, and positive field tests all suggest that the characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) directions most probably have a primary detrital and chemical origin. Our results indicate variable, minor, but in some intervals significant vertical axis rotations with respect to a stable Asian reference frame. This pattern of rotations is similar to paleomagnetic data reported in previously published studies from the Eastern Pamir foreland. In contrast, published paleomagnetic data from the Western Pamir foreland consistently indicate significant CCW rotations within that region. Collectively, these results challenge simple oroclinal bending models for the origin of the Pamir salient, and instead are more consistent with an asymmetric "half-orocline" kinematic model in which the curvature of the Western Pamir is the product of a combination of lithospheric bending of an originally quasi-linear mountain belt and radial thrusting, and the subdued curvature of the eastern edge of the plateau is the result of lateral translation of the Pamir plateau northward past Tibet and Tarim along the Kashgar-Yecheng transfer system. Our results are consistent with activity on the Kashgar-Yecheng transfer system in the Early Miocene.

New aspects of the QCD phase transition in proto-neutron stars and core-collapse supernovae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hempel, Matthias; Heinimann, Oliver; Liebendörfer, Matthias; Friedrich-Karl, Thielemann; Yudin, Andrey; Iosilevskiy, Igor

2017-01-01

The QCD phase transition from hadronic to deconfined quark matter is found to be a so-called “entropic” phase transition, characterized, e.g., by a negative slope of the phase transition line in the pressure-temperature phase diagram. In a first part of the present proceedings it is discussed that entropic phase transitions lead to unusual thermal properties of the equation of state (EoS). For example one finds a loss of pressure (a “softening”) of the proto-neutron star EoS with increasing entropy. This can lead to a novel, hot third family of compact stars, which exists only in the early proto-neutron star phase. Such a hot third family can trigger explosions of core-collapse supernovae. However, so far this special explosion mechanism was found to be working only for EoSs which are not compatible with the 2 M ⊙ constraint for the neutron star maximum mass. In a second part of the proceeding it is discussed which quark matter parameters could be favorable for this explosion mechanism, and have sufficiently high maximum masses at the same time. (paper)

Potential increase in floods in California's Sierra Nevada under future climate projections

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Das, T.; Dettinger, M.D.; Cayan, D.R.; Hidalgo, H.G.

2011-01-01

California's mountainous topography, exposure to occasional heavily moisture-laden storm systems, and varied communities and infrastructures in low lying areas make it highly vulnerable to floods. An important question facing the state-in terms of protecting the public and formulating water management responses to climate change-is "how might future climate changes affect flood characteristics in California?" To help address this, we simulate floods on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the state's primary catchment, based on downscaled daily precipitation and temperature projections from three General Circulation Models (GCMs). These climate projections are fed into the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrologic model, and the VIC-simulated streamflows and hydrologic conditions, from historical and from projected climate change runs, allow us to evaluate possible changes in annual maximum 3-day flood magnitudes and frequencies of floods. By the end of the 21st Century, all projections yield larger-than-historical floods, for both the Northern Sierra Nevada (NSN) and for the Southern Sierra Nevada (SSN). The increases in flood magnitude are statistically significant (at p models, while under the third scenario, GFDL CM2. 1, frequencies remain constant or decline slightly, owing to an overall drying trend. These increases appear to derive jointly from increases in heavy precipitation amount, storm frequencies, and days with more precipitation falling as rain and less as snow. Increases in antecedent winter soil moisture also play a role in some areas. Thus, a complex, as-yet unpredictable interplay of several different climatic influences threatens to cause increased flood hazards in California's complex western Sierra landscapes. ?? 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Quaternary Tectonic and Climatic Processes shaping the Central Andean hyperarid forearc (southern Peru)

Science.gov (United States)

Audin, Laurence; Benavente, Carlos; Zerathe, Swann; Saillard, Marianne; Hall, Sarah R.; Farber, Daniel L.

2015-04-01

Understanding the forearc structure and processes related to Quaternary evolution and uplift of the Western Andean Cordillera remains an outstanding scientific issue. Models of Andean Plateau evolution based on Tertiary volcanic stratigraphy since 5Ma suggest that the deformation was focused along the eastern margin of the plateau and that minimal uplift occurred along the Pacific margin. On the contrary, new tectonic data and Quaternary surface 10Be dating highlight the presence of recently active deformation, incision and alluvial processes within the upper Andean forearc together with a regional uplift of the coastal zone. Additionally, the high obliquity observed in the northern Arica Bend region makes it an ideal target to discuss whether partitioning of the oblique convergence is accommodated by the neotectonic features that dissect the Quaternary forearc. Our goals are both to decipher the Quaternary tectonic and climatic processes shaping the hyperarid forearc along strike and across strike. Finally, we aim to quantify the respective influence of these factors in the overall uplift of the Western Andes. Indeed, sequences of pediment surfaces, landslide products, paleolake deposits and marine terraces found along the oblique Peruvian margin are a unique set of datable markers that can be used to quantify the rates of Quaternary processes. In this study, we focus on the southern Peru hyperarid Atacama area where regional surfaces and tectonic markers (scarps, folds, temporary streams and paleolake levels offsets…) are well preserved for the Quaternary timescale. Numerous landsliding events align on the major fault segments and reflect Plio-Pleistocene climatic and tectonic activity together with filled and strath terraces. As the present day sea-level is one of the highest levels recorded for Quaternary time span, any emerged marine terrace is preserved by tectonic coastal uplift. In particular, the geomorphic and chronologic correlation between marine and

Paleoambientes sedimentarios de la Formación Toro Negro (Neógeno, antepaís fracturado andino, noroeste argentino Sedimentary paleoenvironments of the Toro Negro Formation (Neogene, Andean broken foreland, northwest Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia L Ciccioli

2012-09-01

paleovalle fluvial en el norte del área y posterior relleno por cursos fluviales gravo-arenosos provenientes del oeste principalmente (AFI-V. En la etapa II (Mioceno Medio a Tardío se desarrollan sistemas fluviales no confinados areno-gravosos (AFVI-VII que progradan sobre un lago somero (AFVIII desarrollado en el sur del área. Finalmente, la etapa III (miembro superior, Mioceno Tardío-Plioceno Temprano corresponde a pulsos de progradación de la cuña clástica (AFIX-XI desde el oeste (Precordillera.The Toro Negro Formation (Neogene records the sedimentation in the broken-foreland Vinchina Basin during the Andean Orogeny, in northwestern Argentina. This unit is composed of conglomerates, sandstones and mudstones together with some beds of breccias and tuffs deposited mainly in fluvial environments. Eleven facies associations (FA were identified in this unit, eight of them corresponding to the lower member and three to the upper member. FAI is composed of massive intraformational megabreccias and cross-bedded conglomerates deposited in braided fluvial systems that filled a deep fluvial paleovalley formed in the north of the studied region. FAII was only identified in marginal positions of the paleovalley and is composed of intraformational breccias and sandstones forming channel belts incised within alluvial plains deposits. FAIII comprises gravelly channel belts and sandy floodplains dominated by crevasse splays interpreted as deposited in semiarid anastomosing fluvial systems. FAIV shows coarsening-upward successions with thick muddy alluvial plain deposits including thin crevasse splays and gravelly single channels. Encapsulated channel complexes composed of coarse-grained sandstones and scarce conglomerates, form FAV. FAVI covers a low-relief erosive surface and is mainly composed of conglomerates and gravelly sandstones deposited in broad alluvial plains. This fluvial complex evolved to a lower-energy system (FAVII characterized by an increase of muddy floodplain

Can Andean medicine coexist with biomedical healthcare? A comparison of two rural communities in Peru and Bolivia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mathez-Stiefel Sarah-Lan

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background It is commonly assumed that indigenous medical systems remain strong in developing countries because biomedicine is physically inaccessible or financially not affordable. This paper compares the health-seeking behavior of households from rural Andean communities at a Peruvian and a Bolivian study site. The main research question was whether the increased presence of biomedicine led to a displacement of Andean indigenous medical practices or to coexistence of the two healing traditions. Methodology Open-ended interviews and free listing exercises were conducted between June 2006 and December 2008 with 18 households at each study site. Qualitative identification of households’ therapeutic strategies and use of remedies was carried out by means of content analysis of interview transcriptions and inductive interference. Furthermore, a quantitative assessment of the incidence of culture-bound illnesses in local ethnobiological inventories was performed. Results Our findings indicate that the health-seeking behavior of the Andean households in this study is independent of the degree of availability of biomedical facilities in terms of quality of services provided, physical accessibility, and financial affordability, except for specific practices such as childbirth. Preference for natural remedies over pharmaceuticals coexists with biomedical healthcare that is both accessible and affordable. Furthermore, our results show that greater access to biomedicine does not lead to less prevalence of Andean indigenous medical knowledge, as represented by the levels of knowledge about culture-bound illnesses. Conclusions The take-home lesson for health policy-makers from this study is that the main obstacle to use of biomedicine in resource-poor rural areas might not be infrastructural or economic alone. Rather, it may lie in lack of sufficient recognition by biomedical practitioners of the value and importance of indigenous medical systems

Groundwater quality in the Sierra Nevada, California

Science.gov (United States)

Fram, Miranda S.; Belitz, Kenneth

2014-01-01

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project (PBP) of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The Sierra Nevada Regional study unit constitutes one of the study units being evaluated.

Seismic characterization of a `compound tectonic wedge` beneath the Rocky Mountain foreland basin, Alberta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lawton, D. C.; Sukaramongkol, C.; Spratt, D. A. [Calgary Univ., AB (Canada). Dept. of Geology and Geophysics

1996-06-01

The detailed internal geometry of a `compound tectonic wedge` beneath an eastward-dipping homocline in the Sundre area of southern Alberta was described. Data for the description was obtained by interpreting reflection seismic data. The wedge has been driven into the foreland succession beneath the gently dipping upper detachment which occurs within coal horizons of the Upper Brazeau Group. Shape of the upper detachment near its toe indicates that rocks in its hanging wall were decoupled from strain associated with forward emplacement of the wedge. Folding of the upper detachment occurs in the hinterland region of the wedge, with a new upper detachment developing above the fold. Emplacement of the wedge is suspected to be the result of excess pore fluid pressure, although proof of this happening awaits quantification of the mechanical model. 25 refs., 8 figs.

On the moment of inertia of a proto neutron star

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Xianfeng; Zhang Hua; Jia Huanyu

2010-01-01

The influences of σ * and Φ mesons,temperature and coupling constants of nucleons on the moment of inertia of the proto neutron star (PNS) are examined in the framework of relativistic mean field theory for the baryon octet {n, p, Λ , Σ - , Σ 0 , Σ + , Ξ - , Ξ 0 } system. It is found that, compared with that without considering σ * and Φ mesons, the moment of inertia decreases. It is also found that the higher the temperature, the larger the incompressibility and symmetry energy coefficient, and the larger the moment of inertia of a PNS. The influence of temperature and coupling constants of the nucleons on the moment of inertia of a PNS is larger than that of the σ * and Φ mesons. (authors)

Forecasting Andean rainfall and crop yield from the influence of El Nino on Pleiades visibility

Science.gov (United States)

Orlove; Chiang; Cane

2000-01-06

Farmers in drought-prone regions of Andean South America have historically made observations of changes in the apparent brightness of stars in the Pleiades around the time of the southern winter solstice in order to forecast interannual variations in summer rainfall and in autumn harvests. They moderate the effect of reduced rainfall by adjusting the planting dates of potatoes, their most important crop. Here we use data on cloud cover and water vapour from satellite imagery, agronomic data from the Andean altiplano and an index of El Nino variability to analyse this forecasting method. We find that poor visibility of the Pleiades in June-caused by an increase in subvisual high cirrus clouds-is indicative of an El Nino year, which is usually linked to reduced rainfall during the growing season several months later. Our results suggest that this centuries-old method of seasonal rainfall forecasting may be based on a simple indicator of El Nino variability.

Good laboratory practices guarantee biosafety in the Sierra Leone-China friendship biosafety laboratory.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qin; Zhou, Wei-Min; Zhang, Yong; Wang, Huan-Yu; Du, Hai-Jun; Nie, Kai; Song, Jing-Dong; Xiao, Kang; Lei, Wen-Wen; Guo, Jian-Qiang; Wei, He-Jiang; Cai, Kun; Wang, Yan-Hai; Wu, Jiang; Kamara, Gerard; Kamara, Idrissa; Wei, Qiang; Liang, Mi-Fang; Wu, Gui-Zhen; Dong, Xiao-Ping

2016-06-23

The outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa between 2014 and 2015 was the largest EDV epidemic since the identification of Ebola virus (EBOV) in 1976, and the countries most strongly affected were Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia. The Sierra Leone-China Friendship Biological Safety Laboratory (SLE-CHN Biosafety Lab), a fixed Biosafety Level 3 laboratory in the capital city of Sierra Leone, was established by the Chinese government and has been active in EBOV detection since 11 March 2015. Complete management and program documents were created for the SLE-CHN Biosafety Lab, and it was divided into four zones (the green, yellow, brown, and red zones) based on the risk assessment. Different types of safe and appropriate personnel protection equipment (PPE) are used in different zones of the laboratory, and it fully meets the Biosafety Level 3 laboratory standards of the World Health Organization. Good preparedness, comprehensive risk assessment and operation documents, appropriate PPE, effective monitoring and intensive training, together with well-designed and reasonable laboratory sectioning are essential for guaranteeing biosafety.

Macrophyte Communities of Andean Rivers: Composition and Relation with Environmental Factors

OpenAIRE

Alida Marcela Gómez Rodríguez; Luz Teresa Valderrama Valderrama; Carlos A. Rivera-Rondón

2017-01-01

Small streams of tropical Andes have been poorly studied. Therefore, there is little information about the structure, dynamics and function of their macrophyte communities. In this research, aquatic plant communities of 18 Andean streams of La Vieja (Quindío) and Otún (Risaralda) river basins were studied; those are some of the basins most affected by anthropic activities in the country. Streams were selected according to their association with the main land’s uses of the region in both basin...

[Key to chironomid pupal exuviae (Diptera: Chironomidae) of tropical high Andean streams].

Science.gov (United States)

Pratt, Narcís; González-Trujillo, Juan David; Ospina-Torres, Rodulfo

2014-12-01

The Chironomidae is a cosmopolitan family of Nematoceran flies with more than 20,000 species described. However the diversity of genera and species of the family in the Andean region beyond the 2,000 m.a.s.l are scarcely known. We conducted faunal surveys and biomonitoring research in different streams of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru from May 2005 to October 2011. Based on specimens collections, a taxonomic key was developed to identify pupae and pupal exuviae of 46 genera of midges (Diptera, Chironomidae) collected from streams at high altitude areas on the Andean tropical mountains. We included illustrations and brief taxonomic descriptions for all genera, of which several ones have not yet been formally described; in this latter case we used the nomenclature of Roback & Coffman (1983). For two genera, Cricotopus and Genus 1, keys to the most com- mon morphospecies were provided. Results showed that in this area the chironomid assemblages are dominated by the members of the subfamily Orthocladiinae (22 genera) followed by the Chironominae (13). Six genera of Tanypodinae were identified, while only three and two genera were present from subfamilies Podonominae and Diamesinae. This key may be very useful for both studies about drift in streams, and for biomonitoring purposes.

Research Priorities for the Conservation and Sustainable Governance of Andean Forest Landscapes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah-Lan Mathez-Stiefel

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The long-term survival of Andean forest landscapes (AFL and of their capacity to contribute to sustainable development in a context of global change requires integrated adaptation and mitigation responses informed by a thorough understanding of the dynamic and complex interactions between their ecological and social components. This article proposes a research agenda that can help guide AFL research efforts for the next 15 years. The agenda was developed between July 2015 and June 2016 through a series of workshops in Ecuador, Peru, and Switzerland and involved 48 researchers and development experts working on AFL from different disciplinary perspectives. Based on our review of current research and identification of pressing challenges for the conservation and sustainable governance of AFL, we propose a conceptual framework that draws on sustainability sciences and social–ecological systems research, and we identify a set of high-priority research goals and objectives organized into 3 broad categories: systems knowledge, target knowledge, and transformation knowledge. This paper is intended to be a reference for a broad array of actors engaged in policy, research, and implementation in the Andean region. We hope it will trigger collaborative research initiatives for the continued conservation and sustainable governance of AFL.

Espacio urbano, espacio del consumo en las crónicas norteamericanas de Justo Sierra

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Beatriz Fernández

2011-01-01

Full Text Available El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar las crónicas de viaje de Justo Sierra, escritas en ocasión de su visita a los Estados Unidos a finales del siglo XIX, con énfasis en las dedicadas a la ciudad de Nueva York. En ellas, centramos nuestra atención en el registro textual de fenómenos relacionados con la forma en que Sierra percibe la modernidad norteamericana, especialmente significativa en lo que hace a la relación entre economía y sociedad. Por ello, atendemos particularmente la configuración del espacio urbano como un escenario del consumo, y procuramos demostrar cómo la constitución física y simbólica de las ciudades muestra rasgos de parentesco con esos eventos típicos de la época que fueron las ferias y exposiciones, las cuales también son objeto de la prosa de Sierra.

THE PHOTOECCENTRIC EFFECT AND PROTO-HOT JUPITERS. II. KOI-1474.01, A CANDIDATE ECCENTRIC PLANET PERTURBED BY AN UNSEEN COMPANION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dawson, Rebekah I.; Murray-Clay, Ruth A. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St, MS-10, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Johnson, John Asher; Morton, Timothy D. [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Crepp, Justin R. [Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, 225 Nieuwland Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Fabrycky, Daniel C. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064 (United States); Howard, Andrew W., E-mail: rdawson@cfa.harvard.edu [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822-1839 (United States)

2012-12-20

The exoplanets known as hot Jupiters-Jupiter-sized planets with periods of less than 10 days-likely are relics of dynamical processes that shape all planetary system architectures. Socrates et al. argued that high eccentricity migration (HEM) mechanisms proposed for situating these close-in planets should produce an observable population of highly eccentric proto-hot Jupiters that have not yet tidally circularized. HEM should also create failed-hot Jupiters, with periapses just beyond the influence of fast circularization. Using the technique we previously presented for measuring eccentricities from photometry (the ''photoeccentric effect''), we are distilling a collection of eccentric proto- and failed-hot Jupiters from the Kepler Objects of Interest (KOI). Here, we present the first, KOI-1474.01, which has a long orbital period (69.7340 days) and a large eccentricity e 0.81{sup +0.10}{sub -0.07}, skirting the proto-hot Jupiter boundary. Combining Kepler photometry, ground-based spectroscopy, and stellar evolution models, we characterize host KOI-1474 as a rapidly rotating F star. Statistical arguments reveal that the transiting candidate has a low false-positive probability of 3.1%. KOI-1474.01 also exhibits transit-timing variations of the order of an hour. We explore characteristics of the third-body perturber, which is possibly the ''smoking-gun'' cause of KOI-1474.01's large eccentricity. We use the host star's period, radius, and projected rotational velocity to measure the inclination of the stellar spin. Comparing KOI 1474.01's inclination, we find that its orbit is marginally consistent with being aligned with the stellar spin axis, although a reanalysis is warranted with future additional data. Finally, we discuss how the number and existence of proto-hot Jupiters will not only demonstrate that hot Jupiters migrate via HEM, but also shed light on the typical timescale for the mechanism.

Indigenous knowledge in cattle breeding in Sierra Leone | Abdul ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was conducted in order to document and preserve valuable indigenous knowledge in cattle breeding and production under traditional cattle production system in Sierra Leone. Data were collected from thirty (30) cattle farms from three locations: Gbindi (16 farms), Sackelereh (7 farms), and Flamansa (7 farms) in ...

Biological aspects and tumorigenic activity of the Ras proto-oncogenic family Aspectos biológicos e atividade tumorigênica da família proto-oncogênica Ras

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juliano André Boquett

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Proto-oncogenes play an important role in the regulation of the cellular cycle, being critical to the tumorigenesis. In this category we can find the RAS family. Due to the high transformation potential of these genes, this family is the best described and most studied one. It is formed by the H-, K- and the N-RAS genes, that codify highly related proteins expressed in several types of cells, denominated p21.These proteins act in the sign transduction from the membrane to the nucleus, as well as in the control of proliferation, differentiation and cellular death, and they are regulated by the interaction with GDP (inactive and GTP (active. These proteins show variation in only 10 - 15% of the primary structure, in the C-terminal portion denominated hyper-variant region. When in the oncogenic form, the p21 proteins remain active, providing continuous stimuli to the cellular proliferation. Among the RAS genes, K-RAS ones have been the most studied for presenting more frequent mutations and for being present in more aggressive tumors, implying the patients’ shorter survival time. Due to these facts and relative bibliography lack in the Portuguese language on this family, we presented in this work a systematized and updated review on the RAS genes. Os proto-oncogenes desempenham importante papel na regulação do ciclo celular, e são críticos à tumorigênese. Nessa categoria se encontra a família RAS, que, devido ao elevado potencial transformante dos genes que a compõem, é uma das mais bem descritas e estudadas. É formada pelos genes H-, K- e N-RAS, que codificam proteínas altamente relacionadas expressas em vários tipos de células, denominadas p21. Estas atuam na transdução de sinal da membrana ao núcleo, estão envolvidas no controle da proliferação, diferenciação e morte celular e são reguladas pela interação com GDP (inativa e GTP (ativa. As proteínas p21 diferem em apenas 10-15% da sua estrutura primária, na porção C

Spatiotemporal patterns of fault slip rates across the Central Sierra Nevada frontal fault zone

Science.gov (United States)

Rood, Dylan H.; Burbank, Douglas W.; Finkel, Robert C.

2011-01-01

Patterns in fault slip rates through time and space are examined across the transition from the Sierra Nevada to the Eastern California Shear Zone-Walker Lane belt. At each of four sites along the eastern Sierra Nevada frontal fault zone between 38 and 39° N latitude, geomorphic markers, such as glacial moraines and outwash terraces, are displaced by a suite of range-front normal faults. Using geomorphic mapping, surveying, and 10Be surface exposure dating, mean fault slip rates are defined, and by utilizing markers of different ages (generally, ~ 20 ka and ~ 150 ka), rates through time and interactions among multiple faults are examined over 10 4-10 5 year timescales. At each site for which data are available for the last ~ 150 ky, mean slip rates across the Sierra Nevada frontal fault zone have probably not varied by more than a factor of two over time spans equal to half of the total time interval (~ 20 ky and ~ 150 ky timescales): 0.3 ± 0.1 mm year - 1 (mode and 95% CI) at both Buckeye Creek in the Bridgeport basin and Sonora Junction; and 0.4 + 0.3/-0.1 mm year - 1 along the West Fork of the Carson River at Woodfords. Data permit rates that are relatively constant over the time scales examined. In contrast, slip rates are highly variable in space over the last ~ 20 ky. Slip rates decrease by a factor of 3-5 northward over a distance of ~ 20 km between the northern Mono Basin (1.3 + 0.6/-0.3 mm year - 1 at Lundy Canyon site) to the Bridgeport Basin (0.3 ± 0.1 mm year - 1 ). The 3-fold decrease in the slip rate on the Sierra Nevada frontal fault zone northward from Mono Basin is indicative of a change in the character of faulting north of the Mina Deflection as extension is transferred eastward onto normal faults between the Sierra Nevada and Walker Lane belt. A compilation of regional deformation rates reveals that the spatial pattern of extension rates changes along strike of the Eastern California Shear Zone-Walker Lane belt. South of the Mina Deflection

El basamento de la sierra de San Luis: Nuevas evidencias magnéticas y sus implicancias tectónicas The basement of Sierra de San Luis: New magnetic evidence and tectonic implication

OpenAIRE

CJ Chernicoff; VA Ramos

2003-01-01

Los mapas aeromagnéticos disponibles de las sierras de San Luis y Comechingones en el sector sudoriental de las Sierras Pampeanas de Argentina, permiten examinar las características geológicas y estructurales de las unidades metamórficas e intrusivas del basamento de la región. A través de la aplicación del filtro de continuación ascendente a los datos del campo magnético total reducido al polo, se ha podido observar la configuración profunda de las distintas unidades. Entre ellas se destaca ...

Military Interventions in Sierra Leone: Lessons from a Failed State

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Woods, Larry J; Reese, Timothy R

2008-01-01

This study by Larry J. Woods and Colonel Timothy R. Reese analyzes the massive turmoil afflicting the nation of Sierra Leone, 1993-2002, and the efforts by a variety of outside forces to bring lasting stability to that small country...

Birds of Sierra de Vallejo, Nayarit, Mexico

OpenAIRE

Figueroa-Esquivel, E.M.; Puebla-Olivares, F

2014-01-01

Sierra de Vallejo, is considered a priority region for conservation, and is strongly affected by anthropogenic pressures. The inventory of birds are refers to studies in near areas. This study is a concrete contribution of the birds of the mountain chain and north of it. We considered bibliographic records and databases available on the web with records of ocurrence and specimens of scientific collections. Also we perform point counts in different localities inside the...

The geodynamic evolution of the eastern Sierras Pampeanas based on geochemical, Sm-Nd, Pb-Pb and SHRIMP data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drobe, M; Lopez de Luchi, M; Steenken, A

2011-01-01

, have been carried out to unravel the provenance and the geodynamic history of the Eastern Sierras Pampeanas, Central Argentina. The geochemical and the Sm–Nd data point to a slightly stronger mafic and less-fractionated material in the provenance area of the Sierras de Co´rdoba when compared...

Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr and K-Ar age constraints of the El Molle and Barroso plutons, western Sierra de San Luis, Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, A.M.; Gonzalez, P.D; Petronilho, L.A; Llambias, E.J.; Varela, R; Basei, M.A.S

2001-01-01

Within the Early Paleozoic Famatinian orogeny of Southern Sierras Pampeanas (Sierra de San Luis and Sierra de Cordoba), the post-orogenic granitoids are characterized by circular intrusions. The published Rb-Sr and K-Ar ages from plutons in the Sierra de San Luis range between 408 and 320 Ma (see synthesis in Llambias et al., 1998). The El Molle and Barroso plutons (Sims et al., 1997; Gonzalez and Sato, 2000) are the two main exposures of a post-orogenic intrusive complex located in the western area of the Sierra de San Luis basement. They also exhibit an overall circular map view of almost 8 km in diameter, and are emplaced in a metamorphic complex developed through pre-Famatinian (Proterozoic? to Early Paleozoic) to Famatinian (Early Paleozoic) orogenies (Gonzalez and Llambias, 1998; von Gosen and Prozzi, 1998). We are carrying out isotopic datings of the El Molle and Barroso plutons in order to contribute to the understanding of the magmatic and metamorphic evolution of the final stages of the Famatinian orogenic cycle in the Sierra de San Luis. The first results of the Sm-Nd, Rb-Sr and K-Ar dates are here presented (au)

Trans-Hudsonian far-field deformation effects in the Rae foreland: An integrated geological-3D magnetic model

Science.gov (United States)

Percival, J. A.; Tschirhart, V.

2017-03-01

The intracratonic Rae cover sequence, deposited ca. 2.2-1.9 Ga, forms a useful marker for unravelling tectonic events that affected the Archean Rae Province at ca.2.0, 1.9 and 1.85 Ga. Polyphase deformation is recognized within the Rae cover rocks, including the 70 × 10 km Montresor belt, and attributed to distal effects of the ca. 1.85 Ga Trans-Hudson orogeny. In this contribution we explore the 3D geometry and structural history of the Montresor belt, previously considered to be a simple syncline lying unconformably on Archean basement. New geological, geophysical and geochronological results define a more complex history in which lower Montresor units were thrust-imbricated with basement gneisses and metamorphosed to the amphibolite facies. Mid-to upper greenschist facies upper Montresor units, exposed in an open synform, are superficially less deformed. However, using high-resolution aeromagnetic data and distinct magnetic marker units considered proxies for bedding, we constructed a set of forward models to explore the three-dimensional geometry of the belt. The re-analysis outlines a set of pre-synform structures defined by low-angle truncations of the magnetic markers. Geometric relationships indicate the presence of at least three faults at low angles to bedding, interpreted as D1 piggy-back thrusts, and bracketed by available geochronology between 1.924 and 1.87 Ga. D1 strain in the upper Montresor strata is significantly less intense than that further south in Rae cover rocks, consistent with a more distal foreland setting during the Trans-Hudson orogeny. The Montresor belt preserves a record of the Trans-Hudson tectonic style at relatively shallow crustal levels as a result of its foreland setting and structural history including a syn-orogenic extensional detachment event.

Making up for lost snow: lessons from a warming Sierra Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

Bales, R. C.

2017-12-01

Snowpack- and glacier-dependent river basins are home to over 1.2 billion people, one-sixth of the world's current population. These areas face severe challenges in a warmer climate, as declines in snow resources put more pressure on dams and groundwater. Closer to home, the seasonal snowpacks in California's Sierra Nevada provide water storage to both sustain productive forests and support the world's 6th largest economy. Rivers draining the Sierra supply the state's large cities, plus agricultural areas that provide nearly half of the nation's fruits and vegetables. Water storage is central to water security, especially given California's hot dry summers and high interannual variability in precipitation. On average seasonal snowpacks store about half as much water as do dams on Sierra rivers; and both the magnitude and duration of snowpack storage are decreasing. Precipitation amount and snow accumulation across the mountains in any given day, month or year remain uncertain. As historical index-statistical methods for hydrologic forecasts give way to tools based on mass and energy balances distributed across the landscape, opportunities are arising to broadly implement spatial measurements of snowpack storage and the equally important regolith-water storage. Advances in applying satellite and aircraft remote sensing, plus spatially distributed wireless-sensor networks, are filling this need. These same unprecedented data are driving process understanding to improve knowledge of snow-energy-forest interactions, snowmelt estimates, and hydrologic forecasts for hydropower, water supply, and flood control. Estimating the value of snowpacks and how they are changing provides a baseline for evaluating investments in restoration of headwater forests that will affect snowmelt runoff, and in providing replacement storage as snow declines. With California facing billions of dollars of green and grey infrastructure improvements, which must be compatible with the state

The post-Laramide clastic deposits of the Sierra de Guanajuato: Compositional implications on the tectono-sedimentary and paleographic evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miranda-Aviles, R.; Puy-Alquiza, M.J.; OmaNa, L.; Loza-Aguirre, I.

2016-07-01

This article presents the results of the study on sedimentation, sedimentary environments, tectono-sedimentary and paleogeographic evolution of post-Laramide clastic deposits and pre-volcanism of the Sierra Madre Occidental in the Sierra de Guanajuato, central Mexico. The Eocene Duarte Conglomerate and Guanajuato Conglomerate were deposited in the middle and distal parts of alluvial fans. The studied rocks are composed of limestone clasts, granite, andesite, metasediments, diorite, and pyroxenite, indicating the erosion of uplifted blocks of the basal complex of the Sierra de Guanajuato (Arperos basin). The petrographic and compositional analysis of limestone shows a textural variation from basin limestones and shallow platform limestones. The shallow platform limestone contain bivalves, brachiopods, gastropods, echinoderms and benthic foraminifera from the Berriasian-Valanginian. The shallow-water limestone corresponds to the boundary of the Arperos basin whose original outcrops currently not outcrop in the Sierra de Guanajuato. (Author)

[Neurological paleopathology in the pre-Columbian cultures of the coast and the Andean plateau (I). Artificial cranial deformation].

Science.gov (United States)

Carod Artal, F J; Vázquez Cabrera, C B

The aim of this work was to study the cranial trepanations and deformations carried out by the ancient Paraca, Huari, Tiahuanaco and Inca cultures. To do so, we conducted a field study involving visits to archaeological remains and anthropological museums on the Andean plateau and the Peruvian coast. Cranial deformation was more common in the Andean regions and was performed by putting little pieces of wood or compressive bandages on newborn infants' heads in order to modify the growth axis of the cranial cavity. Cranial deformations were performed for aesthetic and magic religious reasons, but were also used as a means of ethnic or social identification, as a symbol of nobility or to distinguish the ruling classes. The immediate consequence of such deformation was the modification of the normal process by which the cranial sutures close. There is a significant correlation between the presence of posterior and lateral wormian bones, according to the degree of artificial deformation. The persistence of metopic suture and exostosis of the outer ear canal have been found in 5% of the skulls belonging to pre Columbine mummies. Other paleopathological findings include cranial fractures (7%), porotic hyperostosis (25% of children's skulls), spina bifida occulta, signs of spinal disk arthrosis and Pott's disease. Artificial cranial deformation was a very widespread practice in the Andean regions in pre Columbine times.

Ion Cyclotron Heating on Proto-MPEX

Science.gov (United States)

Goulding, R. H.; Caughman, J. B. O.; Rapp, J.; Biewer, T. M.; Campbell, I. H.; Caneses, J. F.; Kafle, N.; Ray, H. B.; Showers, M. A.; Piotrowicz, P. A.

2016-10-01

Ion cyclotron heating will be used on Proto-MPEX (Prototype Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment) to increase heat flux to the target, to produce varying ion energies without substrate biasing, and to vary the extent of the magnetic pre-sheath for the case of a tilted target. A 25 cm long, 9 cm diameter dual half-turn helical ion cyclotron antenna has been installed in the device located at the magnetic field maximum. It couples power to ions via single pass damping of the slow wave at the fundamental resonance, and operates with ω 0.8ωci at the antenna location. It is designed to operate at power levels up to 30 kW, with a later 200 kW upgrade planned. Near term experiments include measuring RF loading at low power as a function of frequency and antenna gap. The plasma is generated by a helicon plasma source that has achieved ne > 5 ×1019m-3 operating with deuterium, as measured downstream from the ion cyclotron antenna location. Measurements will be compared with 1-D and 2-D models of RF coupling. The latest results will be presented. This manuscript has been authored by UT-Battelle, LLC, under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Physics in the Andean Countries: A Perspective from Condensed Matter, Novel Materials and Nanotechnology

Science.gov (United States)

Prieto, P.

2009-05-01

We will discuss the current state of R&D in the fields of condensed matter, novel materials, and nanotechnology in the Andean nations. We will initially consider Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to then visualize individual developments, as well as those for the region as a whole in these fields of knowledge in each of the nations constituting the Andean Region (Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, and Colombia). Based on Science & Technology watch exercises in the countries involved, along with the Iberian American and Inter-American Science & Technology Network of Indicators (Red de indicadores de Ciencia y Tecnolog'ia (RICYT) iberoamericana e interamericana)1, we will reveal statistical data that will shed light on the development in the fields mentioned. As will be noted, total R&D investment in Latin American and Caribbean countries remained constant since 1997. In spite of having reached a general increase in publications without international collaboration in LAC nations, the countries with greatest research productivity in Latin America (Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, and Chile) have strengthened their international collaboration with the United States, France, Germany, and Italy through close links associated with the formation processes of their researchers. Academic and research integration is evaluated through joint authorship of scientific articles, evidencing close collaboration in fields of research. This principle has been used in the creation of cooperation networks among participating nations. As far as networks of research on condensed matter, novel materials, and nanotechnology, the Andean nations have not consolidated a regional network allowing permanent and effective cooperation in research and technological development; as would be expected, given their idiomatic and cultural similarities, their historical background, and geographical proximity, which have been integrating factors in other research areas or socio-economic aspects. This

Ecología de la fauna silvestre de la sierra nevada y la Sierra del Ajusco

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Granados Sánchez

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Se presenta un estudio sobre la fauna silvestre de la Sierra del Ajusco y la Sierra Nevada, localizadas dentro de la Faja Volcánica Transmexicana (FVT, en la porción oriental del límite meridional de la Cuenca de México. La enorme riqueza biológica de esta zona que rodea la zona metropolitana de la ciudad de México, uno de los mayores complejos urbanos del mundo, ha sobrevivido durante décadas al impacto de la urbanización de las áreas forestales, explotación de recursos naturales, contaminación, cacería, incendios y pastoreo. A pesar de esto, se desconocen muchos de los factores que regulan la dinámica de los ecosistemas en esta región. Con relación a la fauna silvestre la carencia de información es mucho más evidente, aspectos elementales como la diversidad de especies, las interacciones ecológicas, la función de los organismos en el ecosistema, las condiciones de estrés a que están sometidos, han sido poco explorados. En esta investigación se recurrió a observaciones de campo y a la consulta de diferentes fuentes bibliográficas para estimar la riqueza de especies de mamíferos, aves, reptiles y anfibios; las relaciones ecológicas entre los mismos y las consecuencias de la modificación de su hábitat producto de las actividades humanas.

Failure of Sierra White granite under general states of stress

Science.gov (United States)

Ingraham, M. D.; Dewers, T. A.; Lee, M.; Holdman, O.; Cheung, C.; Haimson, B. C.

2017-12-01

The effect of the intermediate principal stress on the failure of Sierra White granite was investigated by performing tests under true triaxial states of stress. Tests were performed under constant Lode angle conditions with Lode angles ranging from 0 to 30°, pure shear to axisymmetric compression. Results show that the failure of Sierra White granite is heavily dependent on the intermediate principal stress which became more dramatic as the mean stress increased. An analysis of the shear bands formed at failure was performed using an associated flow rule and the Rudnicki and Rice (1975) localization criteria. The localization analysis showed excellent agreement with experimental results. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc. for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

The Andean Geotrail (1): A scientific adventure

Science.gov (United States)

Sassier, C.; Galland, O.; Raufaste, C.; Mair, K.

2009-12-01

The role of Geosciences in our society is of primary importance. Its implications for humanity relate to major challenges such as climate change, managing energy resources, natural hazard mitigation, and water scarcity. Despite these issues being familiar to specialists, this is in general not the case for the public. In a world, where the impact of human activity is beginning to be seen on the environment, knowledge of the Earth and its history is paramount to make informed decisions that will influence our future. The necessity to educate the global population and raise awareness of Geosciences has led UNESCO to designate 2009 the International Year of the Planet Earth. In this context and with the label of the UNESCO, we organized and performed a popular science adventure that was followed in real time by both school children and many adults around the world. The Andean Geotrail consisted of a cycling expedition through a spectacular geological environment, the Andean Cordillera. During the nine month expedition, we cycled 8000 km and walked 400 km from Ushuaia in the Southern tip of Argentina to Nazca in Peru to encounter a rich variety of geological environments: active volcanoes, earthquakes, mineral and hydrocarbon deposits, and fantastic geological scenery. All this makes the Andes a great pedagogical natural laboratory. During the expedition, we visited spectacular geological localities that illustrate key Earth Science phenomena (such as mines and hydrocarbon deposits, erupting volcanoes and seismogenically active areas, and national parks) and discovered their implications for the local people. Along the way, we interviewed local geologists and scientists who helped us understand the geology of their areas. We gathered our own observations with those of the local specialists and published essays, articles and photographs on our website and blog (www.georouteandine.fr/English, http://georouteandine.blogspot.com). Seventeen schools in France and Norway

Integración regional andina en salud Health in Andean regional integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos A. Agudelo

2007-01-01

Full Text Available A pesar su historia compartida, los países de la Región Andina presentan una diversidad social y política que genera realidades sanitarias heterogéneas y procesos de integración complejos. Se han dado por décadas procesos generales, como la Asociación Latinoamericana de Libre Comercio y la Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración, o de alcance regional como la Comunidad Andina de Naciones, la Comunidad del Caribe y el Mercado Común Centroamericano. En el campo específico de la salud se cuenta con un instrumento en la Región Andina, el Convenio Hipólito Unánue, creado en 1971. Estos procesos de integración se han concentrado en los aspectos económicos, con base en acuerdos de preferencias arancelarias, los cuales han generado, en el largo plazo, un intercambio comercial apreciable. En el campo de la salud se ha avanzado menos, en términos de procesos que ponen en común experiencias nacionales, conocimientos y capacidades. El análisis de las experiencias de integración en salud muestra que esta depende de las fortalezas de cada país y, en gran parte, de los procesos políticos nacionales.Despite their shared history, the Andean countries are socially and politically diverse, with heterogeneous health realities and complex integration processes. General developments such as the Latin American Free Trade Association and Latin American Integration Association have existed for decades, along with others of a regional scope, like the Andean Community of Nations, Caribbean Community, and Central American Common Market. The health field has a specific instrument in the Andean Region called the Hipólito Unánue Agreement, created in 1971. Integration processes have concentrated on economic aspects, based on preferential customs agreements that have led to an important long-term increase in trade. Less progress has been made in the field of health in terms of sharing national experiences, knowledge, and capabilities. Analysis of

Young Women's Political Participation in Post-War Sierra Leone ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

The end of the civil war in Sierra Leone in 2002 was facilitated in many ways by women through women's pro-democracy movements. These movements will continue to be pivotal in the gradual strengthening of democratic governance structures. Irrespective of the immense barriers that they face, women of all ages have ...

Peruvian Rural School Construction System. SERP 71: Sierra Type.

Science.gov (United States)

Cangiano, Miguel

Based on cooperative action of the government and local communities, the Peruvian Rural School System (SERP 71) evolved from the necessity to reconstruct Peruvian schools of the Sierra region after the earthquake of 1970, and from Peru's new educational reform law (1970) which called for an active-dynamic pupil attitude, continuous updating of…

Contributions of gravity and field data on the structural scheme updating of the Tellian domain and its foreland (Nefza-Bizerte region, northern Tunisia)

Science.gov (United States)

Essid, El Mabrouk; Kadri, Ali; Balti, Hadhemi; Gasmi, Mohamed; Zargouni, Fouad

2018-03-01

The Nefza-Bizerte region, eastern part of the Tunisian Alpine chain, covers the thrust sheets domain called the Tell and its Atlassic foreland. The deep structures under the Tellian thrust sheets are not enough explored. The structural interpretation of magmatic rocks, Triassic outcrops and the depressions are still a subject of discussion. In this work, we intend to investigate deep faults and their eventual role in magmatism and Triassic salt setting up and to explain the depression genesis. Analysis of the Bouguer anomaly map and its derivatives reveals the main gravity lineaments, organized in major NE- and NW-trending systems. The NE-trending system, dipping towards the NW, is the main component of the structural scheme and has controlled the tectonic evolution of this area. After the immobilization of the Tellian thrust sheets during the uppermost Langhian, the Tell and its Atlassic foreland were affected by the Tortonian compressive event with a NW-trending maximum horizontal stress. The reverse kinematics of the NE-trending deep-seated faults created at their front continental environments filled later by post-nappes Neogene deposits. After the early Pleistocene, a NNW-directed compressional stress regime deformed the post-nappes Neogene series and generated NW-trending grabens. This coexistence of compression-extension continues until present day.

The integration of Workload Management Systems for the ProtoDUNE Software and Computing cluster

CERN Document Server

Oniciuc, Oriana-Maria

2017-01-01

The protoDUNE experimental program is designed to test and validate the technologies for DUNE. All of the many elements in the chain of data acquisition, storage, distribution and processing are critically important to derive physics results from the data. To achieve these, a software stack has been chosen to implement automatic propagation of configurations across all the nodes in the NP cluster. This report presents the architecture of the system and the operations through which the cluster features can be scaled.

Timing of deformation and rapid subsidence in the northern Altiplano, Peru: Insights from detrital zircon geochronology of the Ayaviri hinterland basin

Science.gov (United States)

Horton, B. K.; Perez, N. D.; Saylor, J. E.

2011-12-01

Although age constraints on crustal deformation and sediment accumulation prove critical to testing hypotheses of orogenic plateau construction, a common lack of marine facies, volcanic tuffs, and suitable fossils hinders many attempts at chronological reconstructions. A series of elevated retroarc basins along the axis of the Andean orogenic belt provide opportunities to define the timing of deformation and transformation from foreland to hinterland basin configurations. In this study, we present new U-Pb ages of detrital zircons in the Ayaviri intermontane basin of southern Peru (~4 km elevation) in the northern part of the central Andean (Altiplano) plateau. Nearly all sandstone samples show strong unimodal U-Pb age peaks (generally defined by > 5-50 zircons), suggesting these age peaks represent syndepositional volcanism and can be regarded as accurate estimates of true depositional (stratigraphic) age. Integration of these ages with structural and stratigraphic relationships demonstrate the utility of zircon U-Pb geochronology in defining both (1) the timing of basin partitioning and (2) the pace of sediment accumulation. (1) U-Pb ages for several sandstone samples from growth-strata packages associated with two basin-bounding faults reveal structural partitioning of the Ayaviri basin from late Oligocene to Miocene time. In the north, displacement along the southwest-directed Ayaviri thrust fault commenced in late Oligocene time (~28-24 Ma), inducing initial structural partitioning of an upper Eocene-Oligocene, > 5 km thick succession potentially representing an early Andean retroarc foreland basin. In the south, the Ayaviri basin was further disrupted by initial displacement along the northeast-directed Pasani thrust fault in early to middle Miocene time (~18-15 Ma). (2) Additional U-Pb analyses from the Ayaviri basin fill help delimit the long-term rates of sedimentation, suggesting relatively short-lived (< 5 Myr) pulses of accelerated accumulation. Rapid

Global solar radiation in Sierra Leone (West Africa)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massaquoi, J.G.M.

1987-09-01

A correlation equation of the Angstrom type has been developed to predict the monthly average daily global solar irradiation incident on a horizontal surface in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Measurements of the global insolation have been compared with those predicted using the equation. A good agreement (greater than 95% in most cases) was observed between the measured values and the predicted ones. (author). 15 refs, 2 tabs

Geology of Sierra de San Miguel area Rocha department (Uruguay)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muzio, R.; Veroslavsky, G.; Morales, E. . E mail: rossana@fcien.edu.uy

2004-01-01

This paper is part of a regional study about Mesozoic magmatism, tectonics and sedimentation in Uruguay. As a result of the geological studies carried out in Sierra de San Miguel area (Rocha department), lithological descriptions, their stratigraphic relationships and their petrographic characterization are presented [es

A new minute Andean Pristimantis (Anura: Strabomantidae from Venezuela

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César L. Barrio-Amorós

2012-12-01

Full Text Available A new species of Pristimantis is described from the Venezuelan Andes. The new species is the smallest in its genus known in Venezuela and belongs to the Pristimantis unistrigatus Group. It differs from the rest of Venezuelan Andean congeners in body size (mean male SVL < 21.3 mm, female SVL < 26.3 mm, expanded discs on fingers and toes, absence of dorsolateral folds, and a distinctivecall consisting in 2–5 cricket-like short notes. The new species inhabits the southwestern part of the Cordillera de Mérida in Venezuela and the Venezuelan side of the Cordillera Oriental deColombia, and could be present on the Colombian portion of the cordillera as well.

Implementation of Safeguards and Non-Proliferation in Sierra Leone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

George, M.

2015-01-01

Sierra Leone under the Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements (CSAs) has enacted the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection (NSRP) Act 2012 and has given numerous powers to the Authority to implement the above mentioned act fully. The NSRP Act 2012 established the Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Authority which among other things to regulate, control and supervise the acquisition, importation, exportation, use, transportation and disposal of radioactive sources and devices emitting Ionizing Radiation. The Authority is bounded by law to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency in the application of Safeguards Agreement and any protocol thereto between Sierra Leone and the International Atomic Energy Agency including conducting inspections and providing any assistance or information required by designated IAEA inspectors in the fulfillment of their responsibilities pursuant to Section 5, Subsection 2, Article xvi of the NSRP Act 2012. The Authority is also granted powers to adopt all necessary measures including a system of licensing to control the export, re-export, transit and transhipment of any nuclear material, equipment or technology in order to protect the safety and security of Sierra Leone. The Regulatory Authority has established departments for the control of nuclear materials: One of which is The Regulatory Control Department; responsible for Inspections, Authorization and Enforcement actions for all radiation sources and nuclear materials. The Authority has been conducting inspections regularly on various facilities ranging from medical radiation generating equipment to industrial radiography sources. The methodology to be used is the issuance of the standard IAEA checklist which is consistent with the Regulatory Authority’s documents for inspection of sources and is in line with the General Safety Requirements(GSR)Part III. The expected outcomes would be increasing training of regulatory authority’s staff, the procurement of

Flight performance of an advanced CZT imaging detector in a balloon-borne wide-field hard X-ray telescope-ProtoEXIST1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, J., E-mail: jaesub@head.cfa.harvard.edu [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Allen, B.; Grindlay, J. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Barthelemy, S.; Baker, R. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Garson, A.; Krawczynski, H. [Washington University in St. Louis and the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, St. Louis, MO 63130 (United States); Apple, J.; Cleveland, W.H. [NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and Universities Space Research Association, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States)

2011-10-21

We successfully carried out the first high-altitude balloon flight of a wide-field hard X-ray coded-aperture telescope ProtoEXIST1, which was launched from the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility at Ft. Sumner, New Mexico on October 9, 2009. ProtoEXIST1 is the first implementation of an advanced CdZnTe (CZT) imaging detector in our ongoing program to establish the technology required for next generation wide-field hard X-ray telescopes such as the High Energy Telescope (HET) in the Energetic X-ray Imaging Survey Telescope (EXIST). The CZT detector plane in ProtoEXIST1 consists of an 8x8 array of closely tiled 2 cmx2 cmx0.5 cm thick pixellated CZT crystals, each with 8x8 pixels, mounted on a set of readout electronics boards and covering a 256 cm{sup 2} active area with 2.5 mm pixels. A tungsten mask, mounted at 90 cm above the detector provides shadowgrams of X-ray sources in the 30-600 keV band for imaging, allowing a fully coded field of view of 9{sup o}x9{sup o} (and 19{sup o}x19{sup o} for 50% coding fraction) with an angular resolution of 20'. In order to reduce the background radiation, the detector is surrounded by semi-graded (Pb/Sn/Cu) passive shields on the four sides all the way to the mask. On the back side, a 26 cmx26 cmx2 cm CsI(Na) active shield provides signals to tag charged particle induced events as well as {>=}100keV background photons from below. The flight duration was only about 7.5 h due to strong winds (60 knots) at float altitude (38-39 km). Throughout the flight, the CZT detector performed excellently. The telescope observed Cyg X-1, a bright black hole binary system, for {approx}1h at the end of the flight. Despite a few problems with the pointing and aspect systems that caused the telescope to track about 6.4{sup o} off the target, the analysis of the Cyg X-1 data revealed an X-ray source at 7.2{sigma} in the 30-100 keV energy band at the expected location from the optical images taken by the onboard daytime star camera. The

Opening of the Gulf of Guayaquil: quantifying the motion from the trench to the Andean Cordillera

Science.gov (United States)

Santana, E.; Dumont, J. F.; Vilema, W.; Pedoja, K.

2003-04-01

The Gulf of Guayaquil is a complex pull-apart opened at the south tip of the North Andean Block. The Guayaquil-Caracas Megashear (i.e. Dolores-Guayaquil Megashear) which bounds the North Andean Block to the east crosses the Western Andean Cordillera along the Pallatanga fault, and joins southwestward the Ecuadorian trench. According to paleogeographic data the Gulf of Guayaquil began to open about 9 Ma ago, which is evidenced now by about 100 km offset of the Early Neogene Progresso and Loja basins. A lesser post orogenic offset of about 60 km is observed along the Pallatanga fault, coherent with the offset of the piedmont of the Western Andean Cordillera. The discrepancy suggests a partition of the deformation at the south tip of the North Andean Block, part of the motion being accommodated by other small faults north of the Pallatanga fault zone and resulting in a pull apart motion and subsidence of the Daule-Babahoyo basin. The main curve of the Tallara Arc described by the trend of the trench from north Peru to north Ecuador shows a significant anomaly in front of the Gulf of Guayaquil. A 60 to 70 km minimum right hand deviation of the curve is observed, displayed in three segments delimited by faults. Neotectonic studies in the Santa Clara and Puná Islands located in the Gulf of Guayaquil show a regional E-W shortening during the Pleistocene, characterised by right lateral motion along the Zambapala Cordillera in Puná. Offset of river drainage and morphostructures in South Puná gives evidence of 3 km dextral offset which post-date marine terraces with an estimated age of M.I.S. 9 or 11, giving mean offset rates of 9 mm/y or 6.8 mm/y respectively. The conclusion underlines the following points: (1) These data suggest that the offset rate inside the Gulf of Guayaquil during the Late Quaternary is lower than the mean rate observed since 9 Ma. The apparent slow down may be due to the partition of the deformation of the Gulf of Guayaquil towards the Guayas

Holocene tephrostratigraphy of southern Chiloé Continental (Andean southern volcanic zone; ~43°S), Chile

Science.gov (United States)

Lachowycz, S.; Smith, V. C.; Pyle, D. M.; Mather, T. A.

2012-12-01

The eruptive history of the volcanoes in the southern part of the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone (42.5-45°S) is very poorly constrained: only several late Quaternary eruptions have been identified, mostly from study of sparse roadcuts [1]. In this study, we further constrain the Holocene explosive eruption history around 43°S by identifying and analysing tephra layers preserved in a ~3.25m long peat core from Cuesta Moraga [2], ~35km east of Yanteles volcano. Cryptotephra was extracted following the method of [3], in addition to macrotephra; owing to the vicinity of the sampling site to the tephra sources, cryptotephra was found throughout the core stratigraphy, but was sufficiently variable in concentration that discrete layers were identifiable and attributed to specific eruptions. Chemical analysis of the glass by electron microprobe shows that the tephra layers originate from a number of volcanoes in the region. This new tephrostratigraphy improves our knowledge of the important history of explosive volcanism in this area, potentially tying the tephrostratigraphies of surrounding areas (e.g., [4]) and allowing improved evaluation of regional volcanic risk. [1] Naranjo, J.A.., and C. R. Stern, 2004. Holocene tephrochronology of the southernmost part (42°30'-45°S) of the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone. Revista geológica de Chile, 31, pp. 225-240. [2] Heusser, C.J., et al., 1992. Paleoecology of late Quaterary deposits in Chiloé Continental, Chile. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 65, pp. 235-245. [3] Blockley, S.P.E., et al., 2005. A new and less destructive laboratory procedure for the physical separation of distal glass tephra shards from sediments. Quaternary Science Reviews, 24, pp. 1952-1960. [4] Watt, S.F.L., et al., 2011. Holocene tephrochronology of the Hualaihue region (Andean southern volcanic zone, ~42°S), southern Chile. Quaternary International, 246, pp. 324-343.

Sistema de gestión del área comercial del sector tecnológico. Caso de estudio empresa Andean-Trade S.A.

OpenAIRE

Calvopiña Limaico, Edwin Marcelo

2016-01-01

El presente estudio tiene el propósito de analizar el actual sistema de gestión comercial de la empresa Andean-Trade S.A., y determinar sus limitaciones y la forma en que puede ser mejorado, teniendo como meta un nuevo sistema de gestión para el área comercial, que se adapte fácilmente a los constantes cambios de los factores que influyen en el sector tecnológico. Andean-Trade S.A. Una empresa cuyo giro del negocio es la comercialización de productos y servicios tecnológicos, la iniciativa de...

Solar UVR-induced DNA damage and inhibition of photosynthesis in phytoplankton from Andean lakes of Argentina

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Villafane, VE; Buma, AGJ; Boelen, P; Helbling, EW

2004-01-01

During January 1999, studies were carried out in temperate lakes of the Andean region of Argentina (41degreesS, 71degreesW) to determine the short-term effects of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR, 280-400 nm) upon natural phytoplankton assemblages. Organisms from one 'clear' (Lake Moreno) and two

Landscape-scale drivers of glacial ecosystem change in the montane forests of the eastern Andean flank, Ecuador

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loughlin, N.J.D.; Gosling, W.D.; Coe, A.L.; Gulliver, P.; Mothes, P.; Montoya, E.

2018-01-01

Understanding the impact of landscape-scale disturbance events during the last glacial period is vital in accurately reconstructing the ecosystem dynamics of montane environments. Here, a sedimentary succession from the tropical montane cloud forest of the eastern Andean flank of Ecuador provides

Diagnosis of Knowledge Management in the Brisas Sierra Mar hotel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivón Sosa-Piedra

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The present investigation was made in order to evaluate the Knowledge in the Management at Brisas Sierra Mar Hotel, Santiago de Cuba. Due to this, it is being value the actual approaches that was utilized in the existent methodologies for the measurement conduct of the knowledge in the Enterprise Organizations. To fulfill these results we utilized different methods, technical, abilities and scientific investigation tools, such as: analysis-method, synthesis, historical logical, and inducement; technical as a team work, expert judgments, interviews and first and second class information review, as well as the informatics decision programs for the selection and validations of the experts, the Statistic Program for Social Sciences for Windows (SPSS version 15.0 in indicting of the information. The investigation propitiated an evaluation of the actual situation of Brisas Sierra Mar Hotel, Santiago de Cuba and permitted to identify the stage of their main intellectual, placing them in an intermediate level.

Paleozoic and Mesozoic deformations in the central Sierra Nevada, California

Science.gov (United States)

Nokleberg, Warren J.; Kistler, Ronald Wayne

1980-01-01

Analysis of structural and stratigraphic data indicates that several periods of regional deformation, consisting of combined folding, faulting, cataclasis, and regional metamorphism, occurred throughout the central Sierra Nevada during Paleozoic and Mesozoic time. The oldest regional deformation occurred alono northward trends during the Devonian and Mississippian periods in most roof pendants containing lower Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks at the center and along the crest of the range. This deformation is expressed in some roof pendants by an angular unconformity separating older thrice-deformed from younger twice-deformed Paleozoic metasedimentary rocks. The first Mesozoic deformation, which consisted of uplift and erosion and was accompanied by the onset of Andean-type volcanism during the Permian and Triassic, is expressed by an angular unconformity in several roof pendants from the Saddlebag Lake to the Mount Morrison areas. This unconformity is defined by Permian and Triassic andesitic to rhyolitic metavolcanic rocks unconformably overlying more intensely deformed Pennsylvanian, Permian(?), and older metasedimentary rocks. A later regional deformation occurred during the Triassic along N. 20?_30? W. trends in Permian and Triassic metavolcanic rocks of the Saddlebag Lake and Mount Dana roof pendants, in upper Paleozoic rocks of the Pine Creek roof pendant, and in the Calaveras Formation of the western metamorphic belt; the roof pendants are crosscut by Upper Triassic granitic rocks of the Lee Vining intrusive epoch. A still later period of Early and Middle Jurassic regional deformation occurred along N. 30?-60? E. trends in upper Paleozoic rocks of the Calaveras Formation of the western metamorphic belt. A further period of deformation was the Late Jurassic Nevadan orogeny, which occurred along N. 20?_40? W. trends in Upper Jurassic rocks of the western metamorphic belt that are crosscut by Upper Jurassic granitic rocks of the Yosemite intrusive epoch

Two new trans-Andean species of Imparfinis Eigenmann & Norris, 1900 (Siluriformes: Heptapteridae from Colombia

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Armando Ortega-Lara

Full Text Available Two new species of Imparfinis are described from the trans-Andean region of Colombia. Imparfinis timana is diagnosed by having longer anal fin base (12.4-15.5% in SL, in combination with long adipose fin (24.6-31.3% in SL, 5-6 gill rakers on the first ceratobranchial, 42-43 vertebrae and additional measurements. Imparfinis usmai is distinguished by the combination of first ray of dorsal fin longest, but not projected as a long filament, long adipose fin (21.1-27.0% in SL, maxillary barbel exceeding pelvic-fin base, 39-40 vertebrae, upper caudal-fin lobe pointed and longer than lower lobe, lower lobe rounded, 7-8 gill rakers on the first ceratobranchial, as well as additional measurements. Imparfinis timana is only known from río Guarapas, a small tributary of the upper course of the río Magdalena. Imparfinis usmai is broadly distributed in the upper basin of ríos Cauca and Magdalena, and in the lower Patía river basin. The restricted distribution of I. nemacheir to trans-Andean drainages (Atrato, Magdalena, and Lago de Maracaibo is also discussed.

Cryogenic distribution system for ITER proto-type cryoline test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharya, R.; Shah, N.; Badgujar, S.; Sarkar, B.

2012-01-01

Design validation for ITER cryoline will be carried out by proto-type test on cryoline. The major objectives of the test will be to ensure the mechanical integrity, reliability, thermal stress and heat load as well as checking of assembly and fabrication procedures. The cryogenics system has to satisfy the functional operating scenario of the cryoline. Cryoplant, distribution box (DB) including liquid helium (LHe) tank constitute the cryogenic system for the test. Conceptual system architecture is proposed with a commercially available refrigerator/liquefier and custom designed DB housing cold compressor, cold circulator as well as phase separator with sub-merged heat exchanger. System level optimization, mainly with DB and LHe tank with options, has been studied to minimize the cold power required for the system. Aspen HYSYS is used for the purpose of process simulation. The paper describes the system architecture and the optimized design as well as process simulation with associated results. (author)

The fragmentation of proto-globular clusters. I. Thermal instabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murray, S.D.; Lin, D.N.C.

1989-01-01

The metal abundances among the stars within a typical globular cluster are remarkably homogeneous. This indicates that star formation in these systems was a globally coordinated event which occurred over a time span less than or comparable to the collapse time scale of the cluster. This issue is addressed by assuming that the fragmentation of a proto-globular cluster cloud proceeded in two steps. In the first step, thermal instability led to the rapid growth of initial fluctuations. This led to a large contrast in the dynamical time scales between the perturbations and the parent cloud, and the perturbations then underwent gravitational instabilities on short time scales. This process is modeled using one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of clouds both with and without external heat sources and self-gravity. The models include the effects of a non-equilibrium H2 abundance. The results indicate that fragmentation can occur on time scales significantly less than the dynamical time scale of the parent cloud. 21 refs

Thoracic skeletal morphology and high-altitude hypoxia in Andean prehistory.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinstein, Karen J

2007-09-01

Living humans from the highland Andes exhibit antero-posteriorly and medio-laterally enlarged chests in response to high-altitude hypoxia. This study hypothesizes that morphological responses to high-altitude hypoxia should also be evident in pre-Contact Andean groups. Thoracic skeletal morphology in four groups of human skeletons (N = 347) are compared: two groups from coastal regions (Ancón, Peru, n = 79 and Arica, Chile, n = 123) and two groups from high altitudes (San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, n = 102 and Machu Picchu and Cuzco, Peru, n = 43). Osteometric variables that represent proportions of chest width and depth include sternal and clavicular lengths and breadths and rib length, curvature, and area. Each variable was measured relative to body size, transformed into logarithmic indices, and compared across sex-specific groups using ANOVA and Tukey multiple comparison tests. Atacama highlanders have the largest sternal and clavicular proportions and ribs with the greatest area and least amount of curvature, features that suggest an antero-posteriorly deep and mediolaterally wide thoracic skeleton. Ancón lowlanders exhibit proportions indicating narrower and shallower chests. Machu Picchu and Cuzco males cluster with the other highland group in rib curvature and area at the superior levels of the thorax, whereas chest proportions in Machu Picchu and Cuzco females resemble those of lowlanders. The variation in Machu Picchu and Cuzco males and females is interpreted as the result of population migrations. The presence of morphological traits indicative of enlarged chests in some highland individuals suggests that high-altitude hypoxia was an environmental stressor shaping the biology of highland Andean groups during the pre-Contact period. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Genetic diversity of Phytophthora infestans in the Northern Andean region.

Science.gov (United States)

Cárdenas, Martha; Grajales, Alejandro; Sierra, Roberto; Rojas, Alejandro; González-Almario, Adriana; Vargas, Angela; Marín, Mauricio; Fermín, Gustavo; Lagos, Luz E; Grünwald, Niklaus J; Bernal, Adriana; Salazar, Camilo; Restrepo, Silvia

2011-02-09

Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, the causal agent of potato late blight, is responsible for tremendous crop losses worldwide. Countries in the northern part of the Andes dedicate a large proportion of the highlands to the production of potato, and more recently, solanaceous fruits such as cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana) and tree tomato (Solanum betaceum), all of which are hosts of this oomycete. In the Andean region, P. infestans populations have been well characterized in Ecuador and Peru, but are poorly understood in Colombia and Venezuela. To understand the P. infestans population structure in the Northern part of the Andes, four nuclear regions (ITS, Ras, β-tubulin and Avr3a) and one mitochondrial (Cox1) region were analyzed in isolates of P. infestans sampled from different hosts in Colombia and Venezuela. Low genetic diversity was found within this sample of P. infestans isolates from crops within several regions of Colombia and Venezuela, revealing the presence of clonal populations of the pathogen in this region. We detected low frequency heterozygotes, and their distribution patterns might be a consequence of a high migration rate among populations with poor effective gene flow. Consistent genetic differentiation exists among isolates from different regions. The results here suggest that in the Northern Andean region P. infestans is a clonal population with some within-clone variation. P. infestans populations in Venezuela reflect historic isolation that is being reinforced by a recent self-sufficiency of potato seeds. In summary, the P. infestans population is mainly shaped by migration and probably by the appearance of variants of key effectors such as Avr3a.

Genetic diversity of Phytophthora infestans in the Northern Andean region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grünwald Niklaus J

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Phytophthora infestans (Mont. de Bary, the causal agent of potato late blight, is responsible for tremendous crop losses worldwide. Countries in the northern part of the Andes dedicate a large proportion of the highlands to the production of potato, and more recently, solanaceous fruits such as cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana and tree tomato (Solanum betaceum, all of which are hosts of this oomycete. In the Andean region, P. infestans populations have been well characterized in Ecuador and Peru, but are poorly understood in Colombia and Venezuela. To understand the P. infestans population structure in the Northern part of the Andes, four nuclear regions (ITS, Ras, β-tubulin and Avr3a and one mitochondrial (Cox1 region were analyzed in isolates of P. infestans sampled from different hosts in Colombia and Venezuela. Results Low genetic diversity was found within this sample of P. infestans isolates from crops within several regions of Colombia and Venezuela, revealing the presence of clonal populations of the pathogen in this region. We detected low frequency heterozygotes, and their distribution patterns might be a consequence of a high migration rate among populations with poor effective gene flow. Consistent genetic differentiation exists among isolates from different regions. Conclusions The results here suggest that in the Northern Andean region P. infestans is a clonal population with some within-clone variation. P. infestans populations in Venezuela reflect historic isolation that is being reinforced by a recent self-sufficiency of potato seeds. In summary, the P. infestans population is mainly shaped by migration and probably by the appearance of variants of key effectors such as Avr3a.

Carbon storage and long-term rate of accumulation in high-altitude Andean peatlands of Bolivia

Science.gov (United States)

J.A. Hribljan; D.J. Cooper; J. Sueltenfuss; E.C. Wolf; K.A. Heckman; Erik Lilleskov; R.A. Chimner

2015-01-01

The high-altitude (4,500+ m) Andean mountain range of north-western Bolivia contains many peatlands. Despite heavy grazing pressure and potential damage from climate change, little is known about these peatlands. Our objective was to quantify carbon pools, basal ages and long-term peat accumulation rates in peatlands in two areas of the arid puna ecoregion of Bolivia:...

Copper localization, elemental content, and thallus colour in the copper hyperaccumulator lichen Lecanora sierra from California

Science.gov (United States)

Purvis, O.W.; Bennett, J.P.; Spratt, J.

2011-01-01

An unusual dark blue-green lichen, Lecanora sierrae, was discovered over 30 years ago by Czehura near copper mines in the Lights Creek District, Plumas County, Northern California. Using atomic absorption spectroscopy, Czehura found that dark green lichen samples from Warren Canyon contained 4% Cu in ash and suggested that its colour was due to copper accumulation in the cortex. The present study addressed the hypothesis that the green colour in similar material we sampled from Warren Canyon in 2008, is caused by copper localization in the thallus. Optical microscopy and electron microprobe analysis of specimens of L. sierrae confirmed that copper localization took place in the cortex. Elemental analyses of L. sierrae and three other species from the same localities showed high enrichments of copper and selenium, suggesting that copper selenates or selenites might occur in these lichens and be responsible for the unusual colour.

Copper localization, elemental content, and thallus colour in the copper hyperaccumulator lichen Lecanora sierrae from California

Science.gov (United States)

Purvis, O.W.; Bennett, J.P.; Spratt, J.

2011-01-01

An unusual dark blue-green lichen, Lecanora sierrae, was discovered over 30 years ago by Czehura near copper mines in the Lights Creek District, Plumas County, Northern California. Using atomic absorption spectroscopy, Czehura found that dark green lichen samples from Warren Canyon contained 4% Cu in ash and suggested that its colour was due to copper accumulation in the cortex. The present study addressed the hypothesis that the green colour in similar material we sampled from Warren Canyon in 2008, is caused by copper localization in the thallus. Optical microscopy and electron microprobe analysis of specimens of L. sierrae confirmed that copper localization took place in the cortex. Elemental analyses of L. sierrae and three other species from the same localities showed high enrichments of copper and selenium, suggesting that copper selenates or selenites might occur in these lichens and be responsible for the unusual colour. Copyright ?? 2011 British Lichen Society.

Plio-Pleistocene paleo-erosion rates as a recorder of orographic barrier uplift in the NW-Argentine Andes (Humahuaca Basin)

Science.gov (United States)

Pingel, Heiko; Schildgen, Taylor; Wittmann, Hella

2017-04-01

As an integral part of the Eastern Cordillera, the intermontane Humahuaca Basin in the NW Argentine Andes is located in transition between the arid and internally drained Puna Plateau to the west and the humid broken foreland to the east. In combination with moisture-bearing air masses sourced in the Atlantic Ocean and the Amazon Basin, the present-day topographic gradient of the eastern Andean margin comprises an efficient orographic barrier that results in a strong precipitation gradient, with rainfall of more than 2,000 mm/a along the eastern flanks and history of the basin highlights important changes of the depositional system, apparently associated with the transformation from a humid foreland to a fluvially restricted and semi-arid intermontane basin. Similarly, our terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide-derived data indicate an order-of-magnitude decrease in erosion rates at ca. 3 Ma, which suggests a causal link between the onset of uplift-induced semi-arid conditions and decreasing sediment flux into the basin. Ultimately, this dataset may enable a systematic investigation of the long-term causes and consequences of orogenic growth and hydrological changes on spatio-temporal erosion patterns in active mountain areas.

Macroeconomic costs of the unmet burden of surgical disease in Sierra Leone: a retrospective economic analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Grimes, Caris E; Quaife, Matthew; Kamara, Thaim B; Lavy, Christopher B D; Leather, Andy J M; Bolkan, Håkon A

2018-03-14

The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery estimated that low/middle-income countries will lose an estimated cumulative loss of US$12.3 trillion from gross domestic product (GDP) due to the unmet burden of surgical disease. However, no country-specific data currently exist. We aimed to estimate the costs to the Sierra Leone economy from death and disability which may have been averted by surgical care. We used estimates of total, met and unmet need from two main sources-a cluster randomised, cross-sectional, countrywide survey and a retrospective, nationwide study on surgery in Sierra Leone. We calculated estimated disability-adjusted life years from morbidity and mortality for the estimated unmet burden and modelled the likely economic impact using three different methods-gross national income per capita, lifetime earnings foregone and value of a statistical life. In 2012, estimated, discounted lifetime losses to the Sierra Leone economy from the unmet burden of surgical disease was between US$1.1 and US$3.8 billion, depending on the economic method used. These lifetime losses equate to between 23% and 100% of the annual GDP for Sierra Leone. 80% of economic losses were due to mortality. The incremental losses averted by scale up of surgical provision to the Lancet Commission target of 80% were calculated to be between US$360 million and US$2.9 billion. There is a large economic loss from the unmet need for surgical care in Sierra Leone. There is an immediate need for massive investment to counteract ongoing economic losses. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Depositional Record of the Bagua Basin, Northern Peru: Implications for Climate and Tectonic Evolution of Tropical South America

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, F.; George, S. W. M.; Williams, L. A.; Horton, B. K.; Garzione, C. N.

2015-12-01

The Andes Mountains exert critical controls on the climate, hydrology, and biodiversity of South America. The Bagua Basin, a low elevation (400-600 m) intermontane basin in northern Peru, offers a unique opportunity to study the ecological, climatic, and structural evolution of the western topographic boundary of the Amazonian foreland. Situated between the Marañon fold-thrust belt of the Western Cordillera and basement block uplifts of the Eastern Cordillera, the Bagua region contains a protracted, semi-continuous record of Triassic through Pleistocene sedimentation. Whereas Triassic-Cretaceous marine deposits were potentially related to extension and regional thermal subsidence, a Paleocene-Eocene shift to shallow marine and fluvial systems marks the onset of foreland basin conditions. Oligocene-Miocene sedimentation corresponds to a braided-meandering fluvial system with exceptional development of paleosols. In this study, we use new detrital zircon U-Pb geochronologic and oxygen stable isotopic datasets to establish a chronology of pre-Andean and Andean processes within the Bagua Basin. Detrital zircon geochronology provides constraints on when the Western and Eastern cordilleras shed sediments into the basin. Syndepositional zircons within Eocene, Oligocene and Miocene strata provide key age control for a previously poorly constrained depositional chronology. Preliminary results suggest a dramatic provenance shift in which Paleocene deposits contain almost exclusively cratonic populations (500-1600 Ma) whereas Eocene deposits show a mix of syndepositional zircons from the magmatic arc, recycled Mesozoic zircons, and cratonic zircon populations. Oxygen stable isotopes (δ18O) of carbonate nodules from Neogene paleosols will help elucidate when the Eastern Cordillera became an orographic barrier intercepting moisture from the Amazon basin to the east. Together, these records will help uncover the history of tectonics and climate interaction in tropical South

La campagne pour un quota de femmes en politique en Sierra ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

1 nov. 2011 ... Aisha Ibrahim est directrice du Gender Research and Documentation ... Comme elles travaillaient toutes à faire avancer des causes différentes, ... et qu'il n'existe pas de discrimination à l'endroit des femmes en Sierra Leone.

Demography of the California spotted owl in the Sierra National Forest and Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks

Science.gov (United States)

George N. Steger; Thomas E. Munton; Kenneth D. Johnson; Gary P. Eberlein

2002-01-01

Nine years (1990–1998) of demographic data on California spotted owls (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) in two study areas on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada—one in the Sierra National Forest (SNF), the other in Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks (SNP)—are summarized. Numbers of territorial owls fluctuated from 85 to 50 in SNF and 80 to 58...

Preliminary assessment of the moth (Lepidoptera: Heterocera) fauna of Rincon de Guadalupe, Sierra de Bacadehuachi, Sonora, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

John D. Palting

2013-01-01

The Sierra de Bacadéhuachi is a poorly sampled extension of the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) located in east-central Sonora near the town of Bacadéhuachi. Sampling of moths using mercury vapor and ultraviolet lights occurred in summer and fall 2011, and spring 2012 at Rincón de Guadalupe, located in pine-oak forest at 1680 m elevation. Approximately 400 taxa of moths...

Diversidad de mamíferos de la Reserva Natural Sierra Nanchititla, México Diversity of mammals in the Natural Reserve Sierra Nanchititla, Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Octavio Monroy-Vilchis

2011-03-01

Full Text Available La Reserva Natural Sierra Nanchititla (RNSN, por su extensión, es la segunda área natural protegida del Estado de México; sin embargo, se desconoce gran parte de su biodiversidad. El objetivo de este trabajo fue estimar su diversidad mastofaunística. Se utilizó el trampeo directo para la colecta de mamíferos pequeños y trampas-cámara para el estudio de los mamíferos medianos y grandes. Se calculó la diversidad a partir del índice de Margalef, y se evaluaron la dominancia y la equidad mediante los índices de Simpson y Shannon-Wiener, respectivamente. Se registraron 53 especies de mamíferos; 3 de ellas son el primer registro estatal, 10 son endémicas de México y 4 las considera en alguna categoría de vulnerabilidad el gobierno mexicano. En la zona habitan 5 de las 6 especies de felinos de México. La composición mastofaunística de la RNSN fue comparada con la de la sierra Purépecha, Michoacán, con la que comparte el 38% de las especies. De acuerdo con el índice de Jaccard, la similitud entre ambas es baja. Considerando los resultados, la importancia de la RNSN con respecto a su diversidad mastofaunística es evidente, así como la necesidad de delinear estrategias para su conservación.The Sierra Nanchititla Natural Reserve (SNNR is the second largest natural protected area in the State of Mexico, however its biodiversity is largely unknown. The aim of this research was to estimate its mammalian diversity. Direct trapping was used to capture small mammals and camera-trapping for the study of medium and large mammals. Diversity was calculated from Margalef's index, dominance and equity were evaluated through Simpson's and Shannon-Wiener indexes, respectively. Fifty three species were registered, 3 of them are the first record for the State of Mexico, 10 are endemic to Mexico and 4 are considered in some category of vulnerability by the Mexican government. The area is inhabited by 5 of the 6 Mexican felid species. The

Phenotypic, Molecular, and Pathological Characterization of Colletotrichum acutatum Associated with Andean Lupine and Tamarillo in the Ecuadorian Andes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Falconi, C.; Visser, R.G.F.; Heusden, van A.W.

2013-01-01

Anthracnose is a serious problem of both Andean lupine and tamarillo in Ecuador. Morphological features, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences, and host specificity were used to characterize Colletotrichum isolates from lupine and tamarillo. Based on phenotypic and molecular characterization,

Burn Severity and Its Impact on Soil Properties: 2016 Erskine Fire in the Southern Sierra Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

Haake, S.; Guo, J.; Krugh, W. C.

2017-12-01

Wildfire frequency in the southern Sierra Nevada has increased over the past decades. The effects of wildfires on soils can increase the frequency of slope failure and debris flow events, which pose a greater risk to people, as human populations expand into foothill and mountainous communities of the Sierra Nevada. Alterations in the physical properties of burned soils are one such effect that can catalyze slope failure and debris flow events. Moreover, the degree of a soil's physical alteration resulting from wildfire is linked to fire intensity. The 2016 Erskine fire occurred in the southern Sierra Nevada, burning 48,019 acres, resulting in soils of unburned, low, moderate, and high burn severities. In this study, the physical properties of soils with varying degrees of burn severity are explored within the 2016 Erskine fire perimeter. The results constrain the effects of burn severity on soil's physical properties. Unburned, low, moderate, and high burn severity soil samples were collected within the Erskine fire perimeter. Alterations in soils' physical properties resulting from burn severity are explored using X-ray diffractometry analysis, liquid limit, plastic limit, and shear strength tests. Preliminary results from this study will be used to assess debris flow and slope failure hazard models within burned areas of the Kern River watershed in the southern Sierra Nevada.

Geology and petrography of the Socoscora Sierra . Province of San Luis. Republica Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carugno Duran, A.

1998-01-01

The following paper include an study geological and petrographic of the Sierra de Socoscora. San Luis, Argentina. This mountainas is a block with less elevation that the Sierra de San Luis, and it located in the west center of it. It' s formed by an crystalline basement composed by metamorphic haigh grade rocks, with a penetrative foliation of strike N-S. in this context is possible to define petrographicly the following units, migmatitic that fill a big part of the mountain, amphibolites, marbles, skarns, milonites and pegmatites. This units have amphibolitic facies assemblanges mineral and in some them, we can observe retrograde metamorphism of the greesnschist facies. The metamorphic structure is complex and evidence at least three deformation event

Observaciones sobre la composición, ecología, y zoogeografía de la avifauna de la sierra de Chiribiquete, Caqueta, Colombia

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Stiles Hurd Frank Galfierd

1995-06-01

Full Text Available We report on an inventory of the avifauna of a mesa in the Sierra de Chlribiquete, a range of table-top mountains isolated in the Amazonian lowlands of SE Colombia, and previously unexplored ornithologically. Habitats in our study area included brushy savanna and scrub, and several types of forests. We recorded a total of 77 species, and collected 38 specimens representing 25 species. The avifauna of the study area was striking lor lts low density of individuals and low speeies diversity, probably related to the low productivity and poor nutrient content of the very shallow, sandy soil. In general, avian species richness per habitat was correlated with the height and structural and taxonomic diversity of the vegetation, with 20- 40 species in the different lorest habitats, and 13-16 species in savanna and scrub. Trophic groups well represented in the avifauna included small insectivores, raptores, and nectarivores (at least in terms of numbers of species; acuatic birds, frugivores and granivores were poorly represented. Families well represented included Formicariidae, Tyrannidae, and Trochilidae; few or no species of families of large frugivores like Psittacidae, Ramphastidae, or Cotingidae, or granivores like Columbidae or Emberizidae were recorded. The oscines in general were poorly represented, and no less than 8 of 21 species were boreal migrants. Neomorphus rufipennis was recorded for the first time in Colombia. For most species, the breeding season had not yet begun, and food resources, especially fruit, appeared to be scarce. The bulk of the avifauna shows close affinities with the birds of the savannas and sandy-belt forests of the Orinocan region, and not with the humid forest birdsof theAndean foothills or the Amazonian region. The distribution of these birds was probably more continuous during the Pleistocene, when savannas evidently covered much of SE Colombia. A small number of species have apparently dispersed to the Sierra from

Vegetation composition and altitudinal distribution of Andean rain forests in El Angel and Guandera reserves, northern Ecuador

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moscol Olivera, M.C.; Cleef, A.M.

2009-01-01

Patterns of vascular plant species composition and structure of the remaining rain forest of the Andean Cordillera in northern Ecuador were studied in two reserves: Guandera and El Angel. Thirty three plots located between 3300 and 3700 in were examined along two altitudinal transects crossing the

Vegetation composition and altitudinal distribution of Andean rain forests in El Angel and Guandera reserves, northern Ecuador

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moscol Olivera, M.C.; Cleef, A.M.

2009-01-01

Patterns of vascular plant species composition and structure of the remaining rain forest of the Andean Cordillera in northern Ecuador were studied in two reserves: Guandera and El Angel. Thirty three plots located between 3300 and 3700 m were examined along two altitudinal transects crossing the

Crop-Specific EU Aid and Smallholder Food Security in Sierra Leone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia L. Saravia-Matus

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The article analyses the viability of promoting crop-specific programs as a mean to improve smallholder net farm income and food security. The case study explores the relevance of European Union Stabilisation of Export Earnings (STABEX funds in supporting Sierra Leone’s agricultural development agenda. By analysing the drivers of food security for a number of targeted smallholders in the two most important agricultural zones of Sierra Leone, it is possible to compare the suitability of crop-specific support (in rice, cocoa and coffee versus general aid programs (public infrastructure, on and off farm diversification opportunities, sustainable practices, access to productive assets, etc.. The results indicate that crop diversification strategies are widespread and closely related to risk minimisation and enhanced food security among smallholders. Similarly, crop-specific programs mainly focusing on commercialisation tend to overlook important constraints associated to self-consumption and productivity.

Crustal investigations of the earthquake-prone Vrancea region in Romania - Part 2: Novel deep seismic reflection experiment in the southeastern Carpathian belt and its foreland basin - survey target, design, and first results

Science.gov (United States)

Mocanu, V. I.; Stephenson, R. A.; Diaconescu, C. C.; Knapp, J. H.; Matenco, L.; Dinu, C.; Harder, S.; Prodehl, C.; Hauser, F.; Raileanu, V.; Cloetingh, S. A.; Leever, K.

2001-12-01

Seismic studies of the outer Carpathian Orogen and its foreland (Focsani Basin) in the vicinity of the Vrancea Zone and Danube Delta (Romania) forms one component of a new multidisciplinary initiative of ISES (Netherlands Centre for Integrated Solid Earth Sciences) called DACIA PLAN ("Danube and Carpathian Integrated Action on Processes in the Lithosphere and Neotectonics"). The study area, at the margin of the European craton, constitutes one of the most active seismic zones in Europe, yet has remained a geological and geodynamic enigma within the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic system. Intermediate depth (50-220 km) mantle earthquakes of significant magnitude occur in a geographically restricted area in the south-east Carpathians bend. The adjacent, foreland Focsani Basin appears to exhibit recent extensional deformation in what is otherwise understood to be a zone of convergence. The deep seismic reflection component of DACIA PLAN comprises a ~140-km near-vertical profile across the Vrancea Zone and Focsani Basin. Data acquisition took place in August-September 2001, as part of the integrated refraction/reflection seismic field programme "Vrancea-2001" co-ordinated at Karlsruhe University (cf. Abstract, Part 1), utilising 640 independently deployed recorders provided by UTEP and IRIS/PASSCAL ("Texans"). Station spacing was every 100-m with shots every 1-km. These data are to be integrated with industry seismic as well as planned new medium-high resolution seismic reflection profiling across key neotectonically active structures in the Focsani Basin. Particular goals of DACIA PLAN include: (1) the architecture of the Tertiary/Quaternary basins developed within and adjacent to this zone, including the foreland Focsani Basin; (2) the presence and geometry of structural detachment(s) in relation with foreland basin development, including constraints for balanced cross-sections and geodynamic modelling of basin origin and evolution; (3) the relationship between crustal

Preliminary checklist of the vascular flora of the Sub-Andean forest at Cuchilla El Fara (Santander-Colombia)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medina, Ruth; Reina, Miriam; Herrera, Edna; Avila, Fabio Andres; Chaparro, Omar; Cortes B, Rocio

2010-01-01

A preliminary checklist of the vascular flora of the sub-Andean forest of the Cuchilla El Fara is present ed. El Fara is located at the Guantiva - La Rusia - Iguaque biological corridor, in the municipalities of Charala, Gambita, and Suaita (Santander-Colombia). Information on habit, local altitudinal range, and collection number is recorded for each species. A total of 409 species of vascular plants included in 226 genera, and 105 families were recorded. The families with the highest number of genera were Rubiaceae (18), Asteraceae (10), Melastomataceae (10), Orchidaceae (10), Euphorbiaceae (8), Arecaceae (7) and Fabaceae (7). At specific level, the best represented families were Rubiaceae (33), Melastomataceae (28), Lauraceae (21), Asteraceae (17), Araceae (17), Orchidaceae (17) and Gesneriaceae (15). The affinities of the flora with other Neotropical sub-Andean forests are discussed. Finally, species of all IUCN threat categories are highlighted so that the information presented here can make a contribution to restoration and conservation programs.

Improvement of the Antioxidant Properties and Postharvest Life of Three Exotic Andean Fruits by UV-C Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María J. Andrade-Cuvi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Three Andean fruits naranjilla (Solanum quitoense Lam., uvilla (Physalis peruviana L., and mortiño (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth were subjected to prestorage UV-C treatments (0, 8, or 12.5 kJ m−2 and evaluated weekly to select the most suitable dose for fruit quality maintenance during storage (21 days at 6°C. The highest dose retains quality through lower deterioration index for all three fruits and was selected to further analyze the effects on physicochemical and antioxidant properties during storage. UV-C exposure delayed softening in naranjilla and increased soluble solid content in uvilla. UV-C also improved the maintenance of antioxidant capacity (AC in mortiño and uvilla. Overall, results indicate that short prestorage UV-C exposure may be an effective nonchemical approach to supplement low temperature storage, maintain quality, and extend the postharvest life of Andean naranjilla, uvilla, and mortiño fruit.

Experiences of providing prosthetic and orthotic services in Sierra Leone--the local staff's perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Magnusson, Lina; Ahlström, Gerd

2012-01-01

In Sierra Leone, West Africa, there are many people with disabilities in need of rehabilitation services after a long civil war. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of prosthetic and orthotic service delivery in Sierra Leone from the local staff's perspective. Fifteen prosthetic and orthotic technicians working at all the rehabilitation centres providing prosthetic and orthotic services in Sierra Leone were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed and subjected to latent content analysis. One main theme emerged: sense of inability to deliver high-quality prosthetic and orthotic services. This main theme was generated from eight sub-themes: Desire for professional development; appraisals of work satisfaction and norms; patients neglected by family; limited access to the prosthetic and orthotic services available; problems with materials and machines; low public awareness concerning disabilities; marginalisation in society and low priority on the part of government. The findings illustrated traditional beliefs about the causes of disability and that the public's attitude needs to change to include and value people with disabilities. Support from international organisations was considered necessary as well as educating more prosthetic and orthotic staff to a higher level.

Projected treatment capacity needs in sierra leone.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Richard A; MacDonald, Emily; de Blasio, Birgitte Freiesleben; Nygård, Karin; Vold, Line; Røttingen, John-Arne

2015-01-30

The ongoing outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa requires immediate and sustained input from the international community in order to curb transmission. The CDC has produced a model that indicates that to end the outbreak by pushing the reproductive number below one, 25% of the patients must be placed in an Ebola Treatment Unit (ETC) and 45% must be isolated in community settings in which risk of disease transmission is reduced and safe burials are provided. In order to provide firmer targets for the international response in Sierra Leone, we estimated the national and international personnel and treatment capacity that may be required to reach these percentages. We developed a compartmental SEIR model that was fitted to WHO data and local data allowing the reproductive number to change every 8 weeks to forecast the progression of the EVD epidemic in Sierra Leone. We used the previously estimated 2.5x correction factor estimated by the CDC to correct for underreporting. Number of personnel required to provide treatment for the predicted number of cases was estimated using UNMEER and UN OCHA requests for resources required to meet the CDC target of 70% isolation. As of today (2014-12-04), we estimate that there are 810 (95% CI=646 to 973) EVD active cases in treatment, with an additional 3751 (95% CI=2778 to 4723) EVD cases unreported and untreated. To reach the CDC targets today, we need 1140 (95% CI=894 to 1387) cases in ETCs and 2052 (95% CI=1608 to 2496) at home or in a community setting with a reduced risk for disease transmission. In 28 days (2015-01-01), we will need 1309 (95% CI=804 to 1814) EVD cases in ETCs and 2356 (95% CI=1447 to 3266) EVD cases at reduced risk of transmission. If the current transmission rate is not reduced, up to 3183 personnel in total will be required in 56 days (2015-01-29) to operate ETCs according to our model. The current outbreak will require massive input from the international community in order to curb the

Enzymatic activity of anthropogenic proto-organic soils in soilless farming

Science.gov (United States)

Bireescu, Geanina; Dazzi, Carmelo; Laudicina, Vito Armando; Lo Papa, Giuseppe

2017-04-01

In soilless agriculture and horticulture coir is the more used substratum to grow plants because it is widely available and more environmentally friendly than sphagnum or peat. In Italy, soilless agriculture concerns an area of about 1,000 hectares, particularly concentrated in Sicily. The southern coastal belt of this region is the area interested by the most significant experiences in the application of techniques of soilless cultivation that, recently, has been used also for growing table grapes. Starting from the above consideration we suppose that the features of the coconut fiber underlay an evident transformation and that even after few years of table grape cultivation, such organic material undergone to a transformation that allows for the formation of a proto-organic soil (a proto-Histosol, we supposed). If this is true, we believe that, in this case, to speak about soilless cultivation is for sure misleading for the common people, as we should define this cultivation "on anthropogenic soils" instead. To fit the aims of this survey we used a big greenhouse devoted to soilless cultivation of table grape in a farm in the Southern Sicily We have considered the enzymatic activity that characterized the coconut fiber after 3 cycles of cultivation of table grapes. We used as a control the coconut fiber that the farmer used to prepare pots for soilless cultivation and coconut fiber of: 6 pots at the end of the first productive cycle 6 pots at the end of the second cycle and 3 pots at the end of the third cycle. On these organic samples we investigated three enzymes, belonging to oxydoreductase (catalase and dehydrogenase) and hydrolase (urease) classes. Statistical analysis of the investigated enzymes was developed using IBM Statistic SPSS v20 by ANOVA, Tukey test HSD for p ≤ 0.01 and Multivariate Statistical Analysis. Results have shown significant differences in enzymes content and quality among coir tests. The use of the coco fiber, as nutritive substratum

Nest trees of northern flying squirrels in the Sierra Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

Marc D. Meyer; Douglas A. Kelt; Malcolm P. North

2005-01-01

We examined the nest-tree preferences of northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) in an old-growth, mixed-conifer and red fir (Abies magnifica) forest of the southern Sierra Nevada of California. We tracked 27 individuals to 122 nest trees during 3 summers. Flying squirrels selected nest trees that were larger in diameter and...

Rock-Ice Feature Inventory for the Sierra Nevada, California, USA, Version 1

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Sierra Nevada is a tectonic uplift mountain range with a gradual gain in elevation on the west side and a steep escarpment on the east. Most of the mapped...

Utwory formacji wierzowskej na tle wcesnokredowych warunków sedymentacji w zachodnej cześci basenu protoślaskiego (Morawy, Republika Czeska)

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Waśkowska, A.; Golonka, J.; Strzeboński, P.; Krobicki, M.; Vašíček, Zdeněk; Skupien, P.

2009-01-01

Roč. 35, 2/1 (2009), s. 31-38 ISSN 0138-0974 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30860518 Keywords : Outer Western Carpathians * Veřovice Formation * proto - Silesian Basin Subject RIV: DB - Geology ; Mineralogy

Sierra Leone Journal of Biomedical Research - Vol 5, No 1 (2013)

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessment of the Therapeutic Efficacy of Two Artemisinin-Based Combinations in the Treatment of Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria among Children Under ... The Use of Mobile Electronic Devices for Public Health Data Collection and Syndromic Surveillance at the Republic Of Sierra Leone Armed Forces · EMAIL FREE ...

Verification Tests for Sierra/SM's Reproducing Kernal Particle Method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giffin, Brian D. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-09-01

This report seeks to verify the proper implemention of RKPM within Sierra by comparing the results from several basic example problems excecuted with RKPM against the analytical and FEM solutions for these same problems. This report was compiled as a summer student intern project.

Contextual Analysis of the Decision To Adopt a Regional Satellite System: The Case of the Andean CONDOR.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Leonardo; Mody, Bella

Acknowledging the importance of communications in economic development, this paper discusses the rationale behind the decision of the Andean Pact nations of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela to develop a regional satellite communication system to be known as CONDOR. The application of contextual theorizing to the decision-making…

GPS Imaging of vertical land motion in California and Nevada: Implications for Sierra Nevada uplift

Science.gov (United States)

Blewitt, Geoffrey; Kreemer, Corné

2016-01-01

Abstract We introduce Global Positioning System (GPS) Imaging, a new technique for robust estimation of the vertical velocity field of the Earth's surface, and apply it to the Sierra Nevada Mountain range in the western United States. Starting with vertical position time series from Global Positioning System (GPS) stations, we first estimate vertical velocities using the MIDAS robust trend estimator, which is insensitive to undocumented steps, outliers, seasonality, and heteroscedasticity. Using the Delaunay triangulation of station locations, we then apply a weighted median spatial filter to remove velocity outliers and enhance signals common to multiple stations. Finally, we interpolate the data using weighted median estimation on a grid. The resulting velocity field is temporally and spatially robust and edges in the field remain sharp. Results from data spanning 5–20 years show that the Sierra Nevada is the most rapid and extensive uplift feature in the western United States, rising up to 2 mm/yr along most of the range. The uplift is juxtaposed against domains of subsidence attributable to groundwater withdrawal in California's Central Valley. The uplift boundary is consistently stationary, although uplift is faster over the 2011–2016 period of drought. Uplift patterns are consistent with groundwater extraction and concomitant elastic bedrock uplift, plus slower background tectonic uplift. A discontinuity in the velocity field across the southeastern edge of the Sierra Nevada reveals a contrast in lithospheric strength, suggesting a relationship between late Cenozoic uplift of the southern Sierra Nevada and evolution of the southern Walker Lane. PMID:27917328

Neurocognitive screening of lead-exposed andean adolescents and young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Counter, S Allen; Buchanan, Leo H; Ortega, Fernando

2009-01-01

This study was designed to assess the utility of two psychometric tests with putative minimal cultural bias for use in field screening of lead (Pb)-exposed Ecuadorian Andean workers. Specifically, the study evaluated the effectiveness in Pb-exposed adolescents and young adults of a nonverbal reasoning test standardized for younger children, and compared the findings with performance on a test of auditory memory. The Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) was used as a test of nonverbal intelligence, and the Digit Span subtest of the Wechsler IV intelligence scale was used to assess auditory memory/attention. The participants were 35 chronically Pb-exposed Pb-glazing workers, aged 12-21 yr. Blood lead (PbB) levels for the study group ranged from 3 to 86 microg/dl, with 65.7% of the group at and above 10 microg/dl. Zinc protoporphyrin heme ratios (ZPP/heme) ranged from 38 to 380 micromol/mol, with 57.1% of the participants showing abnormal ZPP/heme (>69 micromol/mol). ZPP/heme was significantly correlated with PbB levels, suggesting chronic Pb exposure. Performance on the RCPM was less than average on the U.S., British, and Puerto Rican norms, but average on the Peruvian norms. Significant inverse associations between PbB/ZPP concentrations and RCPM standard scores using the U.S., Puerto Rican, and Peruvian norms were observed, indicating decreasing RCPM test performance with increasing PbB and ZPP levels. RCPM scores were significantly correlated with performance on the Digit Span test for auditory memory. Mean Digit Span scale score was less than average, suggesting auditory memory/attention deficits. In conclusion, both the RCPM and Digit Span tests were found to be effective instruments for field screening of visual-spatial reasoning and auditory memory abilities, respectively, in Pb-exposed Andean adolescents and young adults.

[Elaboration and evaluation of infant food based on Andean crops].

Science.gov (United States)

Repo-Carrasco, R; Hoyos, N L

1993-06-01

The Andes mountain range of South America is one of the most important centres for crop domestication, potato, corn, and lesser known grains such as quinua, cañihua, kiwicha and tarwi are indigenous of these highlands. These Andean grains have adapted perfectly to the climatic and geographical conditions present, whereas other grains have not been able to survive. In addition to their hardiness, they also have a high nutritional value. Bearing in mind on one hand, the high nutritional value of these indegenous products, and on the other hand the high rate of child malnutrition prevalent in the population, it was considered important to look for new variations in their processing which would facilitate their consumption by the poor working classes, especially the children. Accordingly three different flour mixtures were developed based on these Andean grains, the mixtures were then subjected to bromatological and biological analysis. The three new flour mixtures were: Quinua-Cañihua-Broad Bean (Q-C-B), Quinua-Kiwicha-Bean (Q-K-B) and Kiwicha-Rice (K-R). The protein content of these mixtures varied between 11.35-15.46 g/100g, the mixture K-R having the lowest protein level and the Q-C-B having the highest. The Q-K-B mixture had the highest chemical score, PER and NPU value. This PER value of 2.59 was higher than the value of casein which was 2.50. In addition this mixture had a chemical score of 0.94 and a NPU value of 59.38. The Q-C-B mixture had a chemical score of 0.88 and its PER, NPU and Digestibility values were 2.36, 47.24 and 79.2 respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of Climate and Fuels Management on Wildfire Occurrence, Size, Severity and Emissions in the Sierra Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

Westerling, A. L.; Fites, J. A.; Keyser, A.

2015-12-01

Annual wildfire burned area in federally managed Sierra Nevada forests has increased by more than 10,000 ha per decade since the early 1970s. At the same time, recent years have seen some extremely large fires compared to the historical record, with significant areas of moderate to high severity fire (e.g., McNally 2002, Rim 2013, King 2014 fires). Changes to fuels and fire regimes due to fire suppression and land use, as well as warming temperatures and the occurrence of drought, are thought to be significant factors contributing to increased risks of large, severe fires in Sierra Nevada forests. Over 70% of the vegetated area in federally managed forests in the Sierra Nevada is classified as having altered fuels and fire regimes, while average annual temperature in the Sierra Nevada has been above the long term mean for all but four years in the past two decades. As climate is expected to continue warming for decades to come, we explored fuels management scenarios as the primary tools available to modify risks of large, severe wildfires. We developed experimental statistical models of fire occurrence, fire size, and high severity burned area, to explore the interaction between climate and altered fuels conditions. These models were applied to historical climate conditions, a sample of future climate projections, and to both current fuels conditions and a range of scenarios for fuels treatments. Emissions from wildfires were estimated using the Fire Inventory from the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Our models project that average annual burned area in the Sierra Nevada will more than double by mid-century. Similarly, particulate and other pollution emissions from Sierra Nevada wildfires are projected to more than double, even if future fire severity does not change. Fuels treatment scenarios significantly reduced simulated future burned area and emissions below untreated projections. High severity burned area responded to both climate and fuels

Sierra Toolkit Manual Version 4.48.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sierra Toolkit Team

2018-03-01

This report provides documentation for the SIERRA Toolkit (STK) modules. STK modules are intended to provide infrastructure that assists the development of computational engineering soft- ware such as finite-element analysis applications. STK includes modules for unstructured-mesh data structures, reading/writing mesh files, geometric proximity search, and various utilities. This document contains a chapter for each module, and each chapter contains overview descriptions and usage examples. Usage examples are primarily code listings which are generated from working test programs that are included in the STK code-base. A goal of this approach is to ensure that the usage examples will not fall out of date. This page intentionally left blank.

Courtright intrusive zone: Sierra National Forest, Fresno County, California.

Science.gov (United States)

Bateman, P.C.; Kistler, R.W.; DeGraff, J.V.

1984-01-01

This is a field guide to a well-exposed area of plutonic and metamorphic rocks in the Sierra National Forest, Fresno County, California. The plutonic rocks, of which three major bodies are recognized, besides aplite and pegmatite dykes, range 103 to approx 90 m.y. in age. Points emphasized include cataclastic features within the plutonic rocks, schlieren and mafic inclusions. (M.A. 83M/0035).-A.P.

Silviculture-ecology of forest-zone hardwoods in the Sierra Nevada

Science.gov (United States)

Philip M. McDonald; John C. Tappeiner

1996-01-01

Although the principal hardwood species in the forest zone of the Sierra Nevada (California black oak, tanoak, Pacific madrone, and canyon live oak) are key components of many ecosystems, they have received comparatively little study. Currently they are underutilized and unmanaged. This paper brings together what is known on the silviculture-ecology of these species...

Diets of California spotted owls in the Sierra National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas E. Munton; Kenneth D. Johnson; George N. Steger; Gary P. Eberlein

2002-01-01

From May 1987 through October 1992 and from July through August 1998, we studied diets of California spotted owls (Strix occidentalis occidentalis). Regurgitated pellets were collected at roost and nest sites between 1,000 and 7,600 ft elevation in the Sierra National Forest and were examined for remnant bones, feathers, and insect exoskeletons....

Home birth and hospital birth trends in Bo, Sierra Leone.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobsen, Kathryn H; Abdirahman, Hafsa A; Ansumana, Rashid; Bockarie, Alfred S; Bangura, Umaru; Jimmy, David Henry; Malanoski, Anthony P; Sundufu, Abu James; Stenger, David A

2012-06-01

As of April 2010, all maternity care at government healthcare facilities in Sierra Leone is provided at no cost to patients. In late 2010, we conducted a community health census of 18 sections of the city of Bo (selected via randomized cluster sampling from 68 total sections). Among the 3421 women with a history of pregnancy who participated in the study, older women most often reported having a history of both home and hospital deliveries, while younger women showed a preference for hospital births. The proportion of lastborn children delivered at a healthcare facility increased from 71.8% of offspring 10-14 years old to 81.1% of those one to nine years old and 87.3% of infants born after April 2010. These findings suggest that the new maternal healthcare initiative has accelerated an existing trend toward a preference for healthcare facility births, at least in some urban parts of Sierra Leone. © 2012 The Authors Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica© 2012 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Groundwater quality in the Southern Sierra Nevada, California

Science.gov (United States)

Fram, Miranda S.; Belitz, Kenneth

2012-01-01

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California's drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State's groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The Tehachapi-Cummings Valley and Kern River Valley basins and surrounding watersheds in the Southern Sierra Nevada constitute one of the study units being evaluated.

Groundwater quality in the Central Sierra Nevada, California

Science.gov (United States)

Fram, Miranda S.; Belitz, Kenneth

2012-01-01

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California's drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State's groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. Two small watersheds of the Fresno and San Joaquin Rivers in the Central Sierra Nevada constitute one of the study units being evaluated.

Mental health care during the Ebola virus disease outbreak in Sierra Leone.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamara, Stania; Walder, Anna; Duncan, Jennifer; Kabbedijk, Antoinet; Hughes, Peter; Muana, Andrew

2017-12-01

Reported levels of mental health and psychosocial problems rose during the 2014-2015 Ebola virus disease outbreak in Sierra Leone. As part of the emergency response, existing plans to create mental health units within the existing hospital framework were brought forward. A nurse-led mental health and psychosocial support service, with an inpatient liaison service and an outpatient clinic, was set up at the largest government hospital in the country. One mental health nurse trained general nurses in psychological first aid, case identification and referral pathways. Health-care staff attended mental well-being workshops on coping with stigma and stress. Mental health service provision in Sierra Leone is poor, with one specialist psychiatric hospital to serve the population of 7 million. From March 2015 to February 2016, 143 patients were seen at the clinic; 20 had survived or had relatives affected by Ebola virus disease. Half the patients (71) had mild distress or depression, anxiety disorders and grief or social problems, while 30 patients presented with psychosis requiring medication. Fourteen non-specialist nurses received mental health awareness training. Over 100 physicians, nurses and auxiliary staff participated in well-being workshops. A nurse-led approach within a non-specialist setting was a successful model for delivering mental health and psychosocial support services during the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. Strong leadership and partnerships were essential for establishing a successful service. Lack of affordable psychotropic medications, limited human resources and weak social welfare structures remain challenges.

Bioactive Potential of Andean Fruits, Seeds, and Tubers.

Science.gov (United States)

Campos, David; Chirinos, Rosana; Gálvez Ranilla, Lena; Pedreschi, Romina

2018-01-01

The Andes is considered the longest continental mountain range in the world. It covers 7000km long and about 200-700km wide and an average height of about 4000m. Very unique plant species are endemic of this area including fruits (e.g., lucuma, cherimoya, sweet pepino, sauco), roots and tubers (potatoes, sweet potatoes, yacón, chicuru, mashua, olluco, etc.), and seeds (quinoa, amaranth, tarwi, etc.). These crops have been used for centuries by the native population and relatively recently have gained the world attention due to the wide range of nutrients and/or phytochemicals they possess. In this chapter, main Andean fruits, seeds, and roots and tubers have been selected and detailed nutritional and functional information is provided. In addition, traditional and current uses are provided and their bioactive potential is reported based on published scientific literature. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Response of the Andean diversity panel to root rot in a root rot nursery in Puerto Rico

Science.gov (United States)

The Andean Diversity Panel (ADP) was evaluated under low-fertility and root rot conditions in two trials conducted in 2013 and 2015 in Isabela, Puerto Rico. About 246 ADP lines were evaluated in the root rot nursery with root rot and stem diseases caused predominantly by Fusarium solani, which cause...

Thermal evidence of Caledonide foreland, molasse sedimentation in Fennoscandia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tullborg, E L; Larsson, S Aa; Bjoerklund, L; Stigh, J [Goeteborg Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Geology, Earth Sciences Centre; Samuelsson, L [Geological Survey of Sweden, Goeteborg (Sweden). Earth Sciences Centre

1995-11-01

The Phanerozoic rocks present on the Fennoscandian Shield are dominantly of Cambrian to Silurian age. They represent a relatively thin sedimentary cover. The question is: why do we not see any remnants of younger sedimentary rocks? Did they ever exist, have they been eroded, transported and redeposited elsewhere? {delta}{sup 18}O and {delta}{sup 13}C analyses of Ordovician limestones from different places in Sweden and from the Oslo region in Norway show modification of their original marine signature according to the {delta}{sup 18}O concentrations, while the {delta}{sup 13}C concentrations generally are typical for marine limestones. In some cases the modifications can be explained by intrusions of dykes or by metamorphic events, but in most areas the redistribution of the oxygen isotopes indicates burial diagenesis. From a number of published investigations, raised temperatures at the present surface during the late Palaeozoic, are indicated by different temperature indicators. We suggest that these increased temperatures were due to a sedimentary cover of mainly Devonian sediments deposited on top of the Cambrian-Silurian sequence. This palaeo-cover caused raised temperatures at the present rock surface. In the Proterozoic basement, annealing of fission tracks in apatite and mobility of radiogenic lead also give evidence of increased temperatures. A model where the thickness of the Upper Paleozoic cover of the Caledonian foreland is 2-4 kilometers thick is suggested. This cover mainly consisted of late Silurian-Devonian erosion products from the Caledonides, the latter formed during a Silurian continent-continent collision. A major Permian to Triassic uplift and erosion reduced the cover significantly. 94 refs, 9 figs.

Coercion, Cash-Crops and Culture: From Insurgency to Proto-State in Asia’s Opium Belt

Science.gov (United States)

2008-06-01

Ethnic Nationalist Party? (Washington: East-West Center, 2007), 26-27. 37 Bertil Lintner, Burma in Revolt: Opium and Insurgency Since 1948 ( Chiang Mai : Silkworm...Heroin, 101-103. 137 Ibid, 115-120. 138 David K. Wyatt, Thailand: A Short History ( Chiang Mai : Silkworm Books, 2003), 248. 49 by the Siamese or...Opium and Conflict in Burma, ed. Martin Jelsma, Tom Kramer and Pietje Vervest ( Chiang Mai : Silkworm Books, 2005), 65. 67 Figure 8. The Wa Proto-State

Temporal constraints on the tectonic evolution of Sierra De Famatina, northwestern Argentina, using the fission-track method to date tuffs interbedded in synorogenic clastic sedimentary strata

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Tabbutt, K.D. (Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH (USA))

1990-07-01

Fission-track dates from seven volcaniclastic units allow time constraints to be placed on synorogenic clastic strata exposed along the flanks of Sierra de Famatina, northwest Argentina. Four formations are exposed along the western margin of Sierra de Famatina. The El Abra conglomerate is composed of clasts eroded from the basement exposed just to the west of Cadena de Paiman. The El Buey Formation contains sediments probably derived from the Precordillera fold and thrust belt to the west. Fission-track dates give a maximum age of 6 Ma for the deposition of both of these formations. The El Durazno Formation, deposited between 6 and 4 Ma, contains proximal volcaniclastic and other clastic rocks derived from the core of Sierra de Famatina. The Santa Florentina conglomerate was derived from the rising Sierra de Famatina and deposited in the past 4 m.y. Sierra de Famatima probably became a positive topographic feature approximately 6 Ma. Prior to that time this region was receiving fine-grained sediments from a distal fold and thrust belt and conglomerates from local basement uplifts. Minor extrusive events (Mogote Formation) coincide both spatially and temporally with deformation along the major reverse faults that control the uplift of Sierra de Famatina. Minimum mean uplift rates calculated for Sierra de Famatina are 0.8 {plus minus} 0.1 mm/yr over a 6.8 m.y. interval.