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The Jurassic rocks of Gebel Maghara, northern Sinai, Egypt, contain a well-preserved and highly diverse macrobenthic fauna, dominated by bivalves. This fauna, particularly bivalves and gastropods, have received little attention in the last 100 years. In an attempt to provide a sound database on the marine bivalve diversity of Egypt during the Jurassic period, a first faunal group, the protobranch bivalves, is reviewed in detail. Sixteen taxa (three of them new), belonging to two orders, five families, and nine genera are systematically described and compared to closely related Jurassic taxa from various locations, particularly in Europe and India. New species are Nuculoma douvillei n. sp., N. sinaiensis n. sp., and Palaeoneilo aegyptiaca n. sp. In addition, Palaeonucula cuneiformis (J. de C. Sowerby), P. muensteri (Goldfuss), Dacryomya diana (d'Orbigny), D. lacryma (J. de. C. Sowerby), and Praesaccella juriana Cox are identified from Jurassic strata of Egypt for the first time. The younger records of the genus Palaeoneilo have not been accepted by some researchers, since almost all exhibit only limited features. The genus occurs with certainty in the Middle Jurassic (Bajocian‒Bathonian) rocks of Egypt, based on well-preserved external and internal characters. Similarly, Dacryomya and Ryderia from Bathonian‒Kimmeridgian rocks of Egypt are younger than previously recorded from other parts of the world. The identified genera have wide geographic ranges and have been reported from different faunal provinces, which suggests that latitudinal climate differences did not influence their distribution pattern to a great extent. UUID: https://zoobank.org/7f3a9185-d690-4563-bdc0-df1c8d42ec0d [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diverse molluscan assemblage dominated by turritellid gastropods found in Kachchh, western India, has been interpreted in the past as Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) in age, based on associated undoubtedly Oxfordian ammonites. Recently, several investigations focused on the assemblage dealing with taxonomic, paleoecological, and evolutionary aspects. An analysis of the associated bivalve fauna, foraminiferal assemblage, and the geological context strongly suggests a Miocene rather than a Jurassic age and invalidates several conclusions drawn from the alleged Jurassic age of the fossils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study describes and illustrates six bivalve taxa from the Early Bathonian to Early Callovian Ferruginous Oolite Formation and 24 taxa from the Callovian to basal-most Cretaceous Spiti Shale Formation of the Spiti and Zanskar areas in the Indian Himalayas. The Spiti Shale Formation contains a low-diversity bivalve fauna that is concentrated in few horizons, particularly in the lower member of the formation. With few exceptions, the bivalves are poorly preserved. Bivalve taxa recorded by earlier studies are revised wherever possible. Several of the taxa, most of which are from mid- to outer shelf environments, are characteristic of the south-eastern margin of the Neotethys, but some are also closely related to forms occurring in Kachchh, a rift basin situated at the western margin of the Indian Craton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Hildoglochiceras-rich horizon is reported from a thin carbonate intercalation within the siliciclastic Upper Jurassic Jhuran Formation of the Jara Dome, western Kachchh Mainland. The Hildoglochiceras specimens have been used for the first population-level study of the genus based on a multivariate analysis. High phenotype instability in the large sample confirms the occurrence of transient forms between morphospecies. Key morphological traits for interpreting Hildoglochiceras are stated, and the morphospecies Hildoglochiceras kobelli (Oppel) and H. kobelliforme (Bonarelli) are interpreted as a dimorphic pair. The ammonite-rich level is interpreted as a Hildoglochiceras Horizon, which is related to a transgressive pulse and maximum flooding zone interrupting largely restrictive conditions for ammonites. The endemic character of Hildoglochiceras is confirmed and related to its environmental restriction to shelf areas on the palaeomargins of the Trans-Erythraean Trough. A comprehensive review of biostratigraphic interpretations of Hildoglochiceras shows the influence of natural and experimental forcing factors. The uppermost Kimmeridgian to lowermost Upper Tithonian interval is the widest biostratigraphic range assumable for Hildoglochiceras based on existing reports, but most probably it was restricted to, or at least better represented in, Lower Tithonian horizons. The Hildoglochiceras Horizon described here is correlated with a lower part of the Albertinum/Darwini Zone in the Secondary Standard Scale for ammonite-based bio-chronostratigraphy in European and West-Tethyan areas. According to the current state of knowledge, a local rather than wide regional significance is favoured for Hildoglochiceras records before its significance for precise correlation across the Trans-Erythraean Trough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hair is a preferred material to detect exposure or use of illegal drugs in children. In the present study, we investigated a total of 387 hair samples for commonly applied illegal drugs of children up to 16 years. Analysis was by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry with LOQs of 0.01 ng/mg hair for all analytes except tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid with an LOQ of 0.1 pg/mg hair. Results were firstly compared with our in-house statics on results from adults' hair, and secondly to literature data. We started from the assumption that drug concentrations decrease with increasing age. Results were assigned to 4 different age groups (< 1 year, 1–< 6 years, 6–< 14 years, 14–16 years). As expected, higher results were obtained in age groups 1 and 2. The lowest concentrations were present in age group 3, whereas an increase could be observed in group 4 except heroin. In babies, positive results may be due to in utero exposure, breast milk feeding, and a close physical contact. All drugs under investigation such as cannabinoids, cocaine, amphetamines, and opiates have been detected in breast milk as well as in skin excretions such as sebum, sweat and cutaneous cells. For most drugs, average concentrations in children hair were lower than in adult hair when compared with our in-house statistics. Interestingly, the increase of cannabinoids, cocaine, and amphetamines concentrations in adolescents' hair points to a deliberate use of these drugs possibly in addition to passive exposure. This observation shows that age groups 1 and 4 are most vulnerable if caregivers or parents are drug users, even if the sources of positive drug findings differ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The siliciclastic Jhuran Formation of the Kachchh Basin, a rift basin bordering the Malagasy Seaway, documents the filling of the basin during the late syn-rift stage. The marine, more than 700-m-thick Tithonian part of the succession in the western part of the basin is composed of highly asymmetric transgressive–regressive cycles and is nearly unfossiliferous except for two intervals, the Lower Tithonian Hildoglochiceras Bed (HB) and the upper Lower Tithonian to lowermost Cretaceous Green Ammonite Beds (GAB). Both horizons represent maximum flooding zones (MFZ) and contain a rich fauna composed of ammonites and benthic macroinvertebrates. Within the HB the benthic assemblages change, concomitant with an increase in the carbonate content, from the predominantly infaunal “Lucina” rotundata to the epifaunal Actinostreon marshii and finally to the partly epifaunal, partly infaunal Eoseebachia sowerbyana assemblage. The Green Ammonite Beds are composed of three highly ferruginous beds, which are the MFZ of transgressive–regressive cycles forming the MFZ of a 3rd-order depositional sequence. The GAB are highly ferruginous, containing berthieroid ooids and grains. GAB I is characterized by the reworked Gryphaea moondanensis assemblage, GAB II by an autochthonous high-diversity assemblage dominated by the brachiopods Acanthorhynchia multistriata and Somalithyris lakhaparensis, whereas GAB III is devoid of fossils except for scarce ammonites. The GAB are interpreted to occupy different positions along an onshore–offshore transect with increasing condensation offshore. Integrated analyses of sedimentological, taphonomic, and palaeoecological data allow to reconstruct, in detail, the sequence stratigraphic architecture of sedimentary successions and to evaluate their degree of faunal condensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a kinetic Monte Carlo simulation based on ab initio calculations for the thermal desorption of oxygen from a Rh(111) surface. Several models have been used for the parametrization of the interaction between the adsorbed atoms. We find that models based on a parametrization with only pairwise interactions have a relatively large error in the predicted adsorption energies. This error can be significantly reduced by including three- and four-body interactions. In addition, we find that a significant amount of atoms adsorb in a second adsorption site — the hcp-hollow site — at an elevated temperature. Consequently, only a many-body multisite model of the oxygen interactions yields appropriate desorption spectra for the full coverage range, while more simple models only capture the correct shape in the low-coverage case. Our parametrization allows us to predict the adsorption energies of an arbitrary configuration of adsorbates with a mean average error of less than 6 meV/atom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The palaeoecology of Spinicaudata, the dominant group of benthic invertebrates in many pre‐Cenozoic freshwater environments, remains poorly understood. In analogy with extant taxa, it has been oversimplified and often reduced to shallow, temporary environments characterized by few trophic levels, implying ecological stasis from the Devonian to the Recent. We excavated 43 horizons of the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation (Anjiagou and Hengdaozi beds) to evaluate whether spinicaudatan ecology can be simplified to such an extent. Sedimentological evidence suggests general perennial conditions during the excavated lake interval. Based on 33 226 specimen counts, we identified three arthropod‐dominated macrobenthic associations and two assemblages. Response curves indicate that the spinicaudatan Eosestheria middendorfii was exceptionally tolerant to environmental gradients, followed, in decreasing order, by mayfly larvae, water boatmen and oligochaetes. Many spinicaudatan‐yielding layers represent death after reproductive senescence rather than mass‐mortality events. Spinicaudatan size varies significantly according to faunal association. A forward stepwise regression model suggests that growth responded to population density and diversity: lower densities and higher diversities triggered fast growth, and vice versa. The proposed strong density effect on carapace size has been corroborated by rearing experiments: as for E. middendorfii, natural log regression provided the best fit for the two extant species Eulimnadia texana and Eocyzicus argillaquus. Hence, E. middendorfii was a tolerant and morphologically variable species adapted to perennial waters and the frequent presence of higher trophic levels. Although there are rare records of extant taxa co‐occurring with fish, the described Early Cretaceous environment is commonly not inhabited by extant Spinicaudata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic modeling of transformers is of paramount importance for the prediction of the transient behavior of the entire system during atmospheric overvoltages and switching transients. Time domain simulations and measurements have been performed to model the behavior of dry-type transformers under transient overvoltages in different configurations. This analysis and the developed method allow investigations of possible means of protection (or their possible redundancy) of the transformer against uncommon transients experienced in real circumstances that might exceed the dielectric stresses the transformer was designed for. For this purpose, an existing, detailed computational model has been further developed, and the results have been benchmarked against measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable isotope (δ 18 O, δ 13 C) analyses of brachiopod and oyster shells from the Gebel Maghara, Egypt, were used to reconstruct the first detailed dataset on peri-equatorial water temperatures during the Middle to Late Jurassic. Throughout this time interval, temperatures remained relatively constant around an average of 25.7 °C. Slightly warmer conditions existed in the Early Bathonian (~ 27.0 °C), while the Kimmeridgian shows the lowest temperatures (~ 24.3 °C). As expected for a tropical palaeolatitude, the seasonality was very low (< 2 °C) as reconstructed by high-resolution stable isotope analyses of two oyster shells. Latitudinal temperature gradients in the Middle Jurassic were much steeper than previously expected and comparable to today. During the Kimmeridgian (Late Jurassic), temperatures in Europe were generally warmer leading to weaker latitudinal gradients. On average, water temperatures reconstructed from stable isotopes for Jurassic localities above the thermocline are lower than Recent sea-surface temperatures (based on currently used estimates for the δ 18 O value of seawater). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2-m-thick Wood-Log Bed is a highly ferruginous Middle Oxfordian rock unit exposed in the dry bed of the river Tramau in the Wagad Uplift of the eastern Kachchh Basin, western India, and composed of several layers. The bed contains, at several levels, permineralised conifer wood logs, seeds ( Carpolites ), cones ( Araucarites ), leaves ( Brachyphyllum , Podozamites ), possible bennettitalean flowers (? Williamsonia ), and abundant wood debris in a poorly sorted muddy sandstone with scattered coarse quartz grains. The wood concentration is interpreted as the result of episodic flash floods in the hinterland situated in the east. Associated with the wood fossils are abundant ammonites which, together with the ferruginous nature of the sediment, point to offshore sediment starvation. Decay of the plant material might have led to widespread anoxia at the sea floor which restricted the benthic macrofauna for much of the time. Thus, the Wood-Log Bed is the product of two processes, episodic flash floods and sediment starvation. Signs of these processes can be seen in age-equivalent sediments throughout the Kachchh Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clam shrimps have been recognized as a key group for the study of reproductive system evolution, owing to the diversity of sexual systems in extant members. However, there are comparatively little data on fossil taxa. In this study, we reveal the sexual system of the Early Cretaceous clam shrimp Eosestheria middendorfii (Yixian Formation, China). This is the first study that restricts the analysis to a single cohort, minimizing the otherwise considerable impact of ecophenotypic variation within this species. In addition, the presence of egg clutches, which identifies some individuals as either female or hermaphroditic, serves as an independent indicator for sex prior to the statistical treatment of the data. Obligate sexuality ('dioecy') is the inferred reproductive system for E. middendorfii and sexual dimorphism accounts for about 10% of the adult shape variation. Carapace shape variation resulting from malformation and deformation is more pronounced than the underlying sexual dimorphism. Subtle sexual dimorphism, smaller and slightly more elongate females, lateral egg clutches, and egg diameters of about 140 μm indicate that E. middendorfii is closely allied with the extant family Cyzicidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to the numerous excellently preserved arthropods, vertebrates and plants from the Mesozoic lacustrine fossil lagerstätten of northeastern China, which have calcium phosphate or organic skeletons, the preservation of taxa with a calcareous skeleton is fairly poor. Here we investigate, using a scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, the preservational modes of bivalves from the Jurassic Daohugou Fossil Beds of Inner Mongolia and the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of eastern Liaoning. The Jurassic bivalve Ferganoconcha sibirica is preserved as strongly compressed composite moulds which contain remains of the organic periostracum. In the Yixian Formation, the bivalves Sphaerium anderssoni and Arguniella ventricosa occur as compacted internal, external or composite moulds or are preserved with a silicified shell, and rarely with a shell consisting of iron hydroxides, which had replaced pyrite during late diagenesis/weathering. Silicification produced partly fabric-replacive microcrystalline quartz and partly void-filling megaquartz crystals after the carbonate shell had been dissolved. Films of authigenic aluminosilicate minerals, partly secondarily silicified, cover the exterior and interior shell surfaces. Occasionally, early diagenetic pyrite crystals, now oxidized to iron hydroxides, filled shell cavities forming internal moulds and rarely replaced the bivalve shell. The poor preservation of the bivalves reflects the environment and water chemistry of these lakes, which were heavily influenced by volcanic processes. Frequent ash deposition and decomposition of volcanic glass particles created acidic and alkaline lake and interstitial waters, which led to early diagenetic formation of authigenic aluminosilicate minerals, ferruginous internal moulds, dissolution of shell carbonate and silicification of shells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the palaeoenvironments of the Early Cretaceous lakes of western Liaoning. Uncertainties exist especially about the water depth, water temperatures and annual temperature fluctuations. Here, we analyse the preservation of the most abundant fish of the lakes, the teleost Lycoptera, articulated skeletons of which occur in large concentrations suggestive of mass mortality. Taphonomic features such as degree of disarticulation, orientation patterns and displacement of skeletal elements reveal distinct preservational patterns. They suggest that the water temperature was low during winter and exhibited pronounced seasonal fluctuations. The depth of the lakes was not deep. Possible causes of the fish mortality are discussed, of which anoxia is favoured. This leads to a more refined palaeoenvironmental model for these palaeolakes, which harbour one of the most important Mesozoic Lagerstätten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • First absolute seawater temperatures for the Jurassic of Iran are estimated. • Oxygen isotope analyses of calcitic fossils indicate a significant long-term warming. • Warming is explained by plate tectonic shift of Central Iran into lower latitudes. • Warming also caused changes in sedimentation and ecosystem composition. • Plate tectonics drive regional long-term climate patterns in the Middle-Late Jurassic. Stable oxygen isotope values of calcitic marine fossils (δ18O shell) were used to calculate the first absolute seawater temperature estimates for the Jurassic of Central Iran. Results indicate a significant long-term warming in the study area through the Middle to Late Jurassic of around 6 °C or more (0.3 to 0.4 °C per million years). Following recent methodological advances in temperature reconstructions, the δ18O shell values of bivalves translate into water temperatures slightly warmer than in today's oceans at comparable latitudes with averages of 26.6 °C in the Middle Jurassic and 32.1 °C in the Late Jurassic. Belemnites would indicate still warmer temperatures, but these values might be less reliable and partly overestimated due to potentially altered specimens. The recorded long-term warming can be explained by a concurrent major plate tectonic shift of Central Iran from temperate to tropical latitudes. The gradual influence of this southward drift is also seen by changes in sedimentation and ecosystem composition. This way, the stable oxygen isotope record of Central Iran is further evidence for the strong impact of plate tectonics on regional long-term climate patterns in the Middle and Late Jurassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing global temperature and sea-level rise have led to concern about expansions in the distribution and prevalence of complex-lifecycle parasites (CLPs). Indeed, numerous environmental variables can influence the infectivity and reproductive output of many pathogens. Digenean trematodes are CLPs with intermediate invertebrate and definitive vertebrate hosts. Global warming and sea level rise may affect these hosts to varying degrees, and the effect of increasing temperature on parasite prevalence has proven to be nonlinear and difficult to predict. Projecting the response of parasites to anthropogenic climate change is vital for human health, and a longer term perspective (104 y) offered by the subfossil record is necessary to complement the experimental and historical approaches of shorter temporal duration (10-1 to 103 y). We demonstrate, using a high-resolution 9,600-y record of trematode parasite traces in bivalve hosts from the Holocene Pearl River Delta, that prevalence was significantly higher during the earliest stages of sea level rise, significantly lower during the maximum transgression, and statistically indistinguishable in the other stages of sea-level rise and delta progradation. This stratigraphic paleobiological pattern represents the only long-term high-resolution record of pathogen response to global change, is consistent with fossil and recent data from other marine basins, and is instructive regarding the future of disease. We predict an increase in trematode prevalence concurrent with anthropogenic warming and marine transgression, with negative implications for estuarine macrobenthos, marine fisheries, and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a parametric reduced-order model (ROM) based on manifold learning (ML) for use in steady transonic aerodynamic applications. The main objective of this work is to derive an efficient ROM that exploits the low-dimensional nonlinear solution manifold to ensure an improved treatment of the nonlinearities involved in varying the inflow conditions to obtain an accurate prediction of shocks. The reduced-order representation of the data is derived using the Isomap ML method, which is applied to a set of sampled computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data. In order to develop a ROM that has the ability to predict approximate CFD solutions at untried parameter combinations, Isomap is coupled with an interpolation method to capture the variations in parameters like the angle of attack or the Mach number. Furthermore, an approximate local inverse mapping from the reduced-order representation to the full CFD solution space is introduced. The proposed ROM, called Isomap+I, is applied to the two-dimensional NACA 64A010 airfoil and to the 3D LANN wing. The results are compared to those obtained by proper orthogonal decomposition plus interpolation (POD+I) and to the full-order CFD model. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The stable isotope (δ13C, δ18O) and element (Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca) composition of 374 well-preserved belemnites, bivalves, and brachiopods of the Kachchh and Jaisalmer basins in western India were used to reconstruct climatic changes in the Middle and Late Jurassic time interval. Absolute water temperatures reconstructed from δ18O shell values depend on the used δ18O sea value and equation, but indicate a long-term temperature decrease of around 8–9 °C in the study area from the Bajocian to the Tithonian. Measured Mg/Ca ratios also point to decreasing temperatures, but additionally reflect species-specific factors and a lower Mg/Ca ratio of Jurassic seawater compared to today. The recorded cooling in western India agrees with previous results from neighbouring Madagascar and the Indian Himalayas and can be connected to a drift of Eastern Gondwana into higher latitudes. This palaeogeographic shift is accompanied by changes in sedimentation indicating an increasingly humid climate and in the composition of ecosystems reflecting increasingly cooler water temperatures. High-resolution stable oxygen isotope analyses of three oyster shells point to seasonal temperature changes of 4–5 °C in the Kimmeridgian. The recorded δ13C values reflect sea-level changes with a positive excursion in the Oxfordian connected to a major transgressive event. Sr/Ca ratios are observed to follow changes in global ocean chemistry. • Climatic changes in the Middle to Late Jurassic of western India are reconstructed. • Stable oxygen isotope data indicate a prominent long-term cooling of 8–9 °C. • Cooling is explained by a drift of Eastern Gondwana into higher latitudes. • Cooling also led to changes in sedimentation and composition of ecosystems. • Mg/Ca ratios of bivalves reflect lower Mg/Ca ratios of Jurassic seawater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses centralization of arbitration. The Vienna Rules 2006 became the center for international arbitration in the central and Eastern Europe region. Since then the workload for International Arbitral Center in Vienna increased. In the revised law, Austrian procedural law has been eliminated for the benefit of international user. Centralization would increase the speed, procedural efficiency. The Austrian Arbitration 2014 along with Vienna Rules 2013 would be a better framework.

In large parts of the Kachchh Basin, a Mesozoic rift basin situated in western India, the Oxfordian succession is characterized by strong condensation and several depositional gaps. The top layer of the Early to Middle Oxfordian Dhosa Oolite member, for which the term 'Dhosa Conglomerate Bed' is proposed, is an excellent marker horizon. Despite being mostly less than 1 m thick, this unit can be followed for more than 100 km throughout the Kachchh Mainland. A detailed sedimentological analysis has led to a complex model for its formation. Signs of subaerial weathering, including palaeokarst features, suggest at least two phases of emersion of the area. Metre-sized concretionary slabs floating in a fine-grained matrix, together with signs of synsedimentary tectonics, point to a highly active fault system causing recurrent earthquakes in the basin. The model takes into account information from outcrops outside the Kachchh Mainland and thereby considerably refines the current understanding of the basin history during the Late Jurassic. Large fault systems and possibly the so-called Median High uplift separated the basin into several sub-basins. The main reason for condensation in the Oxfordian succession is an inversion that affected large parts of the basin by cutting them off from the sediment supply. The Dhosa Conglomerate Bed is an excellent example, demonstrating the potential of condensed units in reconstructing depositional environments and events that took place during phases of non-deposition. Although condensed sequences occur frequently throughout the sedimentary record, they are particularly common around the Callovian to Oxfordian transition. A series of models has been proposed to explain these almost worldwide occurrences, ranging from eustatic sea-level highstands to glacial phases connected with regressions. The succession of the Kachchh Basin shows almost stable conditions across this boundary with only a slight fall in relative sea-level, reaching its minimum not before the late Early Oxfordian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide a security analysis for continuous variable quantum key distribution protocols based on the transmission of two-mode squeezed vacuum states measured via homodyne detection. We employ a version of the entropic uncertainty relation for smooth entropies to give a lower bound on the number of secret bits which can be extracted from a finite number of runs of the protocol. This bound is valid under general coherent attacks, and gives rise to keys which are composably secure. For comparison, we also give a lower bound valid under the assumption of collective attacks. For both scenarios, we find positive key rates using experimental parameters reachable today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The study combines the results of stable isotope (δ 13C, δ 18O) analyses of 187 belemnites, brachiopods, and oysters from the Middle to Upper Jurassic (Upper Callovian to Kimmeridgian) of the Kachchh Basin in western India. Generally, belemnites show lower δ 13C and higher δ 18O ratios than the benthic fauna. It is proposed that this discrepancy is caused by different life habitats of both groups with belemnites spending major parts of their life in deeper water outside the Kachchh Basin and entering shallow areas only occasionally (e.g., during seasonal migrations to spawning grounds). A mode of life as fast-swimming, nektonic predators similar to many modern squid species seems plausible. The study emphasises that results of stable isotope analyses should be evaluated separately for each fossil group. In addition to the influence of diagenetic alteration, weathering, salinity changes, and sea-level fluctuations, the ecology of the analysed fossil taxa has to be considered. Temperatures calculated from δ 18O ratios point to relatively warm conditions around the Middle to Late Jurassic transition with no evidence for a glacial phase which had been proposed for this boundary. A distinct fall in temperatures is observed during the Middle Oxfordian reaching a minimum in the early Late Oxfordian. It is tempting to connect this event with the break-up of Gondwana causing stronger upwelling in the northwestern Tethys or alternatively the influx of polar water by the opening of the Transgondwanan Seaway. However, such connections cannot be verified without further data, preferably from localities in the southern Malagasy Gulf (e.g., Madagascar) and from younger horizons (Kimmeridgian–Tithonian). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Numerous well-known fossils of the Jehol Biota, including early birds, feathered theropods, primitive mammals, and putative early angiosperms, have been discovered in lacustrine deposits (Lake Sihetun) of the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning province, NE China. Based on extensive field investigations and four high-resolution excavations, we document in detail the spatio-temporal changes of sedimentary facies, facies associations and limnic community relicts, reconstruct the depositional history, and discuss the significance of these deposits regarding the regional climatic and volcanic history. Four phases are recognized in the history of Lake Sihetun. They are: (1) a phase of fluctuating but gradually rising water level indicated by subaerial and shallow-water lacustrine deposits, (2) a lake with beach–nearshore facies along the marginal areas and suspension-dominated lake floor facies in central areas, (3) a lake phase with a lake floor dominated by hyperpycnal flows, and (4) progradation of a fan delta. Two distinct depositional conditions are observed: stratified and unstratified lake intervals. The former occurred mainly during the second phase and produced clay-poor and clay-rich laminae, whereas the latter developed during the other three phases, and were dominated by deposition of subaqueous sedimentary density flows. These alternations of depositional conditions in offshore lacustrine deposits suggest that the Yixian Formation may have formed under a transitional climate regime fluctuating gradually from warm and dry to warm and humid conditions. Resurgent volcanism is inferred to have become stronger during the late phase of lake development based on distribution of deposits characterizing the unstratified lake interval and volcanic rocks of the overlying Upper Lava unit, a higher content of primary pyroclastic fragments, and evidence of strong syndepositional disturbance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper shows the results of performance improvement, which have been achieved in benchmarking projects in the wastewater industry in Germany over the last 15 years. A huge number of changes in operational practice and also in achieved annual savings can be shown, induced in particular by benchmarking at process level. Investigation of this question produces some general findings for the inclusion of performance improvement in a benchmarking project and for the communication of its results. Thus, we elaborate on the concept of benchmarking at both utility and process level, which is still a necessary distinction for the integration of performance improvement into our benchmarking approach. To achieve performance improvement via benchmarking it should be made quite clear that this outcome depends, on one hand, on a well conducted benchmarking programme and, on the other, on the individua! situation within each participating utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The so-called Jehol Biota, an excellently preserved Early Cretaceous biota consisting of both lacustrine and terrestrial organisms, is one of the most important Mesozoic fossillagerstätten. Although there have been extensive palaeontological studies, little work has been done on the volcanic settings under which the biota was preserved. The Sihetun area is the most famous fossil locality of the Jehol Biota in western Liaoning, and the volcanic succession in that area is the most representative and best studied. We use a case study of the volcanic succession of the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation in the Sihetun area to reconstruct the volcanic complexes and their history, to propose a depositional model of the volcanic successions, and to understand the relationship between volcanic activity and fossil preservation in western Liaoning. The volcanic succession comprises four volcanic complexes, each with distinct products; a shield volcano, an intermediate multi-vent center, a volcanic lake (in summit caldera), and finally lava domes. The presence of a caldera is postulated from exposures which suggest the presence of an inner topographic wall, bounding faults, and intra-caldera fill. Frequent volcanic activities and widespread existence of volcanic lakes during the Early Cretaceous are thought to account for the exceptional preservation of invertebrates and vertebrates of the Jehol Biota in western Liaoning. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Vascular anastomoses constitute a main factor in poor graft performance due to mismatches in distensibility between the host artery and the graft. This work aims at computational fluid-structure investigations of proximal and distal anastomoses of vein grafts and synthetic grafts. Finite element and finite volume models were developed and coupled with a user-defined algorithm. Emphasis was placed on the simplicity of the coupling algorithm. An artery and vein graft showed a larger dilation mismatch than an artery and synthetic graft. The vein graft distended nearly twice as much as the artery while the synthetic graft displayed only approximately half the arterial dilation. For the vein graft, luminal mismatching was aggravated by development of an anastomotic pseudo-stenosis. While this study focused on end-to-end anastomoses as a vehicle for developing the coupling algorithm, it may serve as useful point of departure for further investigations such as other anastomotic configurations, refined modelling of sutures and fully transient behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Honggang member of the early Paleogene Buxin Formation is the main source rock in the Sanshui Basin, characterized by organic-rich black shales with the cyclic recurrence of organic-poor sediments. The geochemical characteristics of the Honggang member have been documented to determine the organic matter types and depositional environments in this paper. The organic matter of the black shales mainly consists of a mixture of land plant-derived and phytoplankton-derived organic matter. Total organic carbon content (TOC)-sulfur-iron (Fe) relationships suggest that the organic-rich black shales were deposited under dysoxic-to-euxinic water conditions. The time that iron minerals remained in contact with H2S in anoxic waters possibly influenced the formation of syngenetic pyrite, and organic carbon controlled the formation of diagenetic pyrite. Organic-poor intervals usually show pyrite sulfur enrichment and higher degree of pyritization values relative to low organic carbon contents. This resulted from HS− diffusing downward from overlying organic-rich sediments and formed Fe sulfides through reactions with sufficient Fe. Trace elements generally exhibit low concentrations and little TOC dependence, suggesting some degree of depletion in these elements in the early Paleogene sediments of the Sanshui Basin. This probably resulted from cyclic recurrences of oxic benthic conditions, which promoted the remobilization of trace elements and caused the low concentration of trace elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Circadian clocks are synchronized by the natural day/night and temperature cycles. Our previous work demonstrated that synchronization by temperature is a tissue autonomous process, similar to synchronization by light. We show here that this is indeed the case, with the important exception of the brain. Using luciferase imaging we demonstrate that brain clock neurons depend on signals from peripheral tissues in order to be synchronized by temperature. Reducing the function of the gene nocte in chordotonal organs changes their structure and function and dramatically interferes with temperature synchronization of behavioral activity. Other mutants known to affect the function of these sensory organs also interfere with temperature synchronization, demonstrating the importance of nocte in this process and identifying the chordotonal organs as relevant sensory structures. Our work reveals surprising and important mechanistic differences between light- and temperature-synchronization and advances our understanding of how clock resetting is accomplished in nature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

From the Permian onwards, the Gondwana-derived Iran Plate drifted northward to collide with Eurasia in the Late Triassic, thereby closing the Palaeotethys. This Eo-Cimmerian Orogeny formed the Cimmeride fold-and-thrust belt. The Upper Triassic–Middle Jurassic Shemshak Group of northern Iran is commonly regarded as the Cimmerian foreland molasse. However, our tectono-stratigraphic analysis of the Shemshak Group resulted in a revised and precisely dated model for the Triassic–Jurassic geodynamic evolution of the Iran Plate: initial Cimmerian collision started in the Carnian with subsequent Late Triassic synorogenic peripheral foreland deposition (flysch, lower Shemshak Group). Subduction shifted south in the Norian (onset of Neotethys subduction below Iran) and slab break-off around the Triassic–Jurassic boundary caused rapid uplift of the Cimmerides followed by Liassic post-orogenic molasse (middle Shemshak Group). During the Toarcian–Aalenian (upper Shemshak Group), Neotethys back-arc rifting formed a deep-marine basin, which developed into the oceanic South Caspian Basin during the Late Bajocian–Late Jurassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the definition of vascular dementia (VaD), as well as guidelines for diagnosis and recommendations for workup. As stated in the article, the development of dementia syndrome is assumed to be causally related to vascular brain injury. The clinical criteria for VaD are the nature of the cognitive syndrome and the type of vascular lesion pattern that caused the dementia. Also noted are the differential diagnosis of VaD, clinical subtypes and pathophysiology, and associated risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the epidemiological data, injury pattern, clinical features and mechanisms of severe spinal injuries related to alpine skiing and snowboarding. STUDY DESIGN: A six-year review of all adult patients with severe spinal injuries sustained from alpine skiing or snowboarding. SETTING: Tertiary trauma centre in Bern, Switzerland. Patients and METHODS: All adult patients (over 16 years of age) admitted to a tertiary trauma centre from 1 July 2000, through 30 June 2006, were reviewed using a computerised database. From these records, a total of 728 patients injured from snow sports were identified. Severe spinal injuries (defined as spinal fractures, subluxations, dislocations or concomitant spinal cord injuries) were found in 73 patients (17 female, 56 male). The clinical features of these patients were reviewed with respect to epidemiological factors, mechanism of injury, fracture pattern, and neurological status. RESULTS: The majority of severe spinal injuries (n = 63) were related to skiing. Fatal central-nervous injuries and transient or persistent neurological symptoms occurred in 28 patients (23 skiers, 5 snowboarders). None of the snowboarders suffered from persistent neurological sequelae. Snowboarders with severe spinal injuries (n = 10) were all male (p<0.05), and were significantly younger than skiers (p<0.001). The most commonly affected site was the lumbar spine. However, 39 patients (53.4%) suffered from injury pattern at two or more levels. CONCLUSIONS: With advances in technology and slope maintenance, skiers and snowboarders progress to higher skill levels and faster speeds more rapidly than ever before. Great efforts have been focused on reducing extremity injuries in snow sports, but until recently very little attention has been given to spinal injury prevention on the slopes. Suggestions for injury prevention include the use of spine protectors, participation on appropriate runs for ability level, proper fit and adjustment of equipment, and taking lessons with the goal of increasing ability and learning hill etiquette. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prerequisite for an integrated control of sewer and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) is a capacity driven inflow control to WWTP. This requires reliable information about the current status of WWTP operation and its behaviour on varying hydraulic, COD and nutrient loads. So far most of the proposed control strategies are based on hypothetical modelling studies. In this paper the behaviour of three large wwtps on increased storm water loads is analysed based on online measurements of several years. In all cases the main limiting factors for an increase of load were the sedimentation processes in the secondary clarifier and the nitrification capacity. In one case study predictive control strategies have been developed observing these processes which are backboned by effluent control. Tests using an integrated model of sewer and wwtp demonstrate that inflow control on emission load varies significantly with rain intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive knowledge about the infiltration situation in a catchment is required for operation and maintenance. Due to the high expenditures, an optimisation of necessary measurement campaigns is essential. Methods based on multivariate statistics were developed to improve the information yield of measurements by identifying appropriate gauge locations. The methods have a high degree of freedom against data needs. They were successfully tested on real and artificial data. For suitable catchments, it is estimated that the optimisation potential amounts up to 30% accuracy improvement compared to non-optimised gauge distributions. Beside this, a correlation between independent reach parameters and dependent infiltration rates could be identified, which is not dominated by the groundwater head. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Circadian clocks are synchronized by both light:dark cycles and by temperature fluctuations. Although it has long been known that temperature cycles can robustly entrain Drosophila locomotor rhythms, nothing is known about the molecular mechanisms involved. Results: We show here that temperature cycles induce synchronized behavioral rhythms and oscillations of the clock proteins PERIOD and TIMELESS in constant light, a situation that normally leads to molecular and behavioral arrhythmicity. We show that expression of the Drosophila clock gene period can be entrained by temperature cycles in cultured body parts and isolated brains. Further, we show that the phospholipase C encoded by the norpA gene contributes to thermal entrainment, suggesting that a receptor-coupled transduction cascade signals temperature changes to the circadian clock. We initiated the further genetic dissection of temperature-entrainment and isolated the novel Drosophila mutation nocte, which is defective in molecular and behavioral entrainment by temperature cycles but synchronizes normally to light:dark cycles. Conclusions: We conclude that temperature synchronization of the circadian clock is a tissue-autonomous process that is able to override the arrhythmia-inducing effects of constant light. Our data suggest that it involves a cell-autonomous signal-transduction cascade from a thermal receptor to the circadian clock. This process includes the function of phospholipase C and the product specified by the novel mutation nocte. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, the stratigraphy and depositional setting of Upper Jurassic basinal sediments at the eastern margin of the Tabas Block of east-central Iran are discussed with special emphasis on the rich ammonite fauna. The basinal sediments comprise the upper part of the Qal’eh Dokhtar Limestone Formation and a new, hitherto not recognized lithostratigraphic unit, the low-weathering Korond Formation, which is formally introduced herein. The recognition of the Korond Formation requires significant changes in the geological maps of the area, because invariably, it has been mapped as the Middle Jurassic Baghamshah Formation. As a result, several large faults become superfluous and the tectonic structure of the area is far simpler than hitherto assumed. The upper Qal’eh Dokhtar Limestone and the Korond formations formed in a lower slope-to-basin environment to the east of a huge, N/S trending carbonate platform (represented by the Esfandiar Limestone Formation) fringing the eastern margin of the Tabas Block. The spread of the basinal Korond Formation onto the eastern occurrences of the Esfandiar Platform in the Late Oxfordian to Early Kimmeridgian indicates a partial drowning of this platform. Most of the described ammonites come either from the condensed drowning unconformity at the top of the Esfandiar Limestone Formation or from the upper 100 m of the Qal’eh Dokhtar Limestone Formation. The ammonite fauna is dominated by perisphinctids and phylloceratids and indicates a Middle to early Late Oxfordian age for the top of the Qal’eh Dokhtar Limestone Formation and a Late Oxfordian to late Early Kimmeridgian age for the Korond Formation. A systematic description of the ammonite fauna is presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The work described herein focuses on the effect a change in the laminate stacking sequence has on the ability to dissipate kinetic projectile energy. Two different T800 carbon fibre filament wound tubes in an epoxy matrix with lay-ups of [−35°/+35°/90°3/−35°/+35°/90°3/−35°/+35°] (laminate A) and [90°6/(−35°/+35°)3] (laminate B) are investigated. The tubes are subjected to impacts up to and above the ballistic limits. The energy dissipated by material failure and friction is quantified and shown to be similar for the two laminates at the respective ballistic limits. The results indicate that laminate B provides the best energy dissipation performance as a result of a higher ballistic limit than laminate A and a difference in the strain energy due to a different local response of the two laminates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents an experimental investigation into the response of glassfibre chopped-strand mat laminates to air pressure blasts. Experiments were conducted with a variety of monolithic and layered targets of laminates with differing areal densities. Results of the post-impact visual inspection show three distinct damage modes: matrix cracking, delamination/debonding, and penetration as final damage. The analysis focuses on resistance to damage of these modes, damage propagation with increasing blast impulse, damage distribution in the thickness direction of the targets, and the influence of blast attenuation and large-area support on the target response. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) argillaceous-marly sediments of southern France (Causses) and east-central Spain (Barranco de la Puta section) were deposited in mid to lower shelf settings. They contain a low to moderately diverse, autochthonous fauna of benthic macroinvertebrates dominated by bivalves and gastropods, in the case of the Causses, and by bivalves and brachiopods in the Barranco de la Puta section. Five benthic associations are recognized at the latter locality and four at the former. In the Causses, low species diversity, evidence of seasonal mass mortality, presence of the opportunistic bivalve Parvamussium pumilum, local dominance of the soft bottom coral Thecocyathus mactrus and the dark-grey, fine-grained sediment point to high rates of sedimentation, high turbidity, intermittently lowered oxygen values and soft to soupy substrate conditions. These factors, together with eutrophic water masses, were the main environmental parameters governing faunal distribution. Soupy substrate conditions are thought to be largely biologically produced by the activity of infaunal depositfeeders, chiefly nuculoid bivalves. In the Barranco de la Puta section, abundant brachiopods, higher carbonate content of the sediment, and evidence of intermittent in-situ reworking and winnowing point to an influence of storm-induced currents, a shallower depositional depth, lower turbidity, a lower rate of sedimentation, and a somewhat firmer substrate. As a consequence, the fauna is largely dominated by epifaunal suspension-feeders. Compared with maximum and average sizes from elsewhere in the Jurassic, most bivalve species are distinctly smaller, a feature interpreted as stunting. Brachiopods, in contrast, reach normal size. The lack of nuculids, scarcity of deposit-feeders in general, and stunting are interpreted as evidence of an oligotrophic environment. Lowered oxygen conditions appear to have played only a very limited role in shaping the distribution pattern. Many of the differences between both areas can be explained by the different trophic regimes that reflect considerably higher run-off and consequently higher input of terrigenous sediment and dissolved nutrients to the basin in the case of the Causses. This in turn is thought to possibly reflect differences in regional climate; humid in southern France and more arid in eastcentral Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infaunal and reclining bivalves of the Late Triassic Cassian Formation of northern Italy contain drillholes that closely resemble those produced by modern naticid gastropods. The oldest drillholes previously reported are from the late Early Cretaceous; this suggests that the drilling adaptation was lost soon after its appearance in the Late Triassic and originated independently in another naticid clade 120 million years later. The perceived selective value of such an adaptation may thus not always be a goodpredictor ofits long-term survival, which is ultimately governed by factors that affect the speciation and extinction rates of the clade that carries it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protandrous sex change (sex change from male to female) is one of the diverse sexual expressions exhibited by bivalves, but its expression in the shell is quite rare. Previous studies on living and fossil astartids suggest a relationship between protandrous sex change and the formation of crenulations on the ventral shell margin at later ontogenetic stages. Here we report the formation of such crenulations in the Early Jurassic astartid Nicaniella rakoveci (Kuhn, 1935) from the Amaltheenton Formation at Buttenheim, Franconia. This is the earliest known record of protandrous hermaphroditism in fossil bivalves, predating previous reports by at least 13 Myr. A principal component analysis of linear size measurements and Fourier shape analysis of the shell outlines revealed that the outline of Nicaniella rakoveci specimens varies from subquadrate to subcircular, but this variation is independent of the presence or absence of crenulations and therefore not associated with sex. Crenulated specimens exhibit a lower height/inflation ratio than non-crenulated ones, suggesting that the protandrous females have more inflated valves than the males. The formation of crenulations was probably related to allocation of resources for reproduction. The most likely function of the crenulations was to increase the internal shell volume in the female stage to accommodate more eggs rather than being an adaptation against predation as often assumed for other bivalves. The formation of crenulations is part of the protandrous life history and probably is controlled by a genetic mechanism that is also responsible for sex change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drill holes provide valuable information about palaeoecological interactions in fossil ecosystems, but the Jurassic drill‐hole record is scarce. We report circular drill holes in the infaunal bivalve Eothyasira antiqua(Münster in Goldfuss) from the Pliensbachian grey shales of the Amaltheenton Formation of Franconia, southern Germany. The outcrop of the Amaltheenton Formation at Buttenheim yields a rich bivalve fauna (57 species), which represents a typical soft‐bottom community. Eothyasira antiqua, the yet oldest known member of the family Thyasiridae, represents only 1% of the total bivalve specimens from Buttenheim, but shows an exceptionally high frequency of drill holes. With a drilling rate of 81% of the well‐preserved articulated specimens, this occurence is unique compared with other drilled bivalve records from the Mesozoic and even from Recent assemblages. The drill holes resemble those of modern naticids with a larger outer opening and are assigned to the ichnospecies Oichnus paraboloides Bromley. Statistical methods show a non‐random distribution of the drill holes over the shell surface with a concentration on the central flank. The drill‐hole producer was highly efficient in drilling and exhibited a remarkable prey and site‐selective behaviour. The drill holes on the moderately deep infaunal Eothyasira suggest that the predator was also infaunal for at least parts of its life and could cope with poorly oxygenated substrate conditions occurring temporarily in the Amaltheenton environment. Drill‐hole characteristics point to a gastropod as producer. None of the about 50 gastropod taxa of the Amaltheenton Formation can be associated with the drill holes with certainty, but Hayamia reticulata (Münster) seems to be the most likely candidate. The results of this study support the opinion that drill holes are generally a scarce phenomenon in the Early Jurassic generated by rare, probably highly specialised predators. Preservational biases are considered to have been less important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous stable oxygen isotope records of calcitic fossils (δ18Oshell) from Europe have been interpreted to reflect strong climatic perturbations throughout the Jurassic, but it is unknown whether they reflect global trends because data from other regions are sparse. Here, we use bivalve and brachiopod shells from western Asia and northern Africa to examine seawater temperatures at low latitudes as well as latitudinal temperature gradients in the Middle Jurassic. Our results include the first absolute temperature estimates for most of the study areas and this time interval. Furthermore, we acknowledge a latitudinal gradient in δ18O values of seawater (δ18Osea) that leads to more realistic temperature reconstructions of tropical water temperatures, which were underestimated by earlier methods. Following this approach, δ18Oshell values translate into average equatorial water temperatures during the Middle Jurassic several degrees higher than today (as high as 34-35 °C). Such high temperatures cause environmental stress, probably explaining previously documented low diversities of low-latitudinal ecosystems (e.g., coral reefs) during this time interval. A comparison with literature data raises doubts over whether previously published European temperature curves are truly representative of global patterns. Instead, they might reflect the complex paleogeography of European basins influenced by regional and/or short-term changes in δ18Osea values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on biomedical engineering topics including a three-dimensional finite element model of the tongue, an electromechanical model of the heart, and a four-species model of a tumour growth.

Aims: The aim of this work was to identify a protein which can be used for specific detection of antibodies against Bacillus cereus biovar anthracis (Bcbva), an anthrax‐causing pathogen that so far has been described in African rainforest areas. Methods and Results: Culture supernatants of Bcbva and classic Bacillus anthracis (Ba) were analysed by gel electrophoresis, and a 35‐kDa protein secreted only by Bcbva and not Ba was detected. The protein was identified as pXO2‐60 by mass spectrometry. Sequence analysis showed that Ba is unable to secrete this protein due to a premature stop codon in the sequence for the signal peptide. Immunization of five outbred mice with sterile bacterial culture supernatants of Bcbva revealed an immune response in ELISA against pXO2‐60 (three mice positive, one borderline) and the protective antigen (PA; four mice). When supernatants of classic Ba were injected into mice or human sera from anthrax patients were analysed, only antibodies against PA were detected. Conclusions: In combination with PA, the pXO2‐60 protein can be used for the detection of antibodies specific against Bcbva and discriminating from Ba. Significance and Impact of the Study: After further validation, serological assays based on pXO2‐60 can be used to perform seroprevalence studies to determine the epidemiology of B. cereus bv anthracis in affected countries and assess its impact on the human population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nuculanid bivalve Costinuculana magharensis new genus new species is described from the middle to upper Bathonian Kehailia Formation of Gebel Maghara, North Sinai, Egypt. Costinuculana differs from other genera of the family Nuculanidae by the presence of opisthocline ribs along the rostrum. These ribs are variable in shape and size, straight to folded posteriorly, bifurcate ventrally and occasionally postero-dorsally, and cover an area ~45% of the total valve length from the posterior end. The life position of C. magharensis n. gen. n. sp. is reconstructed on the basis of a functional interpretation of its morphology and by comparison with closely related Recent forms. The asymmetrical commarginal ribs facilitated the burrowing process. The posterior oblique ribs are asymmetrical in cross-section with a steeply concave side in the burrowing direction and slightly convex side in the opposite direction. They probably kept the bivalve in a stable position once the desired depth had been reached. The thick oblique ribs probably also increased the strength of the rostrum and offered resistance against durophagous predators, being presumably partly exposed above the sediment-water interface. Based on the associated fauna, Costinuculana n. gen. lived in a low-energy environment characterized by a fine-grained, soft substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pan, Y., Sha, J., Fürsich, F.T., Wang, Y., Zhang, X. & Yao, X. 2011: Dynamics of the lacustrine fauna from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, China: implications of volcanic and climatic factors. Lethaia, Vol. 45, pp. 299-314. The taphonomy and palaeoecology of the famous Lower Cretaceous Jehol biota of northeastern China are two of its least resolved aspects. The biota occurs in lacustrine sediments characterized by abundant volcanic ash layers. The general view is that these tuff layers correlate strongly with vertebrate mass mortality events. However, though aquatic invertebrates also suffered mass mortality, in the majority of cases individuals tend to occur on bedding planes of finely laminated sediments, suggesting that each mass mortality event is not related to volcanic activity. Based on data collected in the course of two excavations at Zhangjiagou and Erdaougou, the role of volcanic activity and other factors that could have controlled the dynamics of the fauna were investigated. Cluster analyses of fossil assemblages from both localities show similar results, and eight fossil communities are recognized. In the lacustrine Yixian Formation, frequent and often severe volcanic activity represented by the abundant tuff layers influenced the water quality, causing repeated collapse of the aquatic ecosystem. Bedding planes with remains of the eight different communities were analysed, each recording the community dynamics of a shallow eutrophic lake system that was most probably controlled by fluctuations of oxygen level related to climate. A mortality model, in which oxygen-level fluctuations play the decisive role, is proposed to explain the existence and distribution of the fossil communities, as well as the unfossiliferous layers. □ China, Jehol biota, lacustrine community, mass mortality, palaeoclimate, volcanic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baynes, R., Riviere, J., Franz, T., Monteiro-Riviere, N., Lehman, P., Peyrou, M., Toutain, P.-L. Challenges obtaining a biowaiver for topical veterinary dosage forms. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 35 (Suppl. 1), 103-114. Obtaining a biowaiver for topical drugs used in veterinary species faces many of the same challenges associated with human topicals. However, the skin of domestic animals varies anatomically and biochemically and experimental approaches to assess bioequivalence (BE) in veterinary species have challenges that are not often encountered with human skin. This is especially the situation with locally acting drugs. The focus of this paper is to address several of the challenges associated with (i) determining the BE of these locally acting drugs and (ii) critically examine the current technological advances that can act as a surrogate for clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To examine the existing literature to determine the degree to which percutaneous absorption data obtained using the excised human skin model match those obtained from living man. Methods: The scientific literature was reviewed to collect data on compounds whose percutaneous absorption through human skin had been measured under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. The in vitro-in vivo (IVIV) correlation was evaluated by computing the in vitro/in vivo ratio using total absorption (percent of applied dose) as the metric for comparison. Results: A total of 92 data sets were collected from 30 published studies. The average IVIV ratio across all values was 1.6, though for any single data set there could be a nearly 20-fold difference between the in vitro and in vivo values. In 85% of the cases, however, the difference was less than 3-fold. The correlation was significantly improved when data were excluded from studies in which the protocols for both studies were not fully harmonized. For harmonized data sets the average IVIV ratio was 0.96 and there was a less than 2-fold difference between the in vitro and in vivo results for any one compound, with IVIV ratios ranging from 0.58 to 1.28. The dominant factors leading to exclusion of data were the use of skin from different anatomical sites and vehicles of differing composition. Conclusions: Percutaneous absorption data obtained from the excised human skin model closely approximate those obtained from living man when the two study protocols are appropriately matched. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]