Source-specific variability in post-depositional DNA preservation with potential implications for DNA based paleoecological records

Recent studies have shown that genotyping preserved plankton DNA in marine and lacustrine sediment records using ancient DNA methods is a promising approach for refining paleoenvironmental information. However, the extent to which the preservation of fossil plankton DNA differs between species is poorly understood. Using a continuous 2700 year sediment record from Watts Basin in Ellis Fjord (Antarctica), we compared the level of preservation of fossil DNA derived from important plankton members with varying cellular architecture. The amount of preserved small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA; ca. 500 base pair fragments) of dinoflagellates (as extracellular DNA rather than as preserved cysts) that could be amplified by way of PCR declined up to five orders of magnitude with increasing sediment depth and age. In contrast, the amount of similar-sized, PCR-amplifiable, diatom SSU rDNA (predominantly from a cyst-forming Chaetoceros sp.) declined only up to tenfold over 2700 years of deposition. No obvious decline in copy numbers with increasing sediment age was observed for similar-sized SSU rDNA of past chemocline-associated photosynthetic green sulfur bacteria (GSB), which do not have a protective resting stage. In good agreement with the quantitative data, the extent of post-depositional natural degradation to fragments too small to serve as a template for the quantitative PCR assays was greatest for dinoflagellates and lowest for GSB. An increase in the ratio between GSB-derived DNA and intact carotenoids with sediment depth implies that short GSB DNA fragments were better preserved than intact carotenoids and provide a more accurate view into paleoproductivity and the sediment flux of GSB in Watts Basin. We discuss the possible causes behind the variation in the level of DNA preservation among the plankton groups investigated, as well as consequences for the use of using fossil DNA records in paleoecology studies.     

Geodynamics of the eastern Yilgarn Craton

Over the last decade there have been significant advances in our understanding of the stratigraphy, magmatism, deformation, metamorphism and timing of mineralisation, in the eastern Yilgarn Craton (EYC) of Western Australia. The integration of these disciplines has enabled a holistic review of the tectonic history of the EYC which favours a paraautochthonous tectonic model.     

The field of view and flux sensitivity of RATAN-600

The refined data on the diffraction scattering of RATAN-600 allowed the telescope field of view to be increased substantially at large elevations. Amethod, which can be used to reconstruct the parameters of the sources passing at angular distances fromthe beamaxis that are several dozen times greater than the half-power width of the beam, is analyzed. The knowledge about wide scattering of RATAN-600 allowed the noise from background radio sources at zenith to be reduced by one order of magnitude and flux sensitivity of the radio telescope to be increased by the same factor without resorting to two-dimensional mapping. Methods for cleaning one-dimensional records of the RZF survey are suggested that use model scans based on the data of the NVSS survey and MHAT filtering. The latter proved to be an especially efficient tool for suppressing sky noise and identifying sources in the central section of the survey. The flux sensitivity of RATAN-600 is estimated with new opportunities taken into account.     

Double Relics in the Outskirts of A3376: Accretion Flows Meet Merger Shocks?

The case of spectacular ring-like double radio relics in the merging, rich galaxy cluster A3376 is of great interest to study non-thermal phenomena at cluster outskirts. We present the first low frequency (330 and 150 MHz) images of the double relics using the GMRT. With our GMRT 330 MHz map and the VLA 1400 MHz map (Bagchi et al. 2006), we have constructed and analyzed the distribution of spectral indices over the radio relics. We find flat spectral indices at the outer edges of both the relics and a gradual steepening of spectral indices toward the inner regions. This supports the model of outgoing merger shock waves. The eastern relic has a complex morphology and spectral index distribution toward the inner region. This will be discussed in the context of the effect of large-scale accretion flows on the outgoing merger shocks as reported in the recent simulations.     

Numerical modelling of the seasonal variability of hydrophysical fields in the Black Sea

The results of research into the seasonal variability of hydrothermodynamic characteristics of the Black Sea are presented. These have been obtained using field data on the fields of temperature, salinity, and wind, and by mathematical modelling. The seasonal variability of the current and heat content fields and of the cold intermediate layer and other hydrophysical characteristics is discussed.Translated by Mikhail M. Trufanov.     

A ROSAT survey of Wolf–Rayet galaxies — II. The extended sample

We present results from an ongoing X-ray survey of Wolf–Rayet (WR) galaxies, a class of objects believed to be very young starbursts. This paper extends the first X-ray survey of WR galaxies by Stevens &38; Strickland by studying WR galaxies identified subsequent to the original WR galaxy catalogue of Conti.   Out of a sample of 40 new WR galaxies a total of 10 have been observed with the ROSAT PSPC, and of these seven have been detected (NGC 1365, NGC 1569, I Zw 18, NGC 3353, NGC 4449, NGC 5408 and a marginal detection of NGC 2366). Of these, all are dwarf starbursts except for NGC 1365, which is a barred spiral galaxy possibly with an active nucleus. We also report on observations of the related emission-line galaxy IRAS 0833+6517.   The X-ray properties of these galaxies are broadly in line with those found for the original sample; they are X-ray overluminous compared with their blue luminosity and have thermal spectra with typically kT  ∼ 0.4 − 1.0 keV. There are some oddities: NGC 5408 is very overluminous in X-rays, even compared with other WR galaxies; I Zw 18 has a harder X-ray spectrum; NGC 1365, although thought to contain an active nucleus, has X-ray properties that are broadly similar to other WR galaxies, and we suggest that the X-ray emission from NGC 1365 is due to starburst activity.   A good correlation between X-ray and blue luminosity is found for the WR galaxy sample as a whole. However, when just dwarf galaxies are considered there is little evidence of correlation. We discuss the implications of these results on our understanding of the X-ray emission from WR galaxies and suggest that the best explanation for the X-ray activity is starburst activity from a young starburst region.     

Some bianchi type II universes with special free-gravitational fields

The paper considers a homogeneous Bianchi type II universe. Under each of the conditionsC _hijk C ^hijk =0 and^* C _hijk C ^hijk =0 different types of models have been studied and their physical and kinematical properties have been discussed.     

Solar VLBI of compact transient sources

Very Long Baseline Interferometry offers the only technique for resolving the transient compact sources which, according to an increasing weight of observational and theoretical evidence, occur during solar flares. In this paper we discuss the problems of applying VLBI to observing the Sun, the results obtained so far and how the technique may be effectively employed in future studies of compact emission structures in solar flares.Proceedings of the Workshop on Radio Continua during Solar Flares, held at Duino (Trieste), Italy, 27–31 May, 1985.