ALBERT

Notes: Summary Nanosize poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microlatexes with high PMMA/surfactant ratio have been successfully prepared by a modified microemulsion polymerization, i.e., continuous and slow addition of monomer (MMA) to the polymerizing MMA microemulsion with mild stirring. Number-average diameters of 33–46 nm with narrow polydispersity (Dv/Dn= 1.1) and polymer content of 6–24 wt% were achieved using low levels of surfactant (dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, DTAB) — less than 1 wt% of the reaction mixture. Particle diameter depended on polymerization temperature, MMA content, and concentrations of initiator and surfactant. Larger particles wereformed when temperature was too high, initiator concentration was too high, or surfactant concentration was too low.

Notes: Abstract Thorium- and uranium isotopes were measured in a diagenetic manganese nodule from the Peru basin applying alpha- and thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). Alpha-counting of 62 samples was carried out with a depth resolution of 0.4 mm to gain a high-resolution230Thexcess profile. In addition, 17 samples were measured with TIMS to obtain precise isotope concentrations and isotope ratios. We got values of 0.06–0.59 ppb (230Th), 0.43–1.40 ppm (232Th), 0.09–0.49 ppb (234U) and 1.66–8.24 ppm (238U). The uranium activity ratio in the uppermost samples (1–6 mm) and in two further sections in the nodule at 12.5±1.0 mm and 27.3–33.5 mm comes close to the present ocean water value of 1.144±0.004. In two other sections of the nodule, this ratio is significantly higher, probably reflecting incorporation of diagenetic uranium. The upper 25 mm section of the Mn nodule shows a relatively smooth exponential decrease in the230Thexcess concentration (TIMS). The slope of the best fit yields a growth rate of 110 mm/Ma up to 24.5 mm depth. The section from 25 to 30.3 mm depth shows constant230Thexcess concentrations probably due to growth rates even faster than those in the top section of the nodule. From 33 to 50 mm depth, the growth rate is approximately 60 mm/Ma. Two layers in the nodule with distinct laminations (11–15 and 28–33 mm depth) probably formed during the transition from isotopic stage 8 to 7 and in stage 5e, respectively. The Mn/Fe ratio shows higher values during interglacials 5 and 7, and lower ones during glacials 4 and 6. A comparison of our data with data from adjacent sediment cores suggests (a) a variable supply of hydrothermal Mn to sediments and Mn nodules of the Peru basin or (b) suboxic conditions at the water sediment interface during periods with lower Mn/Fe ratios.

Notes: Abstract The application of the fast-Fourier-transform (FFT) algorithm to calculating one-dimensional and bi-dimensional (temporal and spatial), power and cross-power (coherence and phase) spectra is examined for solar photospheric fluctuations. Alternative methods for smoothing raw spectra, direct averaging (employing various weights) and indirect truncation of the correlation function, are compared, and indirect smoothing is compared with spectra calculated by mean-lagged-product (MLP) methods. Besides providing the raw spectrum, FFT techniques easily allow computing a series of spectra with varying amounts of smoothing. From these spectra a range of satisfactory compromise between resolution and stability can be determined which helps in the interpretation of spectral trends, and in identifying more clearly the existence and significance of spectral features. For bi-dimensional spectra presented as contour plots, this range of satisfactory smoothing can be restricted, particularly when spectral trends must be represented by small-scale contours. Equivalent spectra (i.e. comparable equivalent degrees of freedom) computed or smoothed by different methods have minor, but not negligible, differences. Examination of these differences favors computing of FFT spectra smoothed by averaging for photospheric fluctuations.

Notes: Abstract Fluctuations measured from a time sequence of high-resolution, high-dispersion Sacramento Peak Observatory spectrograms and previously analyzed by computing one-dimensional temporal and spatial spectra (Edmonds et al., 1965), are re-analyzed using bi-dimensional (temporal and spatial) power, coherence and phase spectra computed by fast-Fourier-transform techniques. The fluctuations measured are radial velocity for the FeI 5049.83, CrI 5051.91 and CI 5052.16 spectral lines, continuum brightness, and equivalent width and central intensity of the CI line. The bidimensional spectra, particularly those of coherence and phase, allow isolating different components of the fluctuations to a degree not possible in the one-dimensional analyses. Six components of the fluctuations have been isolated (Section 5 and Figure 11); the first three components are well-known but the nature of the remaining three is less certain: (1) Supergranulation which exists only in radial-velocity fluctuations and increases in power with depth. (2) Five-minute oscillations that dominate long-wavelength radial-velocity fluctuations, which may contribute of the order of one percent to continuum brightness and equivalent width fluctuations, and are waves which can propagate across the Sun's surface and possibly travel upwards at less than 70 km s−1. (3) A long-period, convective component which extends over all but very long wavelengths, is characterized by strong correlation between the radial velocity and photometric fluctuations, and involves low power levels for the radial velocity fluctuations. Seemingly, the radial velocity fluctuations lead those of continuum brightness by roughly 20 s. (4) Low and moderate wavenumber fluctuations which seemingly extend over frequencies ≲ 6 × 10−3 Hz and are characterized by low power levels for all types of fluctuations. It is difficult to deny the physical reality and distinctness from other components of these fluctuations, but whether they constitute a single component is uncertain. The radial velocity fluctuations seem to have the same phase relations with respect to each other as the five-minute oscillations. The continuum brightness fluctuations seem to lag the equivalent width fluctuations by roughly 17 s, lead the central intensity fluctuations by roughly 10 s, and lead the radial velocity fluctuations by roughly 15 to 20 s. (5) Possible line-formation (as distinct from continuum formation) brightness fluctuations at the center of the CI 5052.16 line, which seemingly are of low frequency and long wavelength and are poorly correlated with continuum brightness and radial velocity fluctuations. (6) A low-correlation, primarily photometric component restricted to long-periods and to wavelengths only slightly less than those of super-granulation. Its existence is suggested by a phase anomaly indicating that the radial velocity fluctuations lead the photometric fluctuations by roughly 4 min.

Notes: Abstract The fractional convective flux πF c (x c /πF) is computed for the effective level x c = logτ c = 0.125, using bi-dimensional co-spectra for relative continuum-brightness fluctuations ΔI and radial velocity fluctuations ΔV measured for the C i 5052.16 spectral line. A more uncertain flux for x Fe ≈ - 0.9 is obtained for the Fe i 5049.83 line. Since the results (Figure 1) incorporate current uncertainties in RMS ΔI , RMS ΔV and RMS ΔT (x), where ΔT are photospheric temperature fluctuations, they must be considered qualitative until these uncertainties are appreciably reduced. The requirement that the fractional convective flux 〈 1, places restrictions on these uncertainties which suggest that current RMS ΔT (x)'s are too large. The results confirm the importance of overshoot at the top of the solar hydrogen convection zone and suggest a non-negligible fractional convective flux throughout the lower photosphere. Qualitatively, they do not agree with the predictions of the generally-used, local, mixing-length theory or those of Parsons' (1969) modified mixing-length theory. However, qualitative agreement with the predictions of the non-local, generalized mixing-length theory of Spiegel (1963) and with the non-local theory of Ulrich (1970) cannot be considered as observational confirmation of these theories.

Notes: Conclusions I have attempted to clarify some of the pathways in the development of Darwin's thinking. The foregoing examples of influence by no means include all that can be found by comparing Darwin's writings with Humboldt's. However, the above examples seem adequate to show the nature and extent of this influence. It now seems clear that Humboldt not only, as had been previously known, inspired Darwin to make a voyage of exploration, but also provided him with his basic orientation concerning how and what to observe and how to write about it. An important part of what Darwin assimilated from Humboldt was an appreciation of population analysis as a tool for assessing the state of societies and of the benefits and hardships which these societies can expect to receive from the living world around them. Darwin exhibited in his Journal of Researches a casual interest in the economic and political conditions of the countries he visited, but these considerations were much less important to him than to Humboldt. Instead, Darwin, with the assistance of Lyell's Principles of Geology, shifted from Humboldt's largely economic framework to a biological one built around the species question. This shift led Darwin away from a consideration of how the population biology of animals was related to man's economy to focus instead upon how population biology fitted into the economy of nature. Humboldt's Personal Narrative served very well as a model for Darwin's Journal of Researches, thereby helping Darwin gain scientific eminence. The Journal of Researches, like virtually all of Humboldt's writings, was a contribution to scientific orthodoxy. But Darwin had, along the way, acquired an urge to do more than just add his building blocks to the orthodox scientific edifice. He decided to rearrange those blocks of knowledge into a different structure, and for that task neither Humboldt's Personal Narrative nor any other of his works could serve as a model. Humboldt had lacked the confidence which Darwin needed that biogeography and the origin of species could be understood. Humboldt had not explored very far the possible connections between biology and geology. Nor had he provided a general synthetic account of population biology. Had he done so, he might have been more explicit about the extent of his endorsement of Malthus. But even if he had, Humboldt's strong orientation toward cooperation would probably have inhibited his recognition of the importance of competition in nature. Lyell, who had also benefited from reading Humboldt, gave Darwin insights that were lacking in Humboldt's Personal Narrative. Lyell admirably demonstrated how stratigraphy, paleontology, biogeography, and population biology could be interrelated, and his reasons for doing so were essentially the same as Darwin's. Lyell's understanding of biogeography and ecology came from the writings of Augustin-Pyramus de Candolle as much as from Humboldt's, and from the former Lyell derived an appreciation for the importance of competition and also a confidence that the mysteries of biogeography could be explained.117 Furthermore, Lyell's discussion of all these subjects and also of evolution in his Principles of Geology is a good synthetic argument that was the ideal model for Darwin's greatest book. Darwin, having become convinced that species change through time, was able to synthesize in his mind the contributions which he had derived from the writings of Humboldt and Lyell as they applied to the species question. When Darwin wrote his Journal of Researches there were two large gaps in his thinking about evolution that bothered him—the mechanism of evolution and the causes of extinction. It was only after reading Malthus in 1838 that he realized, as Lyell had more or less pointed out, how important was competition in nature. He now had the general outlines for his theory, and in the 1845 abridged edition of his Journal, now retitled The Voyage of the Beagle, he inserted a fuller discussion of competition in nature which showed his awareness of its importance as an ecological factor.118

Notes: Abstract Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of isolates of Pythium oligandrum with linear mitochondrial genomes revealed a distinct band in ethidium bromide-stained gels similar in size to values estimated by restriction mapping of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Southern analysis confirmed that these bands were mtDNA and indicated that linear genomes were present in unit-length size as well as multimers. Isolates of this species with circular mtDNA restriction maps also had low levels of linear mono- and multimers. visualized by Southern analysis of PFGE gels. Examination of 17 additional species revealed similar results; three species had distinct linear mtDNA bands in ethidium bromide-stained gels while the remainder had linear mono- and multi-mers in lower amounts detected only by Southern analysis. Sequence analysis of an isolate of P. oligandrum with a primarily circular mitochondrial genomic map and a low amount of linear molecules revealed that the small unique region of the circular map (which corresponded to the terminal region of linear genomes) was flanked by palindromic intrastrand complementary sequences separated by a unique 194-bp sequence. Sequences with similarity to ATPase9 coding regions from other organisms were located adjacent to this region. Sequences with similarity to mitochondrial origins of replication and autonomously replicating sequences were also located in this region: their potential involvement in the generation of linear molecules is discussed.

Notes: Abstract Some historical aspects of development of the concepts of functional coupling, metabolic channelling, compartmentation and energy transfer networks are reviewed. Different quantitative approaches, including kinetic and mathematical modeling of energy metabolism, intracellular energy transfer and metabolic regulation of energy production and fluxes in the cells in vivo are analyzed. As an example of the system with metabolic channelling, thermodynamic aspects of the functioning the mitochondrial creatine kinase functionally coupled to the oxidative phosphorylation are considered. The internal thermodynamics of the mitochondrial creatine kinase reaction is similar to that for other isoenzymes of creatine kinase, and the oxidative phosphorylation process specifically influences steps of association and dissociation of MgATP with the enzyme due to channelling of ATP from adenine nucleotide translocase. A new paradigm of muscle bioenergetics - the paradigm of energy transfer and feedback signaling networks based on analysis of compartmentation phenomena and structural and functional interactions in the cell is described. Analysis of the results of mathematical modeling of the compartmentalized energy transfer leads to conclusion that both calcium and ADP, which concentration changes synchronously in contraction cycle, may simultaneously activate oxidative phosphorylation in the muscle cells in vivo. The importance of the phosphocreatine circuit among other pathways of intracellular energy transfer network is discussed on the basis of the recent data published in the literature, with some experimental demonstration. The results of studies of perfused rat hearts with completely inhibited creatine kinase show significantly decreased work capacity and respectively, energy fluxes, in these hearts in spite of significant activation of adenylate kinase system (Dzeja et al. this volume). These results, combined with those of mathematical analysis of the energy metabolism of hearts of transgenic mice with switched off creatine kinase isoenzymes confirm the importance of phosphocreatine pathway for energy transfer for cell function and energetics in mature heart and many other types of cells, as one of major parts of intracellular energy transfer network and metabolic regulation.

Notes: Abstract Residual intensity fluctuation measurements within the wings of the λ5183.6 Mgi b1 line, obtained from two, high-resolution, high-dispersion, Sacramento Peak Observatory spectrograms, have been subtracted from intensity fluctuations in the adjacent continuum in order to isolate fluctuations associated exclusively with line formation. The useable spectral range for studying these lineformation fluctuations is restricted to wavelengths between 1040 and 7170 km because the subtraction increases the relative importance of noise and large-scale photographic variations across the spectrograms could not be completely removed. Power and cross-power (coherence and phase) spectra proved to be valuable diagnostic tools in isolating line-formation fluctuations. Over this spectral range, the line-formation fluctuations are characterized by flat power spectra as compared to those for continuum fluctuations, appreciable fluctuation rms relative to that for continuum fluctuations, and the necessity to multiply the wing fluctuations by a factor 0.95 ⩽ αmin ⩽ ⩽ 1.00 to most effectively isolate these fluctuations (Figures 3 and 4). That continuum fluctuations are modified in shape but otherwise not drastically changed in the line wings explains the flat spectrum. The relative rms's vary from 0.34 in the inner wing to 0.22 in the outer. The range of possible values for α min results from uncertainties in the photographic density-residual intensity calibration.

Notes: Abstract  Thorium- and uranium isotopes were measured in a diagenetic manganese nodule from the Peru basin applying alpha- and thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). Alpha-counting of 62 samples was carried out with a depth resolution of 0.4 mm to gain a high-resolution 230Thexcess profile. In addition, 17 samples were measured with TIMS to obtain precise isotope concentrations and isotope ratios. We got values of 0.06–0.59 ppb (230Th), 0.43-1.40 ppm (232Th), 0.09–0.49 ppb (234U) and 1.66–8.24 ppm (238U). The uranium activity ratio in the uppermost samples (1–6 mm) and in two further sections in the nodule at 12.5±1.0 mm and 27.3–33.5 mm comes close to the present ocean water value of 1.144±0.004. In two other sections of the nodule, this ratio is significantly higher, probably reflecting incorporation of diagenetic uranium. The upper 25 mm section of the Mn nodule shows a relatively smooth exponential decrease in the 230Thexcess concentration (TIMS). The slope of the best fit yields a growth rate of 110 mm/Ma up to 24.5 mm depth. The section from 25 to 30.3 mm depth shows constant 230Thexcess concentrations probably due to growth rates even faster than those in the top section of the nodule. From 33 to 50 mm depth, the growth rate is approximately 60 mm/Ma. Two layers in the nodule with distinct laminations (11–15 and 28–33 mm depth) probably formed during the transition from isotopic stage 8 to 7 and in stage 5e, respectively. The Mn/Fe ratio shows higher values during interglacials 5 and 7, and lower ones during glacials 4 and 6. A comparison of our data with data from adjacent sediment cores suggests (a) a variable supply of hydrothermal Mn to sediments and Mn nodules of the Peru basin or (b) suboxic conditions at the water sediment interface during periods with lower Mn/Fe ratios.