ALBERT

Description: A bstract The crystal structure of faheyite, ideally Mn 2+ Fe 3+ 2 [Be 2 (PO 4 ) 4 ](H 2 O) 6 , trigonal, a 9.404(7), c 15.920(11) Å, V 1219(2) Å 3 , Z = 3, space group P 3 1 21, has been solved and refined to an R 1 index of 4.4% with single-crystal X-ray diffraction data collected from a twinned fiber. There are two P sites that are tetrahedrally coordinated by O atoms with 〈 P –O〉 distances of 1.52 and 1.54 Å, respectively, one Be site tetrahedrally coordinated by O atoms with a 〈 Be –O〉 distance of 1.63 Å, one Mn site occupied by Mn 2+ coordinated by four O atoms and two (H 2 O) groups with a 〈 Mn –O〉 distance of 2.22 Å, and one Fe site occupied by Fe 3+ coordinated by four O atoms and two (H 2 O) groups with a 〈 Fe –O〉 distance of 2.01 Å. Each vertex of the Be tetrahedron is shared with a vertex of a neighboring P tetrahedron, and two vertices of each P tetrahedron are shared with neighboring Be tetrahedra to form a corner-sharing [Be(PO 4 ) 2 ] chain, with P tetrahedra flanking the Be tetrahedra of the central spine in the sequence - P (1)/ P (1)- Be - P (2)/ P (2)- Be -. Faheyite has a chiral structure, with the [Be(PO 4 ) 2 ] chain twisting about the c -axis in a clockwise direction for the refined P 3 1 21 enantiomer. The Mn octahedron lies along the 3 1 screw axis within the core region of the [Be(PO 4 ) 2 ] chain, forming [MnBe 2 (PO 4 ) 4 ] spires that are wrapped by Fe octahedra that share vertices with P tetrahedra. The crystal structures of fransoletite and parafransoletite also contain beryllophosphate chains topologically identical to that found in faheyite, although the [Be(PO 4 )(PO 3 OH)] chain in fransoletite and parafransoletite is straight, whereas the [Be(PO 4 ) 2 ] chain in faheyite forms a helix about the central c -axis.

Description: Fontarnauite was discovered in cores recovered from the Kütahya-Emet 2 and 188 (named here as Doğanlar) boreholes drilled in the Emet borate basin near the village of Doğanlar, Kütahya Province, Western Anatolia, Turkey. The Emet (or Emet-Hisarcık) basin is one of the Neogene basins in western Turkey bearing a borate-rich unit intercalated with Miocene sediments. Fontarnauite is most commonly associated with probertite, glauberite, and celestine and occurs as isolated colorless to light-brown prismatic crystals or as clusters of crystals less than 5 mm long. Fontarnauite is brittle, with a Mohs hardness of 21/2–3, and perfect {010} cleavage. D calc = 2.533 g/cm 3 . The new mineral is optically biaxial (–), α 1.517(2), β 1.539(2), 1.543(2) (590 nm); 2 V meas = 46(1)°; 2 V calc = 46°; X ^ a 95.0° (β obtuse); Y // b , Z ^ c 81.9° (β acute). Dispersion is r 〉 v , medium to weak. The chemical composition (electron microprobe; B and H from the crystal-structure refinement) is as follows: SO 3 17.75, B 2 O 3 38.66, CaO 2.26, SrO 18.98, Na 2 O 12.65, K 2 O 1.70, H 2 O 10.01, total 102.01 wt.%. The empirical formula (based on 15 O atoms per formula unit) is (Na 1.84 K 0.16 ) 2.00 (Sr 0.82 Ca 0.18 ) 1.00 S 1.00 B 5 H 5 O 15 ; the endmember formula is Na 2 Sr(SO 4 ) [B 5 O 8 (OH)](H 2 O) 2 based on the crystal-structure refinement. Single-crystal X-ray studies gave the space group P 2 1 /c, a 6.458(2), b 22.299(7), c 8.571(2) Å, β 103.047(13)°, V 1202.5(1.0) Å 3 , Z = 4. Structure refinement ( R 1 = 2.9%) revealed that two BO 4 tetrahedra and three BO 3 triangles share vertices to form B 5 O 10 (OH) units that link to other B 5 O 10 (OH) units along [100] and [001] to give a [B 5 O 8 (OH)] sheet parallel to (010). Within the central cavities of opposing sheets are the H 2 O groups, SO 4 tetrahedra, and Na (1) sites; the Sr and Na (2) sites occupy the interstices of a given sheet. The region of the structure where opposing cusps of neighboring sheets approach each other is dominated by weaker H-bonding associated with the OH and H 2 O groups, in accord with the observed perfect {010} cleavage. The strongest lines in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern, obtained after profile fitting using the Le Bail method, are as follows [ d in Å ( I ) ( hkl )]: 11.1498 (100)(020), 3.3948 (8)(061), 3.3389 (20)(042), 3.1993, 3.1990 (10)(160, 1 42), 3.0458(10)(052), 3.0250(7)(220), 2.7500 (10)( 2 22,142), 2.3999 (8)(260), 2.2300, 2.2284(7)(0 10 0,222), 1.9241, 1.9237(7)(311, 2 24). The holotype is deposited in the mineralogy collection of the Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C6, Canada, accession number M56745.

Description: Motivation: The recently released Oxford Nanopore MinION sequencing platform presents many innovative features opening up potential for a range of applications not previously possible. Among these features, the ability to sequence in real-time provides a unique opportunity for many time-critical applications. While many software packages have been developed to analyze its data, there is still a lack of toolkits that support the streaming and real-time analysis of MinION sequencing data. Results: We developed npReader, an open-source software package to facilitate real-time analysis of MinION sequencing data. npReader can simultaneously extract sequence reads and stream them to downstream analysis pipelines while the samples are being sequenced on the MinION device. It provides a command line interface for easy integration into a bioinformatics work flow, as well as a graphical user interface which concurrently displays the statistics of the run. It also provides an application programming interface for development of streaming algorithms in order to fully utilize the extent of nanopore sequencing potential. Availability and implementation: npReader is written in Java and is freely available at https://github.com/mdcao/npReader . Contact: m.cao1@uq.edu.au or l.coin@imb.uq.edu.au

Description: The new mineral species barlowite, ideally Cu 4 FBr(OH) 6 , has been found at the Great Australia mine, Cloncurry, Queensland, Australia. It is the Br and F analogue of claringbullite. Barlowite forms thin blue, platy, hexagonal crystals up to 0.5 mm wide in a cuprite-quartz-goethite matrix associated with gerhardtite and brochantite. Crystals are transparent to translucent with a vitreous lustre. The streak is sky blue. The Mohs hardness is 2–2.5. The tenacity is brittle, the fracture is irregular and there is one perfect cleavage on {001}. Density could not be measured; the mineral sinks in the heaviest liquid available, diluted Clerici solution ( D 3.8 g/cm 3 ). The density calculated from the empirical formula is 4.21 g/cm 3 . Crystals are readily soluble in cold dilute HCl. The mineral is optically non-pleochroic and uniaxial (–). The following optical constants measured in white light vary slightly suggesting a small variation in the proportions of F, Cl and Br: 1.840(4)–1.845(4) and 1.833(4)–1.840(4). The empirical formula, calculated on the basis of 18 oxygen atoms and H 2 O calculated to achieve 8 anions and charge balance, is Cu 4.00 F 1.11 Br 0.95 Cl 0.09 (OH) 5.85 . Barlowite is hexagonal, space group P 6 3 / mmc , a = 6.6786(2), c = 9.2744(3) Å, V = 358.251(19) Å 3 , Z = 2. The five strongest lines in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern are [ d (Å)( I )( hkl )]: 5.790(100)(010); 2.889(40)(020); 2.707(55)(112); 2.452(40)(022); 1.668(30)(220).

Description: A bstract The crystal structure of mammothite, Pb 6 Cu 4 AlSbO 2 (SO 4 ) 2 Cl 4 (OH) 16 , is monoclinic in acentric space group C 2, with a 18.959(4), b 7.3398(19), c 11.363(3) Å, β 112.428(9){ring}, V 1461.6(1.0) Å 3 , and Z = 2. It has been refined to an R index of 0.019 on the basis of 3878 observed reflections. There are three crystallographically distinct Pb sites with two different co-ordinations: [Pb1O 8 Cl 1 ] is a mono-capped square antiprism polyhedron, while [Pb21O 7 Cl 2 ] and [Pb22O 7 Cl 2 ] are tri-capped trigonal prisms. Both Cu 2+ sites have distorted [4 + 2] octahedral coordination due to the Jahn-Teller effect. The Al and Sb sites are regular-octahedral co-ordination with oxygen atoms. The [SO 4 ] tetrahedron is quite distorted, with S–O bond lengths varying from 1.45 to 1.52 Å and subtended O–S–O angles varying from 106 to 113{ring}. In the structure there are eight (OH) – anions. All eight H atoms pfu were located, and it is these structure sites that reduce the symmetry from centric to acentric. Although mammothite is classified as a framework structure, it has a distinct layering. There are two layer types in the mammothite structure that parallel (001). There are three octahedrally coordinated sites; two are occupied by Cu atoms and one by an Al atom, in the octahedral layer. The tetragonal dipyramids [CuØ 6 ] are linked forming ‘olivine-like’ chains parallel to the b -axis. The second layer, termed the cross-linked layer, has three [PbØ 9 ] polyhedra with shared edges forming chains parallel to the b -axis, like the [CuØ 6 ] tetragonal dipyramids. These chains are cross-linked by edge-sharing [SbO 6 ] octahedra and decorated with [SO 4 ] groups. The H atoms are in ‘holes’ within both layers.

Description: 〈p〉The margins to evolving orogenic belts experience near layer-parallel contraction that can evolve into fold–thrust belts. Developing cross-section-scale understanding of these systems necessitates structural interpretation. However, over the past several decades a false distinction has arisen between some forms of so-called fault-related folding and buckle folding. We investigate the origins of this confusion and seek to develop unified approaches for interpreting fold–thrust belts that incorporate deformation arising both from the amplification of buckling instabilities and from localized shear failures (thrust faults). Discussions are illustrated using short case studies from the Bolivian Subandean chain (Incahuasi anticline), the Canadian Cordillera (Livingstone anticlinorium) and Subalpine chains of France and Switzerland. Only fault–bend folding is purely fault-related and other forms, such as fault-propagation and detachment folds, all involve components of buckling. Better integration of understanding of buckling processes, the geometries and structural evolutions that they generate may help to understand how deformation is distributed within fold–thrust belts. It may also reduce the current biases engendered by adopting a narrow range of idealized geometries when constructing cross-sections and evaluating structural evolution in these systems.〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Where primary porosity and permeability of a rock are unfavourable for hydrocarbon production, fractures can improve reservoir potential by enhancing permeability. Higher fracture intensity may create a better-connected fracture network, improving fractured-reservoir quality. Investigations into the controls on fracture intensity commonly conclude that either structural or lithological factors have the greatest influence on fracture abundance. We use the Swift Reservoir Anticline in northwestern Montana to investigate how fracture intensity varies throughout the structure and determine that although structural factors do influence fracture intensity, lithology is the main control at outcrop.〈/p〉 〈p〉The Swift Reservoir Anticline exposes bedding surfaces of the Mississippian Castle Reef Formation dolomite. Field data indicates that fracture intensity is highest in the fold forelimb, decreasing into the backlimb except in outcrops of coarse dolomite where fracture intensity is low, regardless of structural position. Field fracture intensity correlates with whole-rock quartz, kaolinite and porosity percentages. We suggest porosity and composition influence bulk-rock mechanical properties, which, in turn, control the fracture intensity at outcrop. Fracture intensity has a stronger relationship with lithological than structural factors, therefore we suggest that the key to predicting fracture intensity in the subsurface here is understanding how lithology varies spatially.〈/p〉