ALBERT

Description: ABSTRACT Eucryptorrhynchus chinensis (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and E. brandti (Harold) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are the two most important pests of tree-of-heaven, Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle and its variety Ailanthus altissima var. Qiantouchun in China. They are also considered potential biological control agents for tree-of-heaven in North America. In this study, the external morphologies and antennal sensilla of both species were examined using scanning electron microscopy to better understand their host-finding mechanisms. Eleven morphological sensilla types were recorded, that is, Böhm bristles, six types of sensilla chaetica (Sch. 1–6), two types of sensilla basiconica (Sb. 1–2), and two types of sensilla trichodea (St. 1–2). Sch. 5 were absent from the antennae of E. chinensis , while Sch. 2 were absent from the antennae of E. brandti . Abundant cuticular pores were present on the antennae of both species. Three types of sensilla on the antennae of E. chinensis that were not found in a previous study, and ten different types of sensilla on the antennae of E. brandti were identified for the first time. The possible functions of the sensilla types are discussed based on a comparison with previous studies. Four types of sensilla (Sb. 1, Sb. 2, St. 2, and Sch. 6) on the antennae of both species indicate chemoreception may play a significant role in host location. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2013 . © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Description: The key to defining the termination of accretion in an accretionary orogen is to recognize the initial magmatic processes that are generated at the time of ocean closure. We present new age, geochemical and isotopic data for magmatic rocks related to terminal collision along the Solonker-Xar Moron suture zone in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) that record such processes following closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. These magmatic rocks were emplaced in the Early-Middle Triassic (251-245 Ma) and show high Sr/Y signatures. Their low MgO, Cr and Ni contents and variable whole-rock ε Nd (t) values (+5.8 to -5.3), together with the range in zircon ε Hf (t) (+15.6 to -9.8) and δ 18 O values (5.1 to 7.9 ‰), indicate an origin from partial melting of juvenile lower crustal rocks with some old components, including supracrustal recycling under garnet amphibolite facies conditions. Our data, along with available geological and geophysical evidence, lead us to propose a model of final oceanic contraction in the southern CAOB, resulting in sub-linear distribution of high Sr/Y melts along the resultant collision zone, thus defining the onset of post-accretionary processes in the southern CAOB. The identification of collision-related high Sr/Y granitoids from the southern CAOB not only reveal the magmatic process in response to the final episode of orogenic evolution in the CAOB accretionary collision zone, but also constrain how and when an archipelago-type accretionary orogen terminated.

Description: The correlation between seafloor morphological features and biological complexity has been identified in numerous recent studies. This research focused on the potential for accurate characterization of coral reefs based on high-resolution bathymetry from multiple sources. A standard deviation (STD) based method for quantitatively characterizing terrain complexity was developed that includes robust estimation to correct for irregular bathymetry and a calibration for the depth-dependent variablity of measurement noise. Airborne LiDAR and shipborne sonar bathymetry measurements from Yuanzhi Island, South China Sea, were merged to generate seamless high-resolution coverage of coral bathymetry from the shoreline to deep water. The new algorithm was applied to the Yuanzhi Island surveys to generate maps of quantitive terrain complexity, which were then compared to in situ video observations of coral abundance. The terrain complexity parameter is significantly correlated with seafloor coral abundance, demonstrating the potential for accurately and efficiently mapping coral abundance through seafloor surveys, including combinations of surveys using different sensors.

Description: The origin and geodynamic evolution of peak Early Cretaceous magmatism in the southern Great Xing'an Range, North China, have long been controversial. Here we report new U–Pb zircon ages (141–129 Ma) of a suite of dioritic-granitic rocks from central Inner Mongolia, far from the sutures or plate boundaries of the Paleo-Pacific and Mongol-Okhotsk belts, thus delineating an Early Cretaceous intracontinental magmatic province, which had a peak activity at 130-120 Ma. Dioritic suite including diorite, tonalite and granodiorite shows variable zircon ε Hf (t) of + 1.4 to + 11.8 and δ 18 O values of +5.7 to +6.9 ‰, while granitic suite consisting of monzogranite, syenogranite and granite porphyry also records variable zircon ε Hf (t) of -0.9 to +15.0 and δ 18 O values of +6.3 to +8.1 ‰, suggesting crustal melting by pre-existing crustal source with important recycled supracrustal components including fluids. Furthermore, these rocks show variable whole-rock δ 7 Li values (-0.6 to +12.1 ‰), indicating fluids played an important role in magma source. We propose a deep-sourced water-fluxed melting scenario by ancient hydrous slabs inherited from the Paleo-Asian Ocean that were trapped in the deep interior, thus releasing aqueous fluids to melt the lithospheric mantle and produce water-rich mafic magmas. These magmas were underplated into crust where they promoted water-fluxed partial melting to generate the large-scale Early Cretaceous magmatism in the southern Great Xing'an Range. Such melting due to fluxing of aqueous fluids was probably operating as a widespread process responsible for tectono-magmatic events and evolution of continental crust in NE Asia.

Description: Optic nerve injury triggered retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death and optic nerve atrophy lead to visual loss. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) are stromal cells, capable of proliferating and differentiating into different types of tissues. This aims of this study is to investigate the role of BMSCs transfected with angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) in optic nerve injury induced by hyperoxia in a neonatal mice model. Ang-1 overexpression vector was constructed and used to transfect BMSCs. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect Ang-1 expression in BMSCs. The hyperoxia-induced optic nerve injury model was established. The optic nerves at 6-7 mm posterior to the eyeball were extracted, and were treated with luxol fast blue staining, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy to examine the effects of Ang-1-modified BMSCs on optic nerve injury induced by hyperoxia. The mice in the Ang-1 + BMSCs and BMSCs groups showed remarkably improved myelin sheaths of nerve fibers compared to the hyperoxia saline group. The positive expression and integrated optic density of Ang-1 in the Ang-1 + BMSCs group were significantly higher compared to the air control, hyperoxia saline and BMSCs groups. The number and diameter of myelinated nerve fibers, the diameter of axons and the thickness of myelin sheath in the air control and Ang-1 + BMSCs groups were higher compared to the hyperoxia saline group. Our study provides evidence supporting that Ang-1-modified BMSCs may have preventive and therapeutic effects on hyperoxia-induced optic nerve injury in neonatal mice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: The Cretaceous Yuhuashan igneous complex contains abundant xenoliths of high grade metamorphic rocks, with the assemblage garnet ± hypersthene + biotite + plagioclase + K-feldspar + quartz. The biotite in these samples has high TiO 2 (〉3.5%), indicating high-temperature metamorphism (623~778 °C). P-T calculations for two felsic granulites indicate that the peak metamorphism took place at 880~887 °C and 0.64~0.70 GPa, in the low pressure/high temperature (LP-HT) granulite facies. Phase equilibrium modelling gives equilibrium conditions for the peak assemblage of a felsic granulite of 〉 0.6 GPa and 〉840 °C, consistent with the P-T calculations, and identifies an anticlockwise P-T-t path. LA-ICPMS U-Pb dating of metamorphic and detrital zircon from one xenolith reveals that the granulite facies metamorphism took place at 273.6±2.2 Ma, and the protolith was a sedimentary rock deposited later than 683 Ma. This represents the first Late Palaeozoic (Variscan) granulite-facies event identified in the South China Block (SCB). Coupled with other geological observations, the LP-HT metamorphic conditions and anticlockwise P-T-t path suggest that Variscan metamorphism probably occurred in a post-orogenic or intraplate extensional tectonic setting associated with the input of external heat, related to the underplating of mantle-derived magma. Based on P-T estimates and the comparison of the protolith composition with mid- to low-grade metamorphic rocks in the area, it is suggested that the mid-lower crust under the Xiangshan-Yuhuashan area consists mainly of these felsic granulites and gneisses, whose protoliths were probably subducted to these depths during the Early Palaeozoic orogeny in the SCB, and underwent two episodes of metamorphism during Early Palaeozoic and Late Palaeozoic time. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The significant positive correlation between ghrelin and iron and hepcidin levels in the plasma of children with iron deficiency anemia prompted us to hypothesize that ghrelin may affect iron metabolism. Here, we investigated the effects of fasting or ghrelin on the expression of hepcidin, ferroportin 1 (Fpn1), transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), ferritin light chain (Ft-L) proteins and ghrelin, and also hormone secretagogue receptor 1 alpha (GHSR1α) and ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) mRNAs in the spleen and/or macrophage. We demonstrated that fasting induces a significant increase in the expression of ghrelin, GHSR1α, GOAT and hepcidin mRNAs, as well as Ft-L and Fpn1 but not TfR1 proteins in the spleens of mice in vivo. Similar to the effects of fasting on the spleen, ghrelin induced a significant increase in the expression of Ft-L and Fpn1 but not TfR1 proteins in macrophages in vitro. In addition, ghrelin was found to induce a significant enhancement in phosphorylation of ERK as well as translocation of pERK from the cytosol to nuclei. Furthermore, the increased pERK and Fpn1 induced by ghrelin was demonstrated to be preventable by pre-treatment with either GHSR1α antagonist or pERK inhibitor. Our findings support the hypothesis that fasting up-regulates Fpn1 expression, probably via a ghrelin/GHSR/MAPK signaling pathway. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Description: Transferrin receptor (TfR1) and divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) are important proteins for cellular iron uptake, and both are regulated transcriptionally through the binding of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) to hypoxia-responsive elements (HREs) under hypoxic conditions. These proteins are also regulated post-transcriptionally through the binding of iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1) to iron-responsive elements (IREs) located in the mRNA untranslated region (UTR) to control cellular iron homeostasis. In iron-deficient cells, IRP1/IRE interactions stabilize TfR1 and DMT1 mRNAs, enhancing iron uptake. However, little is known about the impact of IRP1 on the regulation of cellular iron homeostasis under hypoxia. Thus, to investigate the role of IRP1 in hypoxic condition, overexpression and knockdown assays were performed using HepG2 cells. The overexpression of IRP1 suppressed the hypoxia-induced increase in TfR1 and DMT1 (+IRE) expression and reduced the stability of TfR1 and DMT1 (+IRE) mRNAs under hypoxia, whereas IRP1 knockdown further increased the hypoxia-induced expression of both proteins, preventing the decrease in IRE-dependent luciferase activity induced by hypoxia. Under hypoxic conditions, ferrous iron uptake, the labile iron pool (LIP), and total intracellular iron reduced when IRP1 was overexpressed and further increased when IRP1 was knocked down. IRP1 expression declined and TfR1/DMT1 (+IRE) expression increased with the time of hypoxia prolonged, whereas the binding of IRP1 to the IRE of TfR1/DMT1 mRNA maintained. In summary, IRP1 suppressed TfR1/DMT1 (+IRE) expression, limited the cellular iron content and decreased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release induced by hypoxia. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved