ALBERT

Description: 〈span〉〈div〉Abstract〈/div〉The NE–SW-trending Qin-Hang Belt and east–west-trending Nanling Range are two critical magmatic and mineralization zones in the southeastern South China Block (SCB). However, the formation timing and petrogenesis of the magmatism in these zones, along with the relationship with the Pacific subduction, remain hotly debated. Herein, this study presents a set of zircon U–Pb geochronological, Lu–Hf isotopic and whole-rock geochemical data for the Late Jurassic Mashan and Nandu shoshonitic intrusions in the Qin-Hang Belt. All the samples are enriched in large ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements. They have high 〈span〉ε〈/span〉Nd〈sub〉(〈span〉t〈/span〉)〈/sub〉 (from −1.4 to +4.4) and zircon 〈span〉ε〈/span〉Hf〈sub〉(〈span〉t〈/span〉)〈/sub〉 values (from −1.0 to +3.4) and low initial 〈sup〉87〈/sup〉Sr/〈sup〉86〈/sup〉Sr (0.70426–0.70696), distinct from those of the Triassic shoshonitic rocks but comparable with those of the Jurassic shoshonitic rocks in the region. Such signatures suggest that the Mashan and Nandu igneous rocks mainly derived from a Jurassic metasomatized lithospheric mantle in response to asthenospheric upwelling, without significant contribution from subducted slab-derived components. Our new data, together with other geological observations, reveal a spatial change of magmatic activities, structural patterns, sedimentary basins and palaeocurrent directions during the Middle–Late Jurassic, probably associated with the far-field effects of the Pacific subduction in the interior SCB.〈/span〉

Description: The Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway participates in interstrand cross-link (ICL) repair and the maintenance of genomic stability. The FA core complex consists of eight FA proteins and two Fanconi anemia-associated proteins (FAAP24 and FAAP100). The FA core complex has ubiquitin ligase activity responsible for monoubiquitination of the FANCI-FANCD2 (ID) complex, which in turn initiates a cascade of biochemical events that allow processing and removal of cross-linked DNA and thereby promotes cell survival following DNA damage. Here, we report the identification of a unique component of the FA core complex, namely, FAAP20, which contains a RAD18-like ubiquitin-binding zinc-finger domain. Our data suggest that FAAP20 promotes the functional integrity of the FA core complex via its direct interaction with the FA gene product, FANCA. Indeed, somatic knockout cells devoid of FAAP20 displayed the hallmarks of FA cells, including hypersensitivity to DNA cross-linking agents, chromosome aberrations, and reduced FANCD2 monoubiquitination. Taking these data together, our study indicates that FAAP20 is an important player involved in the FA pathway.

Description: Lower Cretaceous pedogenic carbonates exposed in SE China have been dated by U–Pb isotope measurements on single zircons taken from intercalated volcanic rocks, and the ages integrated with existing stratigraphy. 13 C values of calcretes range from –7.0 to –3.0 and can be grouped into five episodes of increasing–decreasing values. The carbon isotope proxy derived from these palaeosol carbonates suggests p CO 2 mostly in the range 1000–2000 parts per million by volume (ppmV) at S ( z ) (CO 2 contributed by soil respiration) = 2500 ppmV and 25°C during the Hauterivian–Albian interval ( c . 30 Ma duration). Such atmospheric CO 2 levels are 4–8 times pre-industrial values, almost double those estimated by geochemical modelling and much higher than those established from stomatal indices in fossil plants. Rapid rises in p CO 2 are identified for early Hauterivian, middle Barremian, late Aptian, early Albian and middle Albian time, and rapid falls for intervening periods. These episodic cyclic changes in p CO 2 are not attributed to local tectonism and volcanism but rather to global changes. The relationship between reconstructed p CO 2 and the development of large igneous provinces (LIPs) remains unclear, although large-scale extrusion of basalt may well be responsible for relatively high atmospheric levels of this greenhouse gas. Suggested levels of relatively low p CO 2 correspond in timing to intervals of regional to global enrichment of marine carbon in sediments and negative carbon isotope ( 13 C) excursions characteristic of the oceanic anoxic events OAE1a (Selli Event), Kilian and Paquier events (constituting part of the OAE 1b cluster) and OAE1d. Short-term episodes of high p CO 2 coincide with negligible carbon isotope excursions associated with the Faraoni Event and the Jacob Event. Given that episodes of regional organic carbon burial would draw down CO 2 and negative 13 C excursions indicate the addition of isotopically light carbon to the ocean–atmosphere system, controls on the carbon cycle in controlling p CO 2 during Early Cretaceous time were clearly complex and made more so by atmospheric composition also being affected by changes in silicate weathering intensity.

Description: 〈span〉〈div〉Abstract〈/div〉The NE–SW-trending Qin-Hang Belt and east–west-trending Nanling Range are two critical magmatic and mineralization zones in the southeastern South China Block (SCB). However, the formation timing and petrogenesis of the magmatism in these zones, along with the relationship with the Pacific subduction, remain hotly debated. Herein, this study presents a set of zircon U–Pb geochronological, Lu–Hf isotopic and whole-rock geochemical data for the Late Jurassic Mashan and Nandu shoshonitic intrusions in the Qin-Hang Belt. All the samples are enriched in large ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements. They have high 〈span〉ε〈/span〉Nd〈sub〉(〈span〉t〈/span〉)〈/sub〉 (from −1.4 to +4.4) and zircon 〈span〉ε〈/span〉Hf〈sub〉(〈span〉t〈/span〉)〈/sub〉 values (from −1.0 to +3.4) and low initial 〈sup〉87〈/sup〉Sr/〈sup〉86〈/sup〉Sr (0.70426–0.70696), distinct from those of the Triassic shoshonitic rocks but comparable with those of the Jurassic shoshonitic rocks in the region. Such signatures suggest that the Mashan and Nandu igneous rocks mainly derived from a Jurassic metasomatized lithospheric mantle in response to asthenospheric upwelling, without significant contribution from subducted slab-derived components. Our new data, together with other geological observations, reveal a spatial change of magmatic activities, structural patterns, sedimentary basins and palaeocurrent directions during the Middle–Late Jurassic, probably associated with the far-field effects of the Pacific subduction in the interior SCB.〈/span〉

Description: Maintenance of genomic stability is essential for normal organismal development and is vital to prevent diseases such as cancer. As genetic information is packaged into chromatin, it has become increasingly clear that the chromatin environment plays an important role in DNA damage response. However, how DNA repair is controlled by...

Description: Inflammation and loss of cell polarity play pivotal roles in neurodegeneration and cancer. A central question in both diseases is how the loss of cell polarity is sensed by cell death machinery. Here, we identify apoptosis-stimulating protein of p53 with signature sequences of ankyrin repeat-, SH3 domain-, and proline-rich region-containing...

Description: It has long been established that premature leaf senescence negatively impacts the yield stability of rice, but the underlying molecular mechanism driving this relationship remains largely unknown. Here, we identified a dominant premature leaf senescence mutant, prematurely senile 1 (ps1-D). PS1 encodes a plant-specific NAC (no apical meristem, Arabidopsis ATAF1/2,...

Description: The covalent linkage of supramolecular monomers provides a powerful strategy for constructing dynamic polymeric materials whose properties can be readily tuned either by the selection of monomers or the choice of functional linkers. In this strategy, the stabilities of the supramolecular monomers and the reactions used to link the monomers...

Description: This paper describes an investigation of the dynamics and acoustics of cloud cavitation, the structures which are often formed by the periodic breakup and collapse of a sheet or vortex cavity. This form of cavitation frequently causes severe noise and damage, though the precise mechanism responsible for the enhancement of these adverse effects is not fully understood. In this paper, we investigate the large impulsive surface pressures generated by this type of cavitation and correlate these with the images from high-speed motion pictures. This reveals that several types of propagating structures (shock waves) are formed in a collapsing cloud and dictate the dynamics and acoustics of collapse. One type of shock wave structure is associated with the coherent collapse of a well-defined and separate cloud when it is convected into a region of higher pressure. This type of global structure causes the largest impulsive pressures and radiated noise. But two other types of structure, termed 'crescent-shaped regions' and leading-edge structures' occur during the less-coherent collapse of clouds. These local events are smaller and therefore produce less radiated noise but the interior pressure pulse magnitudes are almost as large as those produced by the global events. The ubiquity and severity of these propagating shock wave structures provides a new perspective on the mechanisms reponsible for noise and damage in cavitating flows involving clouds of bubbles. It would appear that shock wave dynamics rather than the collapse dynamics of single bubbles determine the damage and noise in many cavitating flows.