The antenna DSA 3 and its potential use for Radio Astronomy

The European Space Agency (ESA) will inaugurate its third Deep Space Antenna (DSA 3) by the end of 2012. DSA 3 will be located in Argentina near the city of Malarg"ue in the Mendoza province. While the instrument will be primarily dedicated to communications with interplanetary missions, the characteristics of its antenna and receivers will also enable standalone leading scientific contributions, with a high scientific-technological return. We outline here scientific proposals for a radio astronomical use of DSA 3.Comment: 4 pages, submitted as Proceedings for the BAA

LP/HT metamorphism as a temporal marker of change of deformation style within the Late Palaeozoic accretionary wedge of central Chile

A Late Palaeozoic accretionary prism, formed at the southwestern margin of Gondwana from Early Carboniferous to Late Triassic, comprises the Coastal Accretionary Complex of central Chile (34–41°S). This fossil accretionary system is made up of two parallel contemporaneous metamorphic belts: a high‐pressure/low temperature belt (HP/LT – Western Series) and a low pressure/high temperature belt (LP/HT – Eastern Series). However, the timing of deformation events associated with the growth of the accretionary prism (successive frontal accretion and basal underplating) and the development of the LP/HT metamorphism in the shallower levels of the wedge are not continuously observed along this paired metamorphic belt, suggesting the former existence of local perturbations in the subduction regime. In the Pichilemu region, a well‐preserved segment of the paired metamorphic belt allows a first order correlation between the metamorphic and deformational evolution of the deep accreted slices of oceanic crust (blueschists and HP greenschists from the Western Series) and deformation at the shallower levels of the wedge (the Eastern Series). LP/HT mineral assemblages grew in response to arc‐related granitic intrusions, and porphyroblasts constitute time markers recording the evolution of deformation within shallow wedge material. Integrated P–T–t–d analysis reveals that the LP/HT belt is formed between the stages of frontal accretion (D1) and basal underplating of basic rocks (D2) forming blueschists at c. 300 Ma. A timeline evolution relating the formation of blueschists and the formation and deformation of LP/HT mineral assemblages at shallower levels, combined with published geochronological/thermobarometric/geochemistry data suggests a cause–effect relation between the basal accretion of basic rocks and the deformation of the shallower LP/HT belt. The S2 foliation that formed during basal accretion initiated near the base of the accretionary wedge at ~30 km depth at c. 308 Ma. Later, the S2 foliation developed at c. 300 Ma and ~15 km depth shortly after the emplacement of the granitoids and formation of the (LP/HT) peak metamorphic mineral assemblages. This shallow deformation may reflect a perturbation in the long‐term subduction dynamics (e.g. entrance of a seamount), which would in turn have contributed to the coeval exhumation of the nearby blueschists at c. 300 Ma. Finally, 40Ar–39Ar cooling ages reveal that foliated LP/HT rocks were already at ~350 °C at c. 292 Ma, indicating a rapid cooling for this metamorphic system.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/115992/1/jmg12166-sup-0001-FigS1-S5.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/115992/2/jmg12166_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/115992/3/jmg12166.pd

Diversidad genética de las razas porcinas ibérica y alentejana mediante el genotipado de variantes genéticas en genes mayores y genes candidatos

Las razas porcinas ibérica y alentejana se encuentran biogeográficamente localizadas en el suroeste de la península Ibérica. Estas razas comparten un conjunto de características comunes. Ambas son fenotípicamente muy similares; muestran un bajo índice de crecimiento y una elevada deposición grasa y tienen un sistema común de producción al aire libre en el que se explotan los recursos de la Dehesa. El objetivo del presente trabajo, dentro del marco del proyecto TREASURE, consistió en caracterizar la diversidad genética de ambas razas usando los datos de genotipado de 39 polimorfismos localizados en 34 genes previamente asociados a distintos caracteres de interés económico. Estos polimorfismos fueron genotipados en 950 cerdos pertenecientes a las razas ibérica y alentejana y a 18 razas europeas autóctonas adicionales. Los bajos valores para heterozigosidad observada y esperada indican una baja diversidad genética en ibéricos y alentejanos. Las distancias genéticas estimadas usando DS y FST fueron cercanas a 0 (0.007 y 0.039, respectivamente), sugieren que estas razas son genéticamente muy similares. Asimismo, las técnicas de análisis multivariante utilizadas como análisis de componentes principales y asignación a grupos mostraron que los individuos de estas razas están muy próximos formando clusters diferenciados del resto de razas. Estos resultados concuerdan con los de otros autores que ya mostraron distancias genéticas cortas entre ambas razas usando secuencias de ADN mitocondrial

Fluid flow in the subduction channel: Tremolite veins and associated blackwalls in antigoritite (Villa Clara serpentinite mélange, Cuba)

Exotic blocks of massive antigorite-serpentinite (antigoritite) document a deep-seated subduction channel in the Villa Clara serpentinite-matrix mélange, central Cuba. The petrological and geochemical characteristics of antigoritite allow distinguishing two types of rock: i) antigoritite and ii) dolomite-bearing antigoritite. Both types are intimately related in field exposures and represent deep peridotite infiltrated by H2O-CO2 fluid mixtures that triggered antigoritization and local carbonation. Fluid infiltration continued after antigoritization forming a vein network as a potential response to hydrofracturing that precipitated tremolitite in the veins and triggered fluid-antigoritite reaction forming blackwalls. The mineralogical and chemical zoning in the blackwalls (Atg + Chl + Tr adjacent to antigoritite and Chl + Tr adjacent to the tremolitite vein) attest for multi-step metasomatic processes during fluid-rock interaction characterized by advection of infiltrating fluid towards the blackwall and, possibly, by diffusion out of the blackwall towards the fluid-filled vein. Tentative thermodynamic modeling of the blackwall domain Atg + Chl + Tr points vein network formation at 400–500 °C and 5–10 kbar during exhumation in the subduction channel, suggesting the infiltration of deep-seated pressurized fluid that triggered hydrofracturing. The chemical compositions of antigoritites, veins and blackwalls indicate a LILE- and LREE-enriched fluid evolved from the subducting plate, while Srsingle bondNd isotope systematics are compatible with an external fluid composed of a mixture of fluids evolved from sediments and, probably to a lesser extent, altered oceanic crust.This research was funded by projects MICINN PID2019-105625RB-C21 (co-funded by Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional, FEDER), Junta de Andalucía P20_00550, Catalonian project SGR 2014-1661 and the University of Granada. LD acknowledges PhD grant BES-2013-063205 of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and scholarship of Fundació Universitària Agustí Pedro i Pons. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Granada / CBUA

An Alternative Scenario on the Origin of Ultra-High Pressure (UHP) and Super-Reduced (SuR) Minerals in Ophiolitic Chromitites: A Case Study from the Mercedita Deposit (Eastern Cuba)

The origin of the assemblage of ultra-high pressure (UHP), super-reduced (SuR) and several crustally derived phases in ophiolitic chromitites is still hotly debated. In this paper, we report, for the first time, this assemblage of phases in ophiolitic chromitites of the Caribbean. We studied the Mercedita chromitite deposit in the eastern Cuban ophiolitic complexes. The mineral phases were characterized using microRaman spectroscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy with a scanning electron microscope (SEM-EDS), X-ray microdiffraction and electron microprobe analyses. Mineral concentrates were prepared using hydroseparation techniques. We have identified oriented clinopyroxene lamellae in chromite, oriented rutile lamellae in chromite, moissanite hosted in the altered matrix of the chromitite, graphite-like amorphous carbon, corundum and SiO2 hosted in healed fractures in chromite grains, and native Cu and Fe-Mn alloy recovered in heavy-mineral concentrates obtained by hydroseparation. This assemblage may correspond to UHP-SuR conditions, implying recycling of chromitite in the mantle or formation of the chromite grains at deep mantle depths, followed by emplacement at a shallow level in the mantle. However, the chromitite bodies contain gabbro sills oriented parallel to the elongation of the chromitite lenses, and these show no evidence of HP/UHP metamorphism. Therefore, the identified "exotic" phases may not be indicative of UHP. They formed independently as oriented clinopyroxene lamellae in chromite during cooling (clinopyroxene and rutile), in super-reduced microenvironments during the serpentinization processes, and by transference of subducted crustal material to the mantle wedge via cold plume

The Netrin-1-Neogenin-1 signaling axis controls neuroblastoma cell migration via integrin-β1 and focal adhesion kinase activation

Neuroblastoma is a highly metastatic tumor that emerges from neural crest cell progenitors. Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) is a regulator of cell migration that binds to the receptor Neogenin-1 and is upregulated in neuroblastoma. Here, we show that Netrin-1 ligand binding to Neogenin-1 leads to FAK autophosphorylation and integrin β1 activation in a FAK dependent manner, thus promoting neuroblastoma cell migration. Moreover, Neogenin-1, which was detected in all tumor stages and was required for neuroblastoma cell migration, was found in a complex with integrin β1, FAK, and Netrin-1. Importantly, Neogenin-1 promoted neuroblastoma metastases in an immunodeficient mouse model. Taken together, these data show that Neogenin-1 is a metastasis-promoting protein that associates with FAK, activates integrin β1 and promotes neuroblastoma cell migration.This work was supported by the Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica [21130521]; Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico [1140697]; Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico [1180495]; Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Cancer [RD12/0036/0027]; SAF [SAF2015-65175-R]; Red Temática de Investigación Cooperativa en Cancer [RD12/0036/0027]; PSG: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades and FEDER funds (RTI2018-093596); JGC: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad of Spain (PI17CIII/00013), Consejería de Educación, Juventud y Deporte, Comunidad de Madrid (P2017/BMD-3692), Fundación Oncohematología Infantil, AFANION, and Asociación Pablo Ugarte.S

Potential Use of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to Predict Fatty Acid Profile of Meat from Different European Autochthonous Pig Breeds

Autochthonous pig breeds provide products of differentiated quality, among which quality control is difficult to perform and insufficient for current market requirements. The present research evaluates the predictive ability of near‐infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, combined with chemometric methods as a rapid and affordable tool to assure traceability and quality control. Thus, NIR technology was assessed for intact and minced muscle Longissimus thoracis et lumborum samples collected from 12 European autochthonous pig breeds for the quantification of lipid content and fatty acid composition. Different tests were performed using different numbers of samples for calibration and validation. The best predictive ability was found using minced presentation and set with 80% of the samples for the calibration and the remaining 20% for the external validation test for the following traits: lipid content and saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which attained both the highest determination coefficients (0.89, 0.61, and 0.65, respectively) and the lowest root mean square errors in external validation (0.62, 1.82, and 1.36, respectively). Lower predictive ability was observed for intact muscles. These results could contribute to improve the management of autochthonous breeds and to ensure quality of their products by traditional meat industry chains

Methane hydrate formation in confined nanospace can surpass nature

Natural methane hydrates are believed to be the largest source of hydrocarbons on Earth. These structures are formed in specific locations such as deep-sea sediments and the permafrost based on demanding conditions of high pressure and low temperature. Here we report that, by taking advantage of the confinement effects on nanopore space, synthetic methane hydrates grow under mild conditions (3.5 MPa and 2 degrees C), with faster kinetics (within minutes) than nature, fully reversibly and with a nominal stoichiometry that mimics nature. The formation of the hydrate structures in nanospace and their similarity to natural hydrates is confirmed using inelastic neutron scattering experiments and synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. 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