Spatiotemporally heterogeneous deformation, indirect tectonomagmatic links, and lithospheric evolution during orogenic activity coeval with an arc flare-up

Broad overlap between deformation and magmatism in active margins has spurred the development of a conceptual framework of direct tectonomagmatic links in both active and ancient arcs. Although widespread and highly influential, such models have only rarely been critically evaluated. Rigorously linking tectonism, geodynamics, lithospheric evolution, and arc activity requires detailed reconstructions of the spatiotemporal patterns of magmatism and deformation across both a sufficiently wide area and a range of observational scales. Herein, new constraints on the timing, extent, and characteristics of deformation during mid-Cretaceous tectonism in the central Sierra Nevada (eastern California, USA) are synthesized with published geologic mapping, structural studies, and geochronology to create an updated reconstruction of one of the type examples of a hot, magma-rich orogen. Tilted strata, tectonic fabrics, and shear zones with variable geometries, kinematics, intensity, and timing reveal a significantly revised record of ~25 m.y. of heterogeneous deformation ca. 105–80 Ma. Deformation and magmatism show distinct and unrelated spatiotemporal patterns throughout this orogenic episode. Contrary to previous models of direct tectonomagmatic links, many of which were developed in the central Sierra Nevada, arc activity did not control the location, intensity, or kinematics of intra-arc deformation, nor did shear zones control the location of magmatism. Furthermore, arc lithosphere appears to have strengthened, rather than weakened, as the arc-orogenic flare-up proceeded. In addition to changing plate-scale boundary conditions, lithospheric-scale rheological evolution likely played a key role in the patterns of Late Cretaceous deformation observed across strike of the entire Cordilleran margin

NB-IoT Uplink Synchronization by Change Point Detection of Phase Series in NTNs

Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs) are widely recognized as a potential solution to achieve ubiquitous connections of Narrow Bandwidth Internet of Things (NB-IoT). In order to adopt NTNs in NB-IoT, one of the main challenges is the uplink synchronization of Narrowband Physical Random Access procedure which refers to the estimation of time of arrival (ToA) and carrier frequency offset (CFO). Due to the large propagation delay and Doppler shift in NTNs, traditional estimation methods for Terrestrial Networks (TNs) can not be applied in NTNs directly. In this context, we design a two stage ToA and CFO estimation scheme including coarse estimation and fine estimation based on abrupt change point detection (CPD) of phase series with machine learning. Our method achieves high estimation accuracy of ToA and CFO under the low signal-noise ratio (SNR) and large Doppler shift conditions and extends the estimation range without enhancing Random Access preambles

Geochronology, geochemistry, and tectonic significance of the Shirenshan gneiss in the southern margin of the North China Block

The Shirenshan Block is a complex geological body located in the southern margin of the North China Block (NCB). From south to north, it can be divided into the Taihua Group migmatite, and the Shirenshan gneiss and magmatic rocks. The petrographic features, tectonic setting, provenance, and geological age of the Shirenshan gneiss using comprehensive field investigations, microstructural analysis, zircon U-Pb radioactive dating, and geochemical analyses were investigated for this study. The petrology, geochemistry, and geochronology of the Shirenshan gneiss suggests that it is mainly a felsic rock and its protolith was a high-K calc-alkaline series A-type granite. The protolith is high in SiO2, Al2O3, K2O, Na2O, and low in CaO and MgO. Overall, the Sr-Nd isotope composition of the samples showed no significant difference, indicating that the Taihua Group migmatite and the Shirenshan gneiss have the same source material. The Shirenshan block may be partially melted from the Taihua group and formed during activity of the Luo-Luan Fault. By the method of zircon dating analysis, the protolith age of the Shirenshan block was determined as 1559±16Ma (Early Proterozoic). Then, the crystallization age of the syntectonic migmatite is 439.2±7.6Ma, which was formed by subduction of the Taihua Group. During the early Cretaceous (119.5±1.3Ma), the Shirenshan gneiss may have experienced regional migmatization and formed the zircon rims age of the Yanshanian period. Litho-geochemical features of the Shirenshan block are similar to A1-type granites indicating that they are post-orogenic. Therefore, the metamorphic deformation of the Shirenshan gneiss reflects the tectonics in the southern margin of the NCB.</p

Different molecular characteristics and antimicrobial resistance profiles of Clostridium difficile in the Asia-Pacific region

Molecular epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has been extensively studied in North America and Europe; however, limited data on CDI are available in the Asia-Pacific region. A multicentre retrospective study was conducted in this region. C. difficile isolates were subjected to multilocus sequence typing (ST) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Totally, 394 isolates were collected from Hangzhou, Hong Kong, China; Busan, South Korea; Fukuoka, Japan; Singapore; Perth, Sydney, Australia; New York, the United States. C. difficile isolates included 337 toxin A-positive/B-positive/binary toxin-negative (A+B+CDT-), 48 A-B+CDT-, and nine A+B+CDT+. Distribution of dominant STs varied geographically with ST17 in Fukuoka (18.6%), Busan (56.0%), ST2 in Sydney (20.4%), Perth (25.8%). The antimicrobial resistance patterns were significantly different among the eight sites (χ2 = 325.64, p \u3c 0.001). Five major clonal complexes correlated with unique antimicrobial resistances. Healthcare-associated (HA) CDI was mainly from older patients with more frequent antimicrobial use and higher A-B+ positive rates. Higher resistance to gatifloxacin, tetracycline, and erythromycin were observed in HA-CDI patients (χ2 = 4.76-7.89, p = 0.005-0.029). In conclusion, multiple C. difficile genotypes with varied antimicrobial resistance patterns have been circulating in the Asia-Pacific region. A-B+ isolates from older patients with prior antimicrobial use were correlated with HA-CDI

An Improvement of Shotgun Proteomics Analysis by Adding Next-Generation Sequencing Transcriptome Data in Orange

BACKGROUND: Shotgun proteomics data analysis usually relies on database search. Because commonly employed protein sequence databases of most species do not contain sufficient protein information, the application of shotgun proteomics to the research of protein sequence profile remains a big challenge, especially to the species whose genome has not been sequenced yet. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this paper, we present a workflow with integrated database to partly address this problem. First, we downloaded the homologous species database. Next, we identified the transcriptome of the sample, created a protein sequence database based on the transcriptome data, and integtrated it with homologous species database. Lastly, we developed a workflow for identifying peptides simultaneously from shotgun proteomics data. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We used datasets from orange leaves samples to demonstrate our workflow. The results showed that the integrated database had great advantage on orange shotgun proteomics data analysis compared to the homologous species database, an 18.5% increase in number of proteins identification

Functional Evaluation of Genetic and Environmental Regulators of P450 mRNA Levels

Variations in the activities of Cytochrome P450s are one of the major factors responsible for inter-individual differences in drug clearance rates, which may cause serious toxicity or inefficacy of therapeutic drugs. Various mRNA level is one of the key factors for different activity of the major P450 genes. Although both genetic and environmental regulators of P450 gene expression have been widely investigated, few studies have evaluated the functional importance of cis- and trans-regulatory factors and environmental factors in the modulation of inter-individual expression variations of the P450 genes. In this study, we measured the mRNA levels of seven major P450 genes (CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP3A4 and CYP3A5) in 96 liver biopsy samples from Chinese population. Both trans-acting (mRNA levels and non-synonymous SNPs of putative regulator genes) and cis-acting (gene copy number and functional SNPs) factors were investigated to identify the determinants of the expression variations of these seven P450 genes. We found that expression variations of most P450 genes, regulator genes and housekeeping genes were positively correlated at the mRNA level. After partial correlation analysis using ACTB and GAPDH expression to eliminate the effect of global regulators, a UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean) tree was constructed to reveal the effects of specific regulation networks potentially masked by global regulators. Combined with the functional analysis of regulators, our results suggested that expression variation at the mRNA level was mediated by several factors in a gene-specific manner. Cis-acting genetic variants might play key roles in the expression variation of CYP2D6 and CYP3A5, environmental inducers might play key roles in CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 variation and global regulators might play key roles in CYP2C9 variation. In addition, the functions of regulators that play less important roles in controlling expression variation for each P450 gene were determined

Comment on “Pressure‐to‐Depth Conversion Models for Metamorphic Rocks: Derivation and Applications” by Bauville and Yamato

Abstract Bauville and Yamato (2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gc009280) (G‐cubed) propose model‐based methods to convert metamorphic pressures to depths based on the claim that pressure data from global (ultra)high‐pressure([U]HP) rocks challenge the lithostatic assumption and support their model which invokes excessive overpressures. It is argued here that the opposite is true: Natural pressure data are fully consistent with the lithostatic assumption. They reflect selection of (U)HP rocks by accessibility and preservation. The data are however inconsistent with the model predictions of Yamato and Brun (2017, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2852) and Bauville and Yamato (2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020gc009280). Furthermore, their model requires critical assumptions that are not justified by the principles of rock mechanics and unsupported by microstructures from (U)HP rocks

3D dynamic simulation and optimization of mammoth desiliconization converter for high-quality stainless steel

A three-dimensional dynamic simulation model of the molten iron flow field was presented in the paper with Fluent simulation software. Different operating parameters combinations, including different oxygen lance locations, oxygen pressures and oxygen flows, different arrangements of bottom blowing holes, hole sizes, nitrogen pressures and nitrogen flows were studied. It is shown that the relative optimum value of the distance from top-blow gun to the molten iron surface is 1500 mm, and bottom blowing hole diameter is 20mm, there is no significant difference of the blowing effects found when comparing single ring arrangement with double rings arrangement of 8 bottom blowing holes with only bottom-blow, and the bottom-blow of inner ring is disturbed by top-blow when top and bottom combined blow. Optimized design results have been applied to the design and manufacture of the actual converter, the converter has been successfully used in plant. The actual production results indicate that the desiliconization precision can reach 0.05%, the content of Cr2O3 in the slag after reduction can be less than 2%, better than the technical requirements of 3%, and improve the recovery rate of the chromium. Compared with traditional desiliconization method by iron gutter and iron ladle, desiliconization by converter does not use compression residue agents and reduce the amount of desiliconization agents and slag, and improve the desiliconization efficiency and productivity