The antiquity of the Rhine River : stratigraphic coverage of the Dinotheriensande (Eppelsheim Formation) of the Mainz Basin (Germany)

Background: Mammalian fossils from the Eppelsheim Formation (Dinotheriensande) have been a benchmark for Neogene vertebrate palaeontology since 200 years. Worldwide famous sites like Eppelsheim serve as key localities for biochronologic, palaeobiologic, environmental, and mammal community studies. So far the formation is considered to be of early Late Miocene age (~9.5 Ma, Vallesian), representing the oldest sediments of the Rhine River. The stratigraphic unity of the formation and of its fossil content was disputed at times, but persists unresolved. Principal Findings: Here we investigate a new fossil sample from Sprendlingen, composed by over 300 mammalian specimens and silicified wood. The mammals comprise entirely Middle Miocene species, like cervids Dicrocerus elegans, Paradicrocerus elegantulus, and deinotheres Deinotherium bavaricum and D. levius. A stratigraphic evaluation of Miocene Central European deer and deinothere species proof the stratigraphic inhomogenity of the sample, and suggest late Middle Miocene (~12.5 Ma) reworking of early Middle Miocene (~15 Ma) sediments. This results agree with taxonomic and palaeoclimatic analysis of plant fossils from above and within the mammalian assemblage. Based on the new fossil sample and published data three biochronologic levels within the Dinotheriensand fauna can be differentiated, corresponding to early Middle Miocene (late Orleanian to early Astaracian), late Middle Miocene (late Astaracian), and early Late Miocene (Vallesian) ages. Conclusions/Significance: This study documents complex faunal mixing of classical Dinotheriensand fauna, covering at least six million years, during a time of low subsidence in the Mainz Basin and shifts back the origination of the Rhine River by some five million years. Our results have severe implications for biostratigraphy and palaeobiology of the Middle to Late Miocene. They suggest that turnover events may be obliterated and challenge the proposed ‘supersaturated’ biodiversity, caused by Middle Miocene superstites, of Vallesian ecosystems in Central Europe

Extracting the current-phase-relation of a monolithic three-dimensional nano-constriction using a DC-current-tunable superconducting microwave cavity

Superconducting circuits with nonlinear elements such as Josephson tunnel junctions or kinetic inductance nanowires are the workhorse for microwave quantum and superconducting sensing technologies. For devices, which can be operated at high temperatures and large magnetic fields, nano-constrictions as nonlinear elements are recently under intense investigation. Constrictions, however, are far less understood than conventional Josephson tunnel junctions, and their current-phase-relationships (CPRs) -- although highly important for device design -- are hard to predict. Here, we present a niobium microwave cavity with a monolithically integrated, neon-ion-beam patterned three-dimensional (3D) nano-constriction. By design, we obtain a DC-current-tunable microwave circuit and characterize how the bias-current-dependent constriction properties impact the cavity resonance. Based on the results of these experiments, we reconstruct the CPR of the nanoconstriction. Finally, we discuss the Kerr nonlinearity of the device, a parameter important for many high-dynamic-range applications and an experimental probe for the second and third derivatives of the CPR. Our platform provides a useful method to comprehensively characterize nonlinear elements integrated in microwave circuits and could be of interest for current sensors, hybrid quantum systems and parametric amplifiers. Our findings furthermore contribute to a better understanding of nano-fabricated 3D constrictions

Refining CLAMP - investigations towards improving the Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program

CLAMP (Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program) has been used for the past 17 years to estimate palaeoclimatic conditions. The reliability and applicability of this method, based on leaf physiognomic characters of fossil woody dicots, has been widely discussed over the same period. The present study focuses on some technical aspects of CLAMP, mainly on its robustness in the context of the theoretical unimodal requirements of Canonical Correspondence Analysis, and introduces “correction coefficients” for these aspects of the statistical approach as a new way of interpreting and improving on CLAMP estimates. This tool was tested on datasets derived from 17 European fossil floras ranging in age from the Late Oligocene to the Pliocene. Additionally, an objective statistical method for the selection of the best-suited modern vegetation dataset from 144 site (Physg3br) or 173 (Physg3ar) extant biotopes is proposed

Avaliação dos lenhos carbonizados de araucariaceae em diferentes concentrações de oxigênio por meio de termogravimetria e microscopia eletrônica de varredura

O charcoal é um dos poucos legados duradouros dos incêndios florestais ao longo dos milhares de anos, representando um registro da dinâmica dos biomas terrestres, assim como as características do oxigênio atmosférico ao longo de suas eras. Com intuito do estudo sobre a compreensão das mudanças climáticas e das flutuações da disponibilidade de oxigênio atmosférico através dos tempos, a pesquisa utilizou a carbonização do lenho de Araucaria columnaris emtermodegradação (TGA)com oxigênio de 30% e 21%, e temperaturas de 450°C e 600°C. Posteriormente, estas foram analisadas sob Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV) em diferentes aumentos, observando a anatomia do material em seus três planos estruturais e comparados a bibliografias de estudos desenvolvidos nessa área. O trabalho destacou um padrão na carbonização do lenho em ambas as atmosferas, com alterações significativas na estrutura física e química em todas as amostras. A pirólise com oxigênio e temperaturas elevadas, demonstrou maior agressividade do fogo, degradando com maior rapidez e intensidade, observando nos detalhes anatômicos que caracterizam as gimnospermas. Sendo assim, os estudos visam um maior entendimento da complexa relação entre o fogo e o planeta, e como as mudanças climáticas se tornam essenciais para a compreensão dos acontecimentos do futuro

Na Duong (northern Vietnam) – an exceptional window into Eocene ecosystems from Southeast Asia

Today, the continental ecosystems of Southeast Asia represent a global biodiversity hotspot. From a deep-time perspective, however, very little is known about the formation of this hotspot. In particular, the evolutionary and biogeographic roots of numerous terrestrial biota are unknown, and ecosystemic information, especially for the Paleogene, is unavailable. The Na Duong Basin in northern Vietnam has yielded a remarkable diversity of Paleogene vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant fossils, and is thus one of the few localities in Southeast Asia allowing for multi-focused investigation of this period. We present stratigraphic, paleontologic, and paleoecologic results from the 220 m thick Na Duong section derived from magnetostratigraphy, biochronology, vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant taxonomy, and biomarker analysis. Only the upper 40 m of the section show the original magnetization, prohibiting any further magnetostratigraphic interpretation. The affinities of two newly described mammal species, Bakalovia orientalis nov. sp. (Anthracotheriidae) and Epiaceratherium naduongense nov. sp. (Rhinocerotidae), suggest an Eocene, late Bartonian to Priabonian age (39–35 Ma). High biodiversity is recorded for unionid mussels (five species), freshwater fishes (nine taxa, including Planktophaga minuta nov. gen. et sp.), turtles (five to six taxa), and crocodiles (three taxa), and long-term stability of Southeast Asian unionid and fish faunas is demonstrated. Fossil leaves, wood and resin document azonal and zonal vegetation; dipterocarp trees were identified from resin exudate spectroscopy. In-situ tree-stump horizons allow for calculation of tree density (600 specimens/ha) and maximum canopy height (35m); both values resemble those of recent Southeast Asian peat swamp forests. Environment changed abruptly from a swamp forest to a tropical to warm sub-tropical lake of fluctuating water depth. The strong biogeographic link between the Eocene mammal faunas from Na Duong and Europe highlights the importance of Southeast Asia as a source region for trans-continental mammal dispersal along the northern Tethys margin.Heutige kontinentale Ökosysteme Südost Asiens sind ein Hotspot der globalen Biodiversität, über dessen geohistorische Entstehung jedoch sehr wenig bekannt ist. So sind die evolutionären und biogeographischen Wurzeln der meisten terrestrischen Lebensformen unbekannt und Daten zu Ökosystemen, speziell aus dem Paläogen, fehlen. Das Becken von Na Duong im nördlichen Vietnam beherbergt bemerkenswert diverse Biota fossiler Pflanzen, Mollusken und Wirbeltiere und stellt für das Paläogen eine der wenigen Regionen Südost Asiens dar, welche einen multi-disziplinären Untersuchungsansatz erlauben. Auf der Grundlage von Paläomagnetik, Biochronologie, Wirbeltier-, Mollusken- und Pflanzen-Taxonomie, sowie der Analyse von Biomarkern präsentieren wir hier unsere stratigraphischen, paläontologischen und paläo-ökologischen Ergebnisse eines 220 m mächtigen Profils der Braunkohlengrube Na Duong. Nur die hangenden 40 m der Sektion zeigen die ursprüngliche Magnetisierung, wodurch eine magnetostratigraphische Interpretation verhindert wird. Die Verwandschaftsverhältnisse von zwei neu beschriebenen Säugetierarten, Bakalovia orientalis nov. sp. (Anthracotheriidae) und Epiaceratherium naduongense nov. sp. (Rhinocerotidae), verweisen auf ein eozänes Alter (oberes Bartonium bis Priabonium, 39-35 Ma). Starke biogeographische Bezüge beider Säugetiere aus Na Duong zu europäischen Arten unterstreichen die Bedeutung Südost Asiens als eine Quellregion paläogener transkontinentaler Säugetier Ausbreitungen entlang des nördlichen Randes der Tethys. Hohe Diversitäten werden für unionide Muscheln (fünf Arten), Süßwasserfische (9 Taxa, darunter Planktophaga minuta nov. gen. et sp.), Schildkröten (fünf bis sechs Taxa) und Krokodile (drei Taxa) belegt, wobei eine taxonomische Langzeit-Stabilität der Unioniden- und Fisch-Faunen Südost Asiens belegt wird. Fossile Blätter, Hölzer und Harze dokumentieren die azonale und zonale Vegetation, letztere repräsentiert durch spektroskopisch an Harzen belegte Zweiflügelfrucht-Gewächse (Dipterocarpaceae). In-situ Baumstubben-Horizonte erlauben die Berechnung der Baum-Dichte (600 per ha) und der maximalen Kronendach-Höhe (35 m), welches in guter Übereinstimmung zu heutigen südostasiatischen Sumpfwäldern steht. Die Umwelt veränderte sich abrupt von einem Sumpfwald zu einem tropisch bis warm-subtropischen See mit fluktuierender Wassertiefe

Indo-Brazilian Late Palaeozoic wildfires: an overview on macroscopic charcoal

Carvão vegetal macroscópico é amplamente aceito como um indicador direto da ocorrência de paleo-incêndios vegetacionais, sendo relativamente bem estudado e distribuído de forma homogênea em depósitos do Paleozoico Superior da Euramérica e Cataísia. Por outro lado, apenas alguns registros deste tipo de material foram publicados para o Paleozoico Superior do Gondwana e, somente recentemente foi demonstrado que carvão vegetal macroscópico (e, portanto, incêndios) também é comum no continente meridional. Os mais importantes registros do Gondwana se constituem em fragmentos carbonizados de lenhos gimnospérmicos e estão associados, principalmente, a depósitos de carvão mineral. Registros de macro-charcoal (carvão vegetal macroscópico) foram descritos para níveis do Paleozoico Superior da Bacia Damodar (Índia) e da Bacia do Paraná (Brasil), demonstrando que paleo-incêndios vegetacionais ocorriam em sequências e intervalos estratigráficos variados no Gondwana durante esse período. Com base nos registros publicados até o momento e em novos exemplares provenientes do nível de carvão Seam-IV, Formação Raniganj, Bacia Damodar (Lopingiano da Índia), uma revisão acerca dos registros indo-brasileiros de carvão vegetal macroscópico em níveis do Paleozoico Superior são apresentados. O material inédito foi analisado sob Microscópio Eletrônico de Varredura para a definição de características anatômicas, sendo estabelecida uma afinidade gimnospérmica para os fragmentos. Os dados apresentados reforçam a importância dos paleo-incêndios vegetacionais como elemento perturbador dos diferentes paleoambientes gondvânicos durante o Paleozoico Superior.Sedimentary charcoal is widely accepted as a direct indicator for the occurrence of paleo-wildfires and, in Upper Paleozoic sediments of Euramerica and Cathaysia, reports on such remains are relatively common and (regionally and stratigraphically) more or less homogeneously distributed. On the contrary, just a few reliable records have been published for the Late Paleozoic of Gondwana and only recently it has been demonstrated that macroscopic charcoals (and thus fires) were also common in the southern continent during this period. The most important Gondwanan records are predominantly charred gymnosperm woods mainly related to coal bearing strata. Late Paleozoic macro-charcoal occurs in both, the Damodar Basin (India) and the Paraná Basin (Brazil), demonstrating that paleo-wildfires were spread out in different sequences and distinct stratigraphic intervals during this period in Gondwana. Based on the so far published records as well as new samples from the Seam-VI coalfield, Raniganj Formation (Damodar Basin – Lopingian of India), an overview of the Late Paleozoic Indo‑Brazilian macro-charcoal remains is presented. The hitherto unpublished samples were anatomically analyzed under Scanning Electron Microscope and a gymnosperm affinity could be established. The data presented here reinforce the relevance of paleo-wildfire as a source of environmental disturbance over large areas of Gondwana during the Late Paleozoic

Harmonisation framework for health based evaluation of indoor emissions from construction products in the European Union using the EU-LCI concept

This report describes a harmonised procedure for establishing a list of compounds and their associated LCI (Lowest Concentration of Interest) values for the evaluation of emissions from construction products taking into account existing procedures used in some Member States (i.e. ANSES in France and AgBB in Germany). It provides an appropriate health‐protective, science-based and transparent yet pragmatic approach with a flexible framework that enables review of the procedure to take into account new knowledge (e.g. data resulting from the REACH implementation process) for future revision of the EU-LCI master list in terms of both the compounds listed and their EU-LCI values.JRC.I.1-Chemical Assessment and Testin

Cyclic stretch increases splicing noise rate in cultured human fibroblasts

BACKGROUND: Mechanical forces are known to alter the expression of genes, but it has so far not been reported whether they may influence the fidelity of nucleus-based processes. One experimental approach permitting to address this question is the application of cyclic stretch to cultured human fibroblasts. As a marker for the precision of nucleus-based processes, the number of errors that occur during co-transcriptional splicing can then be measured. This so-called splicing noise is found at low frequency in pre-mRNA splicing. FINDINGS: The amount of splicing noise was measured by RT-qPCR of seven exon skips from the test genes AATF, MAP3K11, NF1, PCGF2, POLR2A and RABAC1. In cells treated by altered uniaxial cyclic stretching for 18 h, a uniform and significant increase of splicing noise was found for all detectable exon skips. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrate that application of cyclic stretch to cultured fibroblasts correlates with a reduced transcriptional fidelity caused by increasing splicing noise

The management of intra-abdominal infections from a global perspective : 2017 WSES guidelines for management of intra-abdominal infections

Intra-abdominal infections (IAIs) are common surgical emergencies and have been reported as major contributors to non-trauma deaths in the emergency departments worldwide. The cornerstones of effective treatment of IAIs are early recognition, adequate source control, and appropriate antimicrobial therapy. Prompt resuscitation of patients with ongoing sepsis is of utmost important. In hospitals worldwide, non-acceptance of, or lack of access to, accessible evidence-based practices and guidelines result in overall poorer outcome of patients suffering IAIs. The aim of this paper is to promote global standards of care in IAIs and update the 2013 WSES guidelines for management of intra-abdominal infections.Peer reviewe