Determining the thermal histories of Apollo 15 mare basalts using diffusion modelling in olivine

Mare basalts collected at the Apollo 15 landing site can be classified into two groups. Based on differing whole-rock major element chemistry, these groups are the quartz-normative basalt suite and the olivine-normative basalt suite. In this study we use modelling of Fe-Mg interdiffusion in zoned olivine crystals to investigate the magmatic environments in which the zonation was formed, be that within the lunar crust or during cooling within a surficial lava flow, helping to understand the thermal histories of the two basalt suites. Interdiffusion of Fe-Mg in olivine was modelled in 29 crystals in total, from six olivine-normative basalt thin sections and from three quartz-normative basalt thin sections. We used a dynamic diffusion model that includes terms for both crystal growth and intracrystalline diffusion during magma cooling. Calculated diffusion timescales range from 5 to 24 days for quartz-normative samples, and 6 to 91 days for olivine-normative samples. Similarities in diffusion timescales point to both suites experiencing similar thermal histories and eruptive processes. The diffusion timescales are short (between 5 and 91 days), and compositional zonation is dominated by crystal growth, which indicates that the diffusion most likely took place during cooling and solidification within lava flows at the lunar surface. We used a simple conductive cooling model to link our calculated diffusion timescales with possible lava flow thicknesses, and from this we estimate that Apollo 15 lava flows are a minimum of 3–6 m thick. This calculation is consistent with flow thickness estimates from photographs of lava flows exposed in the walls of Hadley Rille at the Apollo 15 landing site. Our study demonstrates that diffusion modelling is a valuable method of obtaining information about lunar magmatic environments recorded by individual crystals within mare basalt samples

Cartilage-specific ablation of XBP1 signaling in mouse results in a chondrodysplasia characterized by reduced chondrocyte proliferation and delayed cartilage maturation and mineralization

SummaryObjectiveTo investigate the in vivo role of the IRE1/XBP1 unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling pathway in cartilage.DesignXbp1flox/flox.Col2a1-Cre mice (Xbp1CartΔEx2), in which XBP1 activity is ablated specifically from cartilage, were analyzed histomorphometrically by Alizarin red/Alcian blue skeletal preparations and X-rays to examine overall bone growth, histological stains to measure growth plate zone length, chondrocyte organization, and mineralization, and immunofluorescence for collagen II, collagen X, and IHH. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) analyses were used to measure chondrocyte proliferation and cell death, respectively. Chondrocyte cultures and microdissected growth plate zones were analyzed for expression profiling of chondrocyte proliferation or endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers by Quantitative PCR (qPCR), and of Xbp1 mRNA splicing by RT-PCR to monitor IRE1 activation.ResultsXbp1CartΔEx2 displayed a chondrodysplasia involving dysregulated chondrocyte proliferation, growth plate hypertrophic zone shortening, and IRE1 hyperactivation in chondrocytes. Deposition of collagens II and X in the Xbp1CartΔEx2 growth plate cartilage indicated that XBP1 is not required for matrix protein deposition or chondrocyte hypertrophy. Analyses of mid-gestation long bones revealed delayed ossification in Xbp1CartΔEx2 embryos. The rate of chondrocyte cell death was not significantly altered, and only minimal alterations in the expression of key markers of chondrocyte proliferation were observed in the Xbp1CartΔEx2 growth plate. IRE1 hyperactivation occurred in Xbp1CartΔEx2 chondrocytes but was not sufficient to induce regulated IRE1-dependent decay (RIDD) or a classical UPR.ConclusionOur work suggests roles for XBP1 in regulating chondrocyte proliferation and the timing of mineralization during endochondral ossification, findings which have implications for both skeletal development and disease

Variable thermal plasticity of leaf functional traits in Andean tropical montane forests

Tropical montane forests (TMFs) are biodiversity hotspots and provide vital ecosystem services, but they are disproportionately vulnerable to climate warming. In the Andes, cold-affiliated species from high elevations are being displaced at the hot end of their thermal distributions by warm-affiliated species migrating upwards from lower elevations, leading to compositional shifts. Leaf functional traits are strong indicators of plant performance and at the community level have been shown to vary along elevation gradients, reflecting plant adaptations to different environmental niches. However, the plastic response of such traits to relatively rapid temperature change in Andean TMF species remains unknown. We used three common garden plantations within a thermosequence in the Colombian Andes to investigate the warming and cooling responses of key leaf functional traits in eight cold- and warm-affiliated species with variable thermal niches. Cold-affiliated species shifted their foliar nutrient concentrations when exposed to warming, while all other traits did not significantly change; contrastingly, warm-affiliated species were able to adjust structural, nutrient and water-use efficiency traits from acquisitive to conservative strategies in response to cooling. Our findings suggest that cold-affiliated species will struggle to acclimate functional traits to warming, conferring warm-affiliated species a competitive advantage under climate change

Molecular and Historical Aspects of Corn Belt Dent Diversity

Tens-of-thousands of open-pollinated cultivars of corn (Zea mays L.) are being maintained in germplasm banks. Knowledge of the amount and distribution of genetic variation within and among accessions can aid end users in choosing among them. We estimated molecular genetic variation and looked for influences of pedigree, adaptation, and migration in the genetic makeup of conserved Corn-Belt Dent-related germplasm. Plants sampled from 57 accessions representing Corn-Belt Dents, Northern Flints, Southern Dents, plus 12 public inbreds, were genotyped at 20 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. For 47 of the accessions, between 5 and 23 plants per accession were genotyped (mean = 9.3). Mean number of alleles per locus was 6.5 overall, 3.17 within accessions, and 3.20 within pooled inbreds. Mean gene diversity was 0.53 within accessions and 0.61 within pooled inbreds. Open-pollinated accessions showed a tendency toward inbreeding (FIS = 0.09), and 85% of genetic variation was shared among them. A Fitch-Margoliash tree strongly supported the distinctiveness of flint from dent germplasm but did not otherwise reveal evidence of genetic structure. Mantel tests revealed significant correlations between genetic distance and geographical (r = 0.54, P= 0.04) or maturity zone (r = 0.33, P = 0.03) distance only if flint germplasm was included in the analyses. A significant correlation (r = 0.76, P \u3c 0.01) was found between days to pollen shed and maturity zone of accession origin. Pedigree, rather than migration or selection, has most influenced the genetic structure of the extant representatives of the open-pollinated cultivars at these SSR loci

Harmonisation, Mosaicing and Production of the Global Land Cover 2000 Database.

Abstract not availableJRC.H-Institute for environment and sustainability (Ispra

Spin ∼ 60 ℏ in 156Dy: Competition between collective and terminating structures at very high-spin

The highest-spin discrete states (I ∼ 60 ℏ and Ex ∼ 30 MeV) in normal deformed nuclei have been observed in the rare-earth isotope 156Dy using the 124Sn(36S,4n) reaction in conjunction with the GAMMASPHERE spectrometer. The positive parity yrast sequence appears to evolve smoothly from a prolate (collective) towards an oblate (non-collective) shape, in contrast to the sudden shape change observed in the isotone 158Er. Terminating states are identified in the negative parity sequences at Iπ = 52- and 53- and specific multi-particle-hole configurations are assigned by comparison with cranked Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations. An order of magnitude increase in the interaction strength between close lying high-spin weakly collective structures is determined compared with that found in the lower-spin strongly collective domain. These results give valuable insight into the interplay between collective and terminating structures, and their competition for yrast status in the 40 - 60 ℏ spin range

Observation of γ vibrations and alignments built on non-ground-state configurations in Dy 156

The exact nature of the lowest Kπ=2+ rotational bands in all deformed nuclei remains obscure. Traditionally they are assumed to be collective vibrations of the nuclear shape in the γ degree of freedom perpendicular to the nuclear symmetry axis. Very few such γ bands have been traced past the usual backbending rotational alignments of high-j nucleons. We have investigated the structure of positive-parity bands in the N=90 nucleus Dy156, using the Nd148(C12,4n)Dy156 reaction at 65 MeV, observing the resulting γ-ray transitions with the Gammasphere array. The even- and odd-spin members of the Kπ=2+γ band are observed up to 32+ and 31+, respectively. This rotational band faithfully tracks the ground-state configuration to the highest spins. The members of a possible γ vibration built on the aligned yrast S band are observed up to spins 28+ and 27+. An even-spin positive-parity band, observed up to spin 24+, is a candidate for an aligned S band built on the seniority-zero configuration of the 02+ state at 676 keV. The crossing of this band with the 02+ band is at ?ωc=0.28(1)MeV and is consistent with the configuration of the 02+ band not producing any blocking of the monopole pairing