From crustal anatexis to mantle melting in the Variscan orogen of Corsica (France): SIMS U-Pb zircon age constraints

International audienceHigh-precision SIMS U-Pb zircon age determinations are conducted in this study on migmatites and Mg-K magmatic suites from the Variscan orogen of Corsica (France). Zircons from leucosomes of four migmatites yield consistent crystallization ages of ca. 345 Ma. Four Mg-K granitoid rocks and one monzogabbro enclave from the Calvi-IIe Rousse pluton of NW Corsica yield indistinguishable U-Pb zircon ages of ca. 330 Ma. These new SIMS zircon U-Pb dating results indicate that the regional crustal anatexis under amphibolite-facies condition occurred synchronously at ca. 345 Ma throughout the Corsican Variscan chain. There is a ca. 15 m.y. time interval between anatexis of the thickened crust and partial melting of the metasomatized mantle and overlying crust to form the Mg-K rock suites. In combination with the previous dating results for the high-temperature and high-pressure granulite-facies metamorphism, three major discrete tectonothermal events at ca. 360 Ma, ca. 345 Ma, and ca. 330 Ma are acknowledged. We argue for a slab break-off model accounting for thermal and mechanical evolution of the crust within the Variscan orogen of Corsica. A tearing of the subducting oceanic lithosphere initiates the asthenosphere rise to fill the void and causes the granulite-facies metamorphism of the overlying continental crust at ca. 360 Ma. Final breaking of the subducting oceanic lithosphere results in exhumation of the subducted crust to the thickened lower to middle crustal-level. Internal radiogenic heating causes crust-scale migmatization at ca. 345 Ma. Slab break-off and foundering enhance the rise of hot asthenosphere, resulting in conducted thermal perturbation that leads to melting of the metasomatised enriched mantle lithosphere to form Mg-K mafic-granitoid magmatism at ca. 330 Ma

Comparative Study of TCM Syndrome Scale for Liver Disease and Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire Based on Assessment of Posthepatitic Cirrhosis

Objective. To compare and analyze the relevance and applied value of chronic liver disease questionnaire (CLDQ) and Traditional Chinese Medicine liver disease questionnaire (TCMLDQ) in patients with posthepatitic cirrhosis. Methods. The data of 146 patients' scales of CLDQ and TCMLDQ which based on the characteristics of chinese medical symptoms were collected. We made comparative analysis of the relationship between these two scales by the linear regression model and canonical correlation method and evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of two scales about its items setting and dimension definition. Result. There is a negative correlation in total scores between the two scales and the linear regression equation: CLDQ = 239.38 − 1.232TCMLDQ. The further canonical correlation analysis was used to analyze the two extracted canonical correlative variables with significances (P < 0.05), and the results showed that the overall negative correlation between the two scales mainly came from contributions of both the four dimensions of TCMLDQ (CS, GSYX, GYPX, and OS) and the five dimensions of CLDQ (AS, FA, SS, AC, and EF). Conclusion. These two scales have good consistency in the evaluation of severity and life quality of liver cirrhosis patients, so we suggested that TCMLDQ can be used to evaluate the severity and life quality of patients with posthepatitic cirrhosis

Peripheral Direct Adjacent Lobe Invasion Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Has a Similar Survival to That of Parietal Pleural Invasion T3 Disease

IntroductionThe postoperative prognosis of peripheral adjacent lobe invasion non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the postoperative prognosis of NSCLC with direct adjacent lobe invasion by comparing it with that of visceral pleural invasion (primary lobe) T2 disease, and parietal pleural invasion T3 disease, and hence determine its most appropriate T category.MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted to assess the survival of patients with peripheral direct adjacent lobe invasion NSCLC (group A), and it was compared with that of patients with visceral pleural invasion of the primary lobe (group B) and parietal pleural invasion (group C). All patients were node-negative on pathologic examination. Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the postoperative survival between groups.ResultsA total of 263 patients were analyzed. The overall survival rates in groups A (n = 28), B (n = 167), and C (n = 68) at 5 years were 40.7, 54.6, and 41.9%, respectively; corresponding median survival in three groups were 53, 71, and 40 months, respectively. The survival difference among three groups was statistically significant (p = 0.031). A similar survival was observed between groups A and C, whereas group B had a much better survival than other groups.ConclusionsPeripheral adjacent lobe invasion NSCLC has a similar survival prognosis with that of parietal pleural invasion T3 disease and hence should be classified as T3 rather than T2. However, further studies are warranted

Microbial characterization based on multifractal analysis of metagenomes

IntroductionThe species diversity of microbiomes is a cutting-edge concept in metagenomic research. In this study, we propose a multifractal analysis for metagenomic research.Method and ResultsFirstly, we visualized the chaotic game representation (CGR) of simulated metagenomes and real metagenomes. We find that metagenomes are visualized with self-similarity. Then we defined and calculated the multifractal dimension for the visualized plot of simulated and real metagenomes, respectively. By analyzing the Pearson correlation coefficients between the multifractal dimension and the traditional species diversity index, we obtain that the correlation coefficients between the multifractal dimension and the species richness index and Shannon diversity index reached the maximum value when q = 0, 1, and the correlation coefficient between the multifractal dimension and the Simpson diversity index reached the maximum value when q = 5. Finally, we apply our method to real metagenomes of the gut microbiota of 100 infants who are newborn and 4 and 12 months old. The results show that the multifractal dimensions of an infant's gut microbiomes can distinguish age differences.Conclusion and DiscussionThere is self-similarity among the CGRs of WGS of metagenomes, and the multifractal spectrum is an important characteristic for metagenomes. The traditional diversity indicators can be unified under the framework of multifractal analysis. These results coincided with similar results in macrobial ecology. The multifractal spectrum of infants’ gut microbiomes are related to the development of the infants

Variscan orogeny in Corsica: new structural and geochronological insights, and its place in the Variscan geodynamic framework

International audienceIn Western Corsica, remnants of pre-batholitic lithological and metamorphic assemblages are preserved as km-scale septa enclosed within Lower Carboniferous to Early Permian plutons. Two groups of septa were recognized: (1) the Argentella and Agriates-Tenda fragments correspond to Neoproterozoic rocks deformed and metamorphosed during the Cadomian-Panafrican orogeny, and (2) the Zicavo, Porto-Vecchio, Solenzara-Fautea, Belgodère, Topiti, and Vignola fragments consist of Variscan metamorphic rocks. The lithological content and the main ductile deformation events for each septum are presented. In the Zicavo, Porto-Vecchio, and Topiti septa, a top-to-the-SW ductile shearing (D1 event) coeval with an amphibolite facies metamorphism is responsible for crustal thickening at ca 360 Ma. This main event was preceded by eclogite and granulite facies metamorphic events preserved as restites within migmatites dated at ca 345-330 Ma. A top-to-the-SE ductile shearing (D2 event) coeval with the crustal melting accommodated the exhumation of the D1 event. In contrast, the Belgodère segment is peculiar as it exhibits a top-to-the-E vergence, although retrogressed high-pressure rocks are also recognized. The pre-Permian fragments are arranged in four NW-SE-striking stripes that define a SW-NE zoning with (1) a Western domain in Topiti, Vignola, Zicavo, Porto-Vecchio, and Solenzara-Fautea; (2) a Neoproterozoic basement with its unconformable Early Paleozoic sedimentary cover in Argentella; (3) an Eastern metamorphic domain in Belgodère; (4) another Neoproterozoic basement with its Upper Paleozoic sedimentary cover in Agriates-Tenda. The Argentella basement is separated from the Western and Eastern domains by two sutures: S1 and S2. The Variscan Corsica represents the Eastern part of the Sardinia-Corsica-Maures segment. The comparison of this segment with other Variscan domains allows us to propose some possible correlations. We argue that the Western domain, Argentella, Belgodère, and Agriates-Tenda domains can be compared with the Southern Variscan belt exposed in French Massif Central-Southern Massif Armoricain, Armorica microblock, Léon block, respectively

Homology-Driven Proteomics of Dinoflagellates with Unsequenced Genomes Using MALDI-TOF/TOF and Automated De Novo Sequencing

This study developed a multilayered, gel-based, and underivatized strategy for de novo protein sequence analysis of unsequenced dinoflagellates using a MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometer with the assistance of DeNovo Explorer software. MASCOT was applied as the first layer screen to identify either known or unknown proteins sharing identical peptides presented in a database. Once the confident identifications were removed after searching against the NCBInr database, the remainder was searched against the dinoflagellate expressed sequence tag database. In the last layer, those borderline and nonconfident hits were further subjected to de novo interpretation using DeNovo Explorer software. The de novo sequences passing a reliability filter were subsequently submitted to nonredundant MS-BLAST search. Using this layer identification method, 216 protein spots representing 158 unique proteins out of 220 selected protein spots from Alexandrium tamarense, a dinoflagellate with unsequenced genome, were confidently or tentatively identified by database searching. These proteins were involved in various intracellular physiological activities. This study is the first effort to develop a completely automated approach to identify proteins from unsequenced dinoflagellate databases and establishes a preliminary protein database for various physiological studies of dinoflagellates in the future

Allele frequency analysis of Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima) populations using fluorescent simple sequence repeats (SSR) analysis

The aim of this study was to establish a method for allele frequency detection in bulk samples. The abundance of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products in bulk leaf samples was detected using fluorescent labeled Simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers and an Applied biosystems (AB) automatic DNA analyzer. Compared with the conventional SSR technique based on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and silver staining, fluorescent SSR was much more sensitive. A total of 78 alleles, an average of 4.6 alleles per locus, were detected among 17 chestnut populations with the primer CmTCR10 (NED) and a total of 41 alleles, an average of 2.4 alleles per locus, were detected with the primer CmTCR24 (6-FAM). Multiplexing the PCR reaction by combining the primer pairs of CmTCR10 and CmTCR24, using different fluorescent dyes for different primers, showed that the alleles could be discriminated and the sizes of the amplified segments were similar. Furthermore, the exact sizes of the amplified fragments and the abundance of the PCR products were determined by fluorescent SSR. After data analysis with GeneScan software and allele calling and output with Genotyper software, allele frequencies were calculated for equal pooled samples in each population using the FREQS-R module in the R statistical computing language. The results indicate that it is feasible to determine allele frequencies in bulked samples based on the detection of SSR-PCR products. The advantages and additional applications of this method are also discussed. The abundance of the PCR products can be used to determine the allele frequencies in bulk samples of chestnut populations.Keywords: Fluorescent simple sequence repeats (SSR), chestnut population, bulk sampling, allele frequencie

Hepatitis B virus infection and replication in a new cell culture system established by fusing HepG2 cells with primary human hepatocytes

BackgroundHepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is strictly species and tissue specific, therefore none of the cell models established previously can reproduce the natural infection process of HBV in vitro. The aim of this study was to establish a new cell line that is susceptible to HBV and can support the replication of HBV.MethodsA hybrid cell line was established by fusing primary human hepatocytes with HepG2 cells. The hybrid cells were incubated with HBV-positive serum for 12 hours. HBV DNA was detected by quantitative fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR). HBsAg (surface antigen) and HBeAg (extracellular form of core antigen) were observed by electrochemiluminescence (ECL). HBcAg (core antigen) was detected by the indirect immunofluorescence technique. HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) was analyzed by Southern blot hybridization and quantified using real-time PCR.ResultsA new cell line was established and named HepCHLine-7. The extracellular HBV DNA was observed from Day 2 and the levels ranged from 9.80 (± 0.32) × 102 copies/mL to 3.12 (± 0.03) × 104 copies/mL. Intracellular HBV DNA was detected at Day 2 after infection and the levels ranged from 7.92 (± 1.08) × 103 copies/mL to 5.63 (± 0.11) × 105 copies/mL. HBsAg in the culture medium was detected from Day 4 to Day 20. HBeAg secretion was positive from Day 5 to Day 20. HBcAg constantly showed positive signals in approximately 20% (± 0.82%) of hybrid cells. Intracellular HBV cccDNA could be detected as early as 2 days postinfection and the highest level was 15.76 (± 0.26) copies/cell.ConclusionHepCHLine-7 cells were susceptible to HBV and supported the replication of HBV. They are therefore suitable for studying the complete life cycle of HBV

The Ionic Diffusion Model for the Solid Oxide Cathode and Its Verification by the Electrolysis of Ta2O5 in Molten CaCl2

The deoxidation speed of a solid oxide cathode in molten CaCl2 can be estimated by the PRS steady diffusion model of O2, which correlates the deoxidation speed with the precursor porosity, P, the metal-to-oxide molar volume ratio, R, and the cathode volume shrinkage S. The PRS model indicates that the porosity of the oxide cathode has important influence on the deoxidation speed, and provides a very simple equation for the prediction of the optimal cathode porosity. For the electrolysis of Ta205, the porosity of the cathode is better to be within 50%. The model and its predictions have been well verified by the electrolysis of solid Ta205 in molten CaCl2, suggesting the great significance of the PRS model for the high speed and high current efficiency electrolysis of solid compound cathode in molten salts