Petrological implication of wagnerite-Ma5bc in the quartzofeldspathic gneiss, Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica

Mg dominantmineralsofwagnerite triplite group,i.e.(Mg,Fe,Mn)2(PO4)(F,OH),arerelativelyrare,buthavebeenfoundinawidevariety ofgeologicenvironments,includingmetamorphic rocksofallgrades[1]suchasquartz carbonateveinsof hydrothermalorigin,pegmatites,kyanite quartzite,micaschist,sillimanitegneiss,andmagnetiteores.Uptonow,wagneriteispresentmainlyasthe Ma2bcpolytype,anaccessorymineralincalcium poorrocks[2,5]inwhichapatite,ifpresent,oftenoc cursasretrograderimaroundwagnerite.Henriques[6]reportedasma…     

渤海湾盆地东濮凹陷的形成及断裂构造研究

讨论了中、新生代以来．中国东部构造应力场的变化及其对渤海湾地区的影响、作用；提出渤海湾盆地是在中国东部陆壳伸展、拉张作用的构造背景上，叠加右行走滑拉分作用形成的“拉分──伸展型”复合盆地．东濮凹陷作为渤海湾盆地系统的一部分，具有与渤海湾盆地相同的基底构造和相似的构造演化历史．本文通过对东濮凹陷基底断裂构造的特征及沿兰聊断裂两侧众多探井岩芯破裂构造的观察、分析和研究，证实了兰聊断裂在东濮凹陷形成过程中的右行平移作用．     

Sequence and analysis of chromosome 2 of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana

Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) is unique among plant model organisms in having a small genome (130-140 Mb), excellent physical and genetic maps, and little repetitive DNA. Here we report the sequence of chromosome 2 from the Columbia ecotype in two gap-free assemblies (contigs) of 3.6 and 16 megabases (Mb). The latter represents the longest published stretch of uninterrupted DNA sequence assembled from any organism to date. Chromosome 2 represents 15% of the genome and encodes 4,037 genes, 49% of which have no predicted function. Roughly 250 tandem gene duplications were found in addition to large-scale duplications of about 0.5 and 4.5 Mb between chromosomes 2 and 1 and between chromosomes 2 and 4, respectively. Sequencing of nearly 2 Mb within the genetically defined centromere revealed a low density of recognizable genes, and a high density and diverse range of vestigial and presumably inactive mobile elements. More unexpected is what appears to be a recent insertion of a continuous stretch of 75% of the mitochondrial genome into chromosome 2.     

Detection of marijuana smoke in the atmosphere of a room

Zusammenfassung Mit einer Analysenmethode gelingt es, Marijuanarauch von einer Zigarette oder weniger durch Kombination von Anreicherungsverfahren mit hochauflösender Gaschromatographie in Zimmerluft nachzuweisen. Charakteristische Profile von 200 bis 300 Komponenten (darunter Cannabinoide), die sich deutlich von denen von Tabakrauch unterscheiden, wurden mit Hilfe von Glaskapillarsäulen gewonnen.     

The impact of surface-adsorbed phosphorus on phytoplankton Redfield stoichiometry

The Redfield ratio of 106 carbon:16 nitrogen:1 phosphorus in marine phytoplankton is one of the foundations of ocean biogeochemistry, with applications in algal physiology, palaeoclimatology and global climate change. However, this ratio varies substantially in response to changes in algal nutrient status and taxonomic affiliation. Here we report that Redfield ratios are also strongly affected by partitioning into surface-adsorbed and intracellular phosphorus pools. The C:N:surface-adsorbed P (80-105 C:15-18 N:1 P) and total (71-80 C:13-14 N:1 P) ratios in natural populations and cultures of Trichodesmium were close to Redfield values and not significantly different from each other. In contrast, intracellular ratios consistently exceeded the Redfield ratio (316-434 C:59-83 N:1 intracellular P). These high intracellular ratios were associated with reduced N2 fixation rates, suggestive of phosphorus deficiency. Other algal species also have substantial surface-adsorbed phosphorus pools, suggesting that our Trichodesmium results are generally applicable to all phytoplankton. Measurements of the distinct phytoplankton phosphorus pools may be required to assess nutrient limitation accurately from elemental composition. Deviations from Redfield stoichiometry may be attributable to surface adsorption of phosphorus rather than to biological processes, and this scavenging could affect the interpretation of marine nutrient inventories and ecosystem models.     

Differential activation of the inflammasome by caspase-1 adaptors ASC and Ipaf

Specific adaptors regulate the activation of initiator caspases; for example, FADD and Apaf-1 engage caspases 8 and 9, respectively. The adaptors ASC, Ipaf and RIP2 have each been proposed to regulate caspase-1 (also called interleukin (IL)-1 converting enzyme), which is activated within the 'inflammasome', a complex comprising several adaptors. Here we show the impact of ASC-, Ipaf- or RIP2-deficiency on inflammasome function. ASC was essential for extracellular ATP-driven activation of caspase-1 in toll-like receptor (TLR)-stimulated macrophages. Accordingly, ASC-deficient macrophages exhibited defective maturation of IL-1beta and IL-18, and ASC-null mice were resistant to lipopolysaccharide-induced endotoxic shock. Furthermore, activation of caspase-1 in response to an intracellular pathogen (Salmonella typhimurium) was abrogated severely in ASC-null macrophages. Unexpectedly, Ipaf-deficient macrophages activated caspase-1 in response to TLR plus ATP stimulation but not S. typhimurium. Caspase-1 activation was not compromised by loss of RIP2. These data show that whereas ASC is key to caspase-1 activation within the inflammasome, Ipaf provides a special conduit to the inflammasome for signals triggered by intracellular pathogens. Notably, cell death triggered by stimuli that engage caspase-1 was ablated in macrophages lacking either ASC or Ipaf, suggesting a coupling between the inflammatory and cell death pathways.     

Pathology: whales, sonar and decompression sickness

We do not yet know why whales occasionally strand after sonar has been deployed nearby, but such information is important for both naval undersea activities and the protection of marine mammals. Jepson et al. suggest that a peculiar gas-forming disease afflicting some stranded cetaceans could be a type of decompression sickness (DCS) resulting from exposure to mid-range sonar. However, neither decompression theory nor observation support the existence of a naturally occurring DCS in whales that is characterized by encapsulated, gas-filled cavities in the liver. Although gas-bubble formation may be aggravated by acoustic energy, more rigorous investigation is needed before sonar can be firmly linked to bubble formation in whales.