Extensive Occurrences Research Articles

“Out-of-India” dispersal of the extinct fabaceous genus Podocarpium Braun ex Stizenberger

Podocarpium is a well-known extinct single-seeded legume genus having extensive Cenozoic fossil occurrences from East Asia to central Europe. To date, there have been no fossil records of this genus from South Asia, including India. Here, we report and describe for the first time a well-preserved fossil pod from the early Eocene of Rajasthan, western India, assigned to extinct Podocarpium based on detailed morphology. It is characterized by an asymmetrical, oblique valve with a single oblong seed, a distinctly curved stipe, a wingless margin, a prominent vascular strand along the dorsal suture that anastomoses into the apex, a weakly curved ventral suture, fine reticulate veins, a short acuminate apex, and a narrowly acute base. This discovery is the oldest fossil evidence of Podocarpium recorded to date worldwide. Together with previous fossil records, we suggest an “Out-of-India” dispersal hypothesis to explain the biogeography of this extinct legume genus. It might have originated under warm and humid tropical climate conditions in the early Eocene of India (South Asia), then migrated to China (East Asia), and subsequently spread north and westward to Europe.

Pengaruh Curah Hujan Terhadap Kejadian Kebakaran Hutan dan Lahan di Kabupaten Banyuasin Provinsi Sumatera Selatan

Banyuasin Regency is identified as one of the regions in Indonesia facing a high risk of forest and land fires, with incidents occurring annually. Historical records highlight the most extensive occurrences in 2015 and 2019. Rainfall stands out as a climatic factor capable of influencing the prevalence of these fires. This study aims to analyze the correlation between rainfall patterns and fire incidents in Banyuasin Regency from 2018 to 2020. Utilizing data on hotspots, rainfall, and the extent of forest and land fire incidents, the research employs statistical tests through correlation analysis. The findings reveal a positive correlation between the extent of forest fires and the number of hotspots, as well as a negative correlation between rainfall and hotspots. The year 2019 witnessed the highest number of hotspots, attributed to the El-Nino phenomenon.
 Keywords: el-nino, forest and land fire, hotspot, rainfall

Extensive occurrences of lower Cambrian red beds in South China: Composition, characteristics, and implications for global environmental change

We present a systematic study of the petrological, mineralogical, sedimentological, and elemental geochemical characteristics of Cambrian Stage 3 red beds in the Hannan-Micangshan area of South China. The results show that red beds in the study area were mainly deposited in shallow marine environments, including the littoral and deeper neritic zones. Hematite and ferric hydroxides are the major pigmentary minerals in the red beds, and their origin is related to the contribution of iron-bearing minerals in the terrestrial fine-grained fraction during diagenetic transformation, based on evidence from many co-occurring iron-bearing terrestrial and clay minerals (e.g., ilmenite, chamosite, and glauconite), distinct diagenetically-altered characteristics, and close relationships between total Fe and Al, Mg, and Ti. The data also provide compelling evidence for presence of seawater-derived ferric hydroxides in shallow marine environments through in-situ technique analysis. Distinct lithological and sedimentological features in the study area allow the conclusion that diagenetic and hydrogenic ferric oxides/hydroxides jointly promoted the formation of the red beds. The present study found that the combination of active tectono-magmatic events, enhanced terrestrial fluxes, and improved dissolved oxygen conditions may have provided abundant iron sources and iron availability during the sedimentary and diagenetic processes, and thus facilitating the occurrence of red beds globally in Cambrian Stage 3.

Characterization of Metabolic Correlations of Ursodeoxycholic Acid with Other Bile Acid Species through In Vitro Sequential Metabolism and Isomer-Focused Identification.

As a first-line agent for cholestasis treatment in a clinic, ursodeoxycholic acid rectifies the perturbed bile acids (BAs) submetabolome in a holistic manner. Considering the endogenous distribution of ursodeoxycholic acid and extensive occurrences of isomeric metabolites, it is challenging to point out whether a given bile acid species is impacted by ursodeoxycholic acid in a direct or indirect manner, thus hindering the therapeutic mechanism clarification. Here, an in-depth exploration of the metabolism pattern of ursodeoxycholic acid was attempted. Sequential metabolism in vitro with enzyme-enriched liver microsomes was implemented to simulate the step-wise metabolism and to capture the metabolically labile intermediates in the absence of endogenous BAs. Squared energy-resolved mass spectrometry (ER2-MS) was utilized to achieve isomeric identification of the conjugated metabolites. As a result, 20 metabolites (M1-M20) in total were observed and confirmatively identified. Of those, eight metabolites were generated by hydroxylation, oxidation, and epimerization, which were further metabolized to nine glucuronides and three sulfates by uridine diphosphate-glycosyltransferases and sulfotransferases, respectively. Regarding a given phase II metabolite, the conjugation sites were correlated with first-generation breakdown graphs corresponding to the linkage fission mediated by collision-induced dissociation, and the structural nuclei were identified by matching second-generation breakdown graphs with the known structures. Together, except for intestinal-bacteria-involved biotransformation, the current study characterized BA species directly influenced by ursodeoxycholic acid administration. Moreover, sequential metabolism in vitro should be a meaningful way of characterizing the metabolic pathways of endogenous substances, and squared energy-resolved mass spectrometry is a legitimate tool for structurally identifying phase II metabolites.

Breast cancer survivors and behavior: cancer care in the time of COVID-19 in Indonesia

The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions in cancer care, and preliminary research suggests that these disruptions are associated with increased levels of psychosocial distress among cancer survivors. Indonesia initially reported positive cases in early March 2020, followed by regular extensive occurrences across 34 provinces. The disease causes acute respiratory failure among people with specific comorbidities, including geriatric disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and cancer. Consequently, the patients’ conditions become more severe, possibly leading to a higher mortality rate. Individuals with cancer are at particularly elevated risk of a severe course of COVID-19 because they tend to be of older age and are at a greater risk for needing intensive care and for mortality. A reasonably good comprehension of the current COVID-19 outbreak, poor awareness of the primary disease and subsequent therapy program, and minimal understanding of the importance of continuing treatment during the pandemic are the probable factors causing the fear of contracting the COVID-19 virus that poses a significant threat of aggravating the existing breast cancer conditions in most patients. This anxiety shows a drastic impact in altering the behavioral patterns of survivors undergoing therapy. There is a very good understanding of how it is caused by the SARS-COV2 virus. Meanwhile, there is a severe lack of understanding of cancer and the therapeutic program. The patients are more afraid of contracting this virus than they are of their cancer. Patients prefer development of their cancer to contracting the SARS-COV2 virus. Therefore, massive education and supervision are needed for cancer patients to understand the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that routine checks are appropriately managed.

The definitive cause of little ice age temperatures

Analysis of the Central England Instrumental Temperatures data set (1659-present) has provided the answer as to the cause of the decreased temperatures during the Little Ice Age (LIA) (and undoubtedly, also those of all other Ice Ages). The decreased temperatures were caused by the injection of reflective (dimming) Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) aerosols into the stratosphere from extensive occurrences of VEI4-VEI7 volcanic eruptions.

Defining the Bemaraha megatracksite: an update on dinosaur ichnology in Madagascar

Abstract The Bemaraha Formation preserves a unique and abundant record of dinosaur footprints, the only occurrence of this type known from Madagascar. Theropod and sauropod tracks occur in Middle Jurassic strata and form an important record from this otherwise poorly documented time interval. Here we report on 18 new tracksites, raising the total number of known localities in the Bemaraha to 31. The majority of these sites occur at the same stratigraphic level that can be traced over an area of at least 30 km 2 , which makes it one of the most laterally extensive occurrences of dinosaur tracks on record in the Southern Hemisphere. Dinosaur tracks are restricted to a few bedding surfaces representing times of sea-level lowstand within a normally marine environment. Theropod tracks are by far more abundant than sauropod tracks and typically are orientated towards the palaeocoastline. This pattern is interpreted as evidence of a short-scale migration between feeding and resting grounds. The Bemaraha Formation thus allows a rare glimpse into dinosaur behaviour in a marginal-marine environment of Jurassic age.

Characteristics of low-level temperature inversions over the Arctic Ocean during the CHINARE 2018 campaign in summer

Across the Arctic Ocean, the semi-permanent sea-ice layer insulates the atmosphere from the Arctic Ocean, thereby influencing the lower boundary conditions of the atmosphere in this region. The presence of a temperature inversion predominantly characterizes the Arctic lower troposphere throughout the year. The 9th Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition took place in the Pacific Sectors of the Arctic Ocean from July to September 2018, gathering high-resolution radiosonde data to provide a detailed structure of the low-level temperature inversion (LLI) over the summer months. Statistical analyses showed that LLIs occurred most frequently below 500m and were generally weaker and shallower than those occurring during the winter months. Low-level inversions are influenced by both local meteorology and large scale synoptic conditions. The continual presence of low-level clouds or fog tends to lift the inversion layer at the local scale, transferring it from a surface-based inversion (SBI) to an elevated inversion (EI). By contrast, SBIs were found to dominate over regions of melting sea-ice. Regimes, where the cloud top penetrated the inversion base were more frequently observed than cloud capped by inversion regimes. Inversions tended to be deeper, stronger, and with a lower base during cloud top penetrating inversion base regimes. At the synoptical scale, the intense poleward intrusions of warm air brought moist air to the top of low-level inversions, creating a robust thermal stratification between layers and promoting extensive and frequency occurrences of low cloud/fog. Moreover, the polar high contributed to establishing a multilayer inversion structure at relatively high altitudes by subsidence. These findings contribute to an improving understanding of low-level vertical temperature structures and their influence on a rapidly warming Arctic.

The Acheulean Technocomplex of the Iberian Atlantic Margin as an Example of Technology Continuity Through the Middle Pleistocene

This article provides a synthesis of the Middle Pleistocene hominin record of West Iberia, which comprises sites displaying abundant concentrations of large flake Acheulean (LFA) assemblages, as well as isolated examples of Early Middle Palaeolithic (EMP) technology. These sites typically have age ranges spanning marine isotopic stages (MIS) 11–6, within the second half of the Middle Pleistocene, and are primarily located in fluvial environments related to the main regional river basins. The LFA sites display extensive occurrences of handaxes and cleavers on flake blanks (detached from large cores), with a large number of knapping remains, such as flakes or small-medium cores, showing simple reduction patterns. Over the identified age range of these sites, especially during the MIS 9–6 interval, we observe constant technological stability, without strong variations over time, and independent of the functionality of individual sites. These fixed technological and behavioural patterns reinforce the African affinities of the southwestern European Acheulean, in contrast to Acheulean assemblages identified in the northernmost areas of Europe.

Dinosaur ichnology and sedimentology of the Chignik Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Aniakchak National Monument, southwestern Alaska; Further insights on habitat preferences of high-latitude hadrosaurs.

While there are now numerous records of dinosaurs from Cretaceous rocks around the state of Alaska, very few fossil records of terrestrial vertebrates are known from the Mesozoic rocks of the southwestern part of the state. Here we report the new discovery of extensive occurrences of dinosaur tracks from Aniakchak National Monument of the Alaska Peninsula. These tracks are in the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Chignik Formation, a cyclic sequence of rocks, approximately 500–600 m thick, representing shallow marine to nearshore marine environments in the lower part and continental alluvial coastal plain environments in the upper part of the section. These rocks are part of the Peninsular Terrane and paleomagnetic reconstructions based on the volcanic rocks of this terrane suggest that the Chignik Formation was deposited at approximately its current latitude which is almost 57° N. Recent field work in Aniakchak National Monument has revealed over 75 new track sites, dramatically increasing the dinosaur record from the Alaska Peninsula. Most of the combined record of tracks can be attributed to hadrosaurs, the plant-eating duck-billed dinosaurs. Tracks range in size from those made by full-grown adults to juveniles. Other tracks can be attributed to armored dinosaurs, meat-eating dinosaurs, and two kinds of fossil birds. The track size of the predatory dinosaur suggests a body approximately 6–7 m long, about the estimated size of the North Slope tyrannosaurid Nanuqsaurus. The larger bird tracks resemble Magnoavipes denaliensis previously described from Denali National Park, while the smaller bird tracks were made by a bird about the size of a modern Willet. Previous interdisciplinary sedimentologic and paleontologic work in the correlative and well-known dinosaur bonebeds of the Prince Creek Formation 1400km-1500km further north in Alaska suggested that high-latitude hadrosaurs preferred distal coastal plain or lower delta plain habitats. The ichnological record being uncovered in the Chignik Formation of southwestern Alaska is showing that the hadrosaur tracks here were also made in distal coastal and delta plain conditions. This similarity may corroborate the habitat preference model for Cretaceous high-latitude dinosaurs proposed for the data gathered from the Prince Creek Formation, and may indicate that at least Beringian hadrosaurids had similar habitat preferences regardless of latitude.

Genesis of Mg-phyllosilicate occurrences in the Middle Permian marine successions of South China

Large-scale sedimentary Mg-phyllosilicate occurrences have rarely been reported in deep marine successions worldwide, with few studies reporting the natural transformation of sepiolite into talc, although published laboratory experiments have proven the existence of this mineral transformation at high temperature. Mg-phyllosilicates occur extensively in the Middle Permian deep marine successions in South China. To investigate the genesis of these extensive occurrences, we conducted integrated studies including field trips, thin section observation, filed emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), vitrinite reflectance (Ro), X-ray diffraction mineralogy (XRD), and trace element and rare earth element (REE) concentration analysis.The XRD patterns suggested that in the west of our study zone, talc was the major species of Mg-phyllosilicates with aliettite and Mg-smectite being minor species, while in the east of our study zone, sepiolite was the major species of Mg-phyllosilicates. Mg-smectite was dominant in the intermediate zone. Ro values serve as a proxy for the maximum paleogeothermal temperature coupled with the differential distribution of these Mg-phyllosilicates. The distribution zones of talc, Mg-smectite and sepiolite correspond to distinct ranges of Ro < 1.0%, Ro = 1.0–1.2% and Ro > 1.2%, respectively. This pattern indicates that the maximum paleogeothermal temperature is the controlling factor for natural transformation between Mg-phyllosilicates. Moreover, there are lower transformation temperatures from sepiolite to Mg-smectite (approximately 140 °C) and from Mg-smectite to talc (approximately 155 °C) under natural conditions than revealed in labs. Regarding the cause of original Mg-phyllosilicate deposition, analyses of trace element and rare earth element concentrations reveal that a diffuse Si-rich hydrothermal vent fluid contributed to the elevated Si content in seawater and that the upwelling current extended the Mg-phyllosilicate deposition areas from the deep basin onto the carbonate ramp in the Middle Permian in South China. Hence, favorable seawater conditions for Mg-phyllosilicate deposition occurred in the deep basin and carbonate ramp in the Middle Permian in South China.

Diamond in Oceanic Peridotites and Chromitites: Evidence for Deep Recycled Mantle in the Global Ophiolite Record

AbstractDiamonds have been discovered in mantle peridotites and chromitites of six ophiolitic massifs along the 1300 km‐long Yarlung‐Zangbo suture (Bai et al., 1993; Yang et al., 2014; Xu et al., 2015), and in the Dongqiao and Dingqing mantle peridotites of the Bangong‐Nujiang suture in the eastern Tethyan zone (Robinson et al., 2004; Xiong et al., 2018). Recently, in‐situ diamond, coesite and other UHP mineral have also been reported in the Nidar ophiolite of the western Yarlung‐Zangbo suture (Das et al., 2015, 2017). The above‐mentioned diamond‐bearing ophiolites represent remnants of the eastern Mesozoic Tethyan oceanic lithosphere. New publications show that diamonds also occur in chromitites in the Pozanti‐Karsanti ophiolite of Turkey, and in the Mirdita ophiolite of Albania in the western Tethyan zone (Lian et al., 2017; Xiong et al., 2017; Wu et al., 2018). Similar diamonds and associated minerals have also reported from Paleozoic ophiolitic chromitites of Central Asian Orogenic Belt of China and the Ray‐Iz ophiolite in the Polar Urals, Russia (Yang et al., 2015a, b; Tian et al., 2015; Huang et al, 2015). Importantly, in‐situ diamonds have been recovered in chromitites of both the Luobusa ophiolite in Tbet and the Ray‐Iz ophiolite in Russia (Yang et al., 2014, 2015a). The extensive occurrences of such ultra‐high pressure (UHP) minerals in many ophiolites suggest formation by similar geological events in different oceans and orogenic belts of different ages. Compared to diamonds from kimberlites and UHP metamorphic belts, micro‐diamonds from ophiolites present a new occurrence of diamond that requires significantly different physical and chemical conditions of formation in Earth's mantle. The forms of chromite and qingsongites (BN) indicate that ophiolitic chromitite may form at depths of &gt;150‐380 km or even deeper in the mantle (Yang et al., 2007; Dobrthinetskaya et al., 2009). The very light C isotope composition (δ13C ‐18 to ‐28‰) of these ophiolitic diamonds and their Mn‐bearing mineral inclusions, as well as coesite and clinopyroxene lamallae in chromite grains all indicate recycling of ancient continental or oceanic crustal materials into the deep mantle (&gt;300 km) or down to the mantle transition zone via subduction (Yang et al., 2014, 2015a; Robinson et al., 2015; Moe et al., 2018). These new observations and new data strongly suggest that micro‐diamonds and their host podiform chromitite may have formed near the transition zone in the deep mantle, and that they were then transported upward into shallow mantle depths by convection processes. The in‐situ occurrence of micro‐diamonds has been well‐demonstrated by different groups of international researchers, along with other UHP minerals in podiform chromitites and ophiolitic peridotites clearly indicate their deep mantle origin and effectively address questions of possible contamination during sample processing and analytical work. The widespread occurrence of ophiolite‐hosted diamonds and associated UHP mineral groups suggests that they may be a common feature of in‐situ oceanic mantle. The fundamental scientific question to address here is how and where these micro‐diamonds and UHP minerals first crystallized, how they were incorporated into ophiolitic chromitites and peridotites and how they were preserved during transport to the surface. Thus, diamonds and UHP minerals in ophiolites have raised new scientific problems and opened a new window for geologists to study recycling from crust to deep mantle and back to the surface.

U-Pb SHRIMP dating of basement rocks of the Iriri-Xingu domain, Central Amazonian province, Amazonian craton, Brazil

Abstract The Iriri-Xingu domain, located in the central part of the Amazonian craton, consists of extensive occurrences of Paleoproterozoic volcanic rocks and granites with published ages of ca. 1990 to 1840 Ma, which show a strong crustal contribution for their magmas. Exposures of basement rocks are small and rare. Samples from two areas were dated in this work by U-Pb SHRIMP in zircon. In the northern Maribel area, a high-grade pelitic paragneiss presented an age of 2160 ± 8 Ma and the leucosome of a migmatitic orthogneiss, probably a diatexite, crystallized at 2149 ± 20 Ma. These Rhyacian ages suggest that it is part of the Bacaja domain, related to the Trans-Amazonian cycle. The Morro Grande area occurs in the central part of Iriri-Xingu domain, where a high-grade muscovite gneiss with a protolith of 2120-2180 Ma is dated at 1982 ± 7 Ma, and the leucosome of a migmatitic orthogneiss is crystallized at 1979 ± 8 Ma. These are the first records of high-grade metamorphism at ca. 1980 Ma in the Central Brazil shield and may be related to the generation of this Orosirian felsic magmatism, which is widespread throughout the nearby Ventuari-Tapajos province.

Biracial American Colorism: Passing for White

Biracial Americans constitute a larger portion of the U.S. population than is often acknowledged. According to the U.S. Census, 8.4 million people or 2.6% of the population identified with two or more racial origins in 2016. Arguably, these numbers are misleading considering extensive occurrences of interracial pairings between Whites and minority racial groups throughout U.S. history. Many theorists posit that the hypodescent principle of colorism, colloquially known as “the one drop rule,” has influenced American racial socialization in such a way that numerous individuals primarily identify with one racial group despite having parents from two different racial backgrounds. While much of social science literature examines the racial identification processes of biracial Americans who identify with their minority heritage, this article focuses on contextual factors such as family income, neighborhood, religion, and gender that influence the decision for otherwise African/Asian/Latino/Native Americans to identify as White.

New records of Podocarpium A. Braun ex Stizenberger (Fabaceae) from the Oligocene to Miocene of China: Reappraisal of the phylogeographical history of the genus

Podocarpium (Fabaceae), characterized by single seeded pods and paripinnate compound leaves, is well known as an extinct legume genus having extensive fossil occurrences from the Miocene of Central Europe and eastern Asia. However, the Palaeogene unambiguous megafossils are quite scarce, especially the Oligocene record from eastern Asia, which heavily impedes our understanding of early dispersal patterns and infrageneric relationships of this enigmatic genus. Here, we described dozens of legume specimens from the Oligocene Ningming Formation of Guangxi in South China, the Early Miocene Guide Group of Qinghai in Northwest China and the Middle–Late Miocene Shengxian Formation of Zhejiang in Southeast China as Podocarpium podocarpum (A. Braun) Herendeen based on extremely similar fruit characters. Meanwhile, we reexamined variation in fruit morphology among the previously reported fruits of Eurasia and present legumes as a basis for interpreting the infrageneric relationship and subfamily affinity of Podocarpium. The high similarities presented by these fossil fruits support the previous recognition of the specimens from the Oligocene–Miocene of Central Europe and the Miocene– Pliocene of eastern Asia as P. podocarpum, but such a low species diversity of Podocarpium appears to indicate a bradytelic morphological evolution for this whole ancient lineage through geologic time. Moreover, judging from seed orientation as well as seed and fruit comparative sizes, the oblong seed is parallel to the long axis of the fruit and its placentation is near the apex of the seed chamber, which favor the previous assignment of Podocarpium to the subfamily Caesalpinioideae.Additionally, we speculated that this extinct genus may prefer a warm and humid (or mildly arid) environment by plotting the megafossil localities on the overall Eocene, Oligocene and Miocene palaeoclimate maps based on continental drift. The Oligocene occurrence from the Ningming Formation in Guangxi, South China sheds new light on the historical biogeographical pattern between Central Europe and eastern Asia, i.e. after the probable origin in low latitude tropic coastal regions of southernmost South China (i.e. Hainan) by the Middle Eocene, Podocarpium may subsequently disperse into Guangxi and then Europe via a probable low-latitude land connection located among the Tethys and Paratethys seas to the southwest of Eurasia in the Early Oligocene, independent of the gradual closure of the Turgai Strait in the middle-high latitudes during the Oligocene.

India National Gas Hydrate Program Expedition 02 summary of scientific results: Evaluation of natural gas-hydrate-bearing pressure cores

Abstract India's National Gas Hydrate Program (NGHP) Expedition-02 was conducted in 2015 with the goal of investigating numerous locations that had been determined to be prospective for gas hydrate at high saturation in sand-rich reservoirs. Initial logging while drilling data revealed extensive sand-rich gas hydrate occurrences at multiple drill sites in two broad areas. These sites were further investigated through the acquisition and analyses of pressure cores designed to document 1) gas hydrate occurrence within the reservoirs; 2) the petrophysical nature of the reservoir and associated seals, in their native state as well as during and after the dissociation of gas hydrate; 3) the geomechanical nature of the reservoir and seals; and 4) the geochemical nature of reservoir fluids. The cores were initially evaluated at sea, and select subsamples were transferred for more extensive analyses at specialized laboratories both in Japan and in the United States. The samples encompassed a wide range of gas hydrate saturation (from 0 to 100%) within reservoir sediments ranging from sandy silts to gravels, providing opportunities to extend and refine insights into the nature of gas hydrate reservoirs gained in previous programs. Select findings and implications of this coordinated pressure-core evaluation program are reported in numerous papers within the NGHP-02 Special Thematic Volume and are summarized here with respect to the following issues: the evaluation and mitigation of core disturbance, the assessment of gas hydrate occurrence and saturation, the geomechanics and petrophysics of both reservoirs and “seals” in situ, and the potential dynamic geomechanical and petrophysical behavior of reservoir and seals during production.

Method development and application for multi-component quantification in rats after oral administration of Longxuetongluo Capsule by UHPLC–MS/MS

Although wide applications towards ischemic stroke in clinic, the therapeutic materials of Longxuetongluo Capsule (LTC) that is composed of total phenolic extract of Chinese dragon’s blood, are still largely unclear. Exposure pattern characterization of those drug-derived components in vivo, notably in circulation system has been recommended as a viable approach to disclose the effective components of a given herbal medicine. Herein, we aimed to develop a robust method being capable of multi-component quantification in either rat plasma or tissues following oral administration of LTC, and to clarify the kinetic profiles of 11 primary drug-derived phenolic derivatives. Proteins precipitation was carried out for the plasma as well as homogenized tissue samples with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separations were achieved using UHPLC equipped with a shim-pack XR-ODS II column, and confidence-enhanced detection was accomplished through the joint employment of selected-reaction monitoring and tandem mass spectrometry (SRM-MS/MS) on a hybrid triple quadrupole-linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Diverse validation assays proved the method to be sensitive, precise, and rapid for simultaneous determination of those 11 components. Pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution investigations were subsequently conducted in rat after a single 500 mg/kg oral dose. Rapid absorption (Tmax, 11.53–68.27 min) and elimination (T1/2, 6.893–57.90 min) occurred for all analytes-of-interest. Extensive occurrences were observed for 7,4′-dihydroxy-5-methoxyhomoisoflavanone (Cmax, 340.0 ng/mL), thevetiaflavone (Cmax, 42.86 ng/mL), 5,7,4′-trihydroxyhomoisoflavanone (Cmax, 41.55 ng/mL), and pterostilbene (Cmax, 25.49 ng/mL) in plasma. Significant distributions occurred for all analytes in the liver as well as kidney, and several compounds could be found in brain. The findings described are envisioned to provide promising information for the in-depth clarification of the therapeutic entities, and also to offer a practical approach for therapeutic drug monitoring of LTC in clinic.

New prospects in the detection and comparative analysis of hybridization in the tree of life

Assessing the relative importance of the various pathways to diversification is a central goal of biodiversity researchers. For plant biologists, and increasingly across the spectrum of biological sciences, among these pathways of interest is hybridization. New methodological developments are moving the field away from questions of whether natural hybridization occurs or hybrids can persist and toward more direct assessments of the long-term impact of hybridization on diversification and genome organization. Advances in theory and new data, especially phylogenomic data, have changed the face of this field, revealing extensive occurrences of hybridization at both shallow and deep levels, but lacking is a synthesis of these advancements. Here we provide an overview of methods that have been proposed for detecting hybridization with molecular data and advocate a time-extended, comparative view of reticulate evolution. In particular, we pose three overarching questions, newly placed within reach, that are critical for advancing our understanding of hybridization pattern and process: (1) How often is introgression biased toward certain genomes and loci, and is this bias selectively neutral? (2) What are the relative rates of formation of hybrid species and introgressants, and how does this compare to their subsequent fates? (3) Has the frequency of hybridization increased under historical periods of greater dynamism in climate and geographic range, such as the Pleistocene?

Immiscible shoshonitic and Fe-P-oxide melts preserved in unconsolidated tephra at El Laco volcano, Chile

Abstract The origins of apparently magmatic Fe-P-O deposits like those of the El Laco volcanic complex, Chile, with masses on the order of 1 Gt remain contentious. Previous attention has been focused largely on the high–tonnage massive magnetite bodies that form the economic mineral deposits. Extensive occurrences of unconsolidated granular Fe–P–oxide materials or their apparent metamorphic equivalents have received relatively little attention. Here we report textures and compositions of unconsolidated Fe–P–oxide materials from Laco Sur, El Laco. Unconsolidated tephra at El Laco is dominated by hematite along with subsidiary Fe–phosphates, monazite, and silica. A porous hematite bomb contains menisci of two coexisting materials. One is hydrous shoshonitic glass with perlitic texture, and the other comprises fine-grained intergrowths of Fe–P–REE (rare earth element) oxides having the bulk composition of the eutectic in the system FePO4–Fe2O3 with minor S, Cl, and other components. We show by experiment that very similar compositions would have coexisted as immiscible silicate and oxide liquids at 900 °C and 1 GPa in the presence of carbonic vapor, magnetite, and quartz; both will also form anhydrous liquids at 1080 °C and 101 kPa. We infer the former existence of a phosphatic Fe-oxide magma rich in volatiles that underwent explosive degassing and consequent rapid compositional undercooling to produce the observed assemblage of Fe-oxide tephra containing small amounts of Fe–P–REE phosphates and silicate glass.

Identifying marginal land for Multifunctional Perennial Cropping Systems in the Upper Sangamon River watershed, Illinois

Conservation-oriented land practices have long been a strategy for mediating the environmental issues resulting from conventional agriculture. However, there is limited economic support and incentive for landowners to transition the sensitive marginal lands that need mitigation the most. To improve this approach, information tools built out of landowner preferences may help facilitate successful long-term adoption of diverse systems that achieve production and conservation goals, such as Multifunctional Perennial Cropping Systems (MPCs). Previous work has recognized MPCs to have the potential for providing both ecosystem services and perennial crops such as fruits, nuts, and grasses on land that landowners would otherwise consider marginal. To prioritize efforts for implementation of MPCs and provide tailored information to landowners, this study introduces a suitability model that identifies marginal land based on soil erosion, crop productivity, and other land traits that are important to landowners. Information provided by this tool can inform land management decisions. The land traits were spatially analyzed using a geographic information system (GIS) and parameterized to encode the magnitude of each variable9s effect on MPCs suitability. Applied in the Upper Sangamon River watershed, central Illinois, we identified 18,685 ha of highly suitable cropland for MPCs. An 8.5 m spatial resolution allowed identification of subfield suitability areas, in addition to locating target regions of extensive occurrences of high suitability. The distribution of target areas was often located where crop productivity was low and topographic potential for erosion was high. For 26,743 ha of cropland, potential erosion was estimated to be greater than the soil loss standard, particularly in the northeastern section of the watershed where there was higher relief and peri-urban or riparian areas surrounding cropland. In a scenario in which landowners would implement MPCs on identified target regions, simulated soil erosion was reduced by 56% across the watershed. The model provides a simple and effective management tool for identifying priority areas for MPCs implementation, giving landowners and researchers actionable information to improve upon conservation strategies for marginal cropland.