Mature Branches Research Articles

Cryo-EM structures reveal how phosphate release from Arp3 weakens actin filament branches formed by Arp2/3 complex

Arp2/3 complex nucleates branched actin filaments for cell and organelle movements. Here we report a 2.7 Å resolution cryo-EM structure of the mature branch junction formed by S. pombe Arp2/3 complex that provides details about interactions with both mother and daughter filaments. We determine a second structure at 3.2 Å resolution with the phosphate analog BeFx bound with ADP to Arp3 and ATP bound to Arp2. In this ADP-BeFx transition state the outer domain of Arp3 is rotated 2° toward the mother filament compared with the ADP state and makes slightly broader contacts with actin in both the mother and daughter filaments. Thus, dissociation of Pi from the ADP-Pi transition state reduces the interactions of Arp2/3 complex with the actin filaments and may contribute to the lower mechanical stability of mature branch junctions with ADP bound to the Arps. Our structures also reveal that the mother filament in contact with Arp2/3 complex is slightly bent and twisted, consistent with the preference of Arp2/3 complex binding curved actin filaments. The small degree of twisting constrains models of actin filament mechanics.

Ca-oxalate crystals are involved in cadmium storage in a high Cd accumulating cultivar of cacao

Cadmium (Cd) concentrations in cacao often exceed food limits. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of Cd accumulation in cacao trees is necessary to advance Cd mitigation strategies. This study explores Cd distribution and speciation (i.e., chemical form) within the vegetative organs of a high Cd accumulating cacao cultivar growing in soil with background Cd concentrations (0.28 mg Cd kg−1) by synchrotron radiation-based micro- and nano-X-ray fluorescence imaging and X-ray absorption spectroscopy on duplicate samples of roots, young branches, mature branches, and leaves. In both the roots and branches, the incorporation of Cd in Ca-oxalate crystals with binding to oxygen-ligands was identified as a major mechanism of Cd regulation. The Ca-oxalate crystals were more abundant in the branches than in the roots. We suggest that the incorporation of Cd into the Ca-oxalate crystals may limit the transfer of Cd to other organs like the leaves and beans. The roots also featured Cd-sulfur species in dilated cells of the wood, probably for the retention of Cd in the roots by strong binding with Cd to thiol-containing ligands. A Cd hotspot in large, secreting channels of the branches suggested that mucilage may play a role in the transport of Cd within cacao trees. The leaves had local Cd enrichments in the parenchymatous tissues and displayed a higher Cd concentration in the mesophyll compared to the epidermis. These insights in Cd distribution and speciation underscore that Theobroma cacao L. develops original Cd detoxification strategies, strongly different from non-tolerant species such as cereals.

Morphological Characteristics and Similarity Analysis of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) in Wonosobo, Temanggung, and Magelang Regencies

The diversity of cassava in Wonosobo, Temanggung and Magelang districts must be investigated. The objective of the study was to analyze the diversity of cassava based on morphological characteristics. The cassava of each accession was planted in Bandongan, Magelang Regency. Morphological characters observed after six months of planting included apical leaf color, apical leaf hair, leaf lobe shape, petiole color, leaf color, number of leaf lobes, leaf length, leaf width, petiole length, vein color, petiole orientation, color epidermis of stem, color of outer appearance of stem, distance between nodes, stem growth, color of mature branch tip, branching type, tuber, tuber shape, outer tuber skin color, tuber flesh color, and tuber inner skin color. Analysis of the morphological characteristics of cassava is presented in the form of a dendrogram using the MVSP (Multi Variate Statistical Package) version 3.22. The results of the study obtained 39 accessions of cassava which showed different morphological characteristics. The lowest morphological similarity (0.735) was found in Group I only consisted of 2 acquisitions that did not have tubers, namely Red Vegetables and Green Vegetables and Group II ( Groups III and IV) have a similarity of 0.92. The highest similarity was in groups IIIa and IIIb and Groups IVa and IVb have a similarity coefficient value of 0.95. The morphological diversity of 39 accessions is a source of cassava germplasm: 37 accessions are harvested for tubers and 2 accessions areharvested explicitly for leaves as vegetables. This research was useful for the development of cassava-based food industry bioproducts.

SPP-extractor: Automatic phenotype extraction for densely grown soybean plants

Automatic collecting of phenotypic information from plants has become a trend in breeding and smart agriculture. Targeting mature soybean plants at the harvesting stage, which are dense and overlapping, we have proposed the SPP-extractor (soybean plant phenotype extractor) algorithm to acquire phenotypic traits. First, to address the mutual occultation of pods, we augmented the standard YOLOv5s model for target detection with an additional attention mechanism. The resulting model could accurately identify pods and stems and could count the entire pod set of a plant in a single scan. Second, considering that mature branches are usually bent and covered with pods, we designed a branch recognition and measurement module combining image processing, target detection, semantic segmentation, and heuristic search. Experimental results on real plants showed that SPP-extractor achieved respective R2 scores of 0.93–0.99 for four phenotypic traits, based on regression on manual measurements.

Prevalence, Identity, Pathogenicity, and Infection Dynamics of Botryosphaeriaceae causing Avocado Branch Canker in California.

Botryosphaeria branch canker and dieback of avocado has expanded in avocado growing areas in recent years. Twenty-one avocado groves in major California producing regions were surveyed in 2018 and 2019. Monthly inoculations of wounded, green and lignified branches of 'Hass' and 'Lamb Hass' were conducted. Botryosphaeriaceae were the predominant fungi recovered from cankered tissues collected across traditional and high-density orchards, causing symptoms on all sampled cultivars. These fungi were also recovered in asymptomatic twigs and other organs, thus exist as potential reservoir for future infections. Molecular analyses of 173 isolates showed that Neofusicoccum luteum had the greatest incidences across sites and cultivars, with 83 and 29% recovered from 'Hass' and 'Lamb Hass', respectively. Pathogenicity tests on excised ('Hass', 'GEM', and 'Hass' mutants), attached shoots from potted ('Hass') and mature avocado trees ('Hass' and 'Lamb Hass') showed that all species were pathogenic on wounded, green, and mature branches. Monthly inoculations of wounded, green and lignified branches of 'Hass' and 'Lamb Hass' showed that both stem types were susceptible throughout the inoculation periods, regardless of the avocado phenological stage. In temperature-dependent growth and infection studies, growth of three Botryosphaeriaceae was higher between 20 and 30 °C, but only Lasiodiplodia theobromae significantly grew and caused external lesions at 35 °C. Lasiodiplodia theobromae also grew more on perseitol-amended media, all indicating its adaptation to warmer temperatures and capacity in metabolizing the avocado-produced sugar. Overall, this study extended our knowledge of the biology of Botryosphaeriaceae on avocados, which will be useful to tailor management strategies.

Branch Lignification of the Desert Plant Nitraria tangutorum Altered the Structure and Function of Endophytic Microorganisms

Xerophytes in desert improve their fitness under stress through the development of stems and branches. However, little is known about changes in the structure and function of endophytic microorganisms in response to interactions between desert plants and their environment. In this study, we analyzed the lignification indices of young and mature branches during their development in a typical desert xerophyte, Nitraria tangutorum, and combined 16S and ITS high-throughput sequencing techniques to draw the following conclusions. Nitraria tangutorum accumulated more lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose content during lignification. In addition, the number of OTUs and diversity of endophytic bacteria and fungi were reduced. Both endophytic bacteria and fungi were governed by stochastic processes during the development of stems and branches of Nitraria tangutorum and were significantly affected by lignification indices. Meanwhile, the development of stems and branches increased the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria and Ascomycota, and the dominant bacterial genera were mostly positively correlated with the lignification indices. In addition, stem and branch lignification reduced endophytic microbial interactions in the relationship between the endophytic bacterial and fungal networks of Nitraria tangutorum. Functional prediction analysis further revealed that lignification of Nitraria tangutorum branches changed the metabolic function of endophytic bacteria. The results of this study indicate that plant endophytic microorganisms play an important role in resisting and adapting to adversity and provide support for related studies on microbial ecology in desert areas.

Improved Clonal Propagation through Rejuvenation of Mature Branch Cutting of Four Important Acacia Species

Asexual propagation techniques for producing good quality germplasm for breeding and dissemination purposes have proven difficult for acacia species comprised of mature planting material. The study was conducted to study the effect of rejuvenation on the rooting ability of mature cuttings. Shoots were induced from the lower branch by cutting a part of the mature branch of the crown and leaving it horizontally on the propagation bench under the misting system. Shoots were harvested and further used as stem cuttings to evaluate their rooting ability through the application of rooting hormone. The rooting ability of the cuttings is highly variable among species. The percentage of stem sections producing juvenile shoots was similar for Acacia mangium Willd. (88%) and Acacia auriculiformis A.Cunn. ex Benth. (90%). Only 52% of stem sections were able to produce shoots for Acacia crassicarpa A.Cunn. ex Benth., followed by Acacia aulococarpa A.Cunn. ex Benth. with only 31%. Overall, A. auriculiformis rooted better and recorded the highest mean value for all traits tested. Hormone treatment significantly enhances the rooting ability of A. auriculiformis and A. mangium. However, A. aulococarpa and A. crassicarpa did not respond well to the treatment. Rejuvenated stem cuttings were rooted better than mature cuttings, producing the highest mean value for all traits tested in all species, with or without hormone treatment. Results indicated that it is possible to rejuvenate mature cuttings through bud break in a controlled environment.

Comparative transcriptomics of Pinus massoniana organs provides insights on terpene biosynthesis regulation.

Terpenoids are the most important natural products collected from conifer species. However, the molecular mechanisms and core factors underlying terpenoid biosynthesis in Pinus massoniana remain unclear. To clarify these mechanisms, this study aimed to identify potential genes that might participate in the terpenoid biosynthesis of P. massoniana. In this study, single molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing and expression analysis were used to confirm the expression patterns of genes involved in the cones, immature needles, mature needles, immature branches, and mature branches of P. massoniana. A total of 31,331 lncRNAs and 71,240 mRNAs were identified from these organs, and the greatest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was discovered between needles and branches. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) classified all expressed genes into nine typical modules with 11 kinds of transcription factors (TFs), namely, AP2-ERF, ARF, AUX-IAA, C2H2, Dof, F-box, SBP, WRKY, bHLH, bZIP, and GRAS, and seven kinds of functional genes, namely, ABC transporter, cellulose synthase (CesA), leucine-rich repeats (LRR), cytochrome P450 (CYT P450), pathogenesis-related protein (PR), terpene synthase (TPS), and chlorophyllase enzyme. A molecular network was constructed for hub genes, TFs, and functional genes in three modules. The potential function of eight candidate genes, including PmbHLH2, PmERF1, PmRGA, PmGAI, PmbZIP1, PmLOB1, PmMADS1, and PmMYB1, was validated through correlation analysis between terpenoid contents and expression levels, subcellular localization, and transcriptional activation activity, which provides us with probable regulators of terpenoid biosynthesis in conifers.

Bioactive copper and Bacillus subtilis for the control and resistance induction against citrus canker in sweet orange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] orchard establishment

• The biological product based on Bacillus subtilis lineage QST 731 applied both via drench and foliar sprays reduces the incidence of citrus canker in citrus trees. • The application of Bacillus subtilis lineage QST 731 via drench in combination with foliar sprays of copper hydroxide or bioactive copper increases the efficiency in the control of citrus canker. • Foliar applications of Bacillus subtilis lineage QST 731 reduces the incidence of citrus leafminer injure. • The copper-based product with amino acids, the bioactive copper, increases the expression of the pr2 gene, which encodes the protein β−1,3 glucanase. Resistance is the plant ability to prevent or delay the infection and the development of a pathogen. The objective of this study was to determine the efficiency of treatments with chemical and biological products for the control of citrus canker during the establishment of citrus orchards through resistance induction. The treatments consisted of a combination of foliar and drench applications of products based on Bacillus subtilis (Bs), bioactive copper (BioCu), copper hydroxide (HCu) and acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM), at the transplanting of the nursery trees to the field and throughout the first year of establishment of the citrus orchard. Evaluations were carried out on mature branches determining the incidence of citrus canker, defoliation, and citrus leafminer (CLM) injures. The vegetative growth of the citrus trees, i.e. tree height and trunk and canopy diameters, were also determined. Under controlled conditions, studies were carried out to determine the activation of the systemic acquired resistance (SAR) by treatments with ASM and Bs applied via drench, and by BioCu and copper sulfate (SCu) applied by spraying on the leaves of the citrus trees. The expression of the PR-2 gene was evaluated by RT-qPCR at 24, 42, and 72 h, and seven days after the application of the treatments. In the field, the ‘IAPAR 73′ sweet orange trees treated via drench with Bs and foliar applications of Bs + HCu, Bs + BioCu and HCu with and without ASM showed reductions in the incidence of citrus canker. HCu treatments reduced defoliation, while foliar treatments with Bs decreased the incidence of CLM injures. The ‘IAPAR 73′ sweet orange trees treated with ASM showed a reduction in the vegetative growth. The BioCu and Bs products were effective for the control of citrus canker in young citrus trees during the orchard establishment. In addition, the BioCu product increased the expression of the PR-2 gene, which encodes the β-1,3 glucanase, a protein associated with the systemic acquired resistance (SAR) in plants.

Nanotechnology-Assisted Cell Tracking.

The usefulness of nanoparticles (NPs) in the diagnostic and/or therapeutic sector is derived from their aptitude for navigating intra- and extracellular barriers successfully and to be spatiotemporally targeted. In this context, the optimization of NP delivery platforms is technologically related to the exploitation of the mechanisms involved in the NP–cell interaction. This review provides a detailed overview of the available technologies focusing on cell–NP interaction/detection by describing their applications in the fields of cancer and regenerative medicine. Specifically, a literature survey has been performed to analyze the key nanocarrier-impacting elements, such as NP typology and functionalization, the ability to tune cell interaction mechanisms under in vitro and in vivo conditions by framing, and at the same time, the imaging devices supporting NP delivery assessment, and consideration of their specificity and sensitivity. Although the large amount of literature information on the designs and applications of cell membrane-coated NPs has reached the extent at which it could be considered a mature branch of nanomedicine ready to be translated to the clinic, the technology applied to the biomimetic functionalization strategy of the design of NPs for directing cell labelling and intracellular retention appears less advanced. These approaches, if properly scaled up, will present diverse biomedical applications and make a positive impact on human health.

Fractal morphology facilitates Bacillus subtilis biofilm growth.

In the late stage of Bacillus subtilis biofilm growth, to adapt the extremely nutrient-lacking environment, the biofilm edge grows into a complex branching structure, which allows the biofilm to expand outward at a faster speed, comparing to the expansion speed of the biofilm edge without branching structure. The fractal analysis shows that the fractal dimension (Fd) decreases along the radius in the biofilm branching structure, as shown in Figs.1dand3a. The variation of Fd along the radius is not monotonic, which is because of the texture evolution induced by the bacterial clusters' movement. By using the wide field stereomicroscope and image analysis, we find that the ridges in the mature branching structure are composed of inactive substances, and most of the bacterial clusters move through the valleys. Further analysis shows that bacterial clusters move to the area with the high Succolarity (Suc) value.

Konya İli Böğürtlen, Ahududu ve Kuşburnu Yetiştiriciliğinde Potansiyel Bir Tehdit: Ateş Yanıklığı Hastalığı

In the present study, totally 49 samples, which showed the symptoms of leaf and shoot blight and cankers with brown discoloration of necrotic tissues on mature branches, were collected from 22 districts and areas of Konya Province between 2017 and 2019. Presence rate of E. amylovora in collected samples, showing symptoms of the disease, from the province was determined to be 40% for blackberry and raspberry and 33% rosehip for rosehip in three years. Bacteria consistently isolated from the diseased tissues were identified on the basis of biochemical, physiological, and molecular tests, comparing with a reference strain of E. amylovora, isolated from blackberry (Kbb 371). Twenty seven representative bacterial strains were gram-negative, rod-shaped, mucoid, fermentative, positive for levan formation and acetoin production, no growth at 36°C, positive for gelatin hydrolysis, and negative for esculin hydrolysis, indole, urease, catalase, oxidase, arginine dehydrolase, reduction of nitrate, acid production from lactose, and inositol. All strains induced a hypersensitive response in tobacco (Nicotiana tobacum cv. White Burley) 24 h after inoculation with a 108 CFU ml-1 bacterial suspension in sterile distilled water. The strains were identified as E. amylovora using the species-specific primers set A/B (1), which amplified a 1-kb DNA fragment in PCR, and the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) method. In order to fulfill the Koch postulates, pathogenicity test was confirmed by injecting bacterial suspensions of 108 CFU ml-1 in sterile distilled water into the shoot tips of 3-year-old blackberry R. fruticosus cv. Chester, raspberry R. idaeus cv. Heritage and rosehip R. canina. All tests were repeated three times. The bacterium was re-isolated from inoculated plants and identified as E. amylovora. Phytosanitary measures are needed to prevent any further spread of the bacterium as potential inoculum sources to new blackberry, raspberry and rosehip growing areas.

Interrelationship for yield and yield associated traits in mustard (Brassica juncea L.)

The association among yield and affecting traits were analyzed for nine yield contributing traits at Oilseeds Section, ARI, Tandojam in randomized complete block design with three replications during 2018-2019. The analysis of variance revealed that all genotypes were highly significant at 0.01 probability level for all the attributes. BJD BARD-1 maintained the minimum days to 75% flowering (47.42 days), AARI Canola produced minimum days to 90% maturity (120.20 days) and maximum branches plant-1 (9.46) along with maximum seeds pod-1 (17.22), Super Raya exhibited the shortest plants (182.39 cm), maximum pods plant-1 (482.57) and seed yield plant-1 (30.44 g), while Dhoom-1 articulated the maximum seed index (6.48 g) and JS-13 demonstrated the most oil content (39.28%). It was identified positive as well as highly significant linkage between seed yield plant-1 and days to 75% flowering (0.6556**), between seed yield plant-1 and days to 90% maturity (0.7271**), between seed yield plant-1 and branches plant-1 (0.4762**) and between seed yield plant-1 and pods plant-1 (0.8498**). Whereas, significant and positive associations were found between seed yield plant-1 and plant height (0.4562*) and between seed yield plant-1 and seeds pod-1 (0.3433*). It was finalized, positive correlation indicated that selection of these attributes demonstrating significant results would be very fruitful and progressive for desirable genes. The better performed mustard genotypes will be able to be utilized in future for mustard development programmes to improve yield associated characters. Keywords: Interrelationship; Mustard; Yield; Yield associated traits http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2020.90212

Taxonomic determination of the cryptogenic red alga,Chondria tumulosasp. nov.,(Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta) fromPapahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawai'i, USA: A new species displaying invasive characteristics.

Survey cruises by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 2016 and 2019 yielded specimens of an undetermined red alga that rapidly attained alarming levels of benthic coverage at Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawaiʻi. By 2019 the seaweed had covered large expanses on the northeast side of the atoll with mat-like, extensive growth of entangled thalli. Specimens were analyzed using light microscopy and molecular analysis, and were compared to morphological descriptions in the literature for closely related taxa. Light microscopy demonstrated that the specimens likely belonged to the rhodomelacean genus Chondria, yet comparisons to taxonomic literature revealed no morphological match. DNA sequence analyses of the mitochondrial COI barcode marker, the plastidial rbcL gene, and the nuclear SSU gene confirmed its genus-level placement and demonstrated that this alga was unique compared to all other available sequences. Based on these data, this cryptogenic seaweed is here proposed as a new species: Chondria tumulosa A.R.Sherwood & J.M.Huisman sp. nov. Chondria tumulosa is distinct from all other species of Chondria based on its large, robust thalli, a mat-forming tendency, large axial diameter in mature branches (which decreases in diameter with subsequent orders of branching), terete axes, and bluntly rounded apices. Although C. tumulosa does not meet the criteria for the definition of an invasive species given that it has not been confirmed as introduced to Pearl and Hermes Atoll, this seaweed is not closely related to any known Hawaiian native species and is of particular concern given its sudden appearance and rapid increase in abundance in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument; an uninhabited, remote, and pristine island chain to the northwest of the Main Hawaiian Islands.

Non-commutative Geometry, Index Theory and Mathematical Physics

Noncommutative geometry today is a new but mature branch of mathematics shedding light on many other areas from number theory to operator algebras. In the 2018 meeting two of these connections were high-lighted. For once, the applications to mathematical physics, in particular quantum field theory. Indeed, it was quantum theory which told us first that the world on small scales inherently is noncommutative. The second connection was to index theory with its applications in differential geometry. Here, non-commutative geometry provides the fine tools ot obtain higher information.

A Pharmacognostical Study on Stem of Capparis decidua Edgew.

Capparis decidua (Family, Capparidaceae), commonly known as ‘Kair’, is a xerophytic plant distributed throughout the arid regions of India and other countries. The plant is used traditionally for various medicinal purposes. The present study deals with the development of pharmacognostical and physico-chemical parameters of Capparis decidua stem. Fresh stems were studied for macroscopical and microscopical characters. The stem is much branched; each branch is slender and bears spines. Mature branches are leafless and show brownish bark. Microscopically, young stem shows epidermis with sunken stomata and a thick cuticle, hypodermis made up of palisade-like cells and sclereids, cortex with stone cells band and group of cortical fibres, pericyclic fibres, a ring of vascular bundles and well-developed pith with pitted and lignified cells. Crystals of calcium oxalate and starch grains are found throughout the transverse section. Old stem shows a similar structure, but epidermis and hypodermis are replaced by cork. Powder of stem shows epidermis, stone cells, sclereids, fibres, xylem vessels, crystals of calcium oxalate, starch grains and fragments of cortex and pith. The moisture content, water and alcohol soluble extractives and ash values were also determined. The quality parameters developed would serve as useful tool in standardization of C. decidua stem.

Propagation Protocols for Enhancing Conservation and Utilization of Melia dubia Cav.

India's annual imports of logs and wood products have increased from $500 million to $2.7 billion over the past decade. Many tree species have been taken up for the promotion of tree cultivation outside the forest areas; one of them is Melia dubia Cav. (Meliaceae). It is a multipurpose tree species, finding use as a raw material for plywood, fodder for livestock, and a secondary timber. Large-scale planting is hampered by poor seed (less than 10%) germination despite producing abundant quantities of fruits every year; lack of package of practices thereby making planting stock unavailable. A research study was carried out at the Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding in Coimbatore, India to investigate seed germination and rooting of cuttings. Seeds were subjected to different pretreatments against control. Seeds stored in polybags under ambient conditions for over a year gave the highest germination (94.01 per cent). Juvenile stem cuttings (coppice), branchlets and mature branches of M. dubia were tried for rooting/sprouting. Coppice responded well to 1000–2000 mg/l IBA (liquid formulation). Sand was identified as the best rooting media for the multiplication of coppice. The stumps produced good coppice when cut at 120 cm above ground level with high survival percentage (60%) and increased sprout production. The size of the cutting and season of rooting plays a major role in the rooting of cuttings. Success in nursery production through vegetative production will open an opportunity to successful large scale plantations of M. dubia.

Cherenkov Telescope Ring - An Idea for World Wide Monitoring of the VHE Sky

With very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray astronomy becoming a mature branch of observational astrophysics, and the multi-messenger sky being opened up by neutrino observatories and gravitational wave detectors, we here propose to set up a ring of imaging air Cherenkov telescopes – the Cherenkov Telescope Ring (CTR). The aim of this proposed project would be to facilitate continuous monitoring of sources on the VHE- and multi-messenger sky with minimal time delays and with high sensitivity. Development time and construction cost could be kept comparatively low by both including existing facilities into the monitoring effort, and by relying on substantial previous expertise gained in the community on the road towards the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). This way, the Ring could prove to be a highly efficient facility greatly enhancing the science prospects for future ground-based high-energy astrophysics.

Lithospheric modification by extension and magmatism at the craton-orogenic boundary: North Tanzania Divergence, East Africa

We present a joint analysis of newly acquired gravity and teleseismic data in the North Tanzanian Divergence, where the lithospheric break-up is at its earliest stage. The impact of a mantle upwelling in more mature branches of the East African Rift has been extensively studied at a lithospheric scale. However, few studies have been completed that relate the deep-seated mantle anomaly detected in broad regional seismic tomography with the surface deformation observed in the thick Archaean Pan-African suture zone located in North Tanzania. Our joint inversion closes the gap between local and regional geophysical studies, providing velocity and density structures from the surface down to ca. 250 km depth with new details. Our results support the idea of a broad mantle upwelling rising up to the lithosphere and creating a thermal modification along its path. However, our study clearly presents an increasing amplitude of the associated anomaly both in velocity and density above 200 km depth, which cannot be solely explained by a temperature rise. We infer from our images the combined impact of melt (2–3 per cent), composition and hydration that accompany the modification of a thick heterogenous cratonic lithosphere are a response to the hot mantle rising. The detailed images we obtained in density and velocity assert that Archaean and Proterozoic units interact with the mantle upwelling to restrict the lithosphere modifications within the Magadi–Natron–Manyara rift arm. The composition and hydration variations associated with those units equilibrate the thermal erosion of the craton root and allow for its stability between 100 and 200 km depth. Above 80 km depth, the crustal part is strongly affected by intruding bodies (melt and gas) which produces large negative anomalies in both velocity and density beneath the main magmatic centres. In addition to the global impact of a superplume, the velocity and density anomaly pattern suggests a 3-D distribution of the crust and mantle lithospheric stretching, which is likely to be controlled by inherited fabrics and enhanced by lateral compositional and hydration variations at the Tanzanian craton-orogenic belt boundary.

Effects of Leptonic Nonunitarity on Lepton Flavor Violation, Neutrino Oscillation, Leptogenesis, and Lightest Neutrino Mass

Neutrino physics is a mature branch of science with all the three neutrino mixing angles and two mass squared differences determined with high precision. In spite of several experimental verifications of neutrino oscillations and precise measurements of two mass squared differences and the three mixing angles, the unitarity of the leptonic mixing matrix is not yet established, leaving room for the presence of small nonunitarity effects. Deriving the bounds on these nonunitarity parameters from existing experimental constraints, on cLFV decays such as μ→eγ, μ→τγ, and τ→eγ, we study their effects on the generation of baryon asymmetry through leptogenesis and neutrino oscillation probabilities. We consider a model where see-saw is extended by an additional singlet S which is very light but can give rise to nonunitarity effects without affecting the form on see-saw formula. We do a parameter scan of a minimal see-saw model in a type I see-saw framework satisfying the Planck data on baryon to photon ratio of the Universe, which lies in the interval 5.8×10-10<YB<6.6×10-10(BBN). We predict values of lightest neutrino mass and Dirac and Majorana CP-violating phases δCP, α, and β, for normal hierarchy and inverted hierarchy for one-flavor leptogenesis. It is worth mentioning that all these four quantities are unknown yet, and future experiments will be measuring them.