Typical Signature Research Articles

Late Neoproterozoic tholeiitic plutonism in far-east Avalonia (the Dirgine Batholith, Istanbul Zone): Exposed mid-crustal section of an oceanic arc

Avalonia, a large composite terrane, extends from the northeastern regions of America and Canada to southern Britain and Belgium/Netherlands, continuing on to Poland. It was accreted to Laurentia and Baltica during early Paleozoic. The late Neoproterozoic basement of the Istanbul Zone (NW Turkey), which is considered the far-east extension of Avalonia, is poorly known. This study deals with the petrology and age of the Dirgine Batholith, the largest component of the late Neoproterozoic basement. The batholith, ∼70 km long and ∼12 km wide, was emplaced into Neoproterozoic low-grade mafic to felsic metavolcanic and metapyroclastic rocks. Tonalite and quartz diorite form the bulk of the batholith. Trondhjemite, granodiorite, and anorthositic gabbro occur in minor amounts. Overall, rock types resemble low-Al tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite series and trondhjemites in ophiolite sequences. The batholith formed over a narrow time interval (562–574 Ma, late Ediacaran), as inferred by U–Pb zircon geochronology. In-situ Lu-Hf analyses of igneous zircons reveal a limited range of significantly positive initial εHf values (9.47 ± 1.46, 2σ) and young Hf depleted mantle model ages (0.78 ± 0.06 Ga), indicating the relatively juvenile character of original magmas. All rock types have typical subduction-related trace-element signatures such as depletion in high-field-strength elements and enrichment in several fluid-mobile elements as well as nearly flat chondrite-normalized REE patterns. Geochemical characteristics indicate that crustal assimilation was insignificant, and the batholith formed by fractional crystallization of mantle-derived low-K tholeiitic magmas involving mainly clinopyroxene, hornblende and ± plagioclase. The Dirgine Batholith and metamorphic country rocks probably represent the mid-crustal section of a late Neoproterozoic oceanic arc. The interpretation of an oceanic rather than continental arc is based on the significantly lower concentrations of incompatible elements relative to continental arcs, nearly flat REE patterns of the rock types, and the juvenile nature of the primary magmas. These data, in concert with those in the literature, reveal that late Neoproterozoic oceanic arcs constitute an important component of far-east Avalonian terranes.

SpRY-mediated screens facilitate functional dissection of non-coding sequences at single-base resolution

CRISPR mutagenesis screens conducted with SpCas9 and other nucleases have identified certain cis-regulatory elements and genetic variants but at a limited resolution due to the absence of protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) sequences. Here, leveraging the broad targeting scope of the near-PAMless SpRY variant, we have demonstrated that saturated SpRY mutagenesis and base editing screens can faithfully identify functional regulatory elements and essential genetic variants for target gene expression at single-base resolution. We further extended this methodology to investigate a genome-wide association study (GWAS) locus at 10q22.1 associated with a red blood cell trait, where we identified potential enhancers regulating HK1 gene expression, despite not all of these enhancers exhibiting typical chromatin signatures. More importantly, our saturated base editing screens pinpoint multiple causal variants within this locus that would otherwise be missed by Bayesian statistical fine-mapping. Our approach is generally applicable to functional interrogation of all non-coding genomic elements while complementing other high-coverage CRISPR screens.

A Mendelian randomization study investigating the causal relationships between inflammation and immunoglobulin A nephropathy

BackgroundImmunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the production of galactose‑deficient IgA1 (Gd‑IgA1) and the deposition of immune complexes in the kidney. Exploring the landscape of immune dysregulation in IgAN is valuable for pathogenesis and disease treatment. We conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the causal correlations between inflammation and IgAN. MethodsBased on available genetic datasets, we investigated potential causal links between inflammation and the risk of IgAN using two-sample MR. We used genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics of 5 typical inflammation markers, 41 inflammatory cytokines, and 731 immune cell signatures, accessed from the public GWAS Catalog. The primary method employed for MR analysis was Inverse Variance Weighted (IVW). To confirm consistency across results, four supplementary MR methods were also conducted: MR-Egger, Weighted Median, Weighted Mode, and Simple Mode. To assess pleiotropy, we used the MR-Egger regression intercept test and Mendelian Randomization Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier (MR-PRESSO) test. Cochrane’s Q statistic was applied to evaluate heterogeneity. Additionally, the stability of the MR findings was verified through the leave-one-out sensitivity analysis. ResultsThis study revealed that interleukin-7 (IL-7) and stem cell growth factor beta (SCGF-β) were possibly associated with the risk of IgAN according to the IVW approach, with estimated odds ratios (OR) of 1.059 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.015 to 1.104, P = 0.008) and 1.043 (95 % CI 1.002 to 1.085, P = 0.037). Five immune traits were identified that might be linked to IgAN risk, each with P-values below 0.01, including natural killer T %T cell (OR = 1.058, 95 % CI: 1.020 to 1.097, P = 0.002), natural killer T %lymphocyte (OR = 1.055, 95 % CI: 1.016 to 1.096, P = 0.006), CD25++ CD8+ T cell %T cell (OR = 1.057, 95 % CI: 1.016 to 1.099, P = 0.006), CD3 on effector memory CD4+ T cell (OR = 1.045, 95 % CI: 1.019 to 1.071, P = 0.001), and CD3 on CD28+ CD45RA+ CD8+ T cell (OR = 1.042, 95 % CI: 1.016 to 1.068, P = 0.001). CD4 on central memory CD4+ T cell might be a protective factor for IgAN (OR = 0.922, 95 % CI: 0.875 to 0.971, P = 0.002). Moreover, IgAN may be implicated in a high risk of elevated granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) (OR = 1.114, 95 % CI 1.002 to 1.239, P = 0.046). ConclusionOur study revealed exposures among typical inflammation markers, inflammatory cytokines, and immune cell signatures that may potentially linked to IgAN risk by MR analysis. This insight may advance our understanding of the etiology of IgAN and support the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.

The RNA interference response to alphanodavirus replication in Phlebotomus papatasi sand fly cells.

In this study, we identified and assembled a strain of American nodavirus (ANV) in the Phlebotomus papatasi-derived PP9ad cell line. This strain most closely resembles Flock House virus and ANV identified in the Drosophila melanogaster S2/S2R cell line. Through small RNA sequencing and analysis, we demonstrate that ANV replication in PP9ad cells is primarily targeted by the exogenous small interfering RNA (exo-siRNA) pathway, with minimal engagement from the PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA) pathway. In mosquitoes such as Aedes and Culex, the PIWI pathway is expanded and specialised, which actively limits virus replication. This is unlike in Drosophila spp., where the piRNA pathway does not restrict viral replication. In Lutzomyia sandflies (family Psychodidae), close relatives of Phlebotomus species and Drosophila, there appears to be an absence of virus-derived piRNAs. To investigate whether this absence is due to a lack of PIWI pathway proteins, we analysed the piRNA and siRNA diversity and repertoire in PP9ad cells. Previous assemblies of P. papatasi genome (Ppap_1.0) have revealed a patchy repertoire of the siRNA and piRNA pathways. Our analysis of the updated P. papatasi genome (Ppap_2.1) has shown no PIWI protein expansion in sandflies. We found that both siRNA and piRNA pathways are transcriptionally active in PP9ad cells, with genomic mapping of small RNAs generating typical piRNA signatures. Our results suggest that the piRNA pathway may not respond to virus replication in these cells, but an antiviral response is mounted via the exo-siRNA pathway.

The effect of feedback timing on category learning and feedback processing in younger and older adults.

Corrective feedback can be received immediately after an action or with a temporal delay. Neuroimaging studies suggest that immediate and delayed feedback are processed by the striatum and medial temporal lobes (MTL), respectively. Age-related changes in the striatum and MTL may influence the efficiency of feedback-based learning in older adults. The current study leverages event-related potentials (ERPs) to evaluate age-related differences in immediate and delayed feedback processing and consequences for learning. The feedback-related negativity (FRN) captures activity in the frontostriatal circuit while the N170 is hypothesized to reflect MTL activation. 18 younger (Myears = 24.4) and 20 older (Myears = 65.5) adults completed learning tasks with immediate and delayed feedback. For each group, learning outcomes and ERP magnitudes were evaluated across timing conditions. Younger adults learned better than older adults in the immediate timing condition. This performance difference was associated with a typical FRN signature in younger but not older adults. For older adults, impaired processing of immediate feedback in the striatum may have negatively impacted learning. Conversely, learning was comparable across groups when feedback was delayed. For both groups, delayed feedback was associated with a larger magnitude N170 relative to immediate feedback, suggesting greater MTL activation. Delaying feedback may increase MTL involvement and, for older adults, improve category learning. Age-related neural changes may differentially affect MTL- and striatal-dependent learning. Future research can evaluate the locus of age-related learning differences and how feedback can be manipulated to optimize learning across the lifespan.

In silico analysis of a heme-thiolate peroxidase gene discovered in an ectomycorrhizal fungus of Carpathian primeval forest: implications for biotechnological applications

In this work, we focus on the identification of novel fungal peroxygenase gene belonging to the peroxidase-peroxygenase superfamily. We applied a metagenomic approach on soil samples from primeval forest and appropriate bioinformatics tools for analysis of obtained genomic DNA sequence. Peroxidases are ubiquitous metalloenzymes that are able to reduce reactive peroxides, mainly hydrogen peroxide, into water, whereas several substrates can be concomitantly oxidized during their catalytic reaction. Our purpose was to collect unique peroxygenase sequence data originating from a preserved biotope for a robust phylogenetic reconstruction of a particular gene family coding for highly versatile heme-thiolate peroxidases that has peculiar yet undiscovered representatives among ectomycorrhizal fungi. We identified unique DNA sequence, 812 bp long, from ectomycorrhizal Suillus species coding for a heme-thiolate peroxidase with 1 typical intron that appears distinctive for Carpathian forests. After translation in corresponding protein sequence 251 amino acids long we could identify typical signatures of this peroxygenase. On the proximal side of heme we found the conserved P-C-P triad responsible for efficient ligation of heme iron thus influencing the reactivity of this peroxidase. On the distal side we recognized the E-H-D-X-S-L motif for interaction with a stabilizing magnesium ion. Maximum likelihood reconstruction of protein phylogeny revealed with a high bootstrap support the presence of a monophyletic HTP4 clade originating in numerous Suillus representatives. Together with sister clades of edible Boletus and poisonous Paxillus containing diverse peroxygenases these newly discovered heme catalyst can be considered for application of oxyfunctionalization of organic molecules.

Petrogenesis and Metallogenesis of Late Cretaceous Adakites in the Nuri Large Cu-W-Mo Deposit, Tibet, China: Constraints from Geochronology, Geochemistry, and Hf Isotopes

The Gangdese metallogenic belt in Tibet is an important polymetallic metallogenic belt formed during the subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean and subsequent India–Asia collision. Adakitic rocks are widely distributed in this belt and are considered to be closely related to porphyry–skarn Cu-Mo polymetallic mineralization. However, the petrogenesis and geodynamic setting of the Late Cretaceous adakites in the Gangdese belt remain controversial. In this study, we focus on the quartz diorite in the Nuri Cu-W-Mo deposit along the southern margin of the eastern Gangdese belt. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating yields a Late Cretaceous age of 93.6 ± 0.4 Ma for the quartz diorite. Whole-rock geochemistry shows that the quartz diorite possesses typical adakitic signatures, with high SiO2, Al2O3, and Sr contents, but low Y and Yb contents. The relatively low K2O content and high MgO, Cr, and Ni contents, as well as the positive zircon εHf(t) values (+6.58 to +14.52), suggest that the adakites were derived from the partial melting of the subducted Neo-Tethys oceanic slab, with subsequent interaction with the overlying mantle wedge. The Late Cretaceous magmatic flare-up and coeval high-temperature granulite-facies metamorphism in the Gangdese belt were likely triggered by Neo-Tethys mid-ocean ridge subduction. The widespread occurrence of Late Cretaceous adakitic intrusions and associated Cu mineralization in the Nuri ore district indicate a strong tectono-magmatic-metallogenic event related to the Neo-Tethys subduction during this period. This study provides new insights into the petrogenesis and geodynamic setting of the Late Cretaceous adakites in the Gangdese belt, and has important implications for Cu polymetallic deposit exploration in this region.

Global Distribution of EMIC Waves and Its Association to Subauroral Proton Precipitation During the 27 May 2017 Storm: Modeling and Multipoint Observations

AbstractRecent simulation studies using the RAM‐SCB model showed that proton precipitation contributes significantly to the total energy flux deposited into the subauroral ionosphere thereby affecting the magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling. In this study, we use the BATS‐R‐US + RAM‐SCB model to understand the evolution of ElectroMagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) waves in the inner magnetosphere, their correspondence to the proton precipitation into the subauroral ionosphere, and to assess the performance of the model in reproducing the EMIC wave‐particle interactions. During the 27 May 2017 storm, Arase and RBSP‐A satellites observed typical signatures of EMIC waves in the inner magnetosphere. Within this interval, Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/MetOp satellites observed significant proton precipitation in the dusk‐midnight sector. Simulation results show that H‐ and He‐band EMIC waves are excited within regions of strong temperature anisotropy near the plasmapause. The simulated growth rates of EMIC waves show a similar trend to that of the EMIC wave power observed by the Arase and RBSP‐A satellites, suggesting that the model can reproduce the EMIC wave activity qualitatively. The simulated H‐band waves in the dusk sector are stronger than He‐band waves possibly due to the presence of excess protons in the boundary conditions obtained from the BATS‐R‐US code. The precipitating proton fluxes reproduced by the simulation with EMIC waves are found to agree reasonably well with the DMSP and NOAA/MetOp satellite observations. It is suggested that EMIC wave scattering of ring current ions can account for proton precipitation observed by the DMSP and MetOp satellites during the 27 May 2017 storm.

A distinctive rare earth element signature for pyrite oxidation and glacial weathering

The application of rare earth elements (REE) and neodymium (Nd) isotopes to authigenic Fe-(oxyhydr)oxide phases leached from marine sediments can be used for reconstructing past ocean circulation and chemical weathering patterns on nearby continental landmasses. To explore the behaviour of REE during chemical weathering in glacial environments, we analyzed the authigenic fraction of glacimarine sediments from the continental shelf off northern Svalbard (Arctic Ocean), where the evolution of ice sheet dynamics since the last deglaciation is well constrained. Our results show that leached authigenic fractions in Svalbard sediments exhibit shale-normalized REE patterns characterized by anomalously high mid-REE enrichment relative to both light- and heavy-REE, as expressed by concavity index values (CI > 2.5) that significantly depart from typical REE signatures for leached fractions in marine and river sediments worldwide. Using a compilation of literature data, we provide compelling evidence that the occurrence of pronounced mid-REE enrichment in authigenic fractions of Svalbard marine sediments links to terrestrial oxidation of pyrite following glacial weathering. While future investigation will be required to further understand the detailed mechanism accounting for the observed REE decoupling and its link to pyrite oxidation, we propose that preferential dissolution of mid-REE-enriched rock-bearing minerals such as apatite following glacial erosion, sulfide weathering and subsequent release of sulfuric acid could release a distinctive REE signature in glacial surface environments. Our findings suggest that the use of authigenic REE in the sedimentary record could provide a means for tracing glacial weathering and associated biogeochemical sulfur and iron cycling across geological times.

Eocene mafic alkaline volcanism in north Central Iran; Signatures of development and subsequent melting of a pyroxenite mantle source

Volcanic rocks from the Miami-Davarzan area are basalts to trachyandesites interlayered with fossiliferous beds and bear significant implications on the Eocene geodynamic evolution of northern central Iran. The rocks constitute two distinct groups, a low-Nb and a high-Nb suite. The least evolved low-Nb suite includes clinopyroxene-olivine phyric samples and is characterized by higher CaO and lower Al2O3 as compared to peridotite partial melts. The high-Nb suite includes more evolved plagioclase-clinopyroxene phyric samples. Fractional crystallization modeling using least-squares mass balance calculations for major elements suggests that the high-Nb suite was formed from a low-Nb parental melt by differentiation of a clinopyroxene-dominated mineral assemblage. The Miami-Davarzan volcanic rocks are characterized by significant large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE) enrichment and high field strength elements (HFSE) depletion, which are typical signatures of subduction-related settings. Immobile, highly to moderately incompatible elements such as NbTa, LaCe, PrNd are higher in the Miami-Davarzan volcanic rocks as compared to the typical magmatic arcs, which is an indication of slab melt involvement and metasomatism of the mantle source. The Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data also confirm a common mantle source involving the addition of subducted sediments into a depleted mantle source for both the low-Nb and high-Nb suites. The geochemical characteristics such as high CaO, low Al2O3, and the isotopic data can be best explained by derivation of the low-Nb suite parental melt from a pyroxenite mantle source. The pyroxenite mantle source was probably developed as a result of interaction between shallow depleted mantle and slab plus sediment-derived melts. It is suggested that the extensional phase that dominated the northern central Iran during the Eocene prompted partial melting of a pyroxenite mantle source.

The Induction of Combined Hyperthermal Ablation Effect of Irreversible Electroporation with Polydopamine Nanoparticle-Coated Electrodes.

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a prominent non-thermal ablation method widely employed in clinical settings for the focal ablation therapy of solid tumors. Utilizing high-voltage, short-duration electric pulses, IRE induces perforation defects in the cell membrane, leading to apoptotic cell death. Despite the promise of irreversible electroporation (IRE) in clinical applications, it faces challenges concerning the coverage of target tissues for ablation, particularly when compared to other thermal ablation therapies such as radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and cryoablation. This study aims to investigate the induced hyperthermal effect of IRE by applying a polydopamine nanoparticle (Dopa NP) coating on the electrode. We hypothesize that the induced hyperthermal effect enhances the therapeutic efficacy of IRE for cancer ablation. First, we observed the hyperthermal effect of IRE using Dopa NP-coated electrodes in hydrogel phantom models and then moved to in vivo models. In particular, in in vivo animal studies, the IRE treatment of rabbit hepatic lobes with Dopa NP-coated electrodes exhibited a two-fold higher increase in temperature (ΔT) compared to non-coated electrodes. Through a comprehensive analysis, we found that IRE treatment with Dopa NP-coated electrodes displayed the typical histological signatures of hyperthermal ablation, including the disruption of the hepatic cord and lobular structure, as well as the infiltration of erythrocytes. These findings unequivocally highlight the combined efficacy of IRE with Dopa NPs for electroporation and the hyperthermal ablation of target cancer tissues.

Functional characterization of serine proteinase inhibitor Kazal-Type in the red claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus

Serine protease inhibitors Kazal type (SPINKs) function in physiological and immunological processes across multicellular organisms. In the present study, we identified a SPINK gene, designated as CqSPINK, in the red claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus, which is the ortholog of human SPINK5. The deduced CqSPINK contains two Kazal domains consisting of 45 amino acid residues with a typical signature motif C-X3-C-X5-PVCG-X5-Y-X3-C-X6-C-X12-14-C. Each Kazal domain contains six conserved cysteine residues forming three pairs of disulfide bonds, segmenting the structure into three rings. Phylogenetic analysis revealed CqSPINK as a homolog of human SPINK5. CqSPINK expression was detected exclusively in hepatopancreas and epithelium, with rapid up-regulation in hepatopancreas upon Vibrio parahaemolyticus E1 challenge. Recombinant CqSPINK protein (rCqSPINK) was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli and purified for further study. Proteinase inhibition assays demonstrated that rCqSPINK could potently inhibit proteinase K and subtilisin A, weakly inhibit α-chymotrypsin and elastase, but extremely weak inhibit trypsin. Furthermore, CqSPINK inhibited bacterial secretory proteinase activity from Bacillus subtilis, E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, and inhibited B. subtilis growth. These findings suggest CqSPINK's involvement in antibacterial immunity through direct inhibition of bacterial proteases, contributing to resistance against pathogen invasion.

Abstract 6011: Pharmacological inhibition of PMS2 increases tumor mutational burden, induces microsatellite instability and elicits immune mediated rejection in vivo

Abstract Tumors carrying defects in DNA mismatch repair (MMR-d) display high tumor mutational burden (TMB) and increased tumor neoantigen levels. MMR-d leads to accumulation of single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and insertions or deletions (indels) amongst repetitive DNA sequences generating microsatellite instability (MSI). Cancers that harbor >40% microsatellite variations are described as MSI-high (MSI-H). These tumors display unique clinical features including better prognosis, increased immune infiltration and remarkable response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with MMR-d often respond to therapies based on immune checkpoint blockade, whilst those with mismatch repair proficient (MMR-p) tumors do not. Therefore, identifying strategies to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapeutic treatments and transform this prevalent subgroup of CRCs from immunologically cold to hot remains an urgent and an unmet clinical need. We discovered NP1867 a first-in-class, potent, selective, covalent small molecule inhibitor of the DNA Mismatch Repair protein PMS2. We show by biochemical, biophysical, and protein-ligand X-ray crystallographic methods that NP1867 binds irreversibly to the ATP binding site of the N-terminal ATPase domain of PMS2. NP1867 displays potent binding to PMS2 in a NanoBRET cellular target engagement assay and inhibits MMR activity in mechanistic and functional cell-based assays of MMR-dependent DNA repair. Continuous treatment of murine CRC cell line CT26 (MMR-p) with NP1867 increases TMB, specifically enriches gained mutations with typical MMR-d related COSMIC mutational signatures, and elicits MSI-H status in a time-dependent manner, demonstrating for the first time that inhibition of PMS2 with a small molecule phenocopies the inactivation of MMR observed in patients. Remarkably, inoculation of immune-competent mice with CT26 cells pre-treated with NP1867 elicits tumor regressions in anti-PD1-treated animals, recapitulating the unique clinical features of MMR-d/MSI-H tumors. Conversely, no response is observed in immune-competent animals inoculated with control-treated cells. The extent of in vivo response correlates with the duration of in vitro NP1867 treatment and with the MSI-H status of treated CT26 cells. In conclusion, small molecule NP1867 functionally inhibits DNA MMR by targeting PMS2, enriches gained mutations with MMR-d COSMIC signatures, elicits MSI-H status, and enhances immune surveillance in preclinical models. These findings pave the way for the development of orally bioavailable compounds suitable for long-term dosing in animal models. Citation Format: Eleonora Piumatti, Alexia Hervieu, Philippe Riou, Julian Blagg, Adam Peall, Sam Weeks, Maria T. Rodríguez-Plata, Giuseppe Rospo, Sasi Arunachalam, Bettina Meier, Paige Tongue, Tessa McLaren, Kalpesh Parmar, Pradip Patel, David Clark, Gareth Langley, Charles Nichols, Benoît Rousseau, Paul Winship, Matthew Baker, Martin Drysdale, Giovanni Germano, Alberto Bardelli. Pharmacological inhibition of PMS2 increases tumor mutational burden, induces microsatellite instability and elicits immune mediated rejection in vivo [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 6011.

Petrogenesis of early-middle jurassic igneous rocks in the Central Jilin Province, NE China: implications for the early subduction of the Paleo-Pacific ocean and crustal growth

ABSTRACT Crustal growth is closely associated with the oceanic subduction process, although the precise mechanism involved remains poorly constrained. Northeast (NE) China is an important component of the largest accretive orogenic belt worldwide – Central Asian orogenic belt. Its accretionary process was dominated by the Paleo-Asian and Paleo-Pacific Oceans; thus, NE China can provide a promising insight to explore this complex mechanism. We report new geochronological, geochemical and Hf isotopic compositions of the igneous rocks found in the Central Jilin Province, NE China. The geochronological results reveal that these igneous rocks were formed during 174.7 − 167.7 Ma (i.e. Early−Middle Jurassic). The quartz diorite and monzogranites from the northeastern margin of the North China Craton have high Sr (314 − 757 ppm) content, (La/Yb)N (7.11 − 29.9) and Sr/Y (41.50 − 157) ratios, low Y (2.03 − 12.97 ppm) and Yb (0.30 − 1.34 ppm) contents, exhibiting adakitic features. Coupling with their significant negative εHf(t) values (−32.51 to − 5.45), we propose that these igneous rocks were originated from the partial melting of an ancient thickened lower crust. In contrary, the syenogranite, granite porphyry, and porphyritic monzogranite from the Zhangguangcai and Jiamusi blocks are characterized by high K calc-alkaline, low MgO (0.03 − 0.88 wt.%), Zr + Nb + Ce + Y (141 − 462 ppm) contents and Sr/Y (0.93 − 17.40) ratios, indicating an affinity of I−type granite. In view of their positive εHf(t) values (5.41 to 9.47), we suggest that they were originated from the partial melting of a juvenile lower mafic crust. Despite they have different magma sources, all the Jurassic igneous rocks exhibit typical geochemical signatures associated with subduction, such as enriched in large ion lithophile elements and depleted in high field strength elements. Considering the spatial-temporal distribution of coeval igneous rocks within the region, we propose that the Early Jurassic is the early subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Ocean. The Jurassic igneous rocks can be divided into two categories, one with high Sr/Y ratios and negative Hf isotope, and the others with low Sr/Y ratios and positive Hf isotope, which may indicate that crustal architecture in subduction zone has a significant effect on continental crustal growth and reworking in NE China.

Divergent bacterial landscapes: unraveling geographically driven microbiomes in Atlantic cod

Establishing microbiome signatures is now recognized as a critical step toward identifying genetic and environmental factors shaping animal-associated microbiomes and informing the health status of a given host. In the present work, we prospectively collected 63 blood samples of the Atlantic cod population of the Southern Gulf of Saint Lawrence (GSL) and characterized their 16S rRNA circulating microbiome signature. Our results revealed that the blood microbiome signature was dominated at the phylum level by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria, a typical signature for fish populations inhabiting the GSL and other marine ecosystems. At the genus level, however, we identified two distinct cod groups. While the microbiome signature of the first group was dominated by Pseudoalteromonas, a genus we previously found in the microbiome signature of Greenland and Atlantic halibut populations of the GSL, the second group had a microbiome signature dominated by Nitrobacter and Sediminibacterium (approximately 75% of the circulating microbiome). Cods harboring a Nitrobacter/Sediminibacterium-rich microbiome signature were localized in the most southern part of the GSL, just along the northern coast of Cape Breton Island. Atlantic cod microbiome signatures did not correlate with the weight, length, relative condition, depth, temperature, sex, and salinity, as previously observed in the halibut populations. Our study provides, for the first time, a unique snapshot of the circulating microbiome signature of Atlantic cod populations and the potential existence of dysbiotic signatures associated with the geographical distribution of the population, probably linked with the presence of nitrite in the environment.

A quantum blind signature scheme based on dense coding for non-entangled states

In some schemes, quantum blind signatures require the use of difficult-to-prepare multiparticle entangled states. By considering the communication overhead, quantum operation complexity, verification efficiency and other relevant factors in practical situations, this article proposes a non-entangled quantum blind signature scheme based on dense encoding. The information owner utilizes dense encoding and hash functions to blind the information while reducing the use of quantum resources. After receiving particles, the signer encrypts the message using a one-way function and performs a Hadamard gate operation on the selected single photon to generate the signature. Then the verifier performs a Hadamard gate inverse operation on the signature and combines it with the encoding rules to restore the message and complete the verification. Compared with some typical quantum blind signature protocols, this protocol has strong blindness in privacy protection, and higher flexibility in scalability and application. The signer can adjust the signature operation according to the actual situation, which greatly simplifies the complexity of the signature. By simultaneously utilizing the secondary distribution and rearrangement of non-entangled quantum states, a non-entangled quantum state representation of three bits of classical information is achieved, reducing the use of a large amount of quantum resources and lowering implementation costs. This improves both signature verification efficiency and communication efficiency while, at the same time, this scheme meets the requirements of unforgeability, non-repudiation, and prevention of information leakage.

Characterization of renewable diesel, petroleum diesel and renewable diesel/biodiesel/petroleum diesel blends

The physicochemical properties of a renewable diesel (RD) and several petroleum diesel (PD)–dominant diesels were examined to assess the feasibility of identifying and quantifying the presence of RD and biodiesel from PD and their blends. Relative to all PD-dominant diesels, the RD exhibited a lower density, a higher flash point, reduced evaporation loss and a comparable viscosity and water content. The studied RD contained a limited amount of aromatics, with aliphatic hydrocarbons predominantly within the C15 to C18 range. Most individual petroleum hydrocarbons were detected in the PD-dominant diesels, whereas the most abundant hydrocarbons for the RD were alkanes in the <n-C19 carbon range. The typical chemical signature of RD includes clustered peaks within the C15 to C18 range on GC/FID chromatograms coupled with a sharp decline in the abundance of n-alkanes from ∼n-C19 and heavier. These properties are robust indicators of RD, even in RD/PD blends. However, quantifying the RD/PD blending ratios is challenging because of their overlapping chemical compositions. The quantified blending ratios for the blended biodiesel/PD are close to theoretical biodiesel ratios. Our analyses provide valuable insights into the forensic identification of RD, biodiesel, PD and their blends.

Observation of transition from superfluorescence to polariton condensation in CsPbBr3 quantum dots film

The superfluorescence effect has received extensive attention due to the many-body physics of quantum correlation in dipole gas and the optical applications of ultrafast bright radiation field based on the cooperative quantum state. Here, we demonstrate not only to observe the superfluorescence effect but also to control the cooperative state of the excitons ensemble by externally applying a regulatory dimension of coupling light fields. A new quasi-particle called cooperative exciton-polariton is revealed in a light-matter hybrid structure of a perovskite quantum dot thin film spin-coated on a Distributed Bragg Reflector. Above the nonlinear threshold, polaritonic condensation occurs at a nonzero momentum state on the lower polariton branch owning to the vital role of the synchronized excitons. The phase transition from superfluorescence to polariton condensation exhibits typical signatures of a decrease of the linewidth, an increase of the macroscopic coherence as well as an accelerated radiation decay rate. These findings are promising for opening new potential applications for super-brightness and unconventional coherent light sources and could enable the exploitation of cooperative effects for quantum optics.

TDP-43 was Involved in Radiation-induced Neuronal Damage and May Not Through the BDNF/TrkB Pathway.

Cognitive dysfunction is the most common form of radiation-induced brain injury. TDP-43 is known to be associated with hippocampal degeneration and cognitive dysfunction, in this study we wanted to know if it also had an effect on radiation-induced hippocampus damage. At first, we found the expression of TDP-43 and p-TDP-43 was increased in the hippocampus of rats with radiation-induced cognitive dysfunction. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis of the rat hippocampus showed that TDP-43 was expressed in all cell types and was significantly upregulated in neuron cells after irradiation. Enrichment analysis of gene ontology (GO) functions and KEGG pathways showed that the differential expression genes in neuron after irradiation may be involved in synaptic plasticity. In vitro, the expression of TDP-43 was also increased in neuron cells after irradiation, while the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), TrkB, typical synaptic signature proteins (SYN, GAP43 and PSD95), β-tubulin and dendritic spines were decreased. In the irradiated neurons, the β-tubulin, dendritic and spines typical synaptic signature proteins had more severe damage in pcDNA3.1-TDP-43 plasmid transfections group, however, the damages were alleviated in the siRNA-TDP-43 plasmid transfections group. BDNF was highly expressed in the irradiated pcDNA3.1-TDP-43 plasmid transfections group, while its expression was decreased in the siRNA-TDP-43 group. The TrkB expression was significantly reduced in neurons after exposure to ionizing radiation, however, there was no significant correlation with TDP-43 expression. These data indicate that TDP-43 is involved in radiation-induced neuronal synaptic plasticity decline and developmental damage, furthermore, the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway may not be involved in this process.

Evaluation of the Microbiome Identification of Forensically Relevant Biological Fluids: A Pilot Study.

In forensic sciences, body fluids, or biological traces, are a major source of information, and their identification can play a decisive role in criminal investigations. Currently, the nature of biological fluids is assessed using immunological, physico-chemical, mRNA and epigenetic methods, but these have limits in terms of sensitivity and specificity. The emergence of next-generation sequencing technologies offers new opportunities to identify the nature of body fluids by determining bacterial communities. The aim of this pilot study was to assess whether analysis of the bacterial communities in isolated and mixed biological fluids could reflect the situation observed in real forensics labs. Several samples commonly encountered in forensic sciences were tested from healthy volunteers: saliva, vaginal fluid, blood, semen and skin swabs. These samples were analyzed alone or in combination in a ratio of 1:1. Sequencing was performed on the Ion Gene StudioTM S5 automated sequencer. Fluids tested alone revealed a typical bacterial signature with specific bacterial orders, enabling formal identification of the fluid of interest, despite inter-individual variations. However, in biological fluid mixtures, the predominance of some bacterial microbiomes inhibited interpretation. Oral and vaginal microbiomes were clearly preponderant, and the relative abundance of their bacterial communities and/or the presence of common species between samples made it impossible to detect bacterial orders or genera from other fluids, although they were distinguishable from one another. However, using the beta diversity, salivary fluids were identified and could be distinguished from fluids in combination. While this method of fluid identification is promising, further analyses are required to consolidate the protocol and ensure reliability.