Correlations within and between Precambrian basins are heavily reliant on precise dating of volcanic units (i.e., tuff beds and lava flows) in the absence of biostratigraphy. However, felsic tuffs ...and lavas are rare or absent in many basins, and direct age determinations of Precambrian basaltic lavas have proven to be challenging. In this paper, we report the first successful application of 40Ar/39Ar dating to pyroxene from a Neoproterozoic basalt unit, the Keene Basalt in the Officer Basin of central Australia. 40Ar/39Ar analyses of igneous pyroxene crystals yielded an age of 752 ± 4 Ma (mean squared weighted deviation = 0.69, p = 72%), which is underpinned by 40Ar/39Ar plagioclase age (753.04 ± 0.84 Ma) from the basalt. This age is significant because the Keene Basalt is one of the very few extrusive igneous rocks identified within the Neoproterozoic successions of central Australia and is potentially an important time marker for correlating the Neoproterozoic stratigraphy within, and beyond, the central Australian basins. Our geochronological and geochemical data show that the Keene Basalt, which is characterized by enriched elemental and Nd‐Pb isotopic signatures, is strikingly similar to, and coeval with, the 755 ± 3 Ma Mundine Well Dolerite in northwestern Australia. Here we suggest that both are part of the same large igneous province (~6.5 × 105 km2) related to breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia. This study demonstrates the potential of pyroxene 40Ar/39Ar geochronology to date ancient flood basalts and to provide pivotal time constraints for stratigraphic correlations of Precambrian basins.
Plain Language Summary
Ancient basaltic lavas erupted on Earth's crust hold critical clues about the tectonic and igneous history of geologic past and are important for correlating Precambrian stratigraphy and reconstructing supercontinents. However, constraining the crystallization age of basaltic lavas proves challenging due to the dearth of commonly used uranium‐lead geochronometers such as zircon in such rocks. In this research, we applied 40Ar/39Ar dating of pyroxene and plagioclase to establish the eruption age of a critical basalt lava suite, the Keene Basalt, in the Neoproterozoic Officer Basin in central Australia. The new age, combined with geochemical constraints, contributes to conclusively defining the genetic affinity and geodynamic setting of the basalt unit. Application of pyroxene 40Ar/39Ar dating to terrestrial basalts represents an important technical breakthrough, and we report the first successful result for a Precambrian basalt. The robustly dated Keene Basalt is an important time marker for correlating the Neoproterozoic successions and associated glacial deposits in Australia and worldwide. The new age and geochemistry of the basalt are used to test its relationship to known Neoproterozoic igneous events. Our data, integrated with existing evidence, reveals a 755‐ to 750‐Ma large igneous province related to Rodinia breakup.
Key Points
We report the first application of pyroxene 40Ar/39Ar dating to a Precambrian basaltic lava, the Keene Basalt in central Australia
The Keene Basalt is correlated with the Mundine Well Dolerite, both being part of a 755‐ to 750‐Ma LIP
The robustly dated Keene Basalt is an important time marker for correlating Neoproterozoic successions in Australia and worldwide
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
It is imperative to optimally utilize virtues and obviate defects of fully automated analysis and expert knowledge in new paradigms of healthcare. We present a deep learning-based semiautomated ...workflow (RAINMAN) with 12,809 follow-up scans among 2,172 patients with treated nasopharyngeal carcinoma from three centers (ChiCTR.org.cn, Chi-CTR2200056595). A boost of diagnostic performance and reduced workload was observed in RAINMAN compared with the original manual interpretations (internal vs. external: sensitivity, 2.5% p = 0.500 vs. 3.2% p = 0.031; specificity, 2.9% p < 0.001 vs. 0.3% p = 0.302; workload reduction, 79.3% vs. 76.2%). The workflow also yielded a triaging performance of 83.6%, with increases of 1.5% in sensitivity (p = 1.000) and 0.6%–1.3% (all p < 0.05) in specificity compared to three radiologists in the reader study. The semiautomated workflow shows its unique superiority in reducing radiologist’s workload by eliminating negative scans while retaining the diagnostic performance of radiologists.
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•A semiautomated workflow was constructed for monitoring recurrent NPC on MR scans•The workflow reduces radiologist workload while retaining undamaged performance•The workflow provided an approach utilizing virtues of machine and human
Health technology; Applied computing
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Background
A positive association between the ABO blood types and survival has been suggested in several malignancies. The aim of this study was to assess the role of the ABO blood types in ...predicting the prognosis of Chinese patients with curatively resected non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed 1601 consecutive Chinese patients who underwent curative surgery for NSCLC between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2009. The relationship between the ABO blood types and survival was investigated. In addition, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.
Results
Group 1 (patients with the blood type O or B) had significantly prolonged overall survival (OS) compared with group 2 (patients with the blood type A or AB), with a median OS of 74.9 months versus 61.5 months hazard ratio (HR) 0.83; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72–0.96; P = 0.015. Additionally, group 1 had significantly longer disease‐free survival (DFS; HR 0.86; 95% CI 0.76–0.98; P = 0.022) and locoregional relapse‐free survival (LRFS; HR 0.79; 95% CI 0.64–0.98; P = 0.024) than group 2. The association was not significantly modified by other risk factors for NSCLC, including smoking status, pathologic tumor‐node‐metastasis stage, pT category, pN category, and chemotherapy.
Conclusions
There is an association between the ABO blood types and the survival of Chinese patients with resected NSCLC. Patients with the blood type O or B had significantly prolonged OS, DFS, and LRFS compared with those with the blood type A or AB.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Widespread Cenozoic basalts, erupted at ca. 24–0.16 Ma in central Inner Mongolia, eastern China, are significant for understanding the potential links between deep subduction of oceanic slabs and the ...genesis of continental intra-plate magmatism. Here we examine the whole-rock geochemical and isotopic data, as well as olivine compositions, for Cenozoic alkali and tholeiitic basalts from the Abaga, Huitengliang, and Chifeng areas in central Inner Mongolia. The results suggest that fractional crystallization of olivine + clinopyroxene (in the alkali basalts) and olivine (in the tholeiites), played a key role in their magmatic evolution, without significant crustal contamination or post-magmatic alteration. Geochemical and petrogenetic analyses show that pyroxene and garnet were dominant phases in the residual mineral assemblage for both alkali basalts and tholeiites, implying a pyroxenite source for these basalts. We propose that a pyroxenite-dominated source may be the product of reaction between recycled oceanic slab-derived melts and surrounding mantle peridotites. The spatial and geochemical variations of the Cenozoic basalts in central Inner Mongolia, together with recent geophysical and geological observations in eastern China, imply that the origin and evolution of large-scale Cenozoic continental intra-plate magmatism can be related to subduction of the Paleo-Pacific and Paleo-Asian oceanic slabs. Incorporation of recycled oceanic materials from these two subducted slabs thus influenced the mantle source lithologies and deep-Earth geodynamic processes beneath eastern China.
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•A pyroxenite source is inferred for the Abaga, Huitengliang and Chifeng basalts•Recycled altered oceanic crust contributed to the generation of the basalts•Geochemical variation relates to recycled Paleo-Asian and -Pacific oceanic slabs
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Coal fly ash (CFA) and coal ash (CA) as a result of coal firing from power generation plants caused global environment contamination. It is important for environment science to monitor the migration ...and emission path of CFA and CA. Both radiogenic Sr and Nd isotope have proved to be powerful and sensitive tracers to address this issue. Unfortunately, up to now, high precision data of 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd isotope ratio for CFA and CA are rare to be reported. Hence, to boost up SrNd isotope application in environmental science, it is indispensible and urgent to report a suit of high precision data for SrNd isotope ratio and relative Rb, Sr, Sm and Nd element content for CFA and CA reference materials.
In this work, we determined SrNd isotope ratios for four CFA and CF reference materials using thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS). Reference values for these four CRMs (GBW08401, GBW11124, GBW11125d and JCFA-1) span a wide range in 87Sr/86Sr ratios from 0.705700 to 0.723650 and from 0.511950 to 0.512680 for 143Nd/144Nd. The external reproducibility (2 SD, n = 8) of four CRMs vary from 0.000014 to 0.000028 for 87Sr/86Sr and from 0.000008 to 0.000010 for 143Nd/144Nd. The concentrations of Rb, Sr, Sm and Nd elements of four CRMs were determined using ID-TIMS method. Considering all results, the reproducibility (1 RSD, n = 4) of elemental content was <0.6% for Rb and Sr, 0.4% ~1% for Sm and Nd. This indicates homogeneous distribution of Rb, Sr, Sm and Nd elements in these four CRMs. Hence, this suit of reference materials can be used for materials with different CFA and CA matrix composition for justification and quality control measures of radiogenic Sr and Nd isotope analyses. This study is the first to report the SrNd isotopic compositions of these CFA and CA reference materials.
•It is the first to report the high precision Sr-Nd isotopic compositions of CFA and CA•Excellent accuracy of elemental contents (0.4~1.0%, RSD) are achieved for Rb, Sr, Sm, Nd elements•The external precision of isotope ratio is better than 0.002% for 143Nd/144Nd, and 0.004% for 87Sr/86Sr.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Toxic cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater have been considered as threats to human health. Microcystins are a family of cyclic polypeptides produced by cyanobacteria and are toxic to plants and ...animals. Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is the most toxic variant among the microcystin family and could cause oxidative stress in various organs, including the reproduction system. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of MC-LR on apoptosis of Sertoli cells that play an essential role in the development and maturation of sperm cells. Sertoli cells were isolated from healthy immature rats and cultured with MC-LR. The viability of Sertoli cells was decreased after treatment with MC-LR at 10 μg/ml for 24 h (P < 0.05). Moreover, the MC-LR-treated cells exhibited condensed chromatin and fragmented nuclei, features of apoptosis, as judged by Hoechst 33258 staining. We also analyzed the mRNA and protein levels of three apoptosis-related genes, p53, bax and bcl-2, using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses, respectively. Both p53 and bax function as promoters of apoptosis, while bcl-2 is an apoptotic suppressor. The mRNA and protein expression levels of p53 and bax were increased in Sertoli cells treated with MC-LR at 10 μg/ml compared with the control group (P < 0.05), while the bcl-2 protein levels were decreased in cells treated with MC-LR at 10 μg/ml (P < 0.05). Moreover, caspase-3 activity that is involved in the induction of apoptosis was significantly increased in Sertoli cells treated with MC-LR. These results indicate that MC-LR induces apoptosis of Sertoli cells.
In this paper, a unified method is developed to analyze free vibrations of the three-layer functionally graded cylindrical shell with non-uniform thickness. The middle layer is composed of ...two-dimensional functionally gradient materials (2D-FGMs), whose thickness is set as a function of smooth continuity. Four sets of artificial springs are assigned at the ends of the shells to satisfy the arbitrary boundary conditions. The Sanders’ shell theory is used to obtain the strain and curvature-displacement relations. Furthermore, the Chebyshev polynomials are selected as the admissible function to improve computational efficiency, and the equation of motion is derived by the Rayleigh–Ritz method. The effects of spring stiffness, volume fraction indexes, configuration on of shell, and the change in thickness of the middle layer on the modal characteristics of the new structural shell are also analyzed.
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NUK, OILJ, SAZU, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Ranunculus japonicus Thunb. (short for R. japonicus) is a topically applied herb with the activities of removing jaundice, nebula and edema, preventing malaria, stopping asthma, promoting diuresis ...and relieving pain. It was firstly recorded in Zhouhou Beiji Fang and has been used for the treatment of malaria, ulcers, carbuncle, jaundice, migraine, stomachache, toothache and arthritis for over 1800 years.
This study aimed to uncover the potentially effective components of R. japonicus and the pharmacological mechanisms against rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by combing LC-MS and network pharmacology.
Firstly, the chemical constituents of R. japonicus were qualitatively identified by UPLC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap MS. Then we performed target prediction by PharmMapper, protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis via String, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis by DAVID and constructed the compound-target-pathway network using Cytoscape. Thirdly, crucial compounds in the network were quantitatively analyzed to achieve quality control of R. japonicus. Finally, the pharmacological activities of R. japonicus and two potentially bioactive ingredients were validated in RA-FLSs (Rheumatoid Arthritis Fibroblast-like Synoviocytes) in vitro.
Overall fifty-four ingredients of R. japonicus were identified and forty-five components were firstly discovered in R. japonicus. Among them, twenty-seven validated compounds were predicted to act on twenty-five RA-related targets and they might exhibit therapeutic effects against RA via positive regulation of cell migration, etc. Nine potentially bioactive components of R. japonicus which played important roles in the compound-target-pathway network were simultaneously quantified by an optimized UPLC-ESI-Triple Quad method. In vitro, compared to control group, R. japonicus extract, berberine and yangonin significantly inhibited the migration capacity of RA-FLSs after 24 h treatment.
This study clarified that R. japonicus and the bioactive ingredients berberine and yangonin might exert therapeutic actions for RA via suppressing the aggressive phenotypes of RA-FLSs through combined LC-MS technology and network pharmacology tools for the first time. The present research provided deeper understanding into the chemical profiling, pharmacological activities and quality control of R. japonicus and offered reference for further scientific research and clinical use of R. japonicus in treating RA.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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