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The Ediacaran--Cambrian boundary strata in the Great Basin of the southwestern United States record biological, geochemical, and tectonic change during the transformative interval of Earth history in which metazoans diversified. Here, we integrate new and compiled chemostratigraphic, paleontological, sedimentological, and stratigraphic data sets from the Death Valley region, the White-Inyo Ranges, and Esmeralda County in Nevada and California and evaluate these data within a regional geologic framework. A large negative carbon isotope (δ13C) excursion--also known as the Basal Cambrian Excursion, or BACE--is regionally reproducible, despite lateral changes in sedimentary facies and dolomitization across ~250 km, consistent with a primary marine origin for this perturbation. Across the southern Great Basin, Ediacaran body fossils are preserved in a variety of taphonomic modes, including cast and mold preservation, two-dimensional compressional preservation, two-dimensional and three-dimensional pyritization, and calcification. The stratigraphic framework of these occurrences is used to consider the relationships among taphonomic modes for fossil preservation and paleoenvironmental settings within this basin. In this region, Ediacaran-type fossils occur below the nadir of the BACE, while Cambrian-type trace fossils occur above. Sedimentological features that include giant ooids, stromatolites, and textured organic surfaces are widespread and abundant within the interval that records biotic turnover and coincide with basaltic volcanism and the BACE. We hypothesize that the prevalence of these sedimentological features, the BACE, and the disappearance of some Ediacaran clades were caused by environmental perturbation at the Ediacaran--Cambrian boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1980s, the existence of one or more extinction events in the late Ediacaran has been the subject of debate. Discussion surrounding these events has intensified in the last decade, in concert with efforts to understand drivers of global change over the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition and the appearance of the more modern-looking Phanerozoic biosphere. In this paper we review the history of thought and work surrounding late Ediacaran extinctions, with a particular focus on the last 5 years of paleontological, geochemical, and geochronological research. We consider the extent to which key questions have been answered, and pose new questions which will help to characterize drivers of environmental and biotic change. A key challenge for future work will be the calculation of extinction intensities that account for limited sampling, the duration of Ediacaran 'assemblage' zones, and the preponderance of taxa restricted to a single 'assemblage'; without these data, the extent to which Ediacaran bioevents represent genuine mass extinctions comparable to the 'Big 5' extinctions of the Phanerozoic remains to be rigorously tested. Lastly, we propose a revised model for drivers of late Ediacaran extinction pulses that builds off recent data and growing consensus within the field. This model is speculative, but does frame testable hypotheses that can be targeted in the next decade of work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossils of the Ediacara Biota preserve the oldest indisputable evidence of macroscopic animal life. Although new finds continue to expand the near global distribution of such organisms, relatively abundant and diverse populations of these primarily soft-bodied taxa are known from just a handful of localities. More commonly, reports of late Precambrian fossils consist of comparably lower diversity assemblages (less than ∼10 genera), with a limited number of total specimens (less than ∼1000 reported macrofossils over a broad geographic area). Determining the factors responsible for such differences can help to fully appreciate preserved patterns of Ediacaran biodiversity. The lower member of the Wood Canyon Formation in the Death Valley region of the southern Great Basin, USA contains fossils of the Ediacara Biota. Here we redescribe previously recovered specimens based on new data from 3D surface scans and report several new finds from this unit. Although this allows the addition of two Ediacara taxa (Pteridinium and Charnia ?) to the known diversity in the region, most potential macrofauna consist of amorphous, irregular forms with minimal preserved structures wherein an abiotic origin cannot be ruled out. A combination of factors – including variable taphonomic conditions, difficulty of identification and an original depauperate community – contribute to the observed diversity of this assemblage. Many biases that impact this record are either common (e.g., age, preservation requirements, difficulty of recognition) or comparable (e.g., paleoenvironmental and taphonomic controls) to known occurrences of Ediacara macrofauana. Thus, we argue this fossil record at least partially reflects the original community composition, suggesting that fossils of the lower Wood Canyon record a signal of relatively low diversity of the Ediacara Biota in the lead up to the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary. • Latest Ediacaran fossils of the Great Basin are rare and poorly preserved. • Taphonomy, transport and identification all contribute to this record. • Many potential macrofauna cannot be distinguished from other structures. • Despite limitations, current data support a global extinction prior to the Cambrian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Death Valley (California, USA) hosts iconic Cryogenian snowball Earth deposits, but the lack of direct geochronological constraints has permitted a variety of correlations and age models. Here, we report two precise zircon U-Pb isotope dilution-thermal ionization mass spectrometry dates for the Kingston Peak Formation: a volcanic eruptive age of 705.44 ± 0.28 Ma from the synglacial Limekiln Spring Member, and a maximum depositional age of 651.69 ± 0.64 Ma from the nonglacial Thorndike submember, which is below the Wildrose diamictite. These dates confirm that the Limekiln Spring and Surprise Members were deposited during the Sturtian glaciation, while the Wildrose submember is a Marinoan glacial deposit, and the overlying Sentinel Peak Member of the Noonday Formation is a Marinoan cap carbonate. Additionally, the age from the Thorndike submember supersedes existing radioisotopic ages from the Datangpo Formation in South China as the youngest constraint on the onset of the Marinoan glaciation, demonstrating that the Cryogenian nonglacial interlude lasted for at least 9 m.y. and the Marinoan glaciation was <17 m.y. long. Cryogenian glaciation in western Laurentia occurred against the backdrop of -85 m.y. of episodic rift-related subsidence and magmatism within laterally discontinuous, fault-bound basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the upper Ediacaran Esmeralda Member of the Deep Spring Formation in southeastern California, USA, an ∼3 m stratigraphic interval contains multiple clastic bedding surfaces with enigmatic, three-dimensionally preserved corrugated tubes (<60 cm in length and 6 cm in width). When viewed as fragments and in situ on bedding planes, these resemble larger versions of annulated, tubular soft-bodied macrofossils that are common in late Ediacaran biotic assemblages regionally and globally. Despite superficial similarities to casts and molds of body fossils preserved in correlative strata, we suggest these tubes are instead previously undescribed organosedimentary structures that developed through differential compaction of rippled heterolithic interbeds bound by pyritized microbial mat layers. These distinctive structures formed within peritidal settings in the latest Ediacaran Period as the result of specific ecological and environmental conditions marked by flourishing microbial mat communities and dysoxic sediments. This interpretation may inform the biogenicity of other structures previously reported as macroscopic body or trace fossils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite increased sterilisation and education campaigns, hospital acquired infections have not been eradicated. Bacterial colonisation of frequent touch surfaces is key in the transmission of infection. Most current technologies cannot provide a material which can rapidly kill bacteria. Here we report a novel surface technology, which uses synthetic mimetics of human defensin proteins on a surface. The surface shows excellent antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus , Staphylococcus epidermidis , Enterococcus , Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. Both microbiology laboratory tests and trials in hospital settings of this new antimicrobial material (AMS) showed >99% efficacy over a year in situ. It maintains its efficacy through accelerated ageing tests and has shown to kill bacteria far more rapidly (45 min) than the commercially available technologies (24 h). • It demonstrates a novel coating method for applying organic antibacterial actives to the surface of steel substrates (AMS). • The AMS system shows excellent antibacterial efficacy against a range of pathogens including both Gram positive and Gram negative. • The AMS shows efficacy in clinical trials over 1 year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ediacaran–Cambrian (E–C) transition marks the most important geobiological revolution of the past billion years, including the Earth’s first crisis of macroscopic eukaryotic life, and its most spectacular evolutionary diversification. Here, we describe competing models for late Ediacaran extinction, summarize evidence for these models, and outline key questions which will drive research on this interval. We argue that the paleontological data suggest two pulses of extinction – one at the White Sea–Nama transition, which ushers in a recognizably metazoan fauna (the ‘Wormworld’), and a second pulse at the E–C boundary itself. We argue that this latest Ediacaran fauna has more in common with the Cambrian than the earlier Ediacaran, and thus may represent the earliest phase of the Cambrian Explosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used in conjunction with gas cluster ion source etching to analyze polystyrene and polyvinylpyrrolidone multilayer samples, total thickness ~15 μm, to establish optimal conditions for depth profiles over many μm in depth. Using standard conditions, these samples demonstrate a reduction in depth resolution and sputtering yield, which is shown to be partly due to X-ray-induced damage and partly due to roughening of the sputtered surface. By limiting the X-ray exposure, it was possible to retain depth resolution to a depth of approximately 5 μm; to obtain useful depth profiles beyond this depth, it was necessary to use sample rotation. The use of optimized conditions allowed the chemical integrity of the polymer layers to remain intact during the etching process with relatively sharp interfaces over the full depth of the films. Both the elemental intensities in XPS and the line shape of the C 1s peak could be used to determine the differences in chemical structure of the films in the depth profile. Detailed analysis suggests that a 'stepwise' rotation scheme can maintain depth resolution better than continuous rotation during sputtering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geologically rapid appearance of fossils of modern animal phyla within Cambrian strata is a defining characteristic of the history of life on Earth. However, temporal calibration of the base of the Cambrian Period remains uncertain within millions of years, which has resulted in mounting challenges to the concept of a discrete Cambrian explosion. We present precise zircon U–Pb dates for the lower Wood Canyon Formation, Nevada. These data demonstrate the base of the Cambrian Period, as defined by both ichnofossil biostratigraphy and carbon isotope chemostratigraphy, was younger than 533 Mya, at least 6 My later than currently recognized. This new geochronology condenses previous age models for the Nemakit–Daldynian (early Cambrian) and, integrated with global records, demonstrates an explosive tempo to the early radiation of modern animal phyla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zavkhan terrane in western Mongolia preserves thick, fossiliferous, carbonate-rich strata that span the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition. Measured stratigraphic sections and geological mapping of these strata, which include the Zuun-Arts, Bayangol, Salaagol, and Khairkhan Formations, reveal large lateral facies changes over short distances that necessitate revisions to previous lithostratigraphic correlations and biostratigraphic range charts. Here, we integrate new geological mapping and measured stratigraphic sections across the Zavkhan terrane with high-resolution carbon isotope (δ13C) chemostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, and biostratigraphy. Using these data, we revise correlations within the Zavkhan terrane and place small shelly fossil and ichnofossil horizons in a refined temporal and spatial framework. Finally, we integrate these data from Mongolia with absolute ages and chemostratigraphy from sections in Morocco and Oman. Our revised age model suggests that deposition of the Bayangol Formation and the lower part of the Salaagol Formation was limited to the Nemakit-Daldynian and Tommotian Stages. With the new correlations and age model, we place the small shelly fossil first appearance datum in the basal Bayangol Formation instead of the basal Zuun-Arts Formation, which moves this horizon hundreds of meters higher in the stratigraphy, above the large negative excursion in the Zuun-Arts Formation. The first appearance datum of Treptichnus pedum is ~275 m above the large negative excursion in the Zuun-Arts Formation and ~250 m above the first appearance datum of small shelly fossils, highlighting the rarity and facies dependence of its preservation. We shift the first appearance datums of tommotiids, orthothecimorphs, hyolithelminths, cap-shaped fossils, protoconodonts, and Salanacus to just below the positive peak 3p. This interpretation differs from previous chronostratigraphic placements of first appearance data of genera between positive excursions 1p and 2p. Using this level as the first appearance datum in Mongolia for these genera, we replot global fossil first appearances. With this new compilation, there are still three distinct pulses of fossil first appearances, as was suggested in previous compilations; however, we suggest that this pattern is controlled largely by regional sedimentation and taphonomy rather than the rate of taxonomic origination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Neoproterozoic Tsagaan-Olom Group is exposed in the Zavkhan Terrane of southwestern Mongolia and hosts unique geochemical, paleoclimate, and paleontological records that have become central to our understanding of this pivotal interval of Earth history. New sedimentological, stratigraphic, geochronological, and geochemical data provide context for and further develop these records. Detrital zircon provenance indicates that Neoproterozoic strata of the Zavkhan Terrane were derived from basement with age peaks between 1950 to 2100 and 2400 to 2600 Ma. At ~ 800 Ma, the Zavkhan Terrane transformed from an active arc and back-arc complex to a rifted ribbon continent with passive margins on both sides. Deposition was accommodated by extension, which is recorded with syn-sedimentary normal faulting and alluvial fan deposition in the Zavkhan and Khasagt formations. Passive margin sedimentation in the overlying Tsagaan-Olom Group begins with the glacigenic Maikhan- Uul Formation, which consists of two massive diamictite units separated by clast-poor graded beds of the middle member. Detrital zircon at the base of the middle member of the Maikhan-Uul Formation were dated with U-Pb chemical abrasion isotopedilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry and constrained its age to <729.8 ±1. 4 Ma. This, along with chemostratigraphy and R e/Os geochronological constraints from the overlying Taishir Formation, supports our correlation of the Maikhan-Uul Formation with the ~717 to 660 Ma Sturtian glaciation. The Taishir Formation was deposited on a carbonate ramp in four large-scale sequence tracts that thin to the southwest. The Taishir Formation preserves a large negative δ 13C excursion referred to as the Taishir excursion that covaries in carbonate and organic carbon isotopes in limestone sections. A dolomitization front at the top of the Taishir Formation also results in depleted δ13C values, however, these are related to local processes and do not represent a global Trezona excursion. Although δ13C values in the Ol Formation are highly variable along strike, 0.70756 initial strontium isotope values in limestone of the upper Ol Formation are consistent with earliest Ediacaran values. A sandstone-filled karst surface at the top of the Shuurgat Formation that overlies the Ol Formation defines the top of the Tsagaan-Olom Group and is interpreted to mark a major unconformity. Carbon and strontium isotope values in the uppermost Shuurgat Formation are also consistent with early Ediacaran values and suggest that most of the late Ediacaran Period is missing in the Zavkhan Terrane of Mongolia. Carbon isotope profiles from sections preserved as limestone and dolostone display large differences and indicate that isotopic data from dolomites should be used with caution. With our new data and correlations, we construct composite Cryogenian and Ediacaran carbon and strontium isotope curves from limestone-dominated successions in Mongolia, and then integrate additional geochronological and geochemical data sets from around the globe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonaceous deposits are ubiquitous, being formed on surfaces in engines, fuel systems and on catalysts operating at high temperatures for hydrocarbon transformations. In internal combustion engines, their formation negatively affects worldwide vehicle emissions and fuel economy, leading to premature deaths and environmental damage. Deposit composition and formation pathways are poorly understood due to their insolubility and the intrinsic complexity of their layered carbonaceous matrix. Here, we apply the in situ high mass resolving power capabilities of 3D Orbitrap secondary ion mass spectrometry (3D OrbiSIMS) argon cluster depth profiling on 16 lab grown deposits and evidence common molecular distributions in deposit depth and in positions relative to the combustion chamber. We observe the products of the growth of both planar and curved polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to form small fullerenes over time in the engine and propose possible formation pathways which explain the molecular distributions observed. These include alkyl scission, cyclisation of aliphatic side chains and hydrogen abstraction C2H2 addition to form larger aromatic structures. We apply this pathway to previously unidentified nitrogen containing structures in deposits including quinolines and carbazoles. For the first time, 3D OrbiSIMS results were compared and validated with data from atmospheric pressure matrix assisted laser desorption ionization MS. The comprehensive characterization provided will help the development of a new generation of chemical additives to reduce deposits, and thus improve vehicle emissions and global air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which explores the skeletal marine invertebrate phyla appeared during the Cambrian explosion, except for Bryozoa with mineralized skeletons, which first appear in the Early Ordovician. It mentions that skeletal diversity of Early Ordovician bryozoans suggests a preceding interval of diversification.

The article presents a study which explores the skeletal marine invertebrate phyla appeared during the Cambrian explosion, except for Bryozoa with mineralized skeletons, which first appear in the Early Ordovician. It mentions that skeletal diversity of Early Ordovician bryozoans suggests a preceding interval of diversification.

The authors offer their response to a commentary about their report that equated Proterozoic microbial mat-stabilized ripples with late Ediacaran body fossils, claiming that the latter represent the remains of decomposed biomats or related type of sedimentary structure.

Archaeocyath sponges, the first group of reef-building organisms, have a globally distributed albeit restricted stratigraphic occurrence. Archaeocyathan reefs are well known from the western United States, particularly in units like the Montenegro, Poleta, and Harkless formations of the White-Inyo ranges and Esmeralda County, Nevada. While it is recognized that these organisms disappear at some time above the last occurrence of their reefs in the Harkless Formation, the precise timing of their disappearance is unknown. Here, we show that the last archaeocyathan reefs in the upper Harkless Formation near Gold Point, Nevada, are overlain by 20–60 m of interbedded siltstone and carbonate that preserve a negative carbon isotopic excursion consistent with the AECE event (archaeocyath extinction carbon excursion). Point counts of reef thin sections and analysis of acid-insoluble residues of reef and reef-adjacent samples illustrate that these last reefs also harbor previously undescribed diversity and abundance of animals living in and among the reefs, including an array of small shelly fossil taxa. We confirm previous work that the reefs of the early Cambrian were ecologically diverse and functioned in many ways like reefs of the later Paleozoic, even just prior to their global demise in the late early Cambrian, and that the extinction of archaeocyaths is recorded in strata of the Harkless Formation. • Quantitative analysis of archaeocyathan reefs, western US, reveals abundant animals. • Small shelly fossils are preserved within and adjacent to the reefs. • Carbon isotope excursion overlying reefs matches the AECE event. • The extinction of archaeocyaths is captured in the Harkless Formation, western US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lower member of the Poleta Formation is well known for its abundant archaeocyaths, including an exceptionally preserved reef at Stewart's Mill in Nevada. Large archaeocyath-bearing reefs are relatively uncommon, with most occurring as small nearshore patch reefs. Here, we describe a new 70 m-thick archaeocyath reef from the lower Poleta Formation, herein referred to as the Gold Point Reef, located near the townsite of Gold Point, Nevada. In spite of broad similarities with the Stewart's Mill exposure, the Gold Point Reef shows an interplay between shoal and reef development over the ~ 70 m exposure that differs from what is observed at Stewart's Mill. This reef also preserves a small shelly fauna in its uppermost 10 m, dominated by Hyolithellus. Three successive ecological stages of reef development are observed here: the pioneer stage characterized by a single rare frame-building species; the diversification stage involving about nine species of both frame-building and mud-sticking archaeocyaths; and the final foundering stage represented by one to two species of archaeocyaths and facies indicating reef demise, including abundant grainstone/packstone shoals and a silicified upper bed with a settlement of hyolitheminthes. During the apex of reef development here, there are large modular archaeocyaths, which were able to produce thick secondary skeletal tissue for a firm attachment; these archaeocyaths were capable of building large reefs in a variety of settings. Additionally, the carbon isotope profile recorded in the Gold Point Reef shows similarities to nearby exposures of the equivalent lower Poleta Formation, with the exception of a small negative downturn at the top of the reef that is not found in other locations. Combined with the documentation of facies changes over short lateral distances, the isotope data suggest that archaeocyathan reefs may have been time-transgressive across the shelf during deposition of the lower Poleta. Additionally, our work suggests that both here and globally, the specific biotic assemblage reflected the local influences of the environment on reef development, creating highly variable coeval paleocommunities even within a restricted area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Morphologically complex trace fossils, recording the infaunal activities of bilaterian animals, are common in Phanerozoic successions but rare in the Ediacaran fossil record. Here, we describe a trace fossil assemblage from the lower Dunfee Member of the Deep Spring Formation at Mount Dunfee (Nevada, USA), over 500 m below the Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary. Although millimetric in scale and largely not fabric‐disruptive, the Dunfee assemblage includes complex and sediment‐penetrative trace fossil morphologies that are characteristic of Cambrian deposits. The Dunfee assemblage records one of the oldest documented instances of sediment‐penetrative infaunalization, corroborating previous molecular, ichnologic, and paleoecological data suggesting that crown‐group bilaterians and bilaterian‐style ecologies were present in late Ediacaran shallow marine ecosystems. Moreover, Dunfee trace fossils co‐occur with classic upper Ediacaran tubular body fossils in multiple horizons, indicating that Ediacaran infauna and epifauna coexisted and likely formed stable ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High precision dating of Rosh Pinah rhyolite provides U-Pb age of ∼752 Ma. • Glacial units previously attributed to the Kaigas Formation are miscorrelated. • Kaigas Formation consists of alluvial fan deposits with no evidence of glaciation. • Detrital zircon spectra and ∼752 Ma volcanics may link Kalahari and Laurentia. • Onset of the Sturtian Snowball Earth marks an abrupt change in climate state. Neoproterozoic strata record evidence for two Snowball Earth glaciations during which ice extended to the equator. Geochronological data have confirmed the multi-million year duration, synchroneity, and global extent of the Cryogenian Sturtian and Marinoan glaciations between 717 and 635 Ma. It has been proposed that an earlier ca. 750 Ma glaciation, referred to as the Kaigas glaciation, included glaciomarine deposits that formed at low-latitude. Here we evaluate this hypothesis at the eponymous location with detailed stratigraphy and geochronology through the Kaigas, Rosh Pinah, and Numees formations on the western margin of the Kalahari craton in southern Namibia. We find that glacial deposits previously assigned to the Kaigas Formation are instead ca. 717–661 Ma diamictites of the Sturtian Numees Formation. Pre-Numees strata, including the Kaigas Formation, host facies associations diagnostic of fan delta deposition along an active normal fault. Interbedded volcanic rocks in the Rosh Pinah Formation overlying the Kaigas Formation were dated with U-Pb CA-ID-TIMS on zircon at ca. 752 Ma. These Tonian deposits are interpreted to have been deposited in an active rift basin without evidence for glaciation. Rosh Pinah magmatism could be broadly correlative with the Mount Rogers Complex in Virginia, USA, consistent with a scenario of the Kalahari craton actively rifting from Laurentia and associated terranes within 20° of the equator at the time. We conclude that, at least in marine settings, evidence for low-latitude glaciation is limited to the 717–635 Ma Cryogenian Period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Archaeocyaths are an enigmatic group of calcifying sponges prevalent in early Cambrian (Terreneuvian to Series 2) successions around the world and preserved predominantly in reefal buildups, but also in adjacent reworked deposits. Here we report exceptionally preserved phosphatized archaeocyaths and small shelly fossils from phosphatized reef flank deposits at the top of the Salaagol Formation of southwestern Mongolia. Recent chemostratigraphic age models suggest that these archaeocyaths are among the earliest reported in the Terreneuvian Stage 2 (Tommotian). These fossils provide a window into the mechanisms of archaeocyath phosphatization, a generally rare mode of archaeocyath preservation. To assess the composition and nature of phosphatization, fossil assemblages were examined in insoluble residue and thin section. These archaeocyaths are preserved as phosphatic internal molds in residue, and both phosphatized and unphosphatized archaeocyaths are present in thin section. The occurrence of internal molds and complementary mineralogical data suggest that the decay of organic material within the archaeocyaths created the necessary redox conditions for apatite nucleation. We propose that, shortly after death, this assemblage was transported to a deeper water environment, and that the presence of organic matter in a low oxygen setting led to abundant phosphatization of archaeocyaths. Highlights • Archaeocyaths from the lower Cambrian of southwestern Mongolia were investigated. • Archaeocyaths and associated small shelly fossils (SSFs) are phosphatized. • The minerals in the assemblages suggest transportation to a low oxygen setting. • Analysis of these fossils links taphonomy to palaeoenvironment of preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well-preserved strata of the late Tonian Chuar Group exposed in the Grand Canyon host fossil evidence for the development of eukaryotic predation, the presence of unique biomarkers, and large changes in C, S, and Mo isotope chemostratigraphy. Despite the importance of this critical succession, few radioisotopic age constraints are available to place these records into a global context. Here, we couple high-precision U-Pb chemical abrasion-isotope dilution-thermal ionization mass spectrometry (CA-ID-TIMS) on zircon crystals with the rhenium-osmium (Re-Os) sedimentary and sulfide geochronometer to refine the temporal framework of this pivotal interval of Earth history. Zircons recovered from a tuff within the uppermost Walcott Member of the Kwagunt Formation yield a weighted mean 206Pb-238U age of 729.0 ± 0.9 Ma (mean square of weighted deviates [MSWD] = 0.86), differing significantly from the previous air-abrasion upper-intercept age of 742 ± 6 Ma on zircons from this same horizon. Organic-rich carbonates from the Carbon Canyon Member of the Galeros Formation yield a model 1 Re-Os age of 757.0 ± 6.8 Ma (MSWD = 0.47, n = 8), and an initial Os isotope (187Os/188Os [Osi]) composition of 1.13 ± 0.02. The radiogenic Osi value from this horizon suggests that the basin was restricted from the open ocean during de-position of the Carbon Canyon Member, in agreement with sedimentological and stratigraphic data. The Re-Os geochronology of marcasite (FeS2) nodules from the Awatubi Member of the Kwagunt Formation yield a model 1 age of 751.0 ± 7.6 Ma (MSWD = 0.37, n = 5), with an Osi of 0.44 ± 0.01. This Re-Os date is interpreted to constrain the growth of the marcasite nodules in the Awatubi Member during deposition. The formation of sulfides and the less radiogenic Osi value are consistent with an influx of sulfate-laden seawater to the basin during depOsition of the Kwagunt Formation. Attempts to apply the Re-Os geochronometer to the Walcott and Tanner Members of the Chuar Group failed to yield meaningful ages, despite elevated Re enrichments (>20 ng/g). The Re-Os data from these units yielded negative Osi values, which suggest disturbance to the Re-Os system. The low Os abundances (typically <100 pg/g) relative to the amount expected based on the elevated Re abundances suggest leaching of Os due to oxidative weathering on geologically recent time scales. Finally, the Carbon Canyon Member provides a useful case study for quantifying how input uncertainties in the Re-Os geochronometer propagate into the resulting age uncertainty, and we discuss the protocols that will yield the best improvement in age precision for future studies. The U-Pb and Re-Os geochronology presented here illustrates the power of coupling these systems and the importance of recent improvements in both methods. Our analysis suggests that for our data, the most efficient way of reducing uncertainties in the presented Re-Os dates is through improved precision of measured Os values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In order to understand the influence of temperature and moisture, polymer blends of polyethyleneglycol 6000 (PEG 6000) and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 2910 E5 (HPMC 2910 E5) and solid dispersions of itraconazole in these polymer blends were spray dried, further dried for 2 weeks and stored at three different conditions: 25°C, 0% relative humidity (RH); 25°C, 52% RH; 60°C, 0% RH. MTDSC analysis of the polymer blends revealed that at 25°C, 52% RH, PEG 6000 recrystallized to a high extent. At 60°C, 0% RH the two polymers were miscible, probably due to the removal of bound water. In the ternary dispersions the polymers behaved similarly. The crystallinity degree of itraconazole in samples stored at 25°C, 52% RH and at 60°C, 0% RH was increased compared to the samples stored at 25°C, 0% RH, probably due to the plasticizing effect of moisture at 25°C, 52% RH and to an increased mobility at 60°C, 0% RH. XPS analysis revealed a redistribution of itraconazole at the surface as itraconazole recrystallized from the blend. Dissolution tests revealed that a decrease in the itraconazole release was directly related to its crystallinity degree, no correlation was found with the crystallinity degree of PEG 6000. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report on the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of fluorescein molecules adsorbed under UHV conditions on single crystal rutile TiO2(1 1 0) and Au/TiO2(1 1 0) surfaces. The molecule is thought to bond covalently to these model solar-cell surfaces primarily through the deprotonated carboxylic group, with an additional interaction arising between the triple ring structure of the molecule and the surface. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present chemostratigraphy, biostratigraphy, and geochronology from a succession that spans the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary in Sonora, Mexico. A sandy hematite-rich dolostone bed, which occurs 20 m above carbonates that record the nadir of the basal Cambrian carbon isotope excursion within the La Ciénega Formation, yielded a maximum depositional age of 539.40 ± 0.23 Ma using U-Pb chemical abrasion-isotope dilution-thermal ionization mass spectrometry on a population of sharply faceted volcanic zircon crystals. This bed, interpreted to contain reworked tuffaceous material, is above the last occurrences of late Ediacaran body fossils and below the first occurrence of the Cambrian trace fossil Treptichnus pedum, and so the age calibrates key markers of the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary. The temporal coincidence of rift-related flood basalt volcanism in southern Laurentia (>250,000 km3 of basalt), a negative carbon isotope excursion, and biological turnover is consistent with a mechanistic link between the eruption of a large igneous province and end-Ediacaran extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to their temporal position during the decline of the classic Ediacara biota and the appearance of the more recognizable metazoans of the Cambrian Period, the terminal Ediacaran (∼551–539 Ma) assemblages of tubular fossil forms hold potential to improve understanding of biotic turnover near the end of the Ediacaran Period. Cloudinid taxa, including the terminal Ediacaran index fossil Cloudina, are the most well studied of these Ediacaran tubular forms due to their global palaeogeographical distribution. Recent reports revealed ecosystems of tubicolous organisms from the Great Basin region, Nevada, USA, and assigned taxa to such genera as Conotubus, Gaojiashania and Wutubus, well known from contemporaneous Chinese deposits. Appreciating the role that these organisms may have played in the evolutionary history of metazoans and recognizing their potential global distribution, however, requires careful taxonomic study. Here, we detail pyritized fossils from the Deep Spring and Wood Canyon formations of Esmeralda and Nye counties, Nevada, USA, respectively. Our investigation focused on the most abundant tubular taxon from the Nevada sites, which was previously generically assigned to Conotubus. While outwardly similar in morphology to this Gaojiashan taxon, our investigation determines that those fossils previously figured as Conotubus are instead two distinct taxa. The first represents a new species of Saarina – Saarina hagadorni sp. nov. – a genus previously known only from the East European platform, and the second is established as a novel genus and species, Costatubus bibendi gen. et sp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a description of the transmission function of an X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) instrument operating with exchangeable Al Kα (1486.6 eV) and Ag Lα (2984.3 eV) sources. Both sources use the same quartz crystal monochromator and illuminate the same area of the sample. The transmission‐function–corrected data from sputter cleaned gold provides a useful reference material to calibrate other instruments of the same type. Sensitivity factors for Ag Lα and Al Kα are calculated from photoionisation cross sections and electron effective attenuation lengths. These compare well with previous experimental values and data acquired from ionic liquids. The intensity of the Ag Lα source is found to be approximately 50 times lower than the Al Kα source. This, coupled with generally lower photoemission efficiencies, results in noisier data or extended acquisition times. However, there are clear advantages to using the Ag Lα source to analyse certain elements where additional core levels can be accessed and for many technologically important elements where interference from Auger electron peaks can be eliminated. The combination of calibrated data from both sources provides direct and easily interpreted insight into the depth distribution of chemical species. This could be particularly important for topographic samples, where angle resolved experiments are not always helpful. We also demonstrate, using thin coatings of chromium and carbon, that the inelastic background in Ag Lα wide‐scan spectra has a significantly increased information depth compared with Al Kα. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional structures prepared from a gold-polymer composite formulation have been fabricated using multiphoton lithography. In this process, gold nanoparticles were simultaneously formed through photoreduction whilst polymerisation of two possible monomers was promoted. The monomers, trimethylopropane triacrylate (TMPTA) and pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA) were mixed with a gold salt, but it was found that the addition of a ruthenium(II) complex enhanced both the geometrical uniformity and integrity of the polymerised/reduced material, enabling the first production of 3D gold-polymer structures by single step multiphoton lithography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is the commonest hospital-acquired infection, accounting for over 100,000 hospital admissions within the USA annually. Biomaterials and processes intended to reduce the risk of bacterial colonization of the catheters for long-term users have not been successful, mainly because of the need for long duration of activity in flow conditions. Here we report the results of impregnation of urinary catheters with a combination of rifampicin, sparfloxacin and triclosan. In flow experiments, the antimicrobial catheters were able to prevent colonization by common uropathogens Proteus mirabilis , Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli for 7 to 12 weeks in vitro compared with 1–3 days for other, commercially available antimicrobial catheters currently used clinically. Resistance development was minimized by careful choice of antimicrobial combinations. Drug release profiles and distribution in the polymer, and surface analysis were also carried out and the process had no deleterious effect on the mechanical performance of the catheter or its balloon. The antimicrobial catheter therefore offers for the first time a means of reducing infection and its complications in long-term urinary catheter users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Geologic map and stratigraphy of the Nama Group, Neint Nababeep Plateau (RSA). • High-resolution age-stratigraphic model for the Nama Group from c. 545 to 538 Ma. • New soft-bodied Ediacaran-type fossils, calcified body fossils, and trace fossils. • Calibrated δ 13 C data set spans the currently recognized Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary. • Chemo- and biostratigraphy consistent with Ediacaran–Cambrian boundary <538 Ma. The Nama Group exposed on the Neint Nababeep Plateau along the Orange River in northwestern Republic of South Africa is now recognized as an expanded record of the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition that provides opportunity for an integrated stratigraphic approach in examining the geochemical and biologic evolution across this fundamental geologic boundary at unprecedented resolution. U-Pb zircon geochronology by the CA-ID-TIMS method on six intercalated volcanic ash beds in the Nama Group (from the Huns Member to the Nomtsas Formation) at this locality is used to construct a high-resolution, Bayesian, age-stratigraphic model, which allows a direct temporal calibration of the biostratigraphy and carbon isotope record from 539.63 ± 0.15 Ma to 537.95 ± 0.28 Ma (2 σ internal errors). Across the border in the Witputs subbasin of southern Namibia, ash beds at the base of Nudaus Formation and within the Nasep Member yielded new U-Pb ages of 545.27 ± 0.11 Ma and 542.65 ± 0.15 Ma, respectively. Our combined geochronology reveals the detailed depositional history of the Nama Group at a regional scale, suggesting that a relatively low sediment accumulation rate in the Kuibis Subgroup and the lower Schwarzrand Subgroup was followed by accelerated sedimentation in the upper Schwarzrand Subgroup. This is consistent with a pattern of exponential increase in subsidence typical of foreland basins. Some of the observed chemostratigraphic trends throughout the Nama Group could relate to a shift from a seawater-buffered to a sediment-buffered regime of early marine diagenesis driven by this increase in sedimentation rate. Occurrences of soft-bodied erniettomorphs, calcified body fossils, and trace fossils within the Neint Nababeep Plateau are broadly consistent with known global biostratigraphic ranges. However, we document the youngest radioisotopically calibrated occurrences of Ediacaran-type fossils, which stratigraphically overlap with large and complex bilaterian ichnofossils, between 539.18+0.17/−0.26 Ma and 538.30+0.14/−0.14 Ma. Yet, the index fossil Treptichnus pedum remains undocumented from this section, and we suggest that its first regional occurrence may be younger than these strata. Despite relatively continuous and high rates of carbonate sedimentation across the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary (as currently recognized), the upper Nama Group of the Neint Nababeep Plateau does not preserve the characteristic negative carbon isotope excursion observed within other basal Cambrian successions. One possible explanation for its absence is that this chemostratigraphic marker is not ubiquitous in all carbonate depositional environments. Alternatively, the basal Cambrian carbon isotope excursion, and perhaps the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary as defined by the first appearance of Treptichnus pedum , might be >1 m.y. younger than currently recognized, postdating 538 Ma and, thus, suggesting a more condensed early Cambrian radiation. Difficulties in determining with confidence the first appearance datum of the index fossil Treptichnus pedum in the Nama Group highlight the challenge of a global biostratigraphic definition for the base of Cambrian and underscore the necessity of an integrated stratigraphic and radioisotope geochronologic approach to understand the tempo and patterns of environmental and biologic evolution across the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoproterozoic strata in Death Valley, California, contain eukaryotic microfossils and glacial deposits that have been used to assess the severity of putative snowball Earth events and the biological response to extreme environmental change. These successions also contain evidence for synsedimentary faulting that has been related to the rifting of Rodinia, and in turn the tectonic context of the onset of snowball Earth. These interpretations hinge on local geological relationships and both regional and global stratigraphic correlations. Here, we present new geological mapping, measured stratigraphic sections, carbon and strontium isotope chemostratigraphy, and micropaleontology from the Neoproterozoic glacial deposits and bounding strata in Death Valley. These new data enable us to refine regional correlations, both across Death Valley and throughout Laurentia, and construct a new age model for glacigenic strata and microfossil assemblages. Particularly, our remapping of the Kingston Peak Formation in the Saddle Peak Hills and near the type locality shows for the first time that glacial deposits of both the Marinoan and Sturtian glaciations can be distinguished in southeastern Death Valley, and that beds containing vase-shaped microfossils are slump blocks derived from the underlying strata. These slump blocks are associated with multiple overlapping unconformities that developed during synsedimentary faulting, which is a common feature of Cyrogenian strata along the margin of Laurentia from California to Alaska. With these data, we conclude that all of the microfossils that have been described to date in Neoproterozoic strata of Death Valley predate the glaciations and do not bear on the severity, extent, or duration of Neoproterozoic snowball Earth events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have prepared and characterized a series of multifluorocarbonend-functional polyethylene additives, which when blended with polyethylenematrices increase surface hydrophobicity and lipophobicity. Watercontact angles of >112° were observed on spin-cast blendedfilmsurfaces containing less than 1% fluorocarbon in the bulk, comparedto ∼98° in the absence of any additive. Crystallinityin these films gives rise to surface roughness that is an order ofmagnitude greater than is typical for amorphous spin-cast films butis too little to give rise to superhydrophobicity. X-ray photoelectronspectroscopy (XPS) confirms the enrichment of the multifluorocarbonadditives at the air surface by up to 80 times the bulk concentration.Ion beam analysis was used to quantify the surface excess of the additivesas a function of composition, functionality, and molecular weightof either blend component. In some cases, an excess of the additiveswas also found at the substrate interface, indicating phase separationinto self-stratified layers. The combination of neutron reflectometryand ion beam analysis allowed the surface excess to be quantifiedabove and below the melting point of the blended films. In these films,where the melting temperatures of the additive and matrix componentsare relatively similar (within 15 °C), the surface excess isalmost independent of whether the blended film is semicrystallineor molten, suggesting that the additive undergoes cocrystallizationwith the matrix when the blended films are allowed to cool below themelting point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• C, O, Ca, and Mg isotope data from Cryogenian carbonates in Death Valley, CA (USA). • Consistent with sediment-buffered aragonite deposition for Sturtian cap carbonate. • Early-burial dolomitization lowered δ 13 C of Cryogenian carbonates by up to 10‰. • δ 13 C values reflect isotopic compositions of local, rather than global, reservoirs. • Remineralization of platform and pore fluid organic carbon may have played a role. Neoproterozoic carbon isotope excursions are commonly attributed to changes in the global fraction of organic carbon burial associated with climate instability and/or oxygenation. Here we show that carbonate sediment deposited during the ca. 661 – <651 Ma Cryogenian non-glacial interlude between the Sturtian and Marinoan glaciations exhibit lateral offsets in carbonate-carbon isotope values from coeval units by as much as 10‰. Within the Thorndike submember of the Cryogenian succession in the Panamint Range, California, USA, carbonate-carbon isotope values can be linked to a laterally discontinuous dolomitization front: limestones exhibit δ 13 C carb values of ∼+4 to +9‰, whereas values of stratigraphically equivalent dolostones are consistently lower, between ∼-4 and +4‰. Field observations and analyses of clasts from the overlying Marinoan glacial diamictite show that the offset in δ 13 C carb values resulted from pre- to syn-Marinoan dolomitization. Further, δ 44 / 40 Ca and δ 26 Mg data indicate that this isotopic variability resulted from sediment-buffered diagenesis. We propose that extremely positive δ 13 C carb values record local primary productivity within restricted platform surface waters and/or oxygenated pore fluids and negative values reflect anaerobic remineralization of organic carbon within sediment pore waters. In this scenario, neither the original calcite/aragonite nor subsequent dolomite precipitates of the Thorndike submember record δ 13 C carb values that are representative of global Cryogenian seawater, and instead they archive the evolution of local dissolved inorganic carbon pools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ediacaran–Cambrian transition marks one of the most important geobiological revolutions in Earth History, including multiple waves of evolutionary radiation and successive episodes of apparent mass extinction. Among the proposed drivers of these events (in particular the extinction of the latest Neoproterozoic 'Ediacara biota') is the emergence of complex metazoans and their associated behaviors. Many metazoans are thought to have crucial geobiological impacts on both resource availability and the character of the physical environment – 'ecosystem engineering' – biological processes best preserved in the geological record as trace fossils. Here, we review this model using the trace fossil record of the Ediacaran to Cambrian Nama Group of southern Namibia, combining previous published accounts with the results of our own field investigations. We produce a revised ichnostratigraphy for the Nama Group that catalogues new forms, eliminates others, and brings the trace fossil record of the Nama into much closer alignment with what is known from other Ediacaran sections worldwide. We provide evidence for a link between sequence stratigraphy, oxygen, and the emergence of more complex bilaterian behaviors. Lastly, we show that observed patterns of extinction and survival over pulses of Ediacaran extinction are hard to ally with any one specific source of ecological stress associated with bioturbation, and thus a biologically-driven extinction of the Ediacara biota, if it occurred, was more likely to have been driven by some combination of these factors, rather than any single one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]