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The geochemistry of tropical coral skeletons is widely used in paleoclimate reconstructions. However, sub‐aerially exposed corals may be affected by diagenesis, altering the aragonite skeleton through partial dissolution, or infilling of secondary minerals like calcite. We analyzed the impact of intra‐skeletal calcite on the geochemistry (δ18O, Sr/Ca, Mg/Ca, Li/Mg, Li/Ca, U/Ca, B/Ca, Ba/Ca, and Mn/Ca) of a sub‐aerially exposed Porites sp. coral. Each micro‐milled coral sample was split into two aliquots for geochemistry and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis to quantify the direct impact of calcite on geochemistry. We modified the sample loading technique for XRD to detect low calcite levels (1%–2%; total uncertainty = 0.33%, 2σ) in small samples (∼7.5 mg). Calcite content ranged from 0% to 12.5%, with higher percentages coinciding with larger geochemical offsets. Sr/Ca, Li/Mg, Li/Ca, and δ18O‐derived sea‐surface temperature (SST) anomalies per 1% calcite were +0.43°C, +0.24°C, +0.11°C, and +0.008°C, respectively. A 3.6% calcite produces a Sr/Ca‐SST signal commensurate with local SST seasonality (∼1.5°C), which we propose as the cut‐off level for screening calcite diagenesis in paleo‐temperature reconstructions. Inclusion of intra‐skeletal calcite decreases B/Ca, Ba/Ca, and U/Ca values, and increases Mg/Ca values, and can therefore impact reconstructions of paleoclimate and the carbonate chemistry of the semi‐isolated calcifying fluid in corals. This study emphasizes the importance of quantifying fine‐scale calcite diagenesis to identify coral preservation levels and assure robust paleoclimate reconstructions. Key Points: The modified sample loading technique adopted for X‐ray diffraction significantly reduced the uncertainty of calcite measurement down to 0.33%Temperature reconstructions based on Sr/Ca, Li/Mg, and Li/Ca are significantly affected by low levels of intra‐skeletal calcite (1%–2%)Impact of low levels of intra‐skeletal calcite on δ18O, Ba/Ca, Mn/Ca, and U/Ca is not significant [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An emerging assumption in undergraduate political science education is that role-playing simulations are an effective teaching tool. While previous studies have addressed the pedagogical advantages of simulations as compared to more traditional teaching techniques, less attention has been paid to student perceptions of these simulations. This study uses data collected from an introductory "International Relations" course that includes a 2-day Model United Nations Crisis Simulation. Students are given a presimulation and postsimulation survey in order to gauge the perceived educational value of classroom simulations. Do undergraduates perceive simulations to be a valuable learning tool? Do these perceptions change after they participate in a simulation? Gender, class rank, and previous interest in world politics are considered. Finally, the authors consider whether students' perceptions of the simulation experience correlate with the assumptions in the existing literature. (Contains 4 tables and 6 notes.)

We present observations of polarized dust emission at 850 μ m from the L43 molecular cloud, which sits in the Ophiuchus cloud complex. The data were taken using SCUBA-2/POL-2 on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope as a part of the BISTRO large program. L43 is a dense ( N H 2 ∼ 10 22 –1023 cm−2) complex molecular cloud with a submillimeter-bright starless core and two protostellar sources. There appears to be an evolutionary gradient along the isolated filament that L43 is embedded within, with the most evolved source closest to the Sco OB2 association. One of the protostars drives a CO outflow that has created a cavity to the southeast. We see a magnetic field that appears to be aligned with the cavity walls of the outflow, suggesting interaction with the outflow. We also find a magnetic field strength of up to ∼160 ± 30 μ G in the main starless core and up to ∼90 ± 40 μ G in the more diffuse, extended region. These field strengths give magnetically super- and subcritical values, respectively, and both are found to be roughly trans-Alfvénic. We also present a new method of data reduction for these denser but fainter objects like starless cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological advancements in biology and microscopy have empowered a transition from bioimaging as an observational method to a quantitative one. However, as biologists are adopting quantitative bioimaging and these experiments become more complex, researchers need additional expertise to carry out this work in a rigorous and reproducible manner. This Essay provides a navigational guide for experimental biologists to aid understanding of quantitative bioimaging from sample preparation through to image acquisition, image analysis, and data interpretation. We discuss the interconnectedness of these steps, and for each, we provide general recommendations, key questions to consider, and links to high-quality open-access resources for further learning. This synthesis of information will empower biologists to plan and execute rigorous quantitative bioimaging experiments efficiently. As bioimaging has moved from an observational method to a quantitative one, additional considerations are needed to carry out this work in a rigorous and reproducible manner. This Essay provides a navigational guide for biologists new to quantitative bioimaging, with recommendations and pointers to open source resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present BISTRO Survey 850 μ m dust emission polarization observations of the L1495A-B10 region of the Taurus molecular cloud, taken at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT). We observe a roughly triangular network of dense filaments. We detect nine of the dense starless cores embedded within these filaments in polarization, finding that the plane-of-sky orientation of the core-scale magnetic field lies roughly perpendicular to the filaments in almost all cases. We also find that the large-scale magnetic field orientation measured by Planck is not correlated with any of the core or filament structures, except in the case of the lowest-density core. We propose a scenario for early prestellar evolution that is both an extension to, and consistent with, previous models, introducing an additional evolutionary transitional stage between field-dominated and matter-dominated evolution, observed here for the first time. In this scenario, the cloud collapses first to a sheet-like structure. Uniquely, we appear to be seeing this sheet almost face on. The sheet fragments into filaments, which in turn form cores. However, the material must reach a certain critical density before the evolution changes from being field dominated to being matter dominated. We measure the sheet surface density and the magnetic field strength at that transition for the first time and show consistency with an analytical prediction that had previously gone untested for over 50 yr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on a research paper on the burden being placed by the healthcare system on the family members of patients admitted to the intensive care unit, which references a study by K. Leonard et al., published within the issue. Topics discussed include the involvement of family members in the creation of treatment plans for the patient, the struggles facing decision makers during such situations, and the clinical implications of the study.

Many observations of protoplanetary discs studied with ALMA have revealed the complex substructure present in the discs. Rings and gaps in the dust continuum are now a common sight in many discs; however, their origins still remain unknown. We look at all protoplanetary disc images taken with ALMA from cycles 0 to 5 and find that 56 discs show clear substructure. We further study the 56 discs and classify the morphology seen according to four categories: Rim, Ring, Horseshoe, and Spiral. We calculate the ages of the host stars using stellar isochrones and investigate the relation between the morphology of the substructure seen in the protoplanetary discs and the age of the host stars. We find that there is no clear evolutionary sequence in the protoplanetary discs as the stars increase in age, although there is a slight tendency for spirals to appear in younger systems and horseshoes to be seen in more evolved systems. We also show that majority of the images of protoplanetary discs made by ALMA may not have had a sufficiently high resolution or sensitivity to resolve substructure in the disc. We show that angular resolution is important in detecting substructure within protoplanetary discs, with sensitivity distinguishing between the different types of substructure. We compare the substructure seen in protoplanetary discs at sub-mm to those seen in scattered light. We find that cavities are a common substructure seen in discs at both sub-mm wavelengths and in scattered light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sedimentary rocks of the Paradox Basin of the Colorado Plateau (southwestern USA) record widespread manifestations of paleo-fluid flow and fluid-rock reactions including Cu, U-V, and Fe-Mn mineral deposits, Si and Ca metasomatism, hydrocarbon accumulations, and bleached sandstones. Many of these are spatially associated with faults. Here we show evidence for a widespread phase of fault-related fluid migration and mineralization at 41-48 Ma in the Paradox Basin. We measured K-Ar dates of multiple size fractions of clay-rich fault gouge, yielding statistically overlapping dates of authigenic (1Md) illite for the Salt Valley (47.0 ± 3.0 Ma), Kane Springs (47.7 ± 3.8 Ma), Cliffdweller (43.4 ± 4.6 Ma), Courthouse (41.9 ± 2.3 Ma), Lisbon Valley (45.3 ± 0.9 Ma), and GTO (48.1 ± 2.6 Ma) faults. The latter two have an illite Rb-Sr isochron age of 50.9 ± 3.5 Ma, and fault-adjacent bornite has a Re-Os isochron age of 47.5 ± 1.5 Ma. Authigenic illite from a paleo-oil reservoir near the Courthouse fault formed from the interaction of reduced fluids with oxidized red-bed sandstones at 41.1 ± 2.5 Ma. The Moab and Keystone faults have older authigenic illite ages of 59.1 ± 5.7 Ma and 65.2 ± 1.0 Ma, respectively. Our results show a close temporal relationship between fault gouge formation, red-bed bleaching, and Cu mineralization during an enigmatic time interval, raising questions about drivers of Eocene fluid flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mollusk and ostracode assemblages from the distal Old River Bed delta (ORBD) contribute to our understanding of the Lake Bonneville basin Pleistocene-Holocene transition (PHT) wetland and human presence on the ORBD (ca. 13,000-7500 cal yr BP). Located on U.S. Air Force-managed lands of the Great Salt Lake Desert (GSLD) in western Utah, USA, the area provided 30 samples from 12 localities. The biological assemblages and the potential water sources using 87Sr/86Sr analyses showed wetland expansion and contraction across the PHT, including the Younger-Dryas Chronozone (YDC). The record reflects cold, freshwater conditions, which is uncharacteristic of the Great Salt Lake Desert, after recession of Lake Bonneville. Lymnaea stagnalis jugularis, Cytherissa lacustris, and possibly Candona sp. cf. C. adunca, an endemic and extinct species only reported from Lake Bonneville, suggest cold-water environments. Between 13,000-12,400 cal yr BP, a shallow lake formed, referred to as the Old River Bed delta lake, fed by Lake Gunnison, as shown by 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.71024-0.71063 in mollusk fossils collected at the ORBD, characteristic of the Sevier basin. These findings add paleoenvironmental context to the long-term use of the ORBD by humans in constantly changing wetland habitats between 13,000-9500 cal yr BP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first 850 μm polarization observations in the most active star-forming site of the Rosette Molecular Cloud (d ∼ 1.6 kpc) in the wall of the Rosette Nebula, imaged with the SCUBA-2/POL-2 instruments of the James Clerk Maxwell telescope, as part of the B-Fields In Star-forming Region Observations 2 (BISTRO-2) survey. From the POL-2 data we find that the polarization fraction decreases with the 850 μm continuum intensity with α = 0.49 ± 0.08 in the p ∝ I−α relation, which suggests that some fraction of the dust grains remain aligned at high densities. The north of our 850 μm image reveals a "gemstone ring" morphology, which is a ∼1 pc diameter ring-like structure with extended emission in the "head" to the southwest. We hypothesize that it might have been blown by feedback in its interior, while the B-field is parallel to its circumference in most places. In the south of our SCUBA-2 field the clumps are apparently connected with filaments that follow infrared dark clouds. Here, the POL-2 magnetic field orientations appear bimodal with respect to the large-scale Planck field. The mass of our effective mapped area is ∼174 M⊙, which we calculate from 850 μm flux densities. We compare our results with masses from large-scale emission-subtracted Herschel 250 μm data and find agreement within 30%. We estimate the plane-of-sky B-field strength in one typical subregion using the Davis–Chandrasekhar–Fermi technique and find 80 ± 30 μG toward a clump and its outskirts. The estimated mass-to-flux ratio of λ = 2.3 ± 1.0 suggests that the B-field is not sufficiently strong to prevent gravitational collapse in this subregion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Herschel SPIRE and PACS maps of the Cepheus Flare clouds L1157, L1172, L1228, L1241, and L1251, observed by the Herschel Gould Belt Survey of nearby star-forming molecular clouds. Through modified blackbody fits to the SPIRE and PACS data, we determine typical cloud column densities of (0.5–1.0) × 1021 cm−2 and typical cloud temperatures of 14–15 K. Using the getsources identification algorithm, we extract 832 dense cores from the SPIRE and PACS data at 160–500 μm. From placement in a mass versus size diagram, we consider 303 to be candidate prestellar cores, and 178 of these to be "robust" prestellar cores. From an independent extraction of sources at 70 μm, we consider 25 of the 832 dense cores to be protostellar. The distribution of background column densities coincident with candidate prestellar cores peaks at (2–4) × 1021 cm−2. About half of the candidate prestellar cores in Cepheus may have formed as a result of the widespread fragmentation expected to occur within filaments of "transcritical" line mass. The lognormal robust prestellar core mass function (CMF) drawn from all five Cepheus clouds peaks at 0.56 M⊙ and has a width of ∼0.5 dex, similar to that of Aquila's CMF. Indeed, the width of Cepheus's aggregate CMF is similar to the stellar system initial mass function (IMF). The similarity of CMF widths in different clouds and the system IMF suggests a common, possibly turbulent origin for seeding the fluctuations that evolve into prestellar cores and stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three major lithofacies have been described in Lajjun area, central Jordan, including the phosphorite and intercalated limestone of the Al‐Hisa Phosphorite Formation, as well as the Muwaqqar Chalk Marl Formation. 87Sr/86Sr isotopic data indicate a late Campanian age for the Al‐Hisa Phosphorite Formation, whereas the overlying chalk of the Muwaqqar Formation contains the lowest Maastrichtian planktic foraminiferal zone of Rugoglobigerina hexacamerata (CF8b). The phosphorites are of reworked origin as inferred from the homogeneous texture with lack of any concentric structure in the phosphatic pellets and the presence of bone fragments inside the phosphatic pellets, which are filled with phosphatic mud similar to the matrix of phosphatic pellet. They still reflect the original seawater rare‐earth pattern, as indicated from the similarity in their rare‐earth element (REE) concentration and patterns with seawater. Positive correlations between P2O5 and Fe2O3, TiO2 and K2O, relatively high rare‐earth contents, and similarity in (Nd/Yb)SN ratio to the modern shallow seawater suggest a continental marginal depositional environment for the limestone and chalk facies. δ13C values are lower and more variable compared with the estimated global range of upper Campanian–lower Maastrichtian δ13C values in shelf and oceanic basins. This indicates a diagenetic effect on the δ13C isotopes and suggests that a significant proportion of carbonate ions could have been resulted from the organic carbon oxidation. Three third‐order depositional sequences matching with the global and regional sea‐level patterns are identified in the studied section based on vertical facies changes. The basal transgressive surface of each sequence is constantly characterized by a phosphatic horizon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why has India adopted contradictory policies with regard to LGBTQ rights at the UN? From 2004 to 2010, India consistently supported draft language for a UN resolution to allow a Special Rapporteur to investigate extra-judicial executions that would include the term ‘sexual orientation’. More recently, however, India has opposed or abstained from UN votes on LGBTQ rights. While India's conservative posture on LGBTQ issues was catalyzed by the Supreme Court's re-criminalization of homosexual activities in 2013 and the rise of the Hindu nationalist BJP, we argue that the state's posture is not a reflection of deep ideological commitments or a new strategic realignment. Instead, India's policy reflects a generally uncoordinated foreign policy apparatus that has been unprepared to respond to the rapid ascendancy of LGBTQ issues on the human rights agenda. It is not currently possible to predict India's future posture due to its lack of a clear policy commitments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian American candidates have been increasingly visible in recent elections in the U.S., even as Indian Americans and other South Asian Americans remain an under-represented population across American government. In this research note, we report results of an experiment to test how voters react to several characteristics of hypothetical Indian American candidates: religion, use of 'given' Indian names or 'Americanized' nicknames, gender, and party. Through a survey-based experiment testing variations on a fictional candidate profile, we find that candidates who identify as Hindu or Sikh are evaluated less positively than Christian candidates. However, these moderately negative effects are primarily limited to Republican respondents. A candidate's use of given name or nickname does not have significant effects for candidate relatability to respondents or for respondent vote intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since declaring their nuclear weapons capabilities in 1998, India and Pakistan have engaged in three major crises that each threatened to escalate into war. In each crisis, the USA engaged in active diplomacy to dissuade the South Asian rivals from taking escalatory actions. Previous literature on the crises has described the American role, but has not theorized third-party involvement in a nuclearized regional rivalry. We apply Timothy Crawford’s pivotal deterrence theory to the nuclearized India–Pakistan conflict, and extend the original theory to cover the novel condition of a non-superpower nuclear dyad, in the context of a single-superpower international system. We find that America’s pivotal deterrence generally enhanced stability in the India–Pakistan crises, and unlike in pre-nuclear South Asia, other great powers supported American diplomacy. However, we suggest that future regional crises between nuclear rivals, in South Asia or elsewhere, may present greater challenges for pivotal deterrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's facility for low-income countries, has granted India an unprecedented exception to its usual “graduation” policy—extending transitional support to its largest borrower, even though it has crossed the normal eligibility cutoff for IDA’s soft loans (based on per capita income). Before 2012, some Indian officials had called for a “graceful graduation,” believing that India did not need concessionary development assistance any longer. But with IDA graduation imminent in 2013 and facing a limit on borrowing from the Bank’s other window for middle-income countries, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, India successfully appealed for continued IDA access. This article draws on official interviews and documents to show how India secured post-graduation transitional support from IDA—suggesting that while India’s leaders seek to present their country as a rising power with influence in multilateral institutions, they can also be pragmatic in their status demands and quietly persuasive in their economic diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Re-Os analyses of pyrite from the Pueblo Viejo high-sulfidation epithermal deposit (both Monte Negro and Moore ore zones) yield an isochron age of 111.9 ± 3.7 Ma and initial 1870s/1880s ratio of 0.22 ± 0.18 (mean square of weighted deviates = 84, n = 21). Isochrons grouped by pyrite setting (layered versus vein) or locations yield ages within uncertainty of the overall isochron and with each other and, as such, do not yield temporally distinguishable ages. Sphalerite vein samples as well as shale source rocks show evidence of open system behavior and loss of Re and therefore are not included in the above regression. These results confirm that the Pueblo Viejo deposit is Early Cretaceous in age and coeval with the volcanic Los Ranchos Formation, which hosts the deposit. Recent paleontological age assignments for the Hatillo Formation, which overlies the Los Ranchos Formation, show that it is only slightly younger, opening the possibility that mineralization in the Hatillo Formation could also be related to late stages of Los Ranchos magmatism. Whether these revised Los Ranchos-Hatillo relations provide sufficient cover to account for the paragenetically late formation of pyrophyllite at Pueblo Viejo remains unclear. Recognition that Pueblo Viejo is coeval with the Los Ranchos Formation shows that large-scale, high-sulfidation epithermal mineralization can form from basal island-arc tholeiitic magmatism. A review of available experimental data confirms that these magmas can generate hydrothermal solutions of the necessary composition; favorability of the Los Ranchos Formation might have been enhanced by its bimodal composition. These results suggest that exploration for epithermal precious metal deposits should include basal island-arc tholeiite terranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The active metabolite of vitamin D3, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol) has antiproliferative effects in non-aggressive prostate cancer, however, its effects in more aggressive model systems are still unclear. In these studies, effects of calcitriol and a less-calcemic vitamin D analog, QW-1624F2-2 (QW), were tested in vivo, using the aggressive autochthonous transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP) model. To study prevention of androgen-stimulated prostate cancer, vehicle, calcitriol (20 µg/kg), or QW (50 µg/kg) were administered to 4 week-old TRAMP mice intraperitoneal (i.p.) 3×/week on a MWF schedule for 14 weeks. Calcitriol and QW slowed progression of prostate cancer as indicated by reduced urogenital tract (p = 0.0022, calcitriol; p = 0.0009, QW) and prostate weights (p = 0.0178, calcitriol; p = 0.0086, QW). However, only calcitriol increased expression of the pro-differentiation marker, cadherin 1 (p = 0.0086), and reduced tumor proliferation (p = 0.0467). By contrast, neither vitamin D analog had any effect on castration resistant prostate cancer in mice treated pre- or post-castration. Interestingly, although vitamin D showed inhibitory activity against primary tumors in hormone-intact mice, distant organ metastases seemed to be enhanced following treatment (p = 0.0823). Therefore, TRAMP mice were treated long-term with calcitriol to further examine effects on metastasis. Calcitriol significantly increased the number of distant organ metastases when mice were treated from 4 weeks-of-age until development of palpable tumors (20–25 weeks-of-age)(p = 0.0003). Overall, data suggest that early intervention with vitamin D in TRAMP slowed androgen-stimulated tumor progression, but prolonged treatment resulted in development of a resistant and more aggressive disease associated with increased distant organ metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed study of how the star formation rate (SFR) relates to the interstellar medium (ISM) of M31 at ∼140 pc scales. The SFR is calculated using the far-ultraviolet and 24 μm emission, corrected for the old stellar population in M31. We find a global value for the SFR of 0.25+0.06−0.04M⊙ yr−1 and compare this with the SFR found using the total far-infrared luminosity. There is general agreement in regions where young stars dominate the dust heating. Atomic hydrogen (H i) and molecular gas (traced by carbon monoxide, CO) or the dust mass is used to trace the total gas in the ISM. We show that the global surface densities of SFR and gas mass place M31 among a set of low-SFR galaxies in the plot of Kennicutt. The relationship between SFR and gas surface density is tested in six radial annuli across M31, assuming a power law relationship with index, N. The star formation (SF) law using total gas traced by HI and CO gives a global index of N = 2.03 ± 0.04, with a significant variation with radius; the highest values are observed in the 10 kpc ring. We suggest that this slope is due to HI turning molecular at ΣGas ∼ 10M⊙ pc−2. When looking at H2 regions, we measure a higher mean SFR suggesting a better spatial correlation between H2 and SF.We find N ∼ 0.6 with consistent results throughout the disk—this is at the low end of values found in previous work and argues against a superlinear SF law on small scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mechanisms of antibody-mediated neutralization are of much interest. For plant and bacterial A-B toxins, A chain mediates toxicity and B chain binds target cells. It is generally accepted and taught that antibody (Ab) neutralizes by preventing toxin binding to cells. Yet for some toxins, ricin included, anti-A chain Abs afford greater protection than anti-B. The mechanism(s) whereby Abs to the A chain neutralize toxins are not understood. Methodology/Principal Findings: We use quantitative confocal imaging, neutralization assays, and other techniques to study how anti-A chain Abs function to protect cells. Without Ab, ricin enters cells and penetrates to the endoplasmic reticulum within 15 min. Within 45–60 min, ricin entering and being expelled from cells reaches equilibrium. These results are consistent with previous observations, and support the validity of our novel methodology. The addition of neutralizing Ab causes ricin accumulation at the cell surface, delays internalization, and postpones retrograde transport of ricin. Ab binds ricin for >6hr as they traffic together through the cell. Ab protects cells even when administered hours after exposure. Conclusions/Key Findings: We demonstrate the dynamic nature of the interaction between the host cell and toxin, and how Ab can alter the balance in favor of the cell. Ab blocks ricin’s entry into cells, hinders its intracellular routing, and can protect even after ricin is present in the target organelle, providing evidence that the major site of neutralization is intracellular. These data add toxins to the list of pathogenic agents that can be neutralized intracellularly and explain the in vivo efficacy of delayed administration of anti-toxin Abs. The results encourage the use of post-exposure passive Ab therapy, and show the importance of the A chain as a target of Abs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A structural analysis of Cretaceous alkaline dykes swarm associated with the central segment of the Asunción Rift is reported here. Dykes are generally single near-vertical tabular bodies, less than 5m wide, although multiple and composite intrusions also occur. Many of these small bodies have been emplaced into Paleozoic sedimentary rocks and exhibit a regional NW-SE orientation pattern. Petrographical and geochemical data allow recognition of two different lineages of potassic dykes: a silicaundersaturated suite ranging from basanite to phonolite (B-P) and a silica-saturated suite ranging from alkali basalt to trachyte (AB-T). The morphological features, the regional en-échelon distribution, and the NW-SE orientation pattern suggest that the dykes were injected along fractures and faults, under a transtensional tectonic regime with σ1 NW/horizontal, σ2/vertical, and σ3 NE/horizontal.Detailed analysis, combining dyke petrography, orientation pattern, and relative chronology reveals a rotation from WNWtoward NNW during dyke emplacement. In terms of the paleostress field orientation, the evidence indicates that the dykes were diachronically formed under a similar stress condition. Finally, the pattern of orientation documented for the Cretaceous alkaline dykes of the Asunción Rift is consistent, temporally and spatially, with the phases of regional deformation that occurred during the process of the Atlantic Ocean opening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method was developed to utilize an airborne laser swath mapping-produced digital elevation model to evaluate and compare several restoration alternatives for the 660 ha Levy Prairie in north-central Florida. Detailed water budget analysis and a histogram of the elevation data points coupled with a level-pool assumption over the prairie basin allowed for determination of the hydroperiod on an areal basis. This analysis method facilitated comparison of restoration alternatives in terms of the restoration project objective to create permanently inundated conditions at water depths 0.15–0.61 m (for waterfowl) over greater than 50% of the prairie area within the first 5 years after construction. Construction costs were estimated and compared for each of the alternatives that attained the restoration objective, with the least cost project identified as the recommended alternative. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study addresses the roles of nuclear receptor corepressor 2 (NCOR2) in prostate cancer (PC) progression in response to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Reduced NCOR2 expression significantly associates with shorter disease-free survival in patients with PC receiving adjuvant ADT. Utilizing the CWR22 xenograft model, we demonstrate that stably reduced NCOR2 expression accelerates disease recurrence following ADT, associates with gene expression patterns that include neuroendocrine features, and induces DNA hypermethylation. Stably reduced NCOR2 expression in isogenic LNCaP (androgen-sensitive) and LNCaP-C4-2 (androgen-independent) cells revealed that NCOR2 reduction phenocopies the impact of androgen treatment and induces global DNA hypermethylation patterns. NCOR2 genomic binding is greatest in LNCaP-C4-2 cells and most clearly associates with forkhead box (FOX) transcription factor FOXA1 binding. NCOR2 binding significantly associates with transcriptional regulation most when in active enhancer regions. These studies reveal robust roles for NCOR2 in regulating the PC transcriptome and epigenome and underscore recent mutational studies linking NCOR2 loss of function to PC disease progression. [Display omitted] • Reduced NCOR2 associates with faster biochemical recurrence in patients who received neoadjuvant ADT • NCOR2 knockdown in the CWR22 model accelerates recurrence during ADT • NCOR2 knockdown results in CpG hypermethylation enriched in predicted enhancers • The NCOR2 cistrome overlaps with super enhancers that may regulate lineage choice Long et al. show that reduced levels of NCOR2 lead to accelerated prostate cancer recurrence during androgen withdrawal in a patient-derived xenograft model. NCOR2 reduction is characterized by incomplete response to androgen withdrawal, and recurrent tumors show increased neuroendocrine traits. These phenotypic changes are associated with hypermethylated enhancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eastern Pontide tectonic belt (EPTB) contains greater than 350 identified Kuroko type volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits/mineralization/occurrences (VMSD). The deposits are associated with Late Cretaceous felsic volcanics consisting mainly of dacitic and rhyolitic lavas and pyroclastics that outcrop within a narrow zone running parallel to the eastern Black Sea coast and represent the axial zone of a paleo-magmatic arc. The Cerattepe deposit is the second-largest and is a hybrid VMS system with some epithermal features. To date, no geochemical research constrains the origin and timing of mineralization in the Cerattepe VMS deposit. Here, we provide Cu, O, H and S, isotope analysis of ores and alteration minerals to understand the hydrothermal history of the deposit and date the massive ore with Re-Os geochronology. Secondary weathering mobilized and redistributed metals in the deposit. The copper isotope signatures of shallow ores in the gossan follow patterns resulting from oxidative weathering of copper minerals with gossan Fe oxides of δ65Cu = −2.59‰, enrichment zone copper sulfide of d65Cu = +2.23 and +1.73‰, and primary ores of δ65Cu = +0.71 and +0.41‰. At the boundary of the enrichment zone, further cycling and migration of enrichment zone copper are evidenced by two samples having larger ranges of the δ65Cu = +3.59‰, and −2.93‰. Evidence for a magmatic source for fluids and S are evidenced by the O and H isotope values from quartz veins (δ18O = +7.93‰ to +10.82‰, and δD = −78‰ and −68‰) and sulfides that possess δ34S ratios of –5 and 0‰ from drill core samples. 187Os/188Os–187Re/188Os ratios from drill core sulfide samples of Cerattepe VMS deposit yields a 62±3 Ma isochron age and a highly radiogenic Os initial ratio. This age is compatible with silicate alteration ages from a proximal deposit and clearly shows mineralization occurs at a much younger time than previously proposed for VMS mineralization in the eastern Pontides. The new Re-Os age and source of Os imply that mineralization in the area occurs at a distinctly younger interval in the back-arc basin and metals could be sourced from the surrounding host rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]