Description: Free gas migration through the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) and subsequent gas seepage at the seabed are characteristic features in marine gas hydrate provinces worldwide. The biogenic or thermogenic gas is typically transported along faults from deeper sediment strata to the GHSZ. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain free gas transport through the GHSZ. While inhibition of hydrate formation by elevated salinities and temperatures have been addressed previously in studies simulating unfocused, area-wide upward advection of gas, which is not adequately supported by field observations, the role of focused gas flow through chimney-like structures has been underappreciated in this context. Our simulations suggest that gas migration through the GHSZ is, fundamentally, a result of methane gas supply in excess of its consumption by hydrate formation. The required high gas flux is driven by local overpressure, built up from gas accumulating below the base of the GHSZ that fractures the overburden when exceeding a critical pressure, thereby creating the chimney-like migration pathway. Initially rapid hydrate formation raises the temperature in the chimney structure, thereby facilitating further gas transport through the GHSZ. As a consequence, high hydrate saturations form preferentially close to the seafloor, where temperatures drop to bottom water values, producing a prominent subsurface salinity peak. Over time, hydrates form at a lower rate throughout the chimney structure, while initial temperature elevation and salinity peak dissipate. Thus, our simulations suggest that the near-surface salinity peak and elevated temperatures are a result of transient high-flux gas migration through the GHSZ.

Description: We conducted two‐dimensional numerical simulations to investigate the mechanisms underlying the strong spatiotemporal correlation observed between submarine landslides and gas hydrate dissociation due to glacial sea‐level drops. Our results suggest that potential plastic deformation or slip could occur at localized and small scales in the shallow‐water portion of the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ). This shallow‐water portion of the GHSZ typically lies within the area enclosed by three points: the BGHSZ–seafloor intersection, the seafloor at ∼600 m below sea level (mbsl), and the base of the GHSZ (BGHSZ) at ∼1,050 mbsl in low‐latitude regions. The deep BGHSZ (〉1,050 mbsl) could not slip; therefore, the entire BGHSZ was not a complete slip surface. Glacial hydrate dissociation alone is unlikely to cause large‐scale submarine landslides. Observed deep‐water (much greater than 600 mbsl) turbidites containing geochemical evidence of glacial hydrate dissociation potentially formed from erosion or detachment in the GHSZ pinch‐out zone. Plain Language Summary Many submarine landslides spatiotemporally correlate with gas hydrate dissociation. However, direct mechanical evidence supporting whether the overpressure and deformation due to glacial sea‐level drop‐induced hydrate dissociation are adequate for triggering submarine landslides is lacking. Here, we present two‐dimensional thermal‐hydraulic‐chemical and geomechanical models of a gas‐hydrate system in response to glacial sea‐level drops and conduct sensitivity analyses of the model behavior under a wide range of key conditions from a global perspective. Our simulations suggest that glacial hydrate dissociation might induce plastic deformation or slip at localized and small scales only possibly within the shallow‐water portion of the hydrate stability zone. The deep part (〉1,050 m below sea level) of the bottom boundary of the hydrate stability zone could not slip; therefore, the entire bottom boundary of the hydrate stability zone was not a complete slip surface. We demonstrate that glacial hydrate dissociation alone is unlikely to trigger large‐scale submarine landslides. Our work highlights the vicinity of the upper limit of the hydrate stability zone (where the base of the hydrate stability zone intersects the seafloor) as an important area for investigating overpressure and focused fluid flow, localized plastic deformation or slip, and downslope sediment transport related to glacial hydrate dissociation. Key Points Glacial hydrate dissociation might cause potential plastic deformation or slip at localized and small scales in shallow parts of the GHSZ The large deformation surface at the BGHSZ boundary of the potential plastic deformation zone was not a complete slip surface Glacial sea‐level drop‐induced gas hydrate dissociation alone is unlikely to have caused large‐scale submarine landslides

Description: Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is associated with liver diseases such as fatty liver and hepatic fibrosis; however, the underlying mechanism is still largely unknown. The current study aimed to explore the signaling pathway involved in HHcy-induced hepatic steatosis. C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-methionine diet (HMD) for 4 and 8 weeks to establish the HHcy mouse model. Compared to a chow diet, the HMD induced hepatic steatosis and elevated hepatic expression of CD36, a fatty acid transport protein. The increased CD36 expression was associated with activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). In primary cultured hepatocytes, high levels of homocysteine (Hcy) treatment upregulated CD36 and increased subsequent lipid uptake; both were significantly attenuated by siRNA knockdown of CD36 and AHR. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that Hcy promoted the binding of AHR to the CD36 promoter, and transient transfection assay demonstrated markedly increased activity of the AHR response element by Hcy, which was ligand-dependent. Mass spectrometry revealed significantly increased hepatic content of lipoxin A 4 (LXA 4 ), a metabolite of arachidonic acid, in HMD-fed mice. Further, over-expression of 15-oxoprostaglandin 13-reductase 1, a LXA 4 inactivation enzyme, inhibited Hcy-induced AHR activation, lipid uptake and lipid accumulation. Moreover, LXA 4 -induced upregulation of CD36 and lipid uptake was inhibited by AHR siRNA in vitro in hepatocytes. Finally, treatment with an AHR antagonist reversed the HHcy-induced lipid accumulation by inhibiting the AHR-CD36 pathway in mice. In conclusion, our results strongly suggest that HHcy activated the AHR-CD36 pathway by increasing hepatic LXA 4 content, which resulted in hepatic steatosis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Influential nodes are rare in social networks, but their influence can quickly spread to most nodes in the network. Identifying influential nodes allows us to better control epidemic outbreaks, accelerate information propagation, conduct successful e-commerce advertisements, and so on. Classic methods for ranking influential nodes have limitations because they ignore the impact of the topology of neighbor nodes on a node. To solve this problem, we propose a novel measure based on local centrality with a coefficient. The proposed algorithm considers both the topological connections among neighbors and the number of neighbor nodes. First, we compute the number of neighbor nodes to identify nodes in cluster centers and those that exhibit the “bridge” property. Then, we construct a decreasing function for the local clustering coefficient of nodes, called the coefficient of local centrality, which ranks nodes that have the same number of four-layer neighbors. We perform experiments to measure node influence on both real and computer-generated networks using six measures: Degree Centrality, Betweenness Centrality, Closeness Centrality, K-Shell, Semi-local Centrality and our measure. The results show that the rankings obtained by the proposed measure are most similar to those of the benchmark Susceptible-Infected-Recovered model, thus verifying that our measure more accurately reflects the influence of nodes than do the other measures. Further, among the six tested measures, our method distinguishes node influence most effectively.

Description: Author(s): Z. F. Wang, Zhao Liu, Jinlong Yang, and Feng Liu Coupling a quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) state with a superconducting state offers an attractive approach to detect the signature alluding to a topological superconducting state [Q. L. He et al. , Science 357 , 294 (2017) ], but its explanation could be clouded by disorder effects in magnetic doped QAH ... [Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 156406] Published Fri Apr 13, 2018

Description: Langmuir DOI: 10.1021/la201378b

Description: The Journal of Organic Chemistry DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.5b02238

Description: Similar to loess-paleosol sequences in northwestern China, terrestrial sedimentary sequences (red soils) in southern China also provide sensitive Quaternary records of subtropical/tropical paleoclimate and paleoenvironment. Compared with red clay sequences originated from eolian dust, red soils derived from bedrock have received little attention. In this study, a long core of red soil derived from weathered basalt in northern Hainan Island, China, was systematically investigated using detailed magnetic measurements and rare earth element analyses. The results show that an extremely strong magnetic zone with a maximum magnetic susceptibility (〉10 × 10 –5 m 3 kg –1 ) is interbedded in the middle of the core profile. This layer contains a significant amount of superparamagnetic magnetite/maghemite particles that primarily originated from volcanic ash, with secondary contributions from pedogenesis. The former has an average grain size of ~19 nm with a normal distribution of volume, and the latter has a much wider grain size distribution. The presence of volcanic ash within the red soil indicates that these Quaternary basalts were not formed by continuous volcanic eruptions. Moreover, the magnetic enhancement patterns differ between the upper and lower zones. The upper zone is more magnetically enhanced and experienced higher precipitation and temperature than the lower zone. Discrimination of superparamagnetic particles originating from pedogenic processes and volcanic ash thus provides a sound theoretical base for accurate interpretation of magnetism in red soils in this region.