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We present an exposure analysis of infrastructure and lifeline to tephra fallout for a future large-scale explosive eruption of Sakurajima volcano. An eruption scenario is identified based on the field characterization of the last subplinian eruption at Sakurajima and a review of reports of the eruptions that occurred in the past six centuries. A scenario-based probabilistic hazard assessment is performed using the Tephra2 model, considering various eruption durations to reflect complex eruptive sequences of all considered reference eruptions. A quantitative exposure analysis of infrastructures and lifelines is presented primarily using open-access data. The post-event impact assessment of Magill et al. (Earth Planets Space 65:677–698, 2013) after the 2011 VEI 2 eruption of Shinmoedake is used to discuss the vulnerability and the resilience of infrastructures during a future large eruption of Sakurajima. Results indicate a main eastward dispersal, with longer eruption durations increasing the probability of tephra accumulation in proximal areas and reducing it in distal areas. The exposure analysis reveals that 2300 km of road network, 18 km 2 of urban area, and 306 km 2 of agricultural land have a 50% probability of being affected by an accumulation of tephra of 1 kg/m 2 . A simple qualitative exposure analysis suggests that the municipalities of Kagoshima, Kanoya, and Tarumizu are the most likely to suffer impacts. Finally, the 2011 VEI 2 eruption of Shinmoedake demonstrated that the already implemented mitigation strategies have increased resilience and improved recovery of affected infrastructures. Nevertheless, the extent to which these mitigation actions will perform during the VEI 4 eruption presented here is unclear and our hazard assessment points to possible damages on the Sakurajima peninsula and the neighboring municipality of Tarumizu.

The 1914 Taisho eruption of Sakurijima volcano was Japan’s highest intensity and magnitude eruption of the twentieth century. After a 35-year period of quiescence, the volcano suddenly rewoke a few days before the eruption, when earthquakes began to be felt on Sakurajima Island. The eruption began on January 12, 1914, from two fissures located on opposite sides of the volcano, and was characterized by a complex time evolution and changes in eruptive styles. The eruption began with a subPlinian explosive phase in which two convective columns rose from the two fissures. Both plumes were sustained for at least 2 days. This resulted in deposition of a widely dispersed tephra sequence. After this phase, the eruption evolved to a final, waning phase, shifting toward effusive activity that lasted until April 1914. During the first weeks, effusive activity was also accompanied by ash emission. The complex sequence of events, characterized by contemporaneous explosive and effusive activity, is typical of several recently observed mid-intensity eruptions, such as during the 2011 eruption of Cordón Caulle, Chile. The stratigraphic sequence of the eruptive deposits from the Taisho eruption comprises alternating coarse-to-fine lapilli beds with ash beds dispersed toward the ESE and SE. These deposits can be subdivided into three lapilli-bearing units (Units T1, T2 and T3, which correspond to the subPlinian phase) and one ash-bearing unit (Unit T4, which corresponds to the final ash venting, accompanying the first day/weeks of lava flow activity). Grain size analyses from each unit reveal a marked polymodal distribution generally described by the sum of two or three Gaussian subpopulations. Both the modes and the relative amounts of the coarse subpopulations vary with distance from vent, with those of the fine subpopulation remaining nearly constant. Within the vertical sequence, component analysis shows a progressive increase in lithic fragments, suggesting that conduit enlargement continued until the final stages of the eruption. The estimated volume of the tephra deposit of the subPlinian phase of the eruption is 0.33 ± 0.11 km 3 (dense rock equivalent (DRE) volume = 0.09 ± 0.03 km 3 ). The height of the eruption column was also assessed by using four different isopleth maps compiled based on different strategies for the characterization of the largest clasts. The maximum height attained by the eruption column is estimated at 15.0 ± 1.2 km above the vent, resulting in a maximum mass discharge rate of 3.6 ± 1.2 × 10 7  kg s −1 (calculated taking into account the strong effect of wind advection). Finally, different classification schemes were applied to classify the eruption, which generally straddles the fields between Plinian and subPlinian.

Volcanoes are often associated with vertical collapse, due to deeper magma withdrawal. Calderas are the most notable type of vertical collapse, on the summit of volcanoes. Caldera collapse has been observed and monitored only at Miyakejima (Japan; 2000), Dolomieu (Reunion; 2007) and Fernandina (Galapagos; 1968), highlighting our limited knowledge on its kinematic behavior. Here we use experimental models to investigate the kinematic evolution of calderas and vertical collapses in general. We extract velocity and strain fields using the Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique, generating time series. Experimental vertical collapses undergoing constant subsidence velocity show three main kinematic behaviors: (1) continuous collapse, whose velocity is similar to the source subsidence velocity; (2) incremental collapse, with episodic (stepwise) accelerations along pre‐existing ring structures; (3) sudden collapse, resulting from the upward migration of a cavity, only for T/D > 2 (T and D are the depth and width of the magma chamber, respectively) and without ring structures. The velocity in the collapsing column may increase up to four orders of magnitude with regard to the constant subsidence velocity of the source. Comparison to nature suggests that: (1) there are close kinematic similarities with monitored collapse calderas, explaining their incremental subsidence after the development of ring structures; (2) sudden pit crater formation is induced by the upward propagation of cavities, due to magma removal at depth and in absence of ring structures; (3) all these types of vertical collapses have a consistent mechanism of formation and kinematic behavior, function of T/D and the presence/absence of ring structures. Key Points Kinematic analysis of vertical collapse on volcanoes Use of innovative PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) technique Three main kinematic modes for vertical collapses in volcanic areas

Xylogalacturonan (XGA) is a class of pectic polysaccharide found in plant cell walls. The Arabidopsis thaliana locus At5g33290 encodes a predicted Type II membrane protein, and insertion mutants of the At5g33290 locus had decreased cell wall xylose. Immunological studies, enzymatic extraction of polysaccharides, monosaccharide linkage analysis, and oligosaccharide mass profiling were employed to identify the affected cell wall polymer. Pectic XGA was reduced to much lower levels in mutant than in wild-type leaves, indicating a role of At5g33290 in XGA biosynthesis. The mutated gene was designated xylogalacturonan deficient1 (xgd1). Transformation of the xgd1-1 mutant with the wild-type gene restored XGA to wild-type levels. XGD1 protein heterologously expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana catalyzed the transfer of xylose from UDP-xylose onto oligogalacturonides and endogenous acceptors. The products formed could be hydrolyzed with an XGA-specific hydrolase. These results confirm that the XGD1 protein is a XGA xylosyltransferase. The protein was shown by expression of a fluorescent fusion protein in N. benthamiana to be localized in the Golgi vesicles as expected for a glycosyltransferase involved in pectin biosynthesis.

Large calderas are among the Earth's major volcanic features. They are associated with large magma reservoirs and elevated geothermal gradients. Caldera-forming eruptions result from the withdrawal and collapse of the magma chambers and produce large-volume pyroclastic deposits and later-stage deformation related to post-caldera resurgence and volcanism. Unrest episodes are not always followed by an eruption; however, every eruption is preceded by unrest. The Campi Flegrei caldera (CFc), located along the eastern Tyrrhenian coastline in southern Italy, is close to the densely populated area of Naples. It is one of the most dangerous volcanoes on Earth and represents a key example of an active, resurgent caldera. It has been traditionally interpreted as a nested caldera formed by collapses during the 100–200 km3 Campanian Ignimbrite (CI) eruption at ∼39 ka and the 40 km3 eruption of the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (NYT) at ∼15 ka. Recent studies have suggested that the CI may instead have been fed by a fissure eruption from the Campanian Plain, north of Campi Flegrei. A MagellanPlus workshop was held in Naples, Italy, on 25–28 February 2017 to explore the potential of the CFc as target for an amphibious drilling project within the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and the International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP). It was agreed that Campi Flegrei is an ideal site to investigate the mechanisms of caldera formation and associated post-caldera dynamics and to analyze the still poorly understood interplay between hydrothermal and magmatic processes. A coordinated onshore–offshore drilling strategy has been developed to reconstruct the structure and evolution of Campi Flegrei and to investigate volcanic precursors by examining (a) the succession of volcanic and hydrothermal products and related processes, (b) the inner structure of the caldera resurgence, (c) the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the hydrothermal system and offshore sediments, and (d) the geological expression of the phreatic and hydromagmatic eruptions, hydrothermal degassing, sedimentary structures, and other records of these phenomena. The deployment of a multiparametric in situ monitoring system at depth will enable near-real-time tracking of changes in the magma reservoir and hydrothermal system.

Glycosyltransferase complexes are known to be involved in plant cell wall biosynthesis, as for example in cellulose. It is not known to what extent such complexes are involved in biosynthesis of pectin as well. To address this question, work was initiated on ARAD1 (ARABINAN DEFICIENT 1) and its close homolog ARAD2 of glycosyltransferase family GT47. Using bimolecular fluorescence complementation, Förster resonance energy transfer and non-reducing gel electrophoresis, we show that ARAD1 and ARAD2 are localized in the same Golgi compartment and form homo-and heterodimeric intermolecular dimers when expressed transiently in Nicotiana benthamiana. Biochemical analysis of aradl cell wall or fractions hereof showed no difference in the monosaccharide composition, when compared with wild type. The double mutant aradl aradl had an aradl cell wall phenotype and overexpression of ARAD2 did not complement the aradl phenotype, indicating that ARAD1 and ARAD2 are not redundant enzymes. To investigate the cell wall structure of the mutants in detail, immunohistochemical analyses were carried out on aradl, aradl and aradl aradl using the arabinan-specific monoclonal antibody LM13. In roots, the labeling pattern of aradl was distinct from both that of wild type, aradl and aradl aradl. Likewise, in epidermal cell walls of inflorescence stems, LM13 binding differed between aradl and WILD TYPE, aradl or aradl aradl. Altogether, these data show that ARAD2 is associated with arabinan biosynthesis, not redundant with ARAD1, and that the two glycosyltransferases may function in complexes held together by disulfide bridges.

The effect of anoxia on the induction of α-amylase in seeds of rice (Oryza sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), oat (Avena sativa L.) and rye (Secale cereale L.) was studied. The results showed that only rice is able to synthesize α-amylase under anoxia, while other cereal seeds fail to produce the enzyme and do not germinate. The inhibitory effect of anoxia on α-amylase induction is concluded to be due to the inability of cereal seeds to respond to gibberellic acid under conditions of total oxygen deprivation. Rice appears to be an exception to this rule among the cereal seeds tested. We found that α-amylase mRNA fails to accumulate in embryoless barley half-seeds treated with gibberellic acid, indicating that the action of anoxia may be at the transcriptional level.

Plant cell wall (CW) synthesizing enzymes can be divided into the glycan (i.e. cellulose and callose) synthases, which are multimembrane spanning proteins located at the plasma membrane, and the glycosyltransferases (GTs), which are Golgi localized single membrane spanning proteins, believed to participate in the synthesis of hemicellulose, pectin, mannans, and various glycoproteins. At the Carbohydrate-Active enZYmes (CAZy) database where e.g. glucoside hydrolases and GTs are classified into gene families primarily based on amino acid sequence similarities, 415 Arabidopsis GTs have been classified. Although much is known with regard to composition and fine structures of the plant CW, only a handful of CW biosynthetic GT genes-all classified in the CAZy system-have been characterized. In an effort to identify CW GTs that have not yet been classified in the CAZy database, a simple bioinformatics approach was adopted. First, the entire Arabidopsis proteome was run through the Transmembrane Hidden Markov Model 2.0 server and proteins containing one or, more rarely, two transmembrane domains within the N-terminal 150 amino acids were collected. Second, these sequences were submitted to the SUPERFAMILY prediction server, and sequences that were predicted to belong to the superfamilies NDP-sugartransferase, UDP-glycosyltransferase/glucogen-phosphorylase, carbohydrate-binding domain, Gal-binding domain, or Rossman fold were collected, yielding a total of 191 sequences. Fifty-two accessions already classified in CAZy were discarded. The resulting 139 sequences were then analyzed using the Three-Dimensional-Position-Specific Scoring Matrix and mGenTHREADER servers, and 27 sequences with similarity to either the GT-A or the GT-B fold were obtained. Proof of concept of the present approach has to some extent been provided by our recent demonstration that two members of this pool of 27 non-CAZy-classified putative GTs are xylosyltransferases involved in synthesis of pectin rhamnogalacturonan II (J. Egelund, B.L. Petersen, A. Faik, M.S. Motawia, C.E. Olsen, T. Ishii, H. Clausen, P. Ulvskov, and N. Geshi, unpublished data).

An insertion in the promoter of the Arabidopsis thaliana QUA1 gene (qua1-1 allele) leads to a dwarf plant phenotype and a reduction in cell adhesion, particularly between epidermal cells in seedlings and young leaves. This coincides with a reduction in the level of homogalacturonan epitopes and the amount of GalA in isolated cell walls (Bouton et al., Plant Cell 14: 2577 2002). The present study was undertaken in order to investigate further the link between QUA1 and cell wall biosynthesis. We have used rapidly elongating inflorescence stems to compare cell wall biosynthesis in wild type and qua1-1 mutant tissue. Relative to the wild type, homogalacturonan alpha-1-4-D-galacturonosyltransferase activity was consistently reduced in qua1-1 stems (by about 23% in microsomal and 33% in detergent-solubilized membrane preparations). Activities of beta-1-4-D-xylan synthase, beta-1-4-D-galactan synthase and beta-glucan synthase II activities were also measured in microsomal membranes. Of these, only beta-1-4-D-xylan synthase was affected, and was reduced by about 40% in qua1-1 stems relative to wild type. The mutant phenotype was apparent in inflorescence stems, and was investigated in detail using microscopy and cell wall composition analyses. Using in situ PCR techniques, QUA1 mRNA was localized to discrete cells of the vascular tissue and subepidermal layers. In mutant stems, the organization of these tissues was disrupted and there was a modest reduction in homogalacturonan (JIM5) epitopes. This study demonstrates a specific role for QUA1 in the development of vascular tissue in rapidly elongating inflorescence stems and supports a role of QUA1 in pectin and hemicellulose cell wall synthesis through affects on alpha-1,4-D-galacturonosyltransferase and beta-1,4-D-xylan synthase activities.

Two homologous but different cDNAs encoding a 97-kDa and a 70-kDa protein from Brassica napus L. seedlings have been characterized. Both proteins contain sequence motifs with high homology to the IgA binding lectin, jacalin, and the deduced 97-kDa protein contains the peptide sequences of myrosinase-binding proteins. The 70-kDa and the 97-kDa protein can both be isolated as a complex containing myrosinase, indicating they indeed are myrosinase-binding proteins. We provide evidence that the 70-kDa protein binds IgA in vitro, and therefore classify the protein as a jacalin-type lectin. Both the 97-kDa and the 70-kDa proteins are encoded by a small number of genes in the Brassica genome. The mRNA for the 97-kDa protein is detected in both light- and dark-grown seedlings, whereas the mRNA for the 70-kDa protein is mainly detected in etiolated seedlings. The transcript levels for both proteins are transient and are rapidly increased by methyl jasmonate. The 70-kDa protein is synthesized de novo during germination and accumulates mainly in the hypocotyl and in the root. By immunogold labeling we show that a few cells scattered in the cotyledons of young seedlings (approx. 5% of total cells), contain protein-body-like structures with the 70-kDa protein. These bodies are present in a 10000 g pellet from which the 70-kDa protein can be extracted by sodium carbonate. In addition, the 70-kDa protein is detected in the amorphous structures of the vacuole in a few cells of the cotyledon, the hypocotyl and the root.