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Evidence of life on Earth is manifestly preserved in the rock record. However, the microfossil record only extends to ∼3.5 billion years (Ga), the chemofossil record arguably to ∼3.8 Ga, and the rock record to 4.0 Ga. Detrital zircons from Jack Hills, Western Australia range in age up to nearly 4.4 Ga. From a population of over 10,000 Jack Hills zircons, we identified one >3.8-Ga zircon that contains primary graphite inclusions. Here, we report carbon isotopic measurements on these inclusions in a concordant, 4.10 ± 0.01-Ga zircon. We interpret these inclusions as primary due to their enclosure in a crack-free host as shown by transmission X-ray microscopy and their crystal habit. Their δ13CPDB of −24 ± 5‰ is consistent with a biogenic origin and may be evidence that a terrestrial biosphere had emerged by 4.1 Ga, or ∼300 My earlier than has been previously proposed.

Hydrosphere interactions and alteration of the terrestrial crust likely played a critical role in shaping Earth’s surface, and in promoting prebiotic reactions leading to life, before 4.03 Ga (the Hadean Eon). The identity of aqueously altered material strongly depends on lithospheric cycling of abundant and water-soluble elements such as Si and O. However, direct constraints that define the character of Hadean sedimentary material are absent because samples from this earliest eon are limited to detrital zircons (ZrSiO₄). Here we show that concurrent measurements of Si and O isotope ratios in Phanerozoic and detrital pre-3.0 Ga zircon constrain the composition of aqueously altered precursors incorporated into their source melts. Phanerozoic zircon from (S)edimentary-type rocks contain heterogeneous δ18O and δ30Si values consistent with assimilation of metapelitic material, distinct from the isotopic character of zircon from (I)gneous- and (A)norogenic-type rocks. The δ18O values of detrital Archean zircons are heterogeneous, although yield Si isotope compositions like mantle-derived zircon. Hadean crystals yield elevated δ18O values (vs. mantle zircon) and δ30Si values span almost the entire range observed for Phanerozoic samples. Coupled Si and O isotope data represent a constraint on Hadean weathering and sedimentary input into felsic melts including remelting of amphibolites possibly of basaltic origin, and fractional addition of chemical sediments, such as cherts and/or banded iron formations (BIFs) into source melts. That such sedimentary deposits were extensive enough to change the chemical signature of intracrustal melts suggests they may have been a suitable niche for (pre)biotic chemistry as early as 4.1 Ga.

Background The greater lubricity and resistance to scratching of oxidized zirconium femoral components are expected to result in less polyethylene wear than cobalt-chrome femoral components. Questions/purposes We examined polyethylene wear particles in synovial fluid and compared the weight, size (equivalent circle diameter), and shape (aspect ratio) of polyethylene wear particles in knees with an oxidized zirconium femoral component with those in knees with a cobalt-chrome femoral component. Patients and Methods One hundred patients received an oxidized zirconium femoral component in one knee and a cobalt-chrome femoral component in the other. There were 73 women and 27 men with a mean age of 55.6 years (range, 44–60 years). The minimum followup was 5 years (mean, 5.5 years; range, 5–6 years). Polyethylene wear particles were analyzed using thermogravimetric methods and scanning electron microscopy. Results The weight of polyethylene wear particles produced at the bearing surface was 0.0223 ± 0.0054 g in 1 g synovial fluid in patients with an oxidized zirconium femoral component and 0.0228 ± 0.0062 g in patients with a cobalt-chrome femoral component. Size and shape of polyethylene wear particles were 0.59 ± 0.05 μm and 1.21 ± 0.24, respectively, in the patients with an oxidized zirconium femoral component and 0.52 ± 0.03 μm and 1.27 ± 0.31, respectively, in the patients with a cobalt-chrome femoral component. Knee Society knee and function scores, radiographic results, and complication rate were similar between the knees with an oxidized zirconium and cobalt-chrome femoral component. Conclusions The weight, size, and shape of polyethylene wear particles were similar in the knees with an oxidized zirconium and a cobalt-chrome femoral component. We found the theoretical advantages of this surface did not provide the actual advantage. Level of Evidence Level I, therapeutic study. See the guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Ischaemic heart disease evokes a complex immune response. However, tools to track the systemic behaviour and dynamics of leukocytes non-invasively in vivo are lacking. Here, we present a multimodal hot-spot imaging approach using an innovative high-density lipoprotein-derived nanotracer with a perfluoro-crown ether payload (19F-HDL) to allow myeloid cell tracking by 19F magnetic resonance imaging. The 19F-HDL nanotracer can additionally be labelled with zirconium-89 and fluorophores to detect myeloid cells by in vivo positron emission tomography imaging and optical modalities, respectively. Using our nanotracer in atherosclerotic mice with myocardial infarction, we observed rapid myeloid cell egress from the spleen and bone marrow by in vivo 19F-HDL magnetic resonance imaging. Concurrently, using ex vivo techniques, we showed that circulating pro-inflammatory myeloid cells accumulated in atherosclerotic plaques and at the myocardial infarct site. Our multimodality imaging approach is a valuable addition to the immunology toolbox, enabling the study of complex myeloid cell behaviour dynamically.A multimodal imaging approach using a high-density lipoprotein-derived nanotracer with a perfluoro-crown ether payload enables myeloid cell dynamics to be studied in vivo in mouse models of atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction.

Background. Monolithic restorations made of translucent yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) have become popular over the past few decades. However, whether aging affects the color and translucency of monolithic translucent Y-TZP is unclear. Objective. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis of in vitro studies was to evaluate the effects of aging on the color and translucency of monolithic translucent Y-TZP ceramics. Materials and Methods. This systematic review/meta-analysis was reported according to the PRISMA statement and registered in the OSF registries (https://osf.io/5qjmu). Four databases including Medline via the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases and the Cochrane Library were searched using no publication year and language limits. The last search was executed on November 20, 2020. In vitro studies comparing the translucency and/or color of monolithic translucent Y-TZP ceramics before and after simulated aging were selected. Meta-analyses were performed using Review Manager software (version 5.3, Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK) with random-effects models at a significance level of 0.05. A risk-of-bias assessment was also performed for the included studies. Results. Of the 188 potentially relevant studies, 13 were included in the systematic review. The hydrothermal aging duration ranged from 1 to 100 h at relatively similar temperatures (~134°C). In the general meta-analyses, the aged Y-TZP ceramics exhibited similar translucency parameter (TP), L∗, and b∗ values compared with the nonaged controls (P=.73, P=.49, and P=.62, respectively). Moreover, there was a significant difference between the aged and nonaged Y-TZP ceramics in the a∗ value (P=.03; MD=−0.26; 95% CI=−0.51 to−0.02), favoring the nonaged Y-TZP ceramics. The subgroup analyses showed that the duration of aging contributed to changes in the translucency and color of the Y-TZP ceramics. Conclusions. The optical properties of monolithic translucent Y-TZP ceramics were stable after hydrothermal aging at 134°C and 0.2 MPa for ≤20 h. Moreover, clinically unacceptable changes in the translucency and color of monolithic translucent Y-TZP ceramics were found after hydrothermal aging for >20 h.

Since the Cenozoic, the peripheral orogenic belts around the Junggar Basin have undergone substantia uplift in response to far-field deformation associated with the India–Asia collision. However, conventional geochronological methods commonly provide only indirect or insufficiently resolved constraints on the timing and geomorphic expression of late Cenozoic uplift and exhumation. Combustion metamorphic (CM) rocks, generated when coal seams are brought into shallow, oxygen-rich conditions during tectonic uplift and denudation and subsequently ignite spontaneously, offer a potential near-surface chronometer for these processes. In this study, we characterized coal maceral composition, rank, and spontaneous combustion tendency; documented the distribution, petrography, and mineral assemblages of CM rocks through field investigations, thin-section observation, and X-ray diffraction; and applied zircon (U-Th)/He dating to constrain the timing of CM rock formation. Three zircon grains define a tightly clustered Middle Pleistocene population with a weighted mean age of 0.63 ± 0.19 Ma, which we interpret as the principal timing of coal seam combustion and CM rock formation. Two older single-grain ages (8.7 ± 0.5 Ma and 87.7 ± 5.4 Ma) are treated cautiously as incompletely reset or inherited pre-combustion thermochronologic components rather than as independent combustion events. The spatial distribution and ages of CM rocks show a clear correspondence with late Cenozoic uplift and exhumation of the orogenic belt. These results demonstrate that zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronology of CM rocks can provide a useful chronological marker for near-surface tectonic processes and offers an additional approach for reconstructing late Cenozoic tectonic evolution in intracontinental orogenic settings.

The Lumuwang Formation in Hainan Island is a key stratum for analyzing Mesozoic tectonic evolution. However, its depositional age relies only on sporopollen evidence, lacks high-precision dating, and its age attribution remains controversial. Additionally, the origin, tectonic setting of its volcanic interlayers and their connection to regional magmatic activities are unclear, which greatly restricts the systematic understanding of Hainan Island's Mesozoic paleogeography and geotectonic evolution. Targeting a newly discovered set of volcanic rocks hosted in the terrigenous clastic rocks of the Lumuwan Formation in Haitangwan Town, Sanya City, this study systematically conducted zircon U-Pb dating and geochemical analysis. The results show that the minimum age is 121 Ma, thereby accurately constraining the depositional age of the clastic rocks of the Lumuwan Formation to the Early Cretaceous. Geochemical characteristics indicate that the volcanic rocks belong to the high-K calc-alkaline to shoshonitic series. Their low Mg# values and high MF and DI values indicate that the magma underwent highly differentiated evolution. The rare earth element (REE: La-Lu) distribution shows significant enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREE: La-Eu) and strong fractionation between LREE and heavy rare earth elements (HREE: Gd-Lu). Trace elements are characterized by enrichment of large ion lithophile elements (LILE: Rb, Ba, and K) and depletion of high field strength elements (HFSE: Nb, Ta, and Ti), highlighting typical island arc magma attributes. The above geochemical characteristics of the volcanic rocks reveal that the study area was in a transitional tectonic environment from an island arc to back-arc extension during the Early Cretaceous. This provides key empirical evidence for the dynamic process of the transition from a continental margin arc to intracontinental extension around 121 Ma in the South China continental margin, further deepening the scientific understanding of Mesozoic crust-mantle interaction and basin-mountain coupling processes in Hainan Island.

Detrital zircon studies are providing new insights on the evolution of sedimentary basins but the role of sedimentary recycling remains largely undefined. In a broad region of northwestern North America, this contribution traces the pathway of detrital zircon sand grains from Proterozoic sandstones through Phanerozoic strata and argues for multi-stage sedimentary recycling over more than a billion years. As a test of our hypothesis, integrated palynology and detrital zircon provenance provides clear evidence for erosion of Carboniferous strata in the northern Cordillera as a sediment source for Upper Cretaceous strata. Our results help to calibrate Earth's sedimentary cycle by showing that recycling dominates sedimentary provenance for the refractory mineral zircon.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of veneering and aging on the translucency of newly introduced extra and high translucent zirconia with different thickness. Materials and Methods. One hundred forty disk-shaped specimens were fabricated from two translucent zirconia blocks (VITA YZ XT and VITA YZ HT), and they are milled with CAD/CAM system. Then, specimens were divided into nonveneered (XT, HT) and veneered groups (XTV, HTV). Nonveneered groups were prepared with four different thicknesses (0.5-1-1.5-2 mm). Veneered groups were divided into three subgroups (n=10) for veneering with base dentin ceramic with thicknesses of 0.5+0.5, 0.5+1, and 0.5+1.5 mm. A spectrophotometer was used to calculate the translucency parameter (TP) and contrast ratio (CR) of all specimens before and after aging. Statistical analysis was performed using 3-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests (p<0.05). Results. TP values were significantly affected by thickness of specimens (p<0.001). VITA YZ XT was significantly found more translucent than VITA YZ HT. The highest translucency was observed in the XT-0.5 mm group. There is no significant difference between translucency of the veneered and nonveneered groups in the same thickness for XT. On the contrary, veneering significantly affected translucency of HT. TP values significantly decreased after aging for all groups. After aging, translucency value difference before and after aging was the highest in the XT-0.5 mm group whereas the HTV-2 mm group showed the lowest difference after aging. TP decreased significantly as thickness of specimen increases regardless of the material type. Extra translucent and nonveneered zirconia groups are more prone to hydrothermal aging. Conclusions. The translucency parameter of zirconia ceramics was significantly influenced by both material type and veneering. Also, extra translucent and nonveneered zirconia groups are more susceptible to hydrothermal aging.

A 3D flower-shaped bimetallic nanocomposite zirconium magnesium oxide (ZMO) was prepared first time by the controlled solution combustion method using triethanolamine (TEA) as a fuel and chelating agent. The composite material was used to remove excess fluoride via adsorption. The thermal stability of the adsorbent was characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the adsorbent. The surface charge of the nano adsorbent was determined by Zeta Sizer. The surface area and pore volume of the adsorbent were determined by Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) isotherm and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) methods. The adsorption behavior of fluoride was studied systematically varying the pH, contact time, adsorbent dose, and initial fluoride concentration. The adsorption followed the Langmuir isotherm model with a maximum adsorption capacity of 42.14 mg/g. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model was confirmed by the adsorption study. The maximum adsorption efficiency was in the 6–10 pH range. The reaction mechanism was mainly based on ion exchange between hydroxy and fluoride ions which was proven by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Real water tests indicated that ZMO could be used as a potential defluoridation agent for fluoride containing groundwater treatment.