Life at the continental–marine interface: palaeoenvironments and biota of the Alcobaça Formation (Late Jurassic, Central Portugal), with a formal definition of the unit appended

The Kimmeridgian Alcobaça Formation of the Lusitanian Basin forms a mixed carbonate–siliciclastic unit between basinal deposits of the Abadia Formation, and fluvial–terrestrial strata of the Lourinhã Formation. This study presents >2.5 km of detailed logs of nine outcrop sections of the Alcobaça Formation in its type region. Eight of these sections encircle the Caldas da Rainha Diapir, which was a prominent, emergent, passive salt diapir during the time of deposition. Palaeoenvironments of the unit form a complex mosaic of low- to high-energy, carbonate- or siliciclastic-dominated shallow shelf settings; coastal embayments and lagoons; and coastal plains with rivers, lakes and playas. In the strata, abundant microfauna is often joined by a rich macrofauna, usually dominated by bivalves. Locally, corals, calcareous sponges or oysters form meadows or patch reefs. These autochthonous to parautochthonous remnants of former communities are assigned to 35 benthic macrofaunal associations. The integration of palaeoecological analysis of these associations with microfaunal and sedimentological data provides constraint on their salinity ranges, which range from slightly hypersaline to freshwater. Frequent temporal and spatial salinity fluctuations are attributed to variations in relative sea-level, salt tectonics or climate. The NNE-trending Caldas da Rainha Diapir induced pronounced facies differentiation. Predominantly, non-marine siliciclastic facies in the northwest and carbonate to siliciclastic, marine to brackish facies in the southwest are contrasted by shallow-marine carbonate facies east of the diapir. Comprehensive exposure and well-preserved fossils make the Alcobaça Formation an excellent showcase to demonstrate how biofacies analysis can help to disentangle the interplay of climate changes, sea-level fluctuations and salt tectonics. Based on the improved characterisation of the unit, the Alcobaça Formation is formally defined, and seven members are established.

Numerical Study of Efficiency Indices to Evaluate the Effect of Layout Mode of Artificial Reef Unit on Flow Field

Artificial reefs (ARs) have been widely used to restore the seabed habitat and protect biodiversity. They can effectively increase the dissolved oxygen content in the bottom water layer by their disturbing effect of upwelling and downwelling. The bottom water is prone to hypoxia in summer due to the extreme weather of the global climate and excessive biomass in some marine ranching in northern China. Therefore, how to effectively use the upwelling effect of artificial reefs to alleviate this problem is a necessary subject of research. Generally, ARs are arranged by different intervals in a unit form on the seafloor, and the flow field effect is different from that of the individual reefs. However, few studies have been focused on the effect of layout mode on the flow field of a unit reef (UR). In this paper, we selected the interval between reefs (IR) and the angle of inflow (AI) as the influencing factors to study the flow field effect of UR. The upwelling and wake regions of 64 URs were presented by the efficiency and disturbance indices related to the flow characteristics and proposed an optimal layout mode having the best performance of the upwelling effect. The results showed that the interactions among the AI, the transverse, and longitudinal IRs were significant, and the AI has a significant influence on the flow field. These indices were effective and contribute to the layout optimization of UR. The AI close to 45° has a significant influence on the flow field effect of UR.

Crystal structures of 9-[bis(benzylsulfanyl)methyl]anthracene and of cyclo-dodecakis(μ2-phenylmethanethiolato-κ2 S:S)hexapalladium(6 Pd—Pd)–anthracene-9,10-dione (1/1)

The first title compound, C29H24S2, L1, represents an example of an anthracene-based functionalized dithioether, which may be useful as a potential chelating or terminal ligand for coordination chemistry. This dithioacetal L1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c. The phenyl rings of the benzyl groups and that of the anthracene unit form dihedral angles of 49.21 (4) and 58.79 (5)° and the crystal structure displays short C–H...π contacts. Surprisingly, when attempting to coordinate L1 to [PdCl2(PhCN)2], instead of the targeted chelate complex [PdCl2(κ2-L1)], a cleavage reaction leads to the formation of the centrosymmetric hexanuclear cyclic cluster of composition [Pd6(μ2-SCH2Ph)12] Pd6, or [Pd6(C7H7S)12]·C14H8O2. This tiara-shaped hexamer crystallizing in the triclinic space group P\overline{1} consists of six approximately square planar Pd(II)S4 centers, which are interconnected through twelve μ2-bridging benzyl thiolate groups. The Pd...Pd contacts range from 3.0892 (2) to 3.1609 (2) Å and can be considered as weakly bonding. The unit cell of Pd6 contains also a co-crystallized anthracene-9,10-dione molecule.

Talent Scouting Soccer Athletes Aged 10 to 11 Years

This study aims to develop a basic skills test model for exploring the talent of prospective KU soccer athletes from 10 to 11 years which is valid and reliable. This research is a research and development that adapts several research steps proposed by Borg & Gall (2007, p.590) as follows: (1) preliminary studies and data collection, (2) planning of research and development processes, (3) product validation , (4) product trials, (5) product revisions, (6) product implementation. Small-scale trials were carried out on 30 tests, and large-scale trials were carried out on 416 tests using cluster sampling techniques. The validity data analysis technique uses Pearson's Product Moment correlations and reliability using the Cronbach’s Alpha test-retest. Z score is used to equalize the unit form. The results of this research and development are in the form of a basic skills test model for talent search for KU soccer athletes from 10 to 11 years old. The test model is appropriate because it is declared valid and reliable, with a calculated value greater than the rtable value. The basic skills test model for talent tracking for KU soccer athletes from 10 to 11 years also produces scoring scales (norms) that are packaged in effective and efficient manuals and tutorials (CDs) and can be used as a guide for trainers on early childhood soccer coaching center in the process of searching for athletes with various levels of giftedness.

Crystallographic and spectroscopic characterization of racemic Mosher's Acid

The title compound, C10H9F3O3, represents the structure of racemic Mosher's Acid (systematic name: 3,3,3-trifluoro-2-methoxy-2-phenylpropanoic acid), a carboxylic acid that when resolved can be employed as a chiral derivatizing agent. The compound contains a carboxylic acid group, a methoxy group and a trifluoromethyl substituent on an asymmetric benzylic carbon atom. The two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit form a non-centrosymmetric homochiral dimer via intermolecularly hydrogen-bonded head-to-tail dimers with graph-set notation R 2 2(8) and donor–acceptor hydrogen-bonding distances of 2.6616 (13) and 2.6801 (13) Å.

Assessing the rift to sag evolution of Parnaiba Basin, NE Brazil, through U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology and provenance

<p><strong>Assessing the rift to sag evolution of Parnaíba Basin, NE Brazil, through U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology and provenance</strong></p><p>Rodrigo I. Cerri<sup>1</sup>; Lucas V. Warren<sup>1</sup>; Mario L. Assine<sup>1<br></sup><sup>1</sup> São Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Geosciences and Exact Sciences, Rio Claro, Brazil.</p><p>Nowadays one of the most prolific topics in the geological sciences is the origin of intracratonic basins. Despite many Paleozoic examples in which rift systems occur under these basins, there is no consensus about how these mechanical subsidence basins influenced the origin of continental-scale intracratonic basins. Due to its inherent complexity, the understanding of this problem only comes from integrated studies based in multi-proxy analysis, placing it on the frontier of modern science. In the northeast part of Brazil, the Late-Precambrian to Early-Cambrian Jaibaras Basin is interpreted as the precursor rift of the Parnaíba intracratonic Basin, following a simple model of mechanical-to-thermal subsidence evolution. In order to assess the provenance patterns and maximum depositional ages (MDA) between the rift and cratonic phases of these basins, we present a novel detrital zircon U-Pb ages of rocks from the Aprazível and Ipu formations. The main goals of this approach is to identify provenance changes (or similarities) between the last rift related sedimentary unit of the Jaibaras Basin and the first intracratonic related sedimentary unit form the Parnaíba Basin, thus allowing to test the rift-to-sag hypothesis. The MDA for the Aprazível Formation (ca. 499 ± 5 Ma, Furongian to Miaolingian) indicates a Late Cambrian age for the upper part of the Jaibaras Basin. The Ipu Formation records a MDA of ca. 528 ± 11 Ma (Terreneuvian to Series 2, Early Cambrian). However, due to its stratigraphic position relative to the lower Aprazível (499 ± 5 Ma) and upper Tianguá (Early Silurian, Llandovery) formations, the depositional age of this unit is probably younger (Late-Cambrian to Early-Ordovician). Thus, the successions deposited in the end of the rift and the beginning of the sag phase are clearly separated by a regional unconformity (10 to 30 Ma). We also identify the complete absence of Cambrian zircons followed by a significant increase in Paleoproterozoic ones in the Ipu Formation. Although these units were significantly sourced by Neoproterozoic terrains (especially Ediacaran), this modification indicates an interesting change in provenance between the rift to sag basins. The detrital zircon provenance, helped by a consistent paleocurrent analysis, reveal local source areas for the Aprazível Formation and a consistent distal sedimentary transport towards NW for the Ipu Formation. This suggests that the primary sources for the first cratonic unit of Parnaíba Basin were located at the orogenic areas related with the Neoproterozoic Brasiliano/Pan-African Orogeny at the south/southern of Borborema Province (e.g. Rio Preto, Riacho do Pontal and Rio Grande do Norte metamorphic belts). Unlike the alluvial-related Aprazível Formation, the Ipu Formation characterizes a huge fluvial system that flowed towards NW, probably following a homoclinal ramp-like tilted and opened to the paleomargins of Gondwana.</p>

Crystal structure of 2-[bis(benzylsulfanyl)methyl]-6-methoxyphenol

The title compound, C22H22O2S2, 1, represents an example of an ortho-vanillin-based functionalized dithioether, which could be useful as a potential chelating ligand or bridging ligand for coordination chemistry. This dithioacetal 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbca. The phenyl rings of the benzyl groups and that of the vanillin unit form dihedral angles of 35.38 (6) and 79.77 (6)°, respectively. The crystal structure, recorded at 100 K, displays both weak intramolecular O—H...O and intermolecular O—H...S hydrogen bonding.