Thin plate flexure theory provides an accurate model for the response of the lithosphere to vertical loads on horizontal length scales ranging from tens to hundreds of kilometres. Examples include flexure at seamounts, fracture zones, sedimentary basins and subduction zones. When applying this theory to real world situations, most studies assume a locally uniform plate thickness to …

In the context of elastic wave propagation, the non-periodic homogenization asymptotic method allows to find a smooth effective medium and equations that correspond to the wave propagation in a given complex elastic or acoustic medium down to a given minimum wavelength. By smoothing all discontinuities and fine scales of the original medium, the homogenization technique considerably…

Probabilistic tsunami hazard analysis (PTHA) relies on computationally demanding numerical simulations of tsunami generation, propagation, and non-linear inundation on high-resolution topo-bathymetric models. Here we focus on tsunamis generated by co-seismic sea floor displacement, that is, on Seismic PTHA (SPTHA). A very large number of tsunami simulations are typically needed to incorpo…

In autumn 2012, the new release 05 (RL05) of monthly geopotencial spherical harmonics Stokes coefficients (SC) from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission was published. This release reduces the noise in high degree and order SC, but they still need to be filtered. One of the most common filtering processing is the combination of decorrelation and Gaussian …

Across invertebrates and vertebrates, steroids are potent signaling molecules that affect nearly every cell in the organism, including cells of the nervous system. Historically, researchers have focused on the genomic (or ‘‘nuclearinitiated’’) effects of steroids. However, all classes of steroids also have rapid non-genomic (or ‘‘membrane-initiated’’) effects, although there is …

We analysed a large amount of teleseismic receiver function data recorded by 172 broadband stations in the NE Tibetan plateau and its surrounding areas to investigate the crustal velocity and anisotropy structure beneath the margin. We first applied the modified H–κ stacking technique to measure the crustal thickness and average Vp/Vs ratio, and then employed a joint inversio…

In the last decade, China�s trade with Africa increased faster than its overall foreign trade. This article focusses on the role of real exchange rates in this growth. A �bilateral real exchange rate� augmented trade gravity model applied to China�s trade with 49 African countries over the period 2000�2011 shows that the real appreciation of most African currencies rel…

Using data predominantly from the NECESS Array, but also incorporating surface wave data from surrounding networks, we present the results of a Bayesian Monte Carlo inversion of receiver functions, Rayleigh wave ellipticity (H/V ratio) and Rayleigh wave group and phase speeds from 8 to 80 s period for the 3-D shear velocity structure of the crust and uppermost mantle beneath Northeast China. We…

Epigenetic control of gene expression has important implications for the regulation of developmental processes, for mediating homeostasis and responses to the external environment, and for transgenerational inheritance of gene expression patterns. Genes that mediate epigenetic control have been well-characterized in Drosophila melanogaster, and we have identified and analyz edan orthologo…

The loss of Y-linked genes during sex chromosome evolution creates a potentially deleterious low gene dosage in males. Recent studies have reported different strategies of dosage compensation. Unfortunately, most of these studies investigated taxa with comparatively old sex chromosome systems, which may limit insights into the evolution of dosage compensation and thus into the causes of differe…