Field relations, structure, and geochemistry of the Fisset Brook Formation in the Lake Ainslie - Gillanders Mountain area, central Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

Detailed mapping shows that the Fisset Brook Formation in the Lake Ainslie - Gillanders Mountain area consists of a lowermost sedimentary unit overlain by basaltic and rhyolitic units. The sedimentary unit is mainly arkosic pebble conglomerate and siltstone, and unconformably overlies or is in faulted contact with older meta-morphic and plutonic rocks. Scattered gabbroic plutons and dykes in the sedimentary unit are interpreted to represent "feeders" to the overlying basaltic flows. The basaltic unit consists mainly of subaerial flows, locally interlayered and intermixed with red-brown siltstone. The overlying rhyolitic unit consists mainly of eutaxitic to spherulitic flows or welded tuffs, with less abundant lapilli tuff. In the Lake Ainslie area, these rocks occur in a north-south array of rhombic fault blocks, whereas in the Gillanders Mountain area, the dominant structure is a large-scale anticlinal fold closing toward the south, cored largely by rocks of the Fisset Brook Formation. The chemical compositions of the basalt and rhyolite in both areas have been modified by alteration, but discrimination diagrams using relatively immobile elements, including rare-earth elements, indicate that the basalts and gabbros are continental, within-plate tholeiites. The rhyolites also have features indicative of origin in a within-plate setting, but are depleted in Y, Zr, and rare-earth elements compared to A-type granites. A rhyolite sample yielded a U-Pb (zircon) age of 373 ± 4 Ma, thus indicating that the Fisset Brook Formation in the Lake Ainslie - Gillanders Mountain area is Middle to earliest Late Devonian in age, not Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous as previously inferred. RÉSUMÉ Une cartographie detaillée montre que la Formation Fisset Brook dans le secteur du lac Ainslie et du mont Gillanders est constitutée d'une base sédimentaire recouverte d'unités basaltique et rhyolitique. La base sédimentaire est principalement formée d'un conglomcrat de galets arkosiques et de siltstones; elle repose de façon discordante ou par contact faillé sur des roches métamorphiques et plutoniques. Les dykes et les plutons gabbrotques dispersés dans l'unité sédimentaire sont interprétés comme des systèmes d'alimentation » des écoulcments basaltiques sus-jacents. L'unité basaltique est principalement constitutée d'écoulements subécriens, localement interstratifies et entremelés de siltstone brun rougeâtre. L'unité rhyolitique sus-jacente est essentiellement composée d'écoulements eutaxiques à sphérolitiqucs ou de tufs soudés, avec des conglomérats volcaniques à lapilli dans une matrice fine moins abondants. Dans le secteur du lac Ainslie, ces roches se présenters en une rangée nord-sud de blocs faillés rhombiques, tandis que dans le secteur du mont Gillanders, la structure dominante est un plissement anticlinal à grande échelle qui se referme vers le sud et qui abrite en son cocur une quantité substantielle de roches de la Formation Fisset Brook. Les compositions chimiques du basalte et de la rhyolite des deux secteurs ont eété modifiées par alteration, mais des schémas de discrimination utilisant des éléments relativement immobiles, dont des éléments de terres rarcs, révèlent que les basaltes et les gabbros sont des tholéiites intra-plaque continentaux. Les rhyolites possedent en outre des caractéristiques qui témoignent qu'elles proviennent d'un cadre intra-plaque, mais elles sont pauvres en Y, en Zr et en éléments de terres rares comparativement aux granites de type A. Une datation au U-Pb (zircon) d'un échantillon de rhyolite lui a attribue un âge de 373 ± 4 Ma, ce qui révèle que la Formation Fisset Brook du secteur du lac Ainslie et du mont Gillanders remonte a la période du Dévonien moyen au début du Dévonien supérieur, et non à celle du Dévonien supérieur au Carbonifère inférieur comme on L'avait auparavant laisser entendre. [Traduit par la rédaction

The role of sodium glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease: A narrative review of potential mechanisms

Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a class of medication with broad cardiovascular benefits in those with type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and heart failure. These include reductions in major adverse cardiac events and cardiovascular death. The mechanisms that underlie their benefits in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) are not well understood, but they extend beyond glucose lowering. This narrative review summarises the ASCVD benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors seen in large human outcome trials, as well as the mechanisms of action explored in rodent and small human studies. Potential pathways include favourable alterations in lipid metabolism, inflammation, and endothelial function. These all require further investigation in large human clinical trials with mechanistic endpoints, to further elucidate the disease modifying benefits of this drug class and those who will benefit most from it

Integrating personality research and animal contest theory: aggressiveness in the green swordtail <i>Xiphophorus helleri</i>

&lt;p&gt;Aggression occurs when individuals compete over limiting resources. While theoretical studies have long placed a strong emphasis on context-specificity of aggression, there is increasing recognition that consistent behavioural differences exist among individuals, and that aggressiveness may be an important component of individual personality. Though empirical studies tend to focus on one aspect or the other, we suggest there is merit in modelling both within-and among-individual variation in agonistic behaviour simultaneously. Here, we demonstrate how this can be achieved using multivariate linear mixed effect models. Using data from repeated mirror trials and dyadic interactions of male green swordtails, &lt;i&gt;Xiphophorus helleri&lt;/i&gt;, we show repeatable components of (co)variation in a suite of agonistic behaviour that is broadly consistent with a major axis of variation in aggressiveness. We also show that observed focal behaviour is dependent on opponent effects, which can themselves be repeatable but were more generally found to be context specific. In particular, our models show that within-individual variation in agonistic behaviour is explained, at least in part, by the relative size of a live opponent as predicted by contest theory. Finally, we suggest several additional applications of the multivariate models demonstrated here. These include testing the recently queried functional equivalence of alternative experimental approaches, (e. g., mirror trials, dyadic interaction tests) for assaying individual aggressiveness.&lt;/p&gt

Designing social networking sites for older adults

The importance of older adults’ social networks in providing practical, emotional and informational support is well documented. In this paper, we reflect on the personal social networks of older adults, and the shortcomings of existing online Social Networking Sites (SNSs) in supporting their needs. We report findings from ethnographic interviews, focus groups and hands-on demonstrations with older adults, where we find key themes affecting adoption of SNSs. We then consider design aspects that should be taken into account for future SNSs, if they are to meet the preferences of older users

Re-Inventing Public Education:The New Role of Knowledge in Education Policy-Making

This article focuses on the changing role of knowledge in education policy making within the knowledge society. Through an examination of key policy texts, the Scottish case of Integrated Children Services provision is used to exemplify this new trend. We discuss the ways in which knowledge is being used in order to re-configure education as part of a range of public services designed to meet individuals' needs. This, we argue, has led to a 'scientization' of education governance where it is only knowledge, closely intertwined with action (expressed as 'measures') that can reveal problems and shape solutions. The article concludes by highlighting the key role of knowledge policy and governance in orienting education policy making through a re-invention of the public role of education

A “Learning Revolution”? Investigating Pedagogic Practices around Interactive Whiteboards in British Primary Classrooms

Interactive whiteboards have been rapidly introduced into all primary schools under UK Government initiatives. These large, touch-sensitive screens, which control a computer connected to a digital projector, seem to be the first type of educational technology particularly suited for whole-class teaching and learning. Strong claims are made for their value by manufacturers and policy makers, but there has been little research on how, if at all, they influence established pedagogic practices, communicative processes and educational goals. This study has been designed to examine this issue, using observations in primary (elementary) school classrooms. It is funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council and builds on the authors’ previous research on ICT in educational dialogues and collaborative activities

Primary and secondary contributions to aerosol light scattering and absorption in Mexico City during the MILAGRO 2006 campaign

A photoacoustic spectrometer, a nephelometer, an aethalometer, and an aerosol mass spectrometer were used to measure at ground level real-time aerosol light absorption, scattering, and chemistry at an urban site located in North East Mexico City (Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, Mexican Petroleum Institute, denoted by IMP), as part of the Megacity Impact on Regional and Global Environments field experiment, MILAGRO, in March 2006. Photoacoustic and reciprocal nephelometer measurements at 532 nm accomplished with a single instrument compare favorably with conventional measurements made with an aethalometer and a TSI nephelometer. The diurnally averaged single scattering albedo at 532 nm was found to vary from 0.60 to 0.85 with the peak value at midday and the minimum value at 07:00 a.m. local time, indicating that the Mexico City plume is likely to have a net warming effect on local climate. The peak value is associated with strong photochemical generation of secondary aerosol. It is estimated that the photochemical production of secondary aerosol (inorganic and organic) is approximately 75% of the aerosol mass concentration and light scattering in association with the peak single scattering albedo. A strong correlation of aerosol scattering at 532 nm and total aerosol mass concentration was found, and an average mass scattering efficiency factor of 3.8 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;/g was determined. Comparisons of photoacoustic and aethalometer light absorption with oxygenated organic aerosol concentration (OOA) indicate a very small systematic bias of the filter based measurement associated with OOA and the peak aerosol single scattering albedo