High-Carbonate, Low-Silica, High-Calcium Stone in the High Bridge Group (Upper Ordovician), Mason County, North-Central Kentucky

The High Bridge Group (Middle Ordovician) of northeastern Kentucky is a major source of limestone and dolomite for construction, agricultural, and industrial stone. These industries require carbonate rocks of high chemical purity. Chemical analyses of foot-by-foot samples from a Mason County core show that three zones of high-calcium and several thick zones of high-carbonate and low-silica stone are present in the High Bridge at a mineable depth. Mason County is located in northeastern Kentucky, on the Ohio River, and offers river access to transportation to the metropolitan Covington-Cincinnati market and the northern portion of the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field for mine-related markets

Low-Silica and High-Calcium Stone in the Newman Limestone (Mississippian) on Pine Mountain, Harlan County, Southeastern Kentucky

The coal industry of Kentucky is an important market for limestone. Coal producers use limestone as rock dust for explosion abatement in underground coal mines and as a neutralizing agent in surface-mine reclamation and acid-drainage control. Crushed stone is also used for constructing and maintaining haulage roads. In the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field, the coal-bearing rocks of Pennsylvanian age generally do not contain limestones that are thick enough to quarry or mine economically. But movement on the Pine Mountain overthrust fault has brought the Newman Limestone (Mississippian) to the surface along Pine Mountain in the southeastern part of the coal field. The Newman on Pine Mountain in Harlan County was sampled at 1-foot intervals to determine its chemical quality and potential for industrial use, particular as low-silica rock dust. The sampled section contains two zones of low-silica stone, 64 and 25 feet thick, averaging 0.82 and 1.01 percent silica (SiO2), respectively. Intervals of high-calcium limestone are present in the low-silica zones. These deposits are potentially suitable for use as rock dust in underground coal mines and as neutralizing agents in surface-mine reclamation and acid-drainage control. The intervals of chemically pure stone in Harlan County may be sufficiently thick to produce by selective quarrying or underground mining. Exploitation of the Newman deposits, however, will be complicated by the steep southeastward to southward dip (13 to 42°) of the beds, displacement along small faults within the limestone, and fracturing

Low-Silica and High-Calcium Stone in the Newman Limestone (Mississippian) on Pine Mountain, Letcher County, Southeastern Kentucky

The coal industry of Kentucky is an important market for limestone. Coal producers use limestone as rock dust for explosion abatement in underground coal mines and as a neutralizing agent in surface-mine reclamation and acid-drainage control. Haulage-road construction and maintenance require crushed stone. Coal-bearing rocks of Pennsylvanian age in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field generally do not contain limestones that are sufficiently thick to quarry or mine economically, but in the southeastern part of the coal field, fault movement has brought the Newman Limestone to the surface along Pine Mountain. The Newman was sampled at three sites in Letcher County to determine its chemical quality and potential for industrial use, particularly as a source of low-silica rock dust. Analysis of the foot-by-foot samples shows that the Newman contains several zones of low-silica stone, 10 to 39 feet thick. A few intervals of high-calcium limestone, 12 to 24 feet thick, coincide with or occur in the low-silica zones. The deposits of low-silica and high-calcium stone are thickest in the southwestern part of Letcher County and commonly thin northeastward. The thicker deposits of chemically pure limestone and dolomite may be an economically exploitable source of rock dust for underground coal mines, and a source of stone for surface-mine reclamation and acid-drainage control. Production from deposits in the Newman, however, will be complicated by the steep southeastward to southward dip (20 to 42°) of the beds, possible displacement along small faults, and fracturing of the limestone

An examination of the factorial and convergent validity of four measures of conspiracist ideation, with recommendations for researchers

A number scales have been developed to measure conspiracist ideation, but little attention has been paid to the factorial validity of these scales. We reassessed the psychometric properties of four widely-used scales, namely the Belief in Conspiracy Theories Inventory (BCTI), the Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire (CMQ), the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale (GCBS), and the One-Item Conspiracy Measure (OICM). Eight-hundred-and-three U. S. adults completed all measures, along with measures of endorsement of 9/11 and anti- vaccination conspiracy theories. Through both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, we found that only the BCTI had acceptable factorial validity. We failed to confirm the factor structures of the CMQ and the GBCS, suggesting these measures had poor factorial valid- ity. Indices of convergent validity were acceptable for the BCTI, but weaker for the other measures. Based on these findings, we provide suggestions for the future refinement in the measurement of conspiracist ideation

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in COVID-19.

Host-mediated lung inflammation is present1, and drives mortality2, in the critical illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Host genetic variants associated with critical illness may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development3. Here we report the results of the GenOMICC (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) genome-wide association study in 2,244 critically ill patients with COVID-19 from 208 UK intensive care units. We have identified and replicated the following new genome-wide significant associations: on chromosome 12q24.13 (rs10735079, P = 1.65 × 10-8) in a gene cluster that encodes antiviral restriction enzyme activators (OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3); on chromosome 19p13.2 (rs74956615, P = 2.3 × 10-8) near the gene that encodes tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2); on chromosome 19p13.3 (rs2109069, P = 3.98 ×  10-12) within the gene that encodes dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9); and on chromosome 21q22.1 (rs2236757, P = 4.99 × 10-8) in the interferon receptor gene IFNAR2. We identified potential targets for repurposing of licensed medications: using Mendelian randomization, we found evidence that low expression of IFNAR2, or high expression of TYK2, are associated with life-threatening disease; and transcriptome-wide association in lung tissue revealed that high expression of the monocyte-macrophage chemotactic receptor CCR2 is associated with severe COVID-19. Our results identify robust genetic signals relating to key host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage in COVID-19. Both mechanisms may be amenable to targeted treatment with existing drugs. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials will be essential before any change to clinical practice