Thermal imprint of rift-related processes in orogens as recorded in the Pyrenees

International audience19 The extent to which heat recorded in orogens reflects thermal conditions inherited from 20 previous rift-related processes is still debated and poorly documented. As a case study, we 21 examine the Mauléon basin in the north-western Pyrenees that experienced both extreme 22 crustal thinning and tectonic inversion within a period of ~30 Myrs. To constrain the time-23 temperature history of the basin in such a scenario, we provide new detrital zircon fission-24 track and (U-Th-Sm)/He thermochronology data. The role of rift-related processes in 25 subsequent collision is captured by inverse modeling of our thermochronological data, using 26 relationships between zircon (U-Th-Sm)/He ages and uranium content, combined with 27 thermo-kinematic models of a rift-orogen cycle. We show that the basin recorded significant 28 heating at about 100 Ma characterized by high geothermal gradients (~80°C/km). Our 29 thermo-kinematic modeling and geological constraints support the view that subcontinental 30 lithospheric mantle was exhumed at that time below the Mauléon basin. Such a high 31 geothermal gradient lasted 30 Myr after onset of convergence at ~83 Ma and was relaxed 32 during the collision phase from ~50 Ma. This study suggests that heat needed for ductile 33 shortening during convergence, is primarily inherited from extension rather than being only 34 related to tectonic and/or sedimentary burial. This should have strong implications on tectonic 35 reconstructions in many collision belts that resulted from inversion of hyper-extended rift 36 basins

Structural Studies of Steric Effects in Phosphine Complexes. Part XII1. Synthesis, Characterisation, and Crystal and Molecular Structure of Bis(trifluoroacetato)(trimesitylphosphine)mercury(II) Dimer, [Hg(CF3C02)2P(mesityl)3]2

The synthesis and crystal and molecular structure of the bis(trifluoroacetato)(trimesitylphospine)mercuryiII) dimer are reported. Crystals are triclinic, space group Pl with one centrosymmetric dimer in a unit cell of dimensions a = 12.854(3), b = = 12.877(4), c = 12.405(2) A, a = 107.34(2), (J = 118.55(2), y = 63.65 (2) 0 • The structure was solved by the heavy atom method and refined by full-matrix least-squares calculation, R = 0.051 for 1656 observed reflections measured by diffractometer. The mercury coord!nation is characterized by three strong nearly coplanar bonds (Hg-P 2.415(5), Hg-0(12) 2.29(2), Hg-0 2.18(2) A) and two weaker bonds (Hg-0(22) 2.95(2) and Hg-0(11)\u27 2.66(2) A). The Pmes3 ligand has a regular propeller conformation (Hg-P-C-C torsion angles 45-49 °), enlarged C-P-C angles (mean 112.6(9) 0 ), decreased Hg-P-C angles (mean 106.2(6) 0 ), and a maximum cone angle of 208 °. Bridging in the solid state utilizes both oxygens of the CFsC02 moiety; the complex becomes monomeric in dichloroethane solution. Infrared, 1H, and 31P NMR data are discussed

Mitochondria directly influence fertilisation outcome in the pig

The mitochondrion is explicitly involved in cytoplasmic regulation and is the cell's major generator of ATP. Our aim was to determine whether mitochondria alone could influence fertilisation outcome. In vitro, oocyte competence can be assessed through the presence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) as indicated by the dye, brilliant cresyl blue (BCB). Using porcine in vitro fertilisation (IVF), we have assessed oocyte maturation, cytoplasmic volume, fertilisation outcome, mitochondrial number as determined by mtDNA copy number, and whether mitochondria are uniformly distributed between blastomeres of each embryo. After staining with BCB, we observed a significant difference in cytoplasmic volume between BCB positive (BCB+) and BCB negative (BCB-) oocytes. There was also a significant difference in mtDNA copy number between fertilised and unfertilised oocytes and unequal mitochondrial segregation between blastomeres during early cleavage stages. Furthermore, we have supplemented BCB- oocytes with mitochondria from maternal relatives and observed a significant difference in fertilisation outcomes following both IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) between supplemented, sham-injected and non-treated BCB- oocytes. We have therefore demonstrated a relationship between oocyte maturity, cytoplasmic volume, and fertilisation outcome and mitochondrial content. These data suggest that mitochondrial number is important for fertilisation outcome and embryonic development. Furthermore, a mitochondrial pre-fertilisation threshold may ensure that, as mitochondria are diluted out during post-fertilisation cleavage, there are sufficient copies of mtDNA per blastomere to allow transmission of mtDNA to each cell of the post-implantation embryo after the initiation of mtDNA replication during the early postimplantation stages

PRECISE - pregabalin in addition to usual care for sciatica: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background: Sciatica is a type of neuropathic pain that is characterised by pain radiating into the leg. It is often accompanied by low back pain and neurological deficits in the lower limb. While this condition may cause significant suffering for the individual, the lack of evidence supporting effective treatments for sciatica makes clinical management difficult. Our objectives are to determine the efficacy of pregabalin on reducing leg pain intensity and its cost-effectiveness in patients with sciatica.Methods/Design: PRECISE is a prospectively registered, double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial of pregabalin compared to placebo, in addition to usual care. Inclusion criteria include moderate to severe leg pain below the knee with evidence of nerve root/spinal nerve involvement. Participants will be randomised to receive either pregabalin with usual care (n = 102) or placebo with usual care (n = 102) for 8 weeks. The medicine dosage will be titrated up to the participant's optimal dose, to a maximum 600 mg per day. Follow up consultations will monitor individual progress, tolerability and adverse events. Usual care, if deemed appropriate by the study doctor, may include a referral for physical or manual therapy and/or prescription of analgesic medication. Participants, doctors and researchers collecting participant data will be blinded to treatment allocation. Participants will be assessed at baseline and at weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, 26 and 52. The primary outcome will determine the efficacy of pregabalin in reducing leg pain intensity. Secondary outcomes will include back pain intensity, disability and quality of life. Data analysis will be blinded and by intention-to-treat. A parallel economic evaluation will be conducted from health sector and societal perspectives.Discussion: This study will establish the efficacy of pregabalin in reducing leg pain intensity in patients with sciatica and provide important information regarding the effect of pregabalin treatment on disability and quality of life. The impact of this research may allow the future development of a cost-effective conservative treatment strategy for patients with sciatica.Trial registration: ClinicalTrial.gov, ACTRN 12613000530729

PRECISE - pregabalin in addition to usual care: Statistical analysis plan

Background: Sciatica is a severe, disabling condition that lacks high quality evidence for effective treatment strategies. This a priori statistical analysis plan describes the methodology of analysis for the PRECISE study. Methods/design: PRECISE is a prospectively registered, double blind, randomised placebo controlled trial of pregabalin compared to placebo, in addition to usual care in patients with sciatica. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of pregabalin in reducing leg pain intensity (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes include disability (key secondary), back pain intensity, quality of life, participants' perceived global effect, work absenteeism and health utilisation. Information about medication usage and tolerability are also collected. Outcomes are collected over one year (weeks 2, 4, 8, 12, 26 and 52). Double data entry will be conducted for primary and key secondary outcomes. Other outcomes will be checked using a risk-based approach. Analyses will be consistent with the intention-to-treat principle. Statistical tests will be two-tailed with a p value <0.05 considered significant. Group allocation will remain masked until analyses and interpretation are finalised. Repeated-measure linear mixed models will assess the effect of treatment (pregabalin versus placebo) on primary and secondary outcomes at all time points. Fixed effects will include group allocation, visit as a categorical variable and the interaction between group and visit. Covariates will include baseline leg pain and symptom duration, with an interaction term between baseline leg pain and visit. Pairwise differences between groups will be tested at weeks 8 and 52. The number of serious adverse events and adverse events will be reported, and the proportion of patients per group who have at least one event will be compared using Fisher's exact test. An economic evaluation will be conducted if there is a treatment effect on the primary outcome at week 8. A subgroup analysis will assess whether presenting features of neuropathic pain at baseline modify the treatment effect of leg pain at week 8. Discussion: This statistical analysis plan provides detailed methodology for the analysis of the PRECISE study, which aims to deliver much needed evidence about effective and affordable management of sciatica. Trial registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ( ACTRN12613000530729. Registered 13 May 2013

Biological activity of Annona muricata seed extracts

A study was conducted to assess the biological activity of Annona muricata hexane, methanol and chloroform seed extracts. Both the hexane and methanol extracts showed moderate larvicidal activity against the Aedes aegypti larvae while the chloroform extract exhibited strong larvicidal property with an LC50 value of 0.9005µg/ml and an LC90 value of 6.1776µg/ml. Fraction 44b and 45b of the chloroform extracts were very toxic towards mosquito larvae with LC50 values of 0.7460 and 1.0402µg/ml, respectively. Identification of bioactive compounds revealed the presence of solamin, an acetogenin. From the cytotoxic assay against brine shrimp (Artemia salina), the methanol extract showed high toxicity with an LC50 value of 11.8823µg/ml. The results suggest potential application of the extracts in insecticidal formulations

Short-Range Ising Spin Glass: Multifractal Properties

The multifractal properties of the Edwards-Anderson order parameter of the short-range Ising spin glass model on d=3 diamond hierarchical lattices is studied via an exact recursion procedure. The profiles of the local order parameter are calculated and analysed within a range of temperatures close to the critical point with four symmetric distributions of the coupling constants (Gaussian, Bimodal, Uniform and Exponential). Unlike the pure case, the multifractal analysis of these profiles reveals that a large spectrum of the $\alpha$-H\"older exponent is required to describe the singularities of the measure defined by the normalized local order parameter, at and below the critical point. Minor changes in these spectra are observed for distinct initial distributions of coupling constants, suggesting an universal spectra behavior. For temperatures slightly above T_{c}, a dramatic change in the $F(\alpha)$ function is found, signalizing the transition.Comment: 8 pages, LaTex, PostScript-figures included but also available upon request. To be published in Physical Review E (01/March 97