Mafic dykes of the southeastern Gawler Craton: ca 1564 Ma magmatism with an enriched mantle source

Published online: 20 Jan 2022This study investigates the age and composition of a suite of mafic dykes in the southeastern Gawler Craton. Mafic dykes intrude the gneissic fabric of the ca 1850 Ma Donington Suite and were previously interpreted to have been emplaced at ca 1845 Ma. However, sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe U–Pb dating of zircon within one of these mafic dykes shows it was emplaced at 1564 ± 4 Ma. The sampled dyke also contains a population of inherited zircon cores with an age of 1770 ± 6 Ma, and one grain with an age of ca 1860 Ma, likely derived from country rock. Whole-rock geochemistry from this dyke and nearby dykes with similar structural and mineralogical features show that there is a suite of dykes in the region with gabbroic, low SiO2 and TiO2 contents and tholeiitic characteristics. The dykes are enriched in Ba, K and Rb, with low to moderate MgO, Ni and Cr contents, and moderate light rare earth element enrichment. Negative Nb and Ta anomalies with subtle negative Ti anomalies suggest some interaction with continental crust. Sm–Nd isotopic data have εNd(1560 Ma) between −6.8 and −2.9, and depleted mantle model ages >2.5 Ga. Th/Nb ratios are 0.21–0.73 consistent with a metasomatised, subduction modified lithospheric mantle source. The relatively primitive nature of the tholeiites suggests the crustal-like signatures are inherited from the source region, which likely represents an enriched continental lithospheric mantle in the eastern Gawler Craton. This ca 1564 Ma mafic magmatism is newly named the Daly Head Metadolerite. In addition, narrow high-strain zones overprint the dated mafic dyke and locally the Donington Suite wall rocks. A syn-kinematic granitic dyke intrusion within one high-strain zone has been dated via laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry U–Pb zircon methods and was emplaced at ca 1555 Ma. This localised ca 1555 Ma deformation is a previously unrecognised tectonic event in the southern Gawler Craton. This study adds to the growing database showing magmatism and deformation in the Gawler Craton continued after the voluminous Gawler Range Volcanics and Hiltaba Suite magmatism (ca 1596–1575 Ma). These younger tectono-magmatic events typically occur around the margins of the Gawler Craton, suggesting the internal ‘core’ of the craton may have been substantially less fertile for melting during these younger thermal/structural events, likely because of the high-temperature nature of the early Mesoproterozoic Gawler Range Volcanics and Hiltaba Suite magmatism.A. J. Reid, C. E. Wade and E. A. Jagodzinsk

Overhead Guide Sign Visibility Factors, Volume I: Final Report

DTFH61-83-C-00151The project discussed in this report concerned the night use of overhead guide signs, including button and reflectorized copy and all practical combinations of reflectorized and opaque backgrounds. This project was a follow-up effort to the literature review by Gordon. Gordon's review found areas requiring further investigation, including the comparison of nonilluminated-nonretroreflectorized signs with both illuminated-nonretroreflectorized and retroreflectorized signs. The current project included the investigation of current signing practices throughout the country, development of a set of in-use luminance values for current overhead guide sign materials, development of life cycle costs for current signing materials and practices, and determination of driver response characteristics for these overhead guide sign systems. These goals were met through review of the literature, field testing, and static and dynamic laboratory testing. While the results of the tests are presented, no attempt has been made to draw conclusions from these data

Establishing nurse-led active surveillance for men with localised prostate cancer: development and formative evaluation of a model of care in the ProtecT trial.

Objectives To develop a nurse-led, urologist-supported model of care for men managed by active surveillance or active monitoring (AS/AM) for localised prostate cancer and provide a formative evaluation of its acceptability to patients, clinicians and nurses. Nurse-led care, comprising an explicit nurse-led protocol with support from urologists, was developed as part of the AM arm of the Prostate testing for cancer and Treatment (ProtecT) trial. Design Interviews and questionnaire surveys of clinicians, nurses and patients assessed acceptability. Setting Nurse-led clinics were established in 9 centres in the ProtecT trial and compared with 3 non-ProtecT urology centres elsewhere in UK. Participants Within ProtecT, 22 men receiving AM nurse-led care were interviewed about experiences of care; 11 urologists and 23 research nurses delivering ProtecT trial care completed a questionnaire about its acceptability; 20 men managed in urology clinics elsewhere in the UK were interviewed about models of AS/AM care; 12 urologists and three specialist nurses working in these clinics were also interviewed about management of AS/AM. Results Nurse-led care was commended by ProtecT trial participants, who valued the flexibility, accessibility and continuity of the service and felt confident about the quality of care. ProtecT consultant urologists and nurses also rated it highly, identifying continuity of care and resource savings as key attributes. Clinicians and patients outside the ProtecT trial believed that nurse-led care could relieve pressure on urology clinics without compromising patient care. Conclusions The ProtecT AM nurse-led model of care was acceptable to men with localised prostate cancer and clinical specialists in urology. The protocol is available for implementation; we aim to evaluate its impact on routine clinical practice

A Bayesian Nonparametric Regression Model With Normalized Weights - A Study of Hippocampal Atrophy in Alzheimer’s Disease

Hippocampal volume is one of the best established biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease. However, for appropriate use in clinical trials research, the evolution of hippocampal volume needs to be well understood. Recent theoretical models propose a sigmoidal pattern for its evolution. To support this theory, the use of Bayesian nonparametric regression mixture models seems particularly suitable due to the flexibility that models of this type can achieve and the unsatisfactory predictive properties of semiparametric methods. In this article, our aim is to develop an interpretable Bayesian nonparametric regression model which allows inference with combinations of both continuous and discrete covariates, as required for a full analysis of the dataset. Simple arguments regarding the interpretation of Bayesian nonparametric regression mixtures lead naturally to regression weights based on normalized sums. Difficulty in working with the intractable normalizing constant is overcome thanks to recent advances in MCMC methods and the development of a novel auxiliary variable scheme. We apply the new model and MCMC method to study the dynamics of hippocampal volume, and our results provide statistical evidence in support of the theoretical hypothesis

The source of A-type magmas in two contrasting settings: U–Pb, Lu–Hf and Re–Os isotopic constraints

The sources of post-orogenic A-type magmas from two distinct geodynamic settings are compared. The end of the ca. 514–480 Ma Delamerian Orogeny, southeastern South Australia, was marked by ~ 10 Myr of bimodal A-type magmatism, driven by convective removal of thickened lithosphere. Initial Os and Hf isotope ratios record a heterogeneous lithospheric mantle source, with some input from aesthenospheric mantle. Mafic parental melts fractionated to produce the granites. In contrast, initial Os isotope ratios of the A-type magmas that comprise the ca. 1598–1583 Ma Mesoproterozoic Gawler Felsic Large Igneous Province, central South Australia, record a dominant evolved lower crust component. However, initial Hf isotope ratios from these samples are depleted, indicating a mantle source for lithophile elements. This voluminous, bimodal magmatism lasted for ~ 15 Myr, and ended the Wartakan Orogeny. In both cases the homogenisation of chemical (rheological) heterogeneities, inherited from terrain amalgamation and orogenic thickening, strengthened the lithosphere. The contemporaneous fusion of heterogeneous mantle ± crust may represent a common, stabilising influence on the lithospheric column regardless of tectono-magmatic setting

A novel formulation of inhaled sodium cromoglicate (PA101) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and chronic cough: a randomised, double-blind, proof-of-concept, phase 2 trial

Background Cough can be a debilitating symptom of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and is difficult to treat. PA101 is a novel formulation of sodium cromoglicate delivered via a high-efficiency eFlow nebuliser that achieves significantly higher drug deposition in the lung compared with the existing formulations. We aimed to test the efficacy and safety of inhaled PA101 in patients with IPF and chronic cough and, to explore the antitussive mechanism of PA101, patients with chronic idiopathic cough (CIC) were also studied. Methods This pilot, proof-of-concept study consisted of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients with IPF and chronic cough and a parallel study of similar design in patients with CIC. Participants with IPF and chronic cough recruited from seven centres in the UK and the Netherlands were randomly assigned (1:1, using a computer-generated randomisation schedule) by site staff to receive PA101 (40 mg) or matching placebo three times a day via oral inhalation for 2 weeks, followed by a 2 week washout, and then crossed over to the other arm. Study participants, investigators, study staff, and the sponsor were masked to group assignment until all participants had completed the study. The primary efficacy endpoint was change from baseline in objective daytime cough frequency (from 24 h acoustic recording, Leicester Cough Monitor). The primary efficacy analysis included all participants who received at least one dose of study drug and had at least one post-baseline efficacy measurement. Safety analysis included all those who took at least one dose of study drug. In the second cohort, participants with CIC were randomly assigned in a study across four centres with similar design and endpoints. The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02412020) and the EU Clinical Trials Register (EudraCT Number 2014-004025-40) and both cohorts are closed to new participants. Findings Between Feb 13, 2015, and Feb 2, 2016, 24 participants with IPF were randomly assigned to treatment groups. 28 participants with CIC were enrolled during the same period and 27 received study treatment. In patients with IPF, PA101 reduced daytime cough frequency by 31·1% at day 14 compared with placebo; daytime cough frequency decreased from a mean 55 (SD 55) coughs per h at baseline to 39 (29) coughs per h at day 14 following treatment with PA101, versus 51 (37) coughs per h at baseline to 52 (40) cough per h following placebo treatment (ratio of least-squares [LS] means 0·67, 95% CI 0·48–0·94, p=0·0241). By contrast, no treatment benefit for PA101 was observed in the CIC cohort; mean reduction of daytime cough frequency at day 14 for PA101 adjusted for placebo was 6·2% (ratio of LS means 1·27, 0·78–2·06, p=0·31). PA101 was well tolerated in both cohorts. The incidence of adverse events was similar between PA101 and placebo treatments, most adverse events were mild in severity, and no severe adverse events or serious adverse events were reported. Interpretation This study suggests that the mechanism of cough in IPF might be disease specific. Inhaled PA101 could be a treatment option for chronic cough in patients with IPF and warrants further investigation

Search for Tensor, Vector, and Scalar Polarizations in the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background

The detection of gravitational waves with Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo has enabled novel tests of general relativity, including direct study of the polarization of gravitational waves. While general relativity allows for only two tensor gravitational-wave polarizations, general metric theories can additionally predict two vector and two scalar polarizations. The polarization of gravitational waves is encoded in the spectral shape of the stochastic gravitational-wave background, formed by the superposition of cosmological and individually unresolved astrophysical sources. Using data recorded by Advanced LIGO during its first observing run, we search for a stochastic background of generically polarized gravitational waves. We find no evidence for a background of any polarization, and place the first direct bounds on the contributions of vector and scalar polarizations to the stochastic background. Under log-uniform priors for the energy in each polarization, we limit the energy densities of tensor, vector, and scalar modes at 95% credibility to Ω0T<5.58×10-8, Ω0V<6.35×10-8, and Ω0S<1.08×10-7 at a reference frequency f0=25 Hz. © 2018 American Physical Society