Being Tamil, being Hindu:Tamil migrants’ negotiations of the absence of Tamil Hindu spaces in the West Midlands and South West of England

This paper considers the religious practices of Tamil Hindus who have settled in the West Midlands and South West of England in order to explore how devotees of a specific ethno-regional Hindu tradition with a well-established UK infrastructure in the site of its adherents’ population density adapt their religious practices in settlement areas which lack this infrastructure. Unlike the majority of the UK Tamil population who live in the London area, the participants in this study did not have ready access to an ethno-religious infrastructure of Tamil-orientated temples and public rituals. The paper examines two means by which this absence was addressed as well as the intersections and negotiations of religion and ethnicity these entailed: firstly, Tamil Hindus’ attendance of temples in their local area which are orientated towards a broadly imagined Hindu constituency or which cater to a non-Tamil ethno-linguistic or sectarian community; and, secondly, through the ‘DIY’ performance of ethnicised Hindu ritual in non-institutional settings

Genetic effects on gene expression across human tissues

Characterization of the molecular function of the human genome and its variation across individuals is essential for identifying the cellular mechanisms that underlie human genetic traits and diseases. The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project aims to characterize variation in gene expression levels across individuals and diverse tissues of the human body, many of which are not easily accessible. Here we describe genetic effects on gene expression levels across 44 human tissues. We find that local genetic variation affects gene expression levels for the majority of genes, and we further identify inter-chromosomal genetic effects for 93 genes and 112 loci. On the basis of the identified genetic effects, we characterize patterns of tissue specificity, compare local and distal effects, and evaluate the functional properties of the genetic effects. We also demonstrate that multi-tissue, multi-individual data can be used to identify genes and pathways affected by human disease-associated variation, enabling a mechanistic interpretation of gene regulation and the genetic basis of diseas

Calibration of the CMS hadron calorimeters using proton-proton collision data at root s=13 TeV

Methods are presented for calibrating the hadron calorimeter system of theCMSetector at the LHC. The hadron calorimeters of the CMS experiment are sampling calorimeters of brass and scintillator, and are in the form of one central detector and two endcaps. These calorimeters cover pseudorapidities vertical bar eta vertical bar ee data. The energy scale of the outer calorimeters has been determined with test beam data and is confirmed through data with high transverse momentum jets. In this paper, we present the details of the calibration methods and accuracy.Peer reviewe

The streamlined genome of Phytomonas spp. relative to human pathogenic kinetoplastids reveals a parasite tailored for plants

Members of the family Trypanosomatidae infect many organisms, including animals, plants and humans. Plant-infecting trypanosomes are grouped under the single genus Phytomonas, failing to reflect the wide biological and pathological diversity of these protists. While some Phytomonas spp. multiply in the latex of plants, or in fruit or seeds without apparent pathogenicity, others colonize the phloem sap and afflict plants of substantial economic value, including the coffee tree, coconut and oil palms. Plant trypanosomes have not been studied extensively at the genome level, a major gap in understanding and controlling pathogenesis. We describe the genome sequences of two plant trypanosomatids, one pathogenic isolate from a Guianan coconut and one non-symptomatic isolate from Euphorbia collected in France. Although these parasites have extremely distinct pathogenic impacts, very few genes are unique to either, with the vast majority of genes shared by both isolates. Significantly, both Phytomonas spp. genomes consist essentially of single copy genes for the bulk of their metabolic enzymes, whereas other trypanosomatids e.g. Leishmania and Trypanosoma possess multiple paralogous genes or families. Indeed, comparison with other trypanosomatid genomes revealed a highly streamlined genome, encoding for a minimized metabolic system while conserving the major pathways, and with retention of a full complement of endomembrane organelles, but with no evidence for functional complexity. Identification of the metabolic genes of Phytomonas provides opportunities for establishing in vitro culturing of these fastidious parasites and new tools for the control of agricultural plant disease. © 2014 Porcel et al

Genetic effects on gene expression across human tissues

Characterization of the molecular function of the human genome and its variation across individuals is essential for identifying the cellular mechanisms that underlie human genetic traits and diseases. The Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project aims to characterize variation in gene expression levels across individuals and diverse tissues of the human body, many of which are not easily accessible. Here we describe genetic effects on gene expression levels across 44 human tissues. We find that local genetic variation affects gene expression levels for the majority of genes, and we further identify inter-chromosomal genetic effects for 93 genes and 112 loci. On the basis of the identified genetic effects, we characterize patterns of tissue specificity, compare local and distal effects, and evaluate the functional properties of the genetic effects. We also demonstrate that multi-tissue, multi-individual data can be used to identify genes and pathways affected by human disease-associated variation, enabling a mechanistic interpretation of gene regulation and the genetic basis of disease

A precise ^(40)Ar–^(39)Ar reference age for the Durango apatite (U–Th)/He and fission-track dating standard

The distinctive Durango apatite is widely distributed as a reference material for mineralogy, geochemistry and thermochronology. The apatite occurs within the Cerro de Mercado open-pit iron mine, located in the northern portion of Durango City, Mexico. It is largely confined to vugs and open fractures within the lower portion of the ore deposit. Apatite and iron ore formed in situ and concurrently along with emplacement of small felsic intrusions along the southern margin of the Chupaderos caldera complex. This activity occurred between eruptions of two major ignimbrites from the caldera complex. Four single-crystal sanidine-anorthoclase ^(40)Ar–^(39)Ar ages from these ignimbrites and from a conformable older unit have been used to compute a reference age of 31.44±0.18 Ma (2σ) for the apatite itself. Four additional multi-crystal measurements are in general agreement with this age. Also in agreement are a set of 24 (U–Th–Sm)/He ages recently determined directly on the apatite, which have a mean of 31.02±1.01 Ma 1σ, with a standard error (S.E.) of ±0.22 Ma

East-west variations in age, chemical and isotopic composition of the Laramide batholith in southern Sonora, Mexico

We examined an east-west transect from the Gulf of California to the volcanic province of the Sierra Madre Occidental (28°30�N). The transect is divided into three geologic regions: 1) The coastal region (COR) is characterized by scattered exposures of Laramide plutons lying beneath the modern and late Tertiary sediments. No outcrops of the volcanic component (Tarahumara Formation) were found there; 2) The central region (CER) is dominated by widespread outcrops of both the Laramide batholith (LB) and coeval volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. Exposures of intrusive contacts confi rm the close relationship of the plutonic and volcanic rocks there; 3) The eastern segment (SMOc) with exposures of the Laramide arc (LA) that are mostly concealed by the Tertiary Sierra Madre Occidental volcanic rocks. The plutonic rocks in the COR are granodiorite and tonalite and, further inland, they change to granodiorite and granite. Extensive hydrothermal alteration largely obscures textures in the volcanic rocks, but fresh samples range from andesite, dacite and less rhyolite. Chemically, the plutons are medium-K to high-K calc-alkaline, LREE-enriched and with relatively minor europium anomalies. K-Ar and U/Pb dating shows that plutons are older (79�83 Ma) to the west and younger to the east, where age ranges between 55 and 65 Ma throughout the remainder of the transect. The coeval volcanic facies yielded zircon U/Pb ages of 60 Ma, and 70 to 90 Ma within the CER. A younger pulse at ~50 Ma is present in the west of the SMOc region. Radiogenic Sr and Nd isotope values range from initial 87Sr/86Sr 0.70547 to 0.70715 and åNd varies from -3.3 to -6.3. All of these results are consistent with development of a subductionrelated magmatic arc that was emplaced within mature continental crust. The present-day width of the arc is >300 km, which suggests development of a low-angle subduction confi guration that produced a signifi cant volume of magmatism. Although the age decreases with the distance to the plate margin, the trend is not regular, and the activity between 55 and 65 Ma is at least 200 km in width. The results also support a confi guration in which the Laramide arc of the mainland of southern Sonora is a continuation of the Peninsular Ranges batholith of Baja California. However, the LA shows signifi cant contrasts with the batholith of southern Sinaloa, which is narrower and has a larger age range. The southern Sinaloa batholith also has compositional and isotopic characteristics consistent with emplacement within a younger and less mature crustal domain (Guerrero terrane).Se estudio un transecto este-oeste desde el Golfo de California hasta la provincia volcanica de la Sierra Madre Occidental (28��30�fN). El transecto esta dividido en tres regiones geologicas: 1) La region costera (COR) caracterizada por afl oramientos aislados de plutones del arco Laramide subyaciendo a sedimentos del Terciario tardio y actuales. No se encontraron afl oramientos del componente volcanico del arco Laramide (Formacion Tarahumara); 2) la region central (CER) esta dominada por afl oramientos ampliamente distribuidos, tanto de rocas del batolito Laramide como de rocas volcanicas y volcaniclasticas contemporaneas; 3) en la Sierra Madre Occidental (SMOc), los afl oramientos del arco Laramide (LA) estan cubiertos por rocas volcanicas de la Sierra Madre Occidental. Las rocas plutonicas de la COR son granodiorita y tonalita. Mas al oriente, los plutones son granodiorita y granito. Una extensa alteracion hidrotermal obscurece la composicion en las rocas volcanicas, pero en muestras frescas varian de andesita, dacita y escasa riolita. Quimicamente, los plutones son calcialcalinos, con K moderado a alto, estan enriquecidos en LREE, y presentan anomalias de europio relativamente menores. Fechamientos K-Ar y U/Pb muestran que los plutones son mas viejos (79.83 Ma) hacia el oeste y mas jovenes hacia el este, donde sus edades varian entre 55 y 65 Ma. Las facies volcanicas cogeneticas proporcionaron edades U/Pb en zircon de 60 y de 70 a 90 Ma en la region central. Un pulso mas joven, de ~50 Ma, esta presente en la porcion occidental de la SMOc. Valores isotopicos de Sr y Nd incluyen relaciones iniciales de 87Sr/86Sr de 0.70547 a 0.70715 y valores de �ÃNd de -3.3 a -6.3. Estos resultados son consistentes con el desarrollo de un arco magmatico relacionado a subduccion que fue emplazado en una corteza continental madura. La anchura actual del arco es >300 km y sugiere el desarrollo de una subduccion de bajo angulo, que produjo un volumen signifi cativo de magmatismo. Aunque la edad de este magmatismo decrece con la distancia al limite de placa, la tendencia no es regular y la actividad entre 55 y 65 Ma fue emplazada sobre una franja amplia de al menos 200 km. Los resultados tambien apoyan una confi guracion en la cual el arco Laramide en el sur de Sonora es la continuacion del batolito de las Cordilleras Peninsulares de Baja California. Sin embargo, el LA muestra contrastes importantes con el batolito del sur de Sinaloa, el cual es mas angosto, con un rango amplio de edades y tiene caracteristicas geoquimicas e isotopicas consistentes con el emplazamiento en una corteza mas joven y menos madura (terreno Guerrero)