Zircon LA-ICPMS geochronology of the Cornubian Batholith, SW England

AcceptedArticleAvailable U-Pb age data for the Cornubian Batholith of SW England is based almost entirely on monazite and xenotime, and very little zircon U-Pb age data has been published. As a result, no zircon inheritance data is available for the batholith, by which the nature of the unexposed basement of the Rhenohercynian Zone in SW England might be constrained. Zircon LA-ICPMS data for the Cornubian Batholith provides Concordia ages (Bodmin Moor granite: 316 ± 4 Ma, Carnmenellis granite: 313 ± 3 Ma, Dartmoor granite: ~ 310 Ma, St. Austell granite: 305 ± 5 Ma, and Land's End granite: 300 ± 5 Ma) that are consistently 20–30 Ma older than previously published emplacement ages for the batholith and unrealistic in terms of geologic relative age relationships with respect to the country rock. This discrepancy is likely as a consequence of minor pre-granitic Pb inheritance. Several of the batholith's granite plutons contain a component of late-Devonian inheritance that may record rift-related, lower crustal melting or arc-related magmatism associated with subduction of the Rheic Ocean. In addition, the older granites likely contain Mesoproterozoic inheritance, although the highly discordant nature of the Mesoproterozoic ages precludes their use in assigning an affinity to the Rhenohercynian basement in SW England.This project was supported by the Department of Geological Sciences at Ohio University and by NSERC (Canada) through Discovery grants to JBM. Thanks are also extended to the faculty and staff in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Portsmouth, the British Geological Survey, and the Department of Earth Systems Science at Morehead State University for the use of their facilities

Minimal symmetric Darlington synthesis

We consider the symmetric Darlington synthesis of a p x p rational symmetric Schur function S with the constraint that the extension is of size 2p x 2p. Under the assumption that S is strictly contractive in at least one point of the imaginary axis, we determine the minimal McMillan degree of the extension. In particular, we show that it is generically given by the number of zeros of odd multiplicity of I-SS*. A constructive characterization of all such extensions is provided in terms of a symmetric realization of S and of the outer spectral factor of I-SS*. The authors's motivation for the problem stems from Surface Acoustic Wave filters where physical constraints on the electro-acoustic scattering matrix naturally raise this mathematical issue

Search for quark-lepton compositeness and a heavy W boson using the ev channel in pp(overbar) collisions at (square root)s = 1.8 TeV

We present searches for quark-lepton compositeness and a heavy W′ boson at high electron-neutrino transverse mass. We use ∼110pb-1 of data collected in pp̅ collisions at √s = 1.8TeV by the CDF Collaboration during 1992–1995. The data are consistent with standard model expectations. Limits are set on the quark-lepton compositeness scale Λ, the ratio of partial cross sections σ(W′→eν)/σ(W→eν), and the mass of a W′ boson with standard model couplings. We exclude Λ<2.81TeV and a W′ boson with mass below 754GeV/c2 at the 95% confidence level. Combining with our previously published limit obtained using the muon channel, we exclude a W′ boson with mass below 786GeV/c2 at the 95% confidence level

Search for neutral supersymmetric Higgs bosons in pp(overbar) collisions at (square root)s = 1.8 TeV

We present the results of a search for neutral Higgs bosons produced in association with b quarks in pp̅ →bb̅ ϕ→bb̅ bb̅ final states with 91±7pb-1 of pp̅ collisions at √s = 1.8TeV recorded by the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We find no evidence of such a signal and the data are interpreted in the context of the neutral Higgs sector of the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model. With basic parameter choices for the supersymmetric scale and the stop-quark mixing, we derive 95% C.L. lower mass limits for neutral Higgs bosons for tanβ values in excess of 35

Production of Xc1 and Xc2 in pp(overbar) collisions at (square root)s = 1.8 TeV

We have measured the ratio of prompt production rates of the charmonium states χc1 and χc2 in 110pb-1 of pp̅ collisions at √s = 1.8TeV. The photon from their decay into J/ψγ is reconstructed through conversion into e+e- pairs. The energy resolution this technique provides makes the resolution of the two states possible. We find the ratio of production cross sections σχc2/σχc1 = 0.96±0.27(stat)±0.11(syst) for events with pT(J/ψ)>4.0GeV/c, |η(J/ψ)|1.0GeV/c

Efficacy of live B1 or Ulster 2C Newcastle disease vaccines simultaneously vaccinated with inactivated oil adjuvant vaccine for protection of Newcastle disease virus in broiler chickens

Two hundred, one-day-old broiler chicks were divided into groups 1, 2 and 3 containing 60, 70 and 70 chicks, respectively. The groups were divided into subgroups of 10 chicks that were vaccinated according to the following scheme: group 1 unvaccinated control, group 2 vaccinated subcutaneously at 1 day old with inactivated oil adjuvant vaccine (IOAV) in combination with live B1 vaccine. Group 3 was vaccinated in the same mode as group 2 with IOAV and live Ulster 2C vaccine. All birds were challenged when they were 28 days old. Mortality rate, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were monitored before and after challenge. All the chickens in group 1 died, indicating that there was no disease resistance of this unvaccinated control group of chickens. Conversely, the monitored disease resistance of chickens in groups 2 and 3 was 68.57% ± 18.64 and 88.57% ± 9.00, respectively (P < 0.05). The morbidity of chickens in groups 2 and 3 was 37.89% ± 14.36 and 14.76% ± 12.40, respectively (P < 0.05). The body weight gain, feed intake and FCR of group 3 were significantly better than those of group 2 (P < 0.05) during 1–42 days old. The simultaneous vaccination with B1 or Ulster 2C and IOAV of 1-day-old chicks gave some protection of 28-day-old broilers without a booster vaccination

Interleukin-1β sequesters hypoxia inducible factor 2α to the primary cilium.

BACKGROUND: The primary cilium coordinates signalling in development, health and disease. Previously we have shown that the cilium is essential for the anabolic response to loading and the inflammatory response to interleukin-1β (IL-1β). We have also shown the primary cilium elongates in response to IL-1β exposure. Both anabolic phenotype and inflammatory pathology are proposed to be dependent on hypoxia-inducible factor 2 alpha (HIF-2α). The present study tests the hypothesis that an association exists between the primary cilium and HIFs in inflammatory signalling. RESULTS: Here we show, in articular chondrocytes, that IL-1β-induces primary cilia elongation with alterations to cilia trafficking of arl13b. This elongation is associated with a transient increase in HIF-2α expression and accumulation in the primary cilium. Prolyl hydroxylase inhibition results in primary cilia elongation also associated with accumulation of HIF-2α in the ciliary base and axoneme. This recruitment and the associated cilia elongation is not inhibited by blockade of HIFα transcription activity or rescue of basal HIF-2α expression. Hypomorphic mutation to intraflagellar transport protein IFT88 results in limited ciliogenesis. This is associated with increased HIF-2α expression and inhibited response to prolyl hydroxylase inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that ciliary sequestration of HIF-2α provides negative regulation of HIF-2α expression and potentially activity. This study indicates, for the first time, that the primary cilium regulates HIF signalling during inflammation

Electronic Patient Reporting of Adverse Events and Quality of Life: A Prospective Feasibility Study in General Oncology

PURPOSE: Adverse event (AE) reporting is essential in clinical trials. Clinician interpretation can result in under-reporting; therefore, the value of patient self-reporting has been recognized. The National Cancer Institute has developed a Patient-Reported Outcomes version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (PRO-CTCAE) for direct patient AE reporting. A nonrandomized prospective cohort feasibility study aimed to explore the compliance and acceptability of an electronic (Internet or telephone) system for collecting patient self-reported AEs and quality of life (QOL). METHODS: Oncology patients undergoing treatment (chemotherapy, targeted agents, hormone therapy, radiotherapy, and/or surgery) at 2 hospitals were sent automated weekly reminders to complete PRO-CTCAE once a week and QOL (for a maximum of 12 weeks). Patients had to speak/understand English and have access to the Internet or a touch-tone telephone. Primary outcome was compliance (proportion of expected questionnaires), and recruitment rate, attrition, and patient/staff feedback were also explored. RESULTS: Of 520 patients, 249 consented (47.9%)—mean age was 62 years, 51% were male, and 70% were married—and 230 remained on the study at week 12. PRO-CTCAE was completed at 2,301 (74.9%) of 3,074 timepoints and QOL at 749 (79.1%) of 947 timepoints. Individual weekly/once every 4 weeks compliance reduced over time but was more than 60% throughout. Of 230 patients, 106 (46.1%) completed 13 or more PRO-CTCAE, and 136 (59.1%) of 230 patients completed 4 QOL questionnaires. Most were completed on the Internet (82.3%; mean age, 60.8 years), which was quicker, but older patients preferred the telephone option (mean age, 70.0 years). Positive feedback was received from patients and staff. CONCLUSION: Self-reporting of AEs and QOL using an electronic home-based system is feasible and acceptable. Implementation of this approach in cancer clinical trials may improve the precision and accuracy of AE reporting