Early Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic intraplate tectonic and magmatic events in the Cathaysia Block, South China

The authors acknowledge financial supports provided by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 program, 2012CB416701), National Natural Science Foundation of China (41330208 and 41272226), and the Bureau of China Geological Survey (201211093-1).The geodynamic framework of the South China Craton in the Early Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic has been modeled as developing through either oceanic convergence or intracontinental settings. On the basis of an integrated structural, geochemical, zircon U-Pb and Hf isotopic, and mica 40Ar/39Ar geochronologic study we establish that an intracontinental setting is currently the best fit for the available data. Our results suggest that widespread tectonomagmatic activity involving granite emplacement and mylonitic deformation occurred during two distinct stages: ~435-415 Ma and ~230-210 Ma. The coeval nature of emplacement of the plutons and their ductile deformation is corroborated by the subparallel orientation of the mylonitic foliation along the pluton margins, gneissose foliation in the middle part of pluton, the magmatic foliation within the plutons, and the schistosity in the surrounding metamorphosed country rocks. The 435-415 Ma granitoids exhibit peraluminous, high-K characteristics, and zircons show negative εHf(t) values (average -6.2, n = 66), and Paleoproterozoic two-stage model ages of circa 2.21-1.64 Ga (average 1.84 Ga). The data suggest that the Early Paleozoic plutons were derived from the partial melting of the Paleoproterozoic basement of the Cathaysia Block. The 230-210 Ma granites are potassic and have zircons with εHf(t) values of -2.8 - 8.7 (average -5.4, n = 62), corresponding to TDM2 ages ranging from 2.0 to 1.44 Ga (average 1.64 Ga), suggesting that the Early Mesozoic partial melts in Cathaysia were also derived from basement. The geochemical distinction between the two phases of granites traces continental crustal evolution with time, with the Early Mesozoic crust enriched in potassium, silicon, and aluminum, but deficient in calcium, relative to the Paleozoic crust. Kinematical investigations provide evidence for an early-stage ductile deformation with a doubly vergent thrusting pattern dated at 433 ± 1 to 428 ± 1 Ma (40Ar/39Ar furnace step-heating pseudoplateau ages obtained on muscovite and biotite from mylonite and deformed granite) and a late-stage strike-slip movement with sinistral sense of ductile shearing at 232 ± 1 to 234 ± 1 Ma (40Ar/39Ar furnace step-heating pseudoplateau ages) along an E-W direction. The geological, geochemical, and isotopic signatures likely reflect far-field effects in response to continental assembly events at these times.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

An early Neoproterozoic accretionary prism ophiolitic mélange from the western Jiangnan orogenic belt, South China

The authors acknowledge the financial support provided by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, 2012CB416701) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41330208 and 41572200).The Neoproterozoic Jiangnan orogenic belt delineates the suture zone between the Cathaysia and Yangtze blocks of the South China Craton. The western part of the belt, in the Longsheng region, consists of a disrupted mafic-ultramafic assemblage of pillow basalt, gabbro, diabase, and peridotite along with siliceous marble, ophicalcite, and jasper mixed with basalt. Significant talc deposits occur on the margins of the ultramafic bodies as well as in the transition zone between marble and basalt. Primary rock relations are largely overprinted by pervasive shearing, resulting in disruption of the assemblage into series of discontinuous blocks within a phyllite matrix. West-dipping thrust faults mark the eastern contact of blocks, and the overall succession has the appearance of a tectonic mélange. U-Pb zircon age data from the gabbros and diabases yield crystallization ages of 867 ± 10, 863 ± 8, and 869 ± 9 Ma, with positive εHf(t) values. The gabbro, basalt, serpentinite, and some talc samples display minor light rare earth element?enriched patterns with obvious depletion of Nb and Ta, indicating a subduction-related setting. The tuffaceous phyllite shows similar geochemical features. A few mafic rocks and the altered ultramafic rocks display mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) affinity. Overall lithostratigraphic relationships, age data, and geochemical signatures suggest a forearc setting that was imbricated and disrupted within an accretionary prism environment to form an ophiolitic mélange. The pillow basalt, red jasper, and MORB-type mafic-ultramafic rocks within the mélange occur as exotic blocks derived from the subducting oceanic plate, whereas the arc-type mafic rocks occur as autochthonous blocks, which are all exposed in a matrix of sandy and tuffaceous phyllite.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Preprosthetic Surgery-Narrative Review and Current Debate

This review describes the role of modern preprosthetic surgery. The atrophic edentulous jaw can cause severe functional impairment for patients, leading to inadequate denture retention, reduced quality of life, and significant health problems. The aim of preprosthetic surgery is to restore function and form due to tooth loss arising from congenital deformity, trauma, or ablative surgery. Alveolar bone loss is due to disuse atrophy following tooth loss. The advent of dental implants and their ability to preserve bone heralded the modern version of preprosthetic surgery. Their ability to mimic natural teeth has overcome the age-old problem of edentulism and consequent jaw atrophy. Controversies with preprosthetic surgery are discussed: soft tissue versus hard tissue augmentation in the aesthetic zone, bone regeneration versus prosthetic tissue replacement in the anterior maxilla, sinus floor augmentation versus short implants in the posterior maxilla-interpositional bone grafting versus onlay grafts for vertical bone augmentation. Best results for rehabilitation are achieved by the team approach of surgeons, maxillofacial prosthodontists/general dentists, and importantly, informing patients about the available preprosthetic surgical options.</p

Tectonic insights of the southwest Amazon Craton from geophysical, geochemical and mineralogical data of Figueira Branca mafic-ultramafic suite, Brazil

This work was done with the support of the CNPq, National Council for Technological and Scientific Development – Brazil [grant numbers 443355/2014-2, 200473/2015-8, 141587/2013-0]; Peter A. Cawood acknowledges support from the Australian Research Council [grant number FL160100168].The Figueira Branca Suite is a layered mafic-ultramafic complex in the Jauru Terrane, southwest Amazon Craton. New lithological, geochemical, gamma-ray and potential field data, integrated with geological, isotope and paleomagnetic data are used to characterize this pulse of Mesoproterozoic extension-related magmatism. The Figueira Branca Suite formed through juvenile magma emplacement into the crust at 1425 Ma, coeval with the later stages of the Santa Helena Orogen. Gabbros and peridotite-gabbros display increasing enrichment of LREE, interpreted as evidence of progressive fractionation of the magma. Magnetic and gamma-ray data delimit the extent of magmatism within the suite to four bodies to the north of Indiavaí city. Modelling gravity and magnetic field data indicate that the anomalous sources are close to the surface or outcropping. These intrusions trend northwest over 8 km, with significant remanent magnetization that is consistent with published direction obtained through paleomagnetic data. The emplacement, mineralogy and geochemical signature point towards a back-arc extension tectonic framework in the later stages of the Santa Helena Orogen.PostprintPeer reviewe

Male and female meiotic behaviour of an intrachromosomal insertion determined by preimplantation genetic diagnosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Two related family members, a female and a male balanced carrier of an intrachromosomal insertion on chromosome 7 were referred to our centre for preimplantation genetic diagnosis. This presented a rare opportunity to investigate the behaviour of the insertion chromosome during meiosis in two related carriers. The aim of this study was to carry out a detailed genetic analysis of the preimplantation embryos that were generated from the three treatment cycles for the male and two for the female carrier.</p> <p>Patients underwent <it>in vitro </it>fertilization and on day 3, 22 embryos from the female carrier and 19 embryos from the male carrier were biopsied and cells analysed by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Follow up analysis of 29 untransferred embryos was also performed for confirmation of the diagnosis and to obtain information on meiotic and mitotic outcome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, the female carrier produced more than twice as many chromosomally balanced embryos as the male (76.5% vs. 36%), and two pregnancies were achieved for her. Follow up analysis showed that the male carrier had produced more highly abnormal embryos than the female (25% and 15% respectively) and no pregnancies occurred for the male carrier and his partner.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study compares how an intrachromosomal insertion has behaved in the meiotic and preimplantation stages of development in sibling male and female carriers. It confirms that PGD is an appropriate treatment in such cases. Reasons for the differing outcome for the two carriers are discussed.</p

Sustainable sanitation jobs: prospects for enhancing the livelihoods of pit-emptiers in Bangladesh

Manual pit-emptying – the removal of faecal sludge from pits and tanks using hands or basic tools – is a widespread practice in Bangladesh, and in other low- and middle-income countries. Despite this, little is known about the livelihoods of pit-emptiers. This paper analyses data from six cases of pit-emptying in three cities in Bangladesh, across three different operational modes: private cooperatives, government employees and self-employed workers. These cases describe the experiences of emptiers from diverse socio-economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds, operating across a formal–informal spectrum. We find that government employees and self-employed groups are deprived of basic rights, fear a loss of income brought about by mechanisation and cannot access alternative livelihoods. While the status of emptiers in private cooperatives has improved recently due to the support of governmental oranisations (GOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the extent to which these cooperatives are sustainable, without the ongoing support of NGOs or GOs, remains unclear. In all modes, sustainable livelihoods are hindered by deep-rooted social and financial barriers. Organisations can support pit-emptiers by designing sanitation interventions that prioritise the human right to decent work, focussing not only on the beneficiaries of universal sanitation, but also on those who work to implement this ambitious goal

Sanitation work: Realizing equity and inclusion in WASH

Recognition of the human right to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and equity and inclusion concerns around gender, disability and age have led to crucial change in WASH programmes and policy, responding to commonly hidden issues such as menstrual hygiene, inclusive facilities for people with disabilities, and affordable services for residents of informal settlements. Despite progress toward realizing the rights of end users “to” sanitation, this crucial body of work has overlooked the rights of an unseen, diverse population working “in” these services, including those who handle human waste. There are increasing calls within and beyond WASH for sanitation workers - marginalized by their informal and hazardous roles, and intersections of caste, religion and gender - to realize their rights to safe working conditions and social security. Yet, sanitation work has received little attention from equity and inclusion WASH scholars, despite the pressing need to challenge dominant technical, health-centric framings of sanitation that can overlook workers' lived realities. We argue for an intersectional, interdisciplinary approach to support sanitation workers to realize rights to fair living and working conditions, including inclusive WASH infrastructure at work. We draw on the limited literature available to highlight gaps in, and show the importance of the sub-sector of equity and inclusion to engage further with the lived realities of sanitation workers. Increased collaboration between sanitation workers, activists, and allies working on inclusion, labor rights, fecal sludge and solid waste management is paramount to realize sanitation workers' rights and to truly provide “inclusive” sanitation for all by 2030

Structural and metamorphic architecture of the Zanskar Himalaya, Suru Valley region, NW India: Implications for the evolution of the Himalayan metamorphic core

New 1:50,000-scale geological mapping in the Zanskar Himalaya of NW India, covering 2,400 km2, is integrated with structural and petrographic analysis to document the evolution and key tectonometamorphic relationships within the Himalayan metamorphic core. The integrated dataset constrains the regional three-dimensional geology and relationships between lithostratigraphy, folds, faults, deformation fabrics, metamorphic isograds, and growth of porphyroblasts within the context of five main deformation phases. Following the initial collision of India and Asia, NW−SE-oriented deformation is recorded by D1 (greenschist-facies) fabrics and D2 (greenschist- to amphibolite-facies) fabrics. D2 represents the main tectonometamorphic deformation phase associated with crustal thickening and produced the dominant regional penetrative fabric through crenulation and transposition of D1 fabrics. Thrust-sense D2 fabrics were reactivated during D3 as the Greater Himalayan Sequence was exhumed along the normal-sense Zanskar Shear Zone, which is part of the South Tibetan Detachment System. D3 fabrics, associated with movement on the Zanskar Shear Zone, were temporally continuous with crenulation and mesoscale folding, recording progressive kilometer-scale backfolding and backthrusting toward the NE between the Greater Himalayan Sequence−Tethyan Himalayan Sequence and the adjacent Indus Suture Zone. Finally, D4 and D5 are recorded as kilometer-scale open folding of older planar and linear structures. The orientation of mineral isograd surfaces ranges from subparallel to oblique with respect to D2 planar structural elements. The growth of pelitic and metabasic peak metamorphic phases from greenschist to upper-amphibolite facies is synchronous with or postdates D2 fabrics. D3 fabrics wrap thermal peak porphyroblasts and realign linear mineral phases. Tectonic thinning adjacent to D3 normal faults is documented by reduced structural spacing of isograds and alignment of isograd surfaces parallel to the faults. D4 and D5 structures modify the trace of all regional metamorphic isograds. Collectively, these observations imply that the thermal peak of metamorphism was reached after the main phase of deformation (D2), and predated movement on the Zanskar Shear Zone (D3). The results document numerous classical elements of collisional orogenesis, including implied clockwise P-T paths, polyphase deformation, and a complete Barrovian metamorphic isograd sequence supplemented by complementary metabasic isograds. The Zanskar Himalaya, unlike other areas of the Himalayan metamorphic core, records metamorphic conditions primarily attained following substantial crustal thickening rather than during subsequent decompression and exhumation. The reduced expression and/or discontinuous nature of exhuming fault systems, which produces variable levels of crustal exposure, may account for this lateral heterogeneity across the mountain belt. Deciphering the complex kinematics of continental tectonics requires the integration of observations and data over large length scales and a range of structural levels