Petrology and Geochemistry of Ourika Gneissic Rocks (High-Atlas, Morocco): Implications for Provenance and Geotectonic Setting

Gneissic terranes under studied are one of the various formations constituting the Ourika Old massif. They underwent a metamorphic evolution characterized by a first amphibole facies event and a second greenschist facies metamorphism. The high-grade metamorphism is related to a Pan-African orogenesis that produced subduction-related granitoids preserved as GAA and GBA gneisses. These two gneissic groups have different geochemical compositions which were likely linked to the protolith nature. Petrology and geochemical investigations reveal that the protolith of GBA gneisses is calc-alkali peraluminous S-type granodiorite and thus of GAA gneisses is calc-alkali metaluminous diorite. The GBA protolith showed a continental active margin characteristic that may belong to the earlier Pan-African event, at ~780 to 750 Ma, whereas the GAA protolith could be formed in the island arc/fore-arc event, at ~753 Ma. Both groups were ordered in two lines suggesting two different sources where the crustal intervention is more or less marked, by juvenile upper continental crust for GBA protolith, and by young lower continental crust for GAA protolith. Correlated to the anti-atlasic formations of the same age, the geochemical similarities suggest a comparable geodynamic evolution that is closely linked to a Neoproterozoic continental convergent margin in the north of West-African Craton (WAC), collided at late Pan-African orogenesis. This collision induced the strongly N-S deformation that was materialized by the overthrusting of the GAA protolith onto the GBA protolith, and by the forming of the Ourika gneissic massif as a submeridian dome. Keywords: Ourika old massif; gneissic protoliths; Pan-African orogenesis; mineralogy and geochemistry; geodynamic evolution

Typologie du zircon des granitoïdes de Bouskour et d'Ougnat (Saghro, Anti-Atlas, Maroc) : Comparaison et signification géodynamique Zircon typology of Bouskour and Ougnat granitoids (Saghro, Anti-Atlas, Morocco) : comparison and geodynamic implication

International audienceLes granitoïdes de Bouskour et de l'Ougnat (Saghro, Anti-Atlas) représentent respectivement les intrusions les plus proches et les plus éloignées par rapport à l'accident majeur de l'Anti-Atlas. Ils sont composés à Bouskour de diorite quartzique, de granodiorite à amphibole et de granite à biotite et à Ougnat de diorite quartzique, de granodiorite à amphibole/biotite et de granite à grenat. La typologie du zircon appliquée à ces granitoïdes montre l'existence de trois tendances magmatiques dans les deux boutonnières. Une tendance granodioritique ou moyennement potassique représentée par les diorites quartziques et les granodiorites dans ces deux ensembles et une tendance calco-alcaline plus potassique représentée par le granite à biotite à Bouskour. Ces deux suites possèdent une origine hybride croûte-manteau. Le granite à grenat de l'Ougnat représente la troisième tendance avec une origine plutôt crustale. Cette répartition montre que le composant crustal augmente depuis Bouskour jusqu'à l'Ougnat impliquant un épaississement crustal au niveau de Saghro au cours du Néoprotérozoïque. Both the Bouskour and the Ougnat granitoids belong to Sahgro intrusions, which are near and far from the major Anti-Atlas accident respectively. These complexes are composed of quartz diorite, amphibole granodiorite and garnet granite in Bouskour, and quartz diorite, amphibole/biotite granodiorite and garnet granite in Ougnat hills. Zircon typology in these granitoids shows three magmatic trends. First, a medium-K calc-alkaline granodiorite trend formed by quartz diorites and amphibole granodiorites in both complexes. Second, the biotite granites of Bouskour record a high-K calc-alkaline trend. Both trends have a hybrid mantle-crust origin. Garnet granite represents the third trend with a crustal origin. These signatures recorded by the Saghro granitoids suggest crustal thickening during the Neoproterozoic

Experimental implementation of power-split control strategies in a versatile hardware-in-the-loop laboratory test bench for hybrid electric vehicles equipped with electrical variable transmission

The energy management strategy (EMS) or power management strategy (PMS) unit is the core of power sharing control in the hybridization of automotive drivetrains in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Once a new topology and its corresponding EMS are virtually designed, they require undertaking different stages of experimental verifications toward guaranteeing their real-world applicability. The present paper focuses on a new and less-extensively studied topology of such vehicles, HEVs equipped with an electrical variable transmission (EVT) and assessed the controllability validation through hardware-in-the-loop (HiL) implementations versus model-in-the-loop (MiL) simulations. To this end, first, the corresponding modeling of the vehicle components in the presence of optimized control strategies were performed to obtain the MiL simulation results. Subsequently, an innovative versatile HiL test bench including real prototyped components of the topology was introduced and the corresponding experimental implementations were performed. The results obtained from the MiL and HiL examinations were analyzed and statistically compared for a full input driving cycle. The verification results indicate robust and accurate actuation of the components using the applied EMSs under real-time test conditions

Multi-objective energy management and charging strategy for electric bus fleets in cities using various ECO strategies

The paper presents use case simulations of fleets of electric buses in two cities in Europe, one with a warm Mediterranean climate and the other with a Northern European (cool temperate) climate, to compare the different climatic effects of the thermal management strategy and charging management strategy. Two bus routes are selected in each city, and the effects of their speed, elevation, and passenger profiles on the energy and thermal management strategy of vehicles are evaluated. A multi-objective optimization technique, the improved Simple Optimization technique, and a “brute-force” Monte Carlo technique were employed to determine the optimal number of chargers and charging power to minimize the total cost of operation of the fleet and the impact on the grid, while ensuring that all the buses in the fleet are able to realize their trips throughout the day and keeping the battery SoC within the constraints designated by the manufacturer. A mix of four different types of buses with different battery capacities and electric motor specifications constitute the bus fleet, and the effects that they have on charging priority are evaluated. Finally, different energy management strategies, including economy (ECO) features, such as ECO-comfort, ECO-driving, and ECO-charging, and their effects on the overall optimization are investigated. The single bus results indicate that 12 m buses have a significant battery capacity, allowing for multiple trips within their designated routes, while 18 m buses only have the battery capacity to allow for one or two trips. The fleet results for Barcelona city indicate an energy requirement of 4.42 GWh per year for a fleet of 36 buses, while for Gothenburg, the energy requirement is 5 GWh per year for a fleet of 20 buses. The higher energy requirement in Gothenburg can be attributed to the higher average velocities of the bus routes in Gothenburg, compared to those of the bus routes in Barcelona city. However, applying ECO-features can reduce the energy consumption by 15% in Barcelona city and by 40% in Gothenburg. The significant reduction in Gothenburg is due to the more effective application of the ECO-driving and ECO-charging strategies. The application of ECO-charging also reduces the average grid load by more than 10%, while shifting the charging towards non-peak hours. Finally, the optimization process results in a reduction of the total fleet energy consumption of up to 30% in Barcelona city, while in Gothenburg, the total cost of ownership of the fleet is reduced by 9%

Application of Ant Colony Optimization for Co-Design of Hybrid Electric Vehicles

One key subject matter for effective use of Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) is searching for drivetrains which their component dimensions and control parameters are co-optimally designed for a desired performance. This makes the design challenge as a problem, which needs to be addressed in a holistic way meeting various constraints. Along this line, the strong coupling between components sizes of a drivetrain and parameters of its controllers turns the optimal sizing and control design of HEVs into a Bi-level optimization problem. In this chapter, an important application of continuous Ant Colony Optimization (ACOR) for integrated sizing and control design of HEVs is thoroughly discussed for minimizing the drivetrain cost, minimizing the fuel consumption and addressing the control objectives at the meantime. The outcome of this chapter provides useful information related to incorporation of soft-computing, modeling and simulation concepts into optimization-based design of HEVs from all respects for designers and automotive engineers. It brings opportunities to the readers for understanding the criteria, constraints, and objective functions required for the optimal design of HEVs. Via introducing a two-folded iterative framework, fuel consumption and component sizing minimizations are of the main goals to be simultaneously addressed in this chapter using ACOR

An autosomal dominant major gene confers predisposition to pulmonary tuberculosis in adults

The molecular basis of genetic predisposition to pulmonary tuberculosis in adults remains largely elusive. Few candidate genes have consistently been implicated in tuberculosis susceptibility, and no conclusive linkage was found in two previous genome-wide screens. We report here a genome-wide linkage study in a total sample of 96 Moroccan multiplex families, including 227 siblings with microbiologically and radiologically proven pulmonary tuberculosis. A genome-wide scan conducted in half the sample (48 families) identified five regions providing suggestive evidence (logarithm of the odds [LOD] score >1.17; P < 0.01) for linkage. These regions were then fine-mapped in the total sample of 96 families. A single region of chromosome 8q12-q13 was significantly linked to tuberculosis (LOD score = 3.49; P = 3 × 10−5), indicating the presence of a major tuberculosis susceptibility gene. Linkage was stronger (LOD score = 3.94; P = 10−5) in the subsample of 39 families in which one parent was also affected by tuberculosis, whereas it was much lower (LOD score = 0.79) in the 57 remaining families without affected parents, supporting a dominant mode of inheritance of the major susceptibility locus. These results provide direct molecular evidence that human pulmonary tuberculosis has a strong genetic basis, and indicate that the genetic component involves at least one major locus with a dominant susceptibility allele

Immunohistochemical detection of laminin-1 and Ki-67 in radicular cysts and keratocystic odontogenic tumors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Odontogenic cysts are those which arise from the epithelium associated with the development of teeth. Some odontogenic cysts were found to have special biological features that make them distinct from other lesions. This study was conducted to detect the immunoepxression of laminin-1 and Ki-67 in both radicular cysts (RCs) and keratocystic odontogenic tumors (KCOTs) and to examine the possible predictive value of these markers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirteen cases of RCs and twelve cases of KCOTs were included in this study. Antibodies against laminin-1 and Ki-67 were used as primary antibodies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ten cases out of thirteen cases of RCs were immunopositive to laminin-1. The immunonegative cases of RCs showed high degree of inflammation inside the connective tissue wall. One case out of twelve cases of KCOTs was immunopositive to laminin-1 and the rest were immunonegative. Seven cases out of thirteen cases of RCs showed immunopositivity for Ki-67 with increased numbers of immunopositive cells when the inflammation was severe in the connective tissue wall. All KCOTS were immunopositive to Ki-67.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The benign nature of radicular cysts and the aggressive behavior of keratocystic odontogenic tumors could be explained by the expression of laminin and Ki-67. Laminin-1 and Ki-67 could be valuable markers for the prediction of the biologic behavior of cystic lesions.</p

Characterization of greater middle eastern genetic variation for enhanced disease gene discovery

The Greater Middle East (GME) has been a central hub of human migration and population admixture. The tradition of consanguinity, variably practiced in the Persian Gulf region, North Africa, and Central Asia1-3, has resulted in an elevated burden of recessive disease4. Here we generated a whole-exome GME variome from 1,111 unrelated subjects. We detected substantial diversity and admixture in continental and subregional populations, corresponding to several ancient founder populations with little evidence of bottlenecks. Measured consanguinity rates were an order of magnitude above those in other sampled populations, and the GME population exhibited an increased burden of runs of homozygosity (ROHs) but showed no evidence for reduced burden of deleterious variation due to classically theorized ‘genetic purging’. Applying this database to unsolved recessive conditions in the GME population reduced the number of potential disease-causing variants by four- to sevenfold. These results show variegated genetic architecture in GME populations and support future human genetic discoveries in Mendelian and population genetics

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030