Mid-crustal storage and crystallization of Eyjafjallajokull ankaramites, South Iceland

Our understanding of the long-term intrusive and eruptive behaviour of volcanic systems is hampered by a relatively short period of direct observation. To probe the conditions of crustal magma storage below South Iceland, we have analysed compositions of minerals, mineral zoning patterns, and melt inclusions from two Eyjafjallajokull ankaramites located at Brattaskjol and Hvammsmuli. These two units are rich in compositionally diverse macrocrysts, including the most magnesian olivine (Fo(88)(-)(90)) and clinopyroxene (Mg#(cpx)( )89.8) known from Eyjafjallajokull. Olivine-hosted spinel inclusions have high Cr# (spl )(52-80) and TiO2 (1-3 wt%) and low Al2O3 (8-22 wt%) compared to typical Icelandic chromian spinel. The spinel-olivine oxybarometer implies a moderate oxygen fugacity of Delta logFMQ 0-0.5 at the time of crystallization, and clinopyroxene-liquid thermobarometry crystallization at mid-crustal pressures (1.7-4.2 kbar, 3.0+1.4 kbar on average) at 1120-1195 degrees C. Liquid-only thermometry for melt inclusions with Mg#(melt) 56.1-68.5 and olivine-liquid thermometry for olivine macrocrysts with Fo(80.7-88.9) yield crystallization temperatures of 1155-1222 degrees C and 1136-1213 degrees C, respectively. Diffusion modelling of compositional zonations in the Brattaskjol olivine grains imply that the Brattaskjol macrocusts were mobilized and transported to the surface from their mid-crustal storage within a few weeks (at most in 9-37 days). Trends in clinopyroxene macrocryst compositions and the scarcity of plagioclase indicate that the mid-crustal cotectic assemblage was olivine and clinopyroxene, with plagioclase joining the fractionating mineral assemblage later. In all, the crystal cargoes in the Brattaskjol and Hvammsmtili ankaramites are composed of agitated wehrlitic or plagioclase wehrlitic crystal mushes that crystallized over a large temperature interval at mid-crustal depths.Peer reviewe

Biodegradable nanomats produced by electrospinning : expanding multifunctionality and potential for tissue engineering

With increasing interest in nanotechnology, development of nanofibers (n-fibers) by using the technique of electrospinning is gaining new momentum. Among important potential applications of n-fiber-based structures, scaffolds for tissue-engineering represent an advancing front. Nanoscaffolds (n-scaffolds) are closer to natural extracellular matrix (ECM) and its nanoscale fibrous structure. Although the technique of electrospinning is relatively old, various improvements have been made in the last decades to explore the spinning of submicron fibers from biodegradable polymers and to develop also multifunctional drug-releasing and bioactive scaffolds. Various factors can affect the properties of resulting nanostructures that can be classified into three main categories, namely: (1) Substrate related, (2) Apparatus related, and (3) Environment related factors. Developed n-scaffolds were tested for their cytocompatibility using different cell models and were seeded with cells for to develop tissue engineering constructs. Most importantly, studies have looked at the potential of using n-scaffolds for the development of blood vessels. There is a large area ahead for further applications and development of the field. For instance, multifunctional scaffolds that can be used as controlled delivery system do have a potential and have yet to be investigated for engineering of various tissues. So far, in vivo data on n-scaffolds are scarce, but in future reports are expected to emerge. With the convergence of the fields of nanotechnology, drug release and tissue engineering, new solutions could be found for the current limitations of tissue engineering scaffolds, which may enhance their functionality upon in vivo implantation. In this paper electrospinning process, factors affecting it, used polymers, developed n-scaffolds and their characterization are reviewed with focus on application in tissue engineering

A Comparison of Mental Health Care Systems in Northern and Southern Europe : A Service Mapping Study

Mental health services (MHS) have gone through vast changes during the last decades, shifting from hospital to community-based care. Developing the optimal balance and use of resources requires standard comparisons of mental health care systems across countries. This study aimed to compare the structure, personnel resource allocation, and the productivity of the MHS in two benchmark health districts in a Nordic welfare state and a southern European, family-centered country. The study is part of the REFINEMENT (Research on Financing Systems' Effect on the Quality of Mental Health Care) project. The study areas were the Helsinki and Uusimaa region in Finland and the Girona region in Spain. The MHS were mapped by using the DESDE-LTC (Description and Evaluation of Services and Directories for Long Term Care) tool. There were 6.7 times more personnel resources in the MHS in Helsinki and Uusimaa than in Girona. The resource allocation was more residential-service-oriented in Helsinki and Uusimaa. The difference in mental health personnel resources is not explained by the respective differences in the need for MHS among the population. It is important to make a standard comparison of the MHS for supporting policymaking and to ensure equal access to care across European countries.Peer reviewe

An integrated clinical program and crowdsourcing strategy for genomic sequencing and Mendelian disease gene discovery.

Despite major progress in defining the genetic basis of Mendelian disorders, the molecular etiology of many cases remains unknown. Patients with these undiagnosed disorders often have complex presentations and require treatment by multiple health care specialists. Here, we describe an integrated clinical diagnostic and research program using whole-exome and whole-genome sequencing (WES/WGS) for Mendelian disease gene discovery. This program employs specific case ascertainment parameters, a WES/WGS computational analysis pipeline that is optimized for Mendelian disease gene discovery with variant callers tuned to specific inheritance modes, an interdisciplinary crowdsourcing strategy for genomic sequence analysis, matchmaking for additional cases, and integration of the findings regarding gene causality with the clinical management plan. The interdisciplinary gene discovery team includes clinical, computational, and experimental biomedical specialists who interact to identify the genetic etiology of the disease, and when so warranted, to devise improved or novel treatments for affected patients. This program effectively integrates the clinical and research missions of an academic medical center and affords both diagnostic and therapeutic options for patients suffering from genetic disease. It may therefore be germane to other academic medical institutions engaged in implementing genomic medicine programs

Electron cyclotron current drive and suprathermal electron dynamics in the TCV tokamak

Electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) is an important prospective tool for tailoring the current profile in nextstep devices. To fill the remaining gaps between ECCD theory and experiment, especially in the efficiency and localization of current drive, a better understanding of the physics of suprathermal electrons appears necessary. In TCV the fast electron population is diagnosed by a multichordal, spectrometric hard x-ray camera and by a highfield side electron cyclotron emission radiometer. The main modelling tool is the quasilinear Fokker-Planck code CQL3D, which is equipped with a radial particle transport model. Systematic studies of fast electron dynamics have been performed in TCV with modulated or pulsed electron cyclotron power, followed by coherent averaging, in order to identify the roles of collisional relaxation and radial transport in the dynamics of the suprathermal population. A consistent picture is emerging from experiment and modelling, pointing to the crucial role of the radial transport of suprathermal electrons in the physics of ECCD

Standard comparison of local mental health care systems in eight European countries

Aims. There is a need of more quantitative standardised data to compare local Mental Health Systems (MHSs) across international jurisdictions. Problems related to terminological variability and commensurability in the evaluation of services hamper like-with-like comparisons and hinder the development of work in this area. This study was aimed to provide standard assessment and comparison of MHS in selected local areas in Europe, contributing to a better understanding of MHS and related allocation of resources at local level and to lessen the scarcity in standard service comparison in Europe. This study is part of the Seventh Framework programme REFINEMENT (Research on Financing Systems’ Effect on the Quality of Mental Health Care in Europe) project. Methods. A total of eight study areas from European countries with different systems of care (Austria, England, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Romania, Spain) were analysed using a standard open-access classification system (Description and Evaluation of Services for Long Term Care in Europe, DESDE-LTC). All publicly funded services universally accessible to adults (≥18 years) with a psychiatric disorder were coded. Care availability, diversity and capacity were compared across these eight local MHS. Results. The comparison of MHS revealed more community-oriented delivery systems in the areas of England (Hampshire) and Southern European countries (Verona – Italy and Girona – Spain). Community-oriented systems with a higher proportion of hospital care were identified in Austria (Industrieviertel) and Scandinavian countries (Sør-Trøndelag in Norway and Helsinki-Uusimaa in Finland), while Loiret (France) was considered as a predominantly hospital-based system. The MHS in Suceava (Romania) was still in transition to community care. Conclusions. There is a significant variation in care availability and capacity across MHS of local areas in Europe. This information is relevant for understanding the process of implementation of community-oriented mental health care in local areas. Standard comparison of care provision in local areas is important for context analysis and policy planning

High-bootstrap, noninductively sustained electron internal transport barriers in the Tokamak a Configuration Variable

Important ingredients of the advanced-tokamak route to fusion have been explored in depth in the Tokamak a Configuration Variable [F. Hofmann, J. B. Lister, M. Anton , Plasma Phys. Controlled Fusion 36, B277 (1994)] over the past two years. Using a uniquely powerful and flexible electron-cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH) system as the primary actuator, fully noninductive, steady-state electron internal transport barrier discharges have been generated with an electron-energy confinement time up to five times longer than in L mode, poloidal beta up to 2.4, and bootstrap fraction up to 75%. Interpretative transport modeling confirms that the safety factor profile is nonmonotonic in these discharges. The formation of the barrier is a discrete event resulting in rapid and localized confinement improvement consistent with the time and location of magnetic-shear reversal. In steady state, however, the confinement quality appears to depend on the current gradient in a broader negative-shear region enclosed by the barrier, improving with increasing shear: in particular, the width and depth of the barrier can be controlled and finely tuned, along a magnetohydrodynamic-stable path, by manipulating the current profile with ECRH (six independently steerable 0.45 MW launchers). The crucial role of the current profile has been clearly demonstrated by applying small Ohmic current perturbations which dramatically alter the properties of the barrier, enhancing or reducing the confinement with negative and positive current, respectively, with negligible Ohmic heating. These results are in agreement with theoretical estimates: first-principle-based numerical simulations of microinstability dynamics and turbulence-driven transport predict a substantial suppression of turbulence and anomalous energy diffusivity near the location of the minimum in the safety factor. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics