Ages on weathered Plio-Pleistocene tephra sequences, western North Island, New Zealand

Using the zircon fission-track method, we have obtained five ages on members of two strongly-weathered silicic, Pliocene-Pleistocene tephra sequences, the Kauroa and Hamilton Ash formations, in western North Island, New Zealand. These are the first numerical ages to be obtained directly on these deposits. Of the Kauroa Ash sequence, member K1 (basal unit) was dated at 2.24 ± 0.29 Ma, confirming a previous age of c. 2.25 Ma obtained (via tephrochronology)from K/Ar ages on associated basalt lava. Members K2 and K3 gave indistinguishable ages between 1.68 ± 0.12 and 1.43 ± 0.17 Ma. Member K12, a correlative of Oparau Tephra and probably also Ongatiti Ignimbrite, was dated at 1.28 ± 0.11 Ma, consistent with an age of 1.23 ± 0.02 Ma obtained by various methods on Ongatiti Ignimbrite. Palaeomagnetic measurements indicated that members K13 to K15 (top unit, Waiterimu Ash) are aged between c. 1.2 Ma and 0.78 Ma. Possible sources of the Kauroa Ash Formation include younger volcanic centres in the southern Coromandel Volcanic Zone or older volcanic centres in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, or both. Of the Hamilton Ash sequence, the basal member Ohinewai Ash (HI) was dated at 0.38 ± 0.04 Ma. This age matches those obtained by various methods on Rangitawa Tephra of 0.34-0.35 Ma, supporting correlation with this Whakamaru-caldera derived deposit. The origin of the other Hamilton Ash beds is unknown but various younger volcanic centres in the Taupo Volcanic Zone are possible sources. The topmost member, Tikotiko Ash (H6-H7), is estimated to be aged between c. 0.18 and 0.08 Ma. Various silicic pyroclastic deposits documented in North Island and in marine cores may be co-eval with members of the Kauroa Ash and Hamilton Ash sequences on the basis of their age

Passive range of motion of the hips and shoulders and their relationship with ball spin rate in elite finger spin bowlers

Objectives: Investigate rotational passive range of motion of the hips and shoulders for elite finger spin bowlers and their relationship with spin rate. Design: Correlational. Methods: Spin rates and twelve rotational range of motion measurements for the hips and shoulders were collected for sixteen elite male finger spin bowlers. Side to side differences in the rotational range of motion measurements were assessed using paired t-tests. Stepwise linear regression and Pearson product moment correlations were used to identify which range of motion measurements were linked to spin rate. Results: Side to side differences were found with more external rotation (p = 0.039) and less internal rotation (p = 0.089) in the bowling shoulder, and more internal rotation in the front hip (p = 0.041). Total arc of rotation of the front hip was found to be the best predictor of spin rate (r = 0.552, p =  0.027), explaining 26% of the observed variance. Internal rotation of the rear hip (r = 0.466, p =  0.059) and the bowling shoulder (r = 0.476, p =  0.063) were also associated with spin rate. Conclusions: The technique and performance of elite finger spin bowlers may be limited by the passive range of motion of their hips and shoulders. The observed side to side differences may indicate that due to the repetitive nature of finger spin bowling adaptive changes in the rotational range of motion of the hip and shoulder occur

The Impact of Infectious Disease-Related Public Health Emergencies on Suicide, Suicidal Behavior, and Suicidal Thoughts:A Systematic Review

Background: Infectious disease-related public health emergencies (epidemics) may increase suicide risk, and high-quality evidence is needed to guide an international response. Aims: We investigated the potential impacts of epidemics on suicide-related outcomes. Method: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, PsyArXiv, medRxiv, and bioRxiv from inception to May 13–16, 2020. Inclusion criteria: primary studies, reviews, and meta-analyses; reporting the impact of epidemics; with a primary outcome of suicide, suicidal behavior, suicidal ideation, and/or self-harm. Exclusion criteria: not concerned with suicide-related outcomes; not suitable for data extraction. PROSPERO registration: #CRD42020187013. Results: Eight primary papers were included, examining the effects of five epidemics on suicide-related outcomes. There was evidence of increased suicide rates among older adults during SARS and in the year following the epidemic (possibly motivated by social disconnectedness, fears of virus infection, and concern about burdening others) and associations between SARS/Ebola exposure and increased suicide attempts. A preprint study reported associations between COVID-19 distress and past-month suicidal ideation. Limitations: Few studies have investigated the topic; these are of relatively low methodological quality. Conclusion: Findings support an association between previous epidemics and increased risk of suicide-related outcomes. Research is needed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on suicide outcomes

A hyperbolic model of optimal cash balances

We develop a hyperbolic cash management model based on the Pearson Type IV probability density which minimises extreme variations in firm cash balances. Since the moments for the Type IV probability density are in general undefined and maximum likelihood estimation is compromised by the non-algebraic nature of the Type IV normalising constant, parameter estimation is implemented using the minimum method. Empirical analysis shows that the Type IV density is highly compatible with the quarterly cash flow data of a randomly selected sample of 100 large U.S. corporations. In contrast, around 60% of the 100 corporations return Jarque–Bera test statistics which are incompatible with the Gaussian probability density

Genome-Wide Meta-Analysis Identifies Regions on 7p21 (AHR) and 15q24 (CYP1A2) As Determinants of Habitual Caffeine Consumption

We report the first genome-wide association study of habitual caffeine intake. We included 47,341 individuals of European descent based on five population-based studies within the United States. In a meta-analysis adjusted for age, sex, smoking, and eigenvectors of population variation, two loci achieved genome-wide significance: 7p21 (P = 2.4×10−19), near AHR, and 15q24 (P = 5.2×10−14), between CYP1A1 and CYP1A2. Both the AHR and CYP1A2 genes are biologically plausible candidates as CYP1A2 metabolizes caffeine and AHR regulates CYP1A2

Levodopa-Induced Dyskinesia Is Associated with Increased Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone in the Dorsal Striatum of Hemi-Parkinsonian Rats

Background Dyskinesias associated with involuntary movements and painful muscle contractions are a common and severe complication of standard levodopa (L-DOPA, L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine) therapy for Parkinson's disease. Pathologic neuroplasticity leading to hyper-responsive dopamine receptor signaling in the sensorimotor striatum is thought to underlie this currently untreatable condition. Methodology/Principal Findings Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to evaluate the molecular changes associated with L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson's disease. With this technique, we determined that thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) was greatly increased in the dopamine-depleted striatum of hemi-parkinsonian rats that developed abnormal movements in response to L-DOPA therapy, relative to the levels measured in the contralateral non-dopamine-depleted striatum, and in the striatum of non-dyskinetic control rats. ProTRH immunostaining suggested that TRH peptide levels were almost absent in the dopamine-depleted striatum of control rats that did not develop dyskinesias, but in the dyskinetic rats, proTRH immunostaining was dramatically up-regulated in the striatum, particularly in the sensorimotor striatum. This up-regulation of TRH peptide affected striatal medium spiny neurons of both the direct and indirect pathways, as well as neurons in striosomes. Conclusions/Significance TRH is not known to be a key striatal neuromodulator, but intrastriatal injection of TRH in experimental animals can induce abnormal movements, apparently through increasing dopamine release. Our finding of a dramatic and selective up-regulation of TRH expression in the sensorimotor striatum of dyskinetic rat models suggests a TRH-mediated regulatory mechanism that may underlie the pathologic neuroplasticity driving dopamine hyper-responsivity in Parkinson's disease.Morris K. Udall Center for Excellence in Parkinson’s Research at MGH/MITNational Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH NS38372)American Parkinson Disease Association, Inc.University of Alabama at BirminghamMassachusetts General HospitalNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U.S.) (NIDDK/NIH grant R01 DK58148)National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (U.S.) (R01 NINDS/NIH grant NS045231)Stanley H. and Sheila G. Sydney FundMichael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Researc

Uplift history and geomorphic development of the Southern Alps, New Zealand, assessed by fission track analysis

The uplift history and geomorphic development of the Southern Alps has been studied, using fission track analysis of basement samples in combination with measurement of the present geomorphology of the Southern Alps. During the late Cenozoic the Pacific plate has been converging obliquely with the Australia plate in South Island, New Zealand. A result of this convergence has been the growth of a major mountain range - the Southern Alps - at the leading edge of the Pacific plate. The results of fission track analysis of 140 samples from 13 transects across the 300 km-long central sector of the Southern Alps reported here, establish the late Cenozoic vertical kinematics (amount, age, and rate of rock uplift) of the Pacific crust underlying the Southern Alps. The pattern of late Cenozoic rock uplift is asymmetrical with respect to the Alpine Fault, being a maximum (19 km) immediately east of the central part of the Fault, with lesser values at the eastern (3 km), northern (10 km) and southern (8 km) extremities of the Southern Alps. The age of the start of rock uplift varies spatially across the Southern Alps, the earliest indications from fission track analysis being at 8 Ma ago at the southern end of the Southern Alps, decreasing to 5 Ma ago at the northern end and 3 Ma ago along the southeastern margin. This age variation reflects the longer time over which the southern parts of the Southern Alps have been in collision. The rate of propagation of rock uplift southeastwards into the Pacific plate has been 30 mm/a, nearly 4 times the late Cenozoic average rate of convergence normal to the plate boundary. Late Cenozoic mean rock uplift rates range from a maximum of ∼2.8 mm/a at the Alpine Fault to a minimum of ∼1.0 mm/a in the east. Uplift has accelerated over time, but only significantly since 1.3 ± 0.3 Ma ago. The fission track data in combination with topographic data have been analysed to quantify the response of the surface of the Pacific plate to the late Cenozoic continent-continent collision. The rates of mean surface uplift, the rates of work done against gravity during the mountain building, and the erosional, isostatic and tectonic components (amounts and rates) of rock uplift, have been derived and mapped over the central 300 km length of the Southern Alps. The data do not support the notion of erosional-mechanical coupling of the two wedges in the two-sided orogen model of Koons [1990], but are consistent with overriding of the Australia plate by the Pacific plate. The late Cenozoic rate of mean surface uplift in the Southern Alps ranges from 0.3 mm/a over most of the area east of the Main Divide. The highest rates of mean surface uplift do not coincide spatially with the regions of highest mean elevation. The rate of work done in elevating the mean surface ranges from ∼2.5 mWm⁻² to ∼10 mWm⁻², although most areas have experienced similar rates of energy input of ∼7.5 mWm⁻². The amount of denudation ranges from ∼18 km adjacent to the Alpine Fault to ∼2 km along the southeast margin of the Southern Alps; the late Cenozoic mean rate of denudation ranges from ∼2.5 mm/a at the Fault to ∼0.5 mm/a in the southeast parts of the Southern Alps. The amount of tectonic uplift decreases from ∼4 km at the Alpine Fault to ∼1 km along the eastern margin of the Southern Alps. The fission track data have been used to assess the role of faulting in the late Cenozoic uplift of the Pacific plate crust. For the Moonlight, Ostler, Harper, Torlesse, Porter's Pass and Hope faults, the vertical offset in all cases lies within the uncertainty of the data, typically ± 2 km, and is less than 30% of the surrounding uplift. Over a scale of kilometres the uplift is continuous and regular, and deformation in the plate boundary zone can therefore be treated as if it were ductile. The regression of the mean surface, summit, and valley elevations on the amount, age, and rate of uplift for each of 82 sample sites is used to establish the nature of the relationship between uplift and geomorphology. The preferred regression models have uniform slope but varying elevation response between transects. Uplift explains 80-90 % of the variation in elevation. Substitution of space for time has allowed the evolution of landforms to be studied. To the east of the Main Divide, elevation and relief are proportional to and closely related to the age of initiation of rock uplift and the amount of rock uplift (r²>0.8). Mean surface uplift was delayed for ∼2 Ma after the start of rock uplift, a result of the stripping of a soft cover rock succession that prior to rock uplift overlaid the harder greywacke basement. Under a rock uplift rate of 0.8 km/Ma, uplift of the mean surface proceeded at 0.4 km/Ma, while the summits increased in elevation at a rate of 0.6 km/Ma and valleys increased in elevation at 0.2 km/Ma. The mountains east of the Main Divide have continued to increase in elevation and relief and evolve in form over time since the start of uplift. Mountain elevation has little relationship with late Cenozoic mean rock uplift rates of 0.8-1.0 km/Ma or inferred contemporary rock uplift rates (r²∼0.3). In contrast, to the west of the Main Divide, elevation is shown to be closely related to rock uplift rate (r²>0.8). Transects with higher rock uplift rates support higher topography. Landforms are therefore in a stable equilibrium with rock uplift rate, and the landscape contains no residual evidence of the total amount of rock uplift, or the age of uplift. Lithological variation appears to have no relationship with elevation. The new uplift and geomorphic data allow the construction of a new model of the geomorphic evolution of the Southern Alps. The model quantifies the development over time and space of rock uplift, mean surface elevation, exhumation of crustal section, and relief. The earliest indications of mean surface uplift are between 4 and 5 Ma ago at the Alpine Fault. Mean surface uplift propagated southeastward from the Alpine Fault at a rate of 30 km/Ma. At 3 Ma ago greenschist was exposed in the southern parts of the Southern Alps near Lake Wanaka, and since then has become exhumed along a narrow strip east of the Alpine Fault. Amphibolite grade schist has been exhumed adjacent to the Alpine Fault only in the last 0.3 Ma. At the southeast margin of the Southern Alps a 1.0-1.5 km step in the basement topography separates the Southern Alps from the non-uplifted plains to the east. The existing models of the geomorphic development of the Southern Alps - the dynamic cuesta model of J. Adams [1980 and 1985] and the numerical model of Koons [1989] - are compared with the new data. Particular constraints unrealised by these two earlier models include: the earlier age of rock uplift (8 Ma ago) and its spatial variation (8 Ma ago to 3 Ma ago) across the Southern Alps; the lower long-term rock uplift rate (0.8- 1.0 mm/a) of the Southern Alps for most of the late Cenozoic; the lag between the start of rock uplift and the start of mean surface uplift; and the patterns of rock uplift and erosion across the Southern Alps. The age of the start of rock uplift, and the amount and rate of rock uplift, all of which vary spatially, are considered to be the dominant influences on the development of the landscape in the Southern Alps

Near-term tropical cyclone risk and coupled Earth system model biases

Most current climate models predict that the equatorial Pacific will evolve under greenhouse gas–induced warming to a more El Niño-like state over the next several decades, with a reduced zonal sea surface temperature gradient and weakened atmospheric Walker circulation. Yet, observations over the last 50 y show the opposite trend, toward a more La Niña-like state. Recent research provides evidence that the discrepancy cannot be dismissed as due to internal variability but rather that the models are incorrectly simulating the equatorial Pacific response to greenhouse gas warming. This implies that projections of regional tropical cyclone activity may be incorrect as well, perhaps even in the direction of change, in ways that can be understood by analogy to historical El Niño and La Niña events: North Pacific tropical cyclone projections will be too active, North Atlantic ones not active enough, for example. Other perils, including severe convective storms and droughts, will also be projected erroneously. While it can be argued that these errors are transient, such that the models’ responses to greenhouse gases may be correct in equilibrium, the transient response is relevant for climate adaptation in the next several decades. Given the urgency of understanding regional patterns of climate risk in the near term, it would be desirable to develop projections that represent a broader range of possible future tropical Pacific warming scenarios—including some in which recent historical trends continue—even if such projections cannot currently be produced using existing coupled earth system models