Constraints on Alpine Fault (New Zealand) mylonitization temperatures and the geothermal gradient from Ti-in-quartz thermobarometry

We constrain the thermal state of the central Alpine Fault using approximately 750 Ti-in-quartz secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) analyses from a suite of variably deformed mylonites. Ti-in-quartz concentrations span more than 1 order of magnitude from 0.24 to  ∼ 5&thinsp;ppm, suggesting recrystallization of quartz over a 300&thinsp;°C range in temperature. Most Ti-in-quartz concentrations in mylonites, protomylonites, and the Alpine Schist protolith are between 2 and 4&thinsp;ppm and do not vary as a function of grain size or bulk rock composition. Analyses of 30 large, inferred-remnant quartz grains ( &gt; 250&thinsp;µm) as well as late, crosscutting, chlorite-bearing quartz veins also reveal restricted Ti concentrations of 2–4&thinsp;ppm. These results indicate that the vast majority of Alpine Fault mylonitization occurred within a restricted zone of pressure–temperature conditions where 2–4&thinsp;ppm Ti-in-quartz concentrations are stable. This constrains the deep geothermal gradient from the Moho to about 8&thinsp;km to a slope of 5&thinsp;°C&thinsp;km−1. In contrast, the small grains (10–40&thinsp;µm) in ultramylonites have lower Ti concentrations of 1–2&thinsp;ppm, indicating a deviation from the deeper pressure–temperature trajectory during the latest phase of ductile deformation. These constraints suggest an abrupt, order of magnitude change in the geothermal gradient to an average of about 60&thinsp;°C&thinsp;km−1 at depths shallower than about 8&thinsp;km, i.e., within the seismogenic zone. Anomalously, the lowest-Ti quartz (0.24–0.7&thinsp;ppm) occurs away from the fault in protomylonites, suggesting that the outer fault zone experienced minor plastic deformation late in the exhumation history when more fault-proximal parts of the fault were deforming exclusively by brittle processes.</p

First direct observation of Dirac fermions in graphite

Originating from relativistic quantum field theory, Dirac fermions have been recently applied to study various peculiar phenomena in condensed matter physics, including the novel quantum Hall effect in graphene, magnetic field driven metal-insulator-like transition in graphite, superfluid in 3He, and the exotic pseudogap phase of high temperature superconductors. Although Dirac fermions are proposed to play a key role in these systems, so far direct experimental evidence of Dirac fermions has been limited. Here we report the first direct observation of massless Dirac fermions with linear dispersion near the Brillouin zone (BZ) corner H in graphite, coexisting with quasiparticles with parabolic dispersion near another BZ corner K. In addition, we report a large electron pocket which we attribute to defect-induced localized states. Thus, graphite presents a novel system where massless Dirac fermions, quasiparticles with finite effective mass, and defect states all contribute to the low energy electronic dynamics.Comment: Nature Physics, in pres

A Computational Assay of Estrogen Receptor alpha Antagonists Reveals the Key Common Structural Traits of Drugs Effectively Fighting Refractory Breast Cancers

Somatic mutations of the Estrogen Receptor alpha (ER alpha) occur with an up to 40% incidence in ER sensitive breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing prolonged endocrine treatments. These polymorphisms are implicated in acquired resistance, disease relapse, and increased mortality rates, hence representing a current major clinical challenge. Here, multi-microseconds (12.5 mu s) molecular dynamics simulations revealed that recurrent ER alpha. polymorphisms (i.e. L536Q, Y5375, Y537N, D538G) (mER alpha) are constitutively active in their apo form and that they prompt the selection of an agonist (active)-like conformation even upon antagonists binding. Interestingly, our simulations rationalize, for thefirst time, the efficacy profile of (pre)clinically used Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators/Downregulators (SERMs/SERDs) against these variants, enlightening, at atomistic level of detail, the key common structural traits needed by drugs able to effectively fight refractory BC types. This knowledge represents a key advancement for mechanism-based therapeutics targeting resistant ER alpha isoforms, potentially allowing the community to move a step closer to 'precision medicine' calibrated on patients' genetic profiles and disease progression

Focal non granulomatous orchitis in a patient with Crohn’s disease

Crohn’s disease is a systemic disease and sometimes involves the testicle, usually leading to granulomatous lesions. We report herein a case of focal non-granulomatous orchitis in a 21-year-old patient with active Crohn’s disease treated by an anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibody. This circumscribed testicular lesion mimicked a tumor, leading to orchiectomy. Pre-operative blood tests (i.e. alpha-fetoprotein, lactate dehydrogenase and human chorionic gonadotrophin) were strictly normal Pathological examination of the testicle revealed a focal inflammatory infiltrate predominantly composed of lymphocytes accompanied by few plasma cells, lacking giant cells or granulomas. Importantly, intratubular germ cell neoplasia, atrophy or lithiasis were not observed. After discussing and excluding other plausible causes (burnt-out /regressed germ cell tumor, infection, vascular or traumatic lesions, iatrogenic effects), we concluded that this particular case of orchitis was most likely an extra-digestive manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease. To our knowledge, this is the first described case of focal non-granulomatous orchitis associated with Crohn’s disease. Virtual Slides: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/211774728416011

Quantum magneto-optics of graphite family

The optical conductivity of graphene, bilayer graphene, and graphite in quantizing magnetic fields is studied. Both dynamical conductivities, longitudinal and Hall's, are analytically evaluated. The conductivity peaks are explained in terms of electron transitions. We have shown that trigonal warping can be considered within the perturbation theory for strong magnetic fields larger than 1 T and in the semiclassical approach for weak fields when the Fermi energy is much larger than the cyclotron frequency. The main optical transitions obey the selection rule with \Deltan = 1 for the Landau number n, however the \Deltan = 2 transitions due to the trigonal warping are also possible. The Faraday/Kerr rotation and light transmission/reflection in the quantizing magnetic fields are calculated. Parameters of the Slonczewski-Weiss-McClure model are used in the fit taking into account the previous dHvA measurements and correcting some of them for the case of strong magnetic fields.Comment: 28 pages, 12 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1106.340

Event-by-event fluctuations of the kaon to pion ratio in central Pb+Pb collisions at 158 GeV per Nucleon

We present the first measurement of fluctuations from event to event in the production of strange particles in collisions of heavy nuclei. The ratio of charged kaons to charged pions is determined for individual central Pb+Pb collisions. After accounting for the fluctuations due to detector resolution and finite number statistics we derive an upper limit on genuine non-statistical fluctuations, perhaps related to a first or second order QCD phase transition. Such fluctuations are shown to be very small.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Inclusive Dielectron Cross Sections in p+p and p+d Interactions at Beam Energies from 1.04 to 4.88 GeV

Measurements of dielectron production in p+p and p+d collisions with beam kinetic energies from 1.04 to 4.88 GeV are presented. The differential cross section is presented as a function of invariant pair mass, transverse momentum, and rapidity. The shapes of the mass spectra and their evolution with beam energy provide information about the relative importance of the various dielectron production mechanisms in this energy regime. The p+d to p+p ratio of the dielectron yield is also presented as a function of invariant pair mass, transverse momentum, and rapidity. The shapes of the transverse momentum and rapidity spectra from the p+d and p+p systems are found to be similar to one another for each of the beam energies studied. The beam energy dependence of the integrated cross sections is also presented.Comment: 15 pages and 16 figure

Experimental Study of the Shortest Reset Word of Random Automata

In this paper we describe an approach to finding the shortest reset word of a finite synchronizing automaton by using a SAT solver. We use this approach to perform an experimental study of the length of the shortest reset word of a finite synchronizing automaton. The largest automata we considered had 100 states. The results of the experiments allow us to formulate a hypothesis that the length of the shortest reset word of a random finite automaton with $n$ states and 2 input letters with high probability is sublinear with respect to $n$ and can be estimated as $1.95 n^{0.55}.