Major tectonic units of the North China Craton and their Paleoproterozoic assembly

The basement of the North China Craton can be divided into the Eastern and Western Blocks and the Central Zone (Trans-North China Orogen). The West Block formed by the amalgamation of the Ordos Block in the south and the Yinshan Block in the north 1.9-2.0 Ga ago. In 1.8-1.9 Ga, the Eastern and Western Blocks were amalgamated along the Central Zone to form the North China Craton.published_or_final_versio

Pan-African metamorphic and magmatic rocks of the Khanka Massif, NE China: Further evidence regarding their affinity

The Khanka Massif is a crustal block located along the eastern margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) and bordered to the east by Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous circum-Pacific accretionary complexes of the Eastern Asian continental margin. It consists of graphite-, sillimanite- and cordierite-bearing gneisses, carbonates and felsic paragneisses, in association with various orthogneisses. Metamorphic zircons from a sillimanite gneiss from the Hutou complex yield a weighted mean 206Pb/ 238U age of 490 ± 4 Ma, whereas detrital zircons from the same sample give ages from 934-610 Ma. Magmatic zircon cores in two garnet-bearing granite gneiss samples, also collected from the Hutou complex, yield weighted mean 206Pb/ 238U ages of 522 ± 5 Ma and 515 ± 8 Ma, whereas their metamorphic rims record 206Pb/ 238U ages of 510-500 Ma. These data indicate that the Hutou complex in the Khanka Massif records early Palaeozoic magmatic and metamorphic events, identical in age to those in the Mashan Complex of the Jiamusi Massif to the west. The older zircon populations in the sillimanite gneiss indicate derivation from Neoproterozoic sources, as do similar rocks in the Jiamusi Massif. These data confirm that the Khanka Massif has a close affinity with other major components of the CAOB to the west of the Dun-Mi Fault. Based on these results and previously published data, the Khanka Massif is therefore confirmed as having formed a single crustal entity with the Jiamusi (and possibly the Bureya) massif since Neoproterozoic time. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010.published_or_final_versio

Lithotectonic elements and geological events in the Hengshan-Wutai-Fuping belt: A synthesis and implications for the evolution of the Trans-North China Orogen

The Hengshan-Wutai-Fuping belt is located in the middle segment of the Trans-North China Orogen, a Palaeoproterozoic continental collisional belt along which the Eastern and Western blocks amalgamated to form the North China Craton. The belt consists of the medium- to high-grade Hengshan and Fuping gneiss complexes and the intervening low- to medium-grade Wutai granite-greenstone terrane, and most igneous rocks in the belt are calc-alkaline and have affinities to magmatic arcs. Previous tectonic models assumed that the Hengshan and Fuping gneiss assemblages were an older basement to the Wutai supracrustal rocks, but recent studies indicate that the three complexes constitute a single, long-lived Neoarchaean to Palaeoproterozoic magmatic arc where the Wutai Complex represents an upper crustal domain, whereas the Hengshan and Fuping gneisses represent the lower crustal components forming the root of the arc. The earliest arc-related magmatism in the belt occurred at 2560-2520 Ma, marked by the emplacement of the Wutai granitoids, which was followed by arc volcanism at 2530-2515 Ma, forming the Wutai greenstones. Extension driven by widespread arc volcanism led to the development of a back-arc basin or a marginal sea, which divided the belt into the Hengshan-Wutai island arc (Japan-type) and the Fuping relict arc. At 2520-2480 Ma, subduction beneath the Hengshan-Wutai island arc caused partial melting of the lower crust to form the Hengshan tonalitic-trondhjemitic-granodioritic (TTG) suites, whereas eastward-directed subduction of the marginal sea led to the reactivation of the Fuping relict arc, where the Fuping tonalitic-trondhjemitic-granodioritic suite was emplaced. In the period 2360-2000 Ma, sporadic phases of isolated granitoid magmatism occurred in the Hengshan-Wutai-Fuping region, forming 2360 Ma, c. 2250 Ma and 2000-2100 Ma granitoids in the Hengshan Complex, the c. 2100 Ma Wangjiahui and Dawaliang granites in the Wutai Complex, and the 2100-2000 Ma Nanying granitoids in the Fuping Complex. At c. 1920 Ma, the Hengshan-Wutai island arc underwent an extensional event, possibly due to the subduction of an oceanic ridge, leading to the emplacement of pre-tectonic gabbroic dykes that were subsequently metamorphosed, together with their host rocks, to form medium- to high-pressure granulites. At 1880-1820 Ma, the Hengshan-Wutai-Fuping arc system was juxtaposed, intensely deformed and metamorphosed during a major and regionally extensive orogenic event, the Lüliang Orogeny, which generated the Trans-North China Orogen through collision of the Eastern and Western blocks. The Hengshan-Wutai-Fuping belt was finally stabilized after emplacement of a mafic dyke swarm at 1780-1750 Ma. © 2007 Cambridge University Press.published_or_final_versio

Lithotectonic elements and geological events in the Hengshan-Wutai-Fuping belt: A synthesis and implications for the evolution of the Trans-North China Orogen

The Hengshan-Wutai-Fuping belt is located in the middle segment of the Trans-North China Orogen, a Palaeoproterozoic continental collisional belt along which the Eastern and Western blocks amalgamated to form the North China Craton. The belt consists of the medium- to high-grade Hengshan and Fuping gneiss complexes and the intervening low- to medium-grade Wutai granite-greenstone terrane, and most igneous rocks in the belt are calc-alkaline and have affinities to magmatic arcs. Previous tectonic models assumed that the Hengshan and Fuping gneiss assemblages were an older basement to the Wutai supracrustal rocks, but recent studies indicate that the three complexes constitute a single, long-lived Neoarchaean to Palaeoproterozoic magmatic arc where the Wutai Complex represents an upper crustal domain, whereas the Hengshan and Fuping gneisses represent the lower crustal components forming the root of the arc. The earliest arc-related magmatism in the belt occurred at 2560-2520 Ma, marked by the emplacement of the Wutai granitoids, which was followed by arc volcanism at 2530-2515 Ma, forming the Wutai greenstones. Extension driven by widespread arc volcanism led to the development of a back-arc basin or a marginal sea, which divided the belt into the Hengshan-Wutai island arc (Japan-type) and the Fuping relict arc. At 2520-2480 Ma, subduction beneath the Hengshan-Wutai island arc caused partial melting of the lower crust to form the Hengshan tonalitic-trondhjemitic-granodioritic (TTG) suites, whereas eastward-directed subduction of the marginal sea led to the reactivation of the Fuping relict arc, where the Fuping tonalitic-trondhjemitic-granodioritic suite was emplaced. In the period 2360-2000 Ma, sporadic phases of isolated granitoid magmatism occurred in the Hengshan-Wutai-Fuping region, forming 2360 Ma, c. 2250 Ma and 2000-2100 Ma granitoids in the Hengshan Complex, the c. 2100 Ma Wangjiahui and Dawaliang granites in the Wutai Complex, and the 2100-2000 Ma Nanying granitoids in the Fuping Complex. At c. 1920 Ma, the Hengshan-Wutai island arc underwent an extensional event, possibly due to the subduction of an oceanic ridge, leading to the emplacement of pre-tectonic gabbroic dykes that were subsequently metamorphosed, together with their host rocks, to form medium- to high-pressure granulites. At 1880-1820 Ma, the Hengshan-Wutai-Fuping arc system was juxtaposed, intensely deformed and metamorphosed during a major and regionally extensive orogenic event, the Lüliang Orogeny, which generated the Trans-North China Orogen through collision of the Eastern and Western blocks. The Hengshan-Wutai-Fuping belt was finally stabilized after emplacement of a mafic dyke swarm at 1780-1750 Ma. © 2007 Cambridge University Press.published_or_final_versio

A comparison of the recording of 30 common childhood conditions in the Doctor's Independent Network and General Practice Research Databases.

In this article we compare the recording of 30 common childhood conditions in two general practice databases of anonymised computerised medical records based on fundamentally different systems--the Doctor's Independent Network (DIN) database (Torex system) and the General Practice Research Database (GPRD) (In Practice Systems). Analysing the records of all children born 1990-1993 and followed for 5 years we found comparable results for most conditions, but differences between the hierarchical structures of the diagnostic coding systems (Read in DIN, OXMIS in GPRD) led to some differences between the databases. Practice variation was marked, but comparable between databases. Variation was greatest in conditions that are poorly defined clinically

On stability of discretizations of the Helmholtz equation (extended version)

We review the stability properties of several discretizations of the Helmholtz equation at large wavenumbers. For a model problem in a polygon, a complete $k$-explicit stability (including $k$-explicit stability of the continuous problem) and convergence theory for high order finite element methods is developed. In particular, quasi-optimality is shown for a fixed number of degrees of freedom per wavelength if the mesh size $h$ and the approximation order $p$ are selected such that $kh/p$ is sufficiently small and $p = O(\log k)$, and, additionally, appropriate mesh refinement is used near the vertices. We also review the stability properties of two classes of numerical schemes that use piecewise solutions of the homogeneous Helmholtz equation, namely, Least Squares methods and Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods. The latter includes the Ultra Weak Variational Formulation

Identifying the favored mutation in a positive selective sweep.

Most approaches that capture signatures of selective sweeps in population genomics data do not identify the specific mutation favored by selection. We present iSAFE (for "integrated selection of allele favored by evolution"), a method that enables researchers to accurately pinpoint the favored mutation in a large region (∼5 Mbp) by using a statistic derived solely from population genetics signals. iSAFE does not require knowledge of demography, the phenotype under selection, or functional annotations of mutations

Sobolev spaces on non-Lipschitz subsets of Rn with application to boundary integral equations on fractal screens

We study properties of the classical fractional Sobolev spaces on non-Lipschitz subsets of Rn. We investigate the extent to which the properties of these spaces, and the relations between them, that hold in the well-studied case of a Lipschitz open set, generalise to non-Lipschitz cases. Our motivation is to develop the functional analytic framework in which to formulate and analyse integral equations on non-Lipschitz sets. In particular we consider an application to boundary integral equations for wave scattering by planar screens that are non-Lipschitz, including cases where the screen is fractal or has fractal boundary

Right ventricular dysfunction in patients with Brugada-like electrocardiography: a two dimensional strain imaging study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Sodium channel blockers augment ST-segment elevation in the right precordial leads in patients undergoing Brugada-type electrocardiography (ECG). However, their effect on echocardiographic features is not known. We address this by assessing global and regional ventricular function using conventional Doppler and two- dimensional (2D) speckle tracking techniques.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty-one patients with Brugada-type ECG were studied. A pure sodium channel blocker, pilsicainide, was used to provoke an ECG response. The percentage longitudinal systolic myocardial strain at the base of both the right ventricular (RV) free wall and the interventricular septum wall was measured using 2D speckle tracking. Left ventricular (LV) and RV myocardial performance (TEI) indices were also measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The pilsicainide challenge provoked a positive ECG response in 13 patients (inducible group). In the inducible group, longitudinal strain was significantly reduced only at the RV (-27.3 ± 5.4% vs -22.1 ± 3.6%, <it>P </it>< 0.01), and both RV and LV TEI indices increased (RV: 0.19 ± 0.09 vs 0.27 ± 0.11, <it>P </it>< 0.05; LV: 0.30 ± 0.10 vs 0.45 ± 0.10, <it>P </it>< 0.01) after pilsicainide administration.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Temporal and spatial analysis using the TEI index and 2D strain imaging revealed the deterioration of global ventricular function associated with conduction disturbance and RV regional function in patients with Brugada-type ECG and coved type ST elevation due to administration of a sodium channel blocker.</p

VEROnA Protocol: A Pilot, Open-Label, Single-Arm, Phase 0, Window-of-Opportunity Study of Vandetanib-Eluting Radiopaque Embolic Beads (BTG-002814) in Patients With Resectable Liver Malignancies

BACKGROUND: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the current standard of care for patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and is also a treatment option for patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer. However, TACE is not a curative treatment, and tumor progression occurs in more than half of the patients treated. Despite advances and technical refinements of TACE, including the introduction of drug-eluting beads-TACE, the clinical efficacy of TACE has not been optimized, and improved arterial therapies are required. OBJECTIVE: The primary objectives of the VEROnA study are to evaluate the safety and tolerability of vandetanib-eluting radiopaque embolic beads (BTG-002814) in patients with resectable liver malignancies and to determine concentrations of vandetanib and the N-desmethyl metabolite in plasma and resected liver following treatment with BTG-002814. METHODS: The VEROnA study is a first-in-human, open-label, single-arm, phase 0, window-of-opportunity study of BTG-002814 (containing 100 mg vandetanib) delivered transarterially, 7 to 21 days before surgery in patients with resectable liver malignancies. Eligible patients have a diagnosis of colorectal liver metastases, or HCC (Childs Pugh A), diagnosed histologically or radiologically, and are candidates for liver surgery. All patients are followed up for 28 days following surgery. Secondary objectives of this study are to evaluate the anatomical distribution of BTG-002814 on noncontrast-enhanced imaging, to evaluate histopathological features in the surgical specimen, and to assess changes in blood flow on dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging following treatment with BTG-002814. Exploratory objectives of this study are to study blood biomarkers with the potential to identify patients likely to respond to treatment and to correlate the distribution of BTG-002814 on imaging with pathology by 3-dimensional modeling. RESULTS: Enrollment for the study was completed in February 2019. Results of a planned interim analysis were reviewed by a safety committee after the first 3 patients completed follow-up. The recommendation of the committee was to continue the study without any changes to the dose or trial design, as there were no significant unexpected toxicities related to BTG-002814. CONCLUSIONS: The VEROnA study is studying the feasibility of administering BTG-002814 to optimize the use of this novel technology as liver-directed therapy for patients with primary and secondary liver cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrial.gov NCT03291379; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03291379. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/13696