Tertiary-Quaternary intra-plate magmatism in Europe and its relationship to mantle dynamics

Anorogenic intra-plate magmatism was widespread in Europe from early Tertiary to Recent times, extending west to east from Spain to Bulgaria, and south to north from Sicily to northern Germany. Magmatism is spatially and temporally associated with Alpine-Pyrenean collisional tectonics, the development of an extensive lithospheric rift system in the northern foreland of the Alps, and, locally, with uplift of Variscan basement massifs (Massif Central, Rhenish Massif, Bohemian Massif). The volcanic regions vary in volume from large central volcanoes (e.g. Cantal, Massif Central;Vogelsberg, northern Germany), to small isolated plugs (e.g. Urach and Hegau provinces in southern Germany). Within the Mediterranean region, the Dinarides, the Pannonian Basin and Bulgaria, anorogenic volcanism locally post-dates an earlier phase of subduction-related magmatism. The major and trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope characteristics of the most primitive mafic magmatic rocks (MgO > 6 wt %) provide important constraints on the nature of the mantle source and the conditions of partial melting.. These are predominantly sodic (melilitites, nephelinites, basanites and alkali olivine basalts); however, locally, potassic magma types (olivine leucitites, leucite nephelinites) also occur. In several localities (e.g., Sicily; Vogelsberg and the Rhine Graben, Germany; Calatrava, central Spain) olivine- and quartz-tholeiites form a significant component of the magmatism. The sodic magmas were derived by variable degrees of partial melting (~ 0.5 - 5 %) within a transitional zone between garnet-peridotite and spinel-peridotite mantle facies, close to the base of the lithosphere; the potassic magma types are interpreted as partial melts of enriched domains within the lithospheric mantle. Mantle partial melting was induced by adiabatic decompression of the asthenosphere, locally in small-scale, plume-like, diapirs which appear to upwell from ~ 400 km depth

Application of machine learning to support self-management of asthma with mHealth

While there have been several efforts to use mHealth technologies to support asthma management, none so far offer personalised algorithms that can provide real-time feedback and tailored advice to patients based on their monitoring. This work employed a publicly available mHealth dataset, the Asthma Mobile Health Study (AMHS), and applied machine learning techniques to develop early warning algorithms to enhance asthma self-management. The AMHS consisted of longitudinal data from 5,875 patients, including 13,614 weekly surveys and 75,795 daily surveys. We applied several well-known supervised learning algorithms (classification) to differentiate stable and unstable periods and found that both logistic regression and naïve Bayes-based classifiers provided high accuracy (AUC > 0.87). We found features related to the use of quick-relief puffs, night symptoms, frequency of data entry, and day symptoms (in descending order of importance) as the most useful features to detect early evidence of loss of control. We found no additional value of using peak flow readings to improve population level early warning algorithms

The reading of self-help books by intermediate phase teachers in Gauteng townships.

This research focuses on the reading of self-help books, or ‘advice literature’, by Intermediate Phase teachers in Soweto schools. The study is based on Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, other theories about the nature of literacy practices and how initial literacy is mediated. It includes a survey of the political and social factors that may have influenced the teachers’ attitudes to reading. It includes interview data on the topics they favour, their perceptions of the effects of such books on their own lives, whether or not they read other genres, such as children’s books, and whether or not their reading impacts on the methods they use in teaching children to read. It therefore contributes to a broader understanding of the literacy habitus of the subject group, and, viewed within the context of the literacy crisis in South African schools, provides insights into their attitudes towards reading and the reasons why they often fail to extend their learners’ reading abilities beyond the level of basic decoding

Miniaturized Gas Correlation Radiometer for the Detection of Trace Gases in the Martian Atmosphere

We present a miniaturized and simplified version of a gas correlation radiometer (GCR) capable of simultaneously mapping multiple trace gases and identifying active regions on the Mars surface. Gas correlation radiometry (GCR) has been shown to be a sensitive and versatile method for detecting trace gases in Earth's atmosphere. Reduction of the size and mass of the GCR was achieved by implementing compact, light-weight 1 mm inner diameter hollow-core optical fibers (hollow waveguides) as the gas correlation cells. In a comparison with an Earth orbiting CO2 GCR instrument, exchanging the 10 m multipass cells with hollow waveguide gas correlation cells of equivalent path length reduces the mass from approximately 150 kg to approximately 0.5 kg, and reduces the volume from 1.9 m x 1.3 m x 0.86 m to a small bundle of fiber coils approximately 1 meter in diameter by 0.05 m in height (mass and volume reductions of greater than 99%). A unique feature of this instrument is its stackable module design, with a single module for each trace gas. Each of the modules is self-contained, and fundamentally identical; differing by the bandpass filter wavelength range and gas mixtures inside the hollow-waveguide absorption cells. The current configuration contains four stacked modules for simultaneous measurements of methane (CH4), formaldehyde (H2CO), water vapor (H2O), and deuterated water vapor (HDO) but could easily be expanded to include measurements of additional species of interest including nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methanol (CH3OH), and sulfur dioxide (SO2), as well as carbon dioxide (CO2) for a simultaneous measure of mass balance. Preliminary results indicate that a 1 ppb detection limit is possible for both formaldehyde and methane with one second of averaging. Using non-optimized components, we have demonstrated an instrument sensitivity equivalent to approximately 30 ppb for formaldehyde, and approximately 500 ppb for methane. We expect custom bandpass filters and 6 m long waveguides to significantly improve these promising results. Ongoing testing is being conducted on water vapor and deuterated water vapor

Elevated ACKR2 expression is a common feature of inflammatory arthropathies

Objectives. Chemokines are essential contributors to leucocyte accumulation at sites of inflammatory pathology. Interfering with chemokine or chemokine receptor function therefore represents a plausible therapeutic option. However, our currently limited understanding of chemokine orchestration of inflammatory responses means that such therapies have not yet been fully developed. We have a particular interest in the family of atypical chemokine receptors that fine-tune, or resolve, chemokine-driven responses. In particular we are interested in atypical chemokine receptor 2 (ACKR2), which is a scavenging receptor for inflammatory CC-chemokines and that therefore helps to resolve in vivo inflammatory responses. The objective of the current study was to examine ACKR2 expression in common arthropathies. Methods. ACKR2 expression was measured by a combination of qPCR and immuno-histochemistry. In addition, circulating cytokine and chemokine levels in patient plasma were assessed using multiplexing approaches. Results. Expression of ACKR2 was elevated on peripheral blood cells as well as on leucocytes and stromal cells in synovial tissue. Expression on peripheral blood leucocytes correlated with, and could be regulated by, circulating cytokines with particularly strong associations being seen with IL-6 and hepatocyte growth factor. In addition, expression within the synovium was coincident with aggregates of lymphocytes, potentially atopic follicles and sites of high inflammatory chemokine expression. Similarly increased levels of ACKR2 have been reported in psoriasis and SSc. Conclusion. Our data clearly show increased ACKR2 in a variety of arthropathies and taking into account our, and others’, previous data we now propose that elevated ACKR2 expression is a common feature of inflammatory pathologies

The characterisation and regulation of T cell immune responses in psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory arthritis. It affects approximately 0.05% of the general population presenting as peripheral arthritis, axial disease or a combination of both. About 10% of patients with psoriasis suffer from PsA. Currently available therapies have limited efficacy with associated toxicity. PsA is therefore a common arthropathy for which novel therapies are urgently required. Our understanding of the role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of rheumatic disease has led to the development of specific targeted therapies. The identification of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) as a key player in the inflammatory response has been a major advance in the field of rheumatology. The effects of blocking this pro inflammatory molecule have resulted in dramatic clinical effects across the spectrum of rheumatic diseases. Unfortunately however there remain a proportion of non-responders and concerns have been raised surrounding the adverse effects of these therapies (Furst, Keystone et al. 2001). It is therefore important to continue to elucidate other key players in the inflammatory cascade that can be modified to achieve clinical response. A critical advance in understanding the immune system's role in driving inflammation has been the recognition of different functional subsets of T helper (Th) cells according to their cytokine profile. Techniques have evolved that enable us to achieve clarification of a true in vivo Th1 response by identifying cells in SF that spontaneously secrete IFNγ. In this thesis, spontaneously secreting cells were identified in SF of patients with active PsA. That such IFNγ expressing cells may have a pathogenic role in PsA is supported by the following observations: IFNγ is the prototype macrophage activator of TNFα that drives inflammation in psoriasis and PsA. IFNγ when tested as a potential treatment for psoriasis induced synovitis in a subset of patients. (O'Connell, Gerber et al. 1992). The injection of IFNγ into the skin induces hyperkeratosis (Fierlbeck, Rassner et al. 1990). Autologous Natural Killer T (NKT) cells, potent producers of IL-4 and IFNγ, are able to induce psoriasis in 'normal skin' grafted onto a SCID mouse (Nickoloff, Wrone- Smithetal. 1999). Those factors regulating the expression of IFNγ may therefore be of considerable interest as they may offer potential targets to modify Th1 responses in PsA. Cytokines such as interleukin 18 (IL-18) and interleukin 12 (IL-12) have been shown to regulate Th1 responses in animal models of arthritis (Leung, McInnes et al. 2000). Whether such cytokines are present and indeed induce inflammation in PsA is unknown. The first part of this thesis focuses on the characterisation of the predominant Th response in PsA and the identification of key regulatory cytokines such as IL-12 and IL-18 that may drive TNFα production and as such lead to inflammation. The presence of other regulatory cells capable of driving the inflammatory response was explored briefly. NKT cells are a subset of T cell, which secrete IFNγ and IL-4 depending on the predominant cytokine milieu (Hafner, Falk et al. 1999). A pathogenic role for NKT cells in psoriasis has been suggested. (Bonish, Jullien et al. 2000). The ability of synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SF MC) to proliferate and secrete TNFα in response to glycolipid presented to NK T cells was investigated. Although TNFα contributes directly to synovial inflammation, the blockade of TNFα does not protect completely against cartilage damage (Joosten, Helsen et al. 1999). IFNγ and IL- 17 have opposing effects on bone resorption. IFNγ inhibits bone resorption whereas IL-17 enhances resorption through the degradation or enhancement of TNF receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6) respectively (Chabaud, Lubberts et al. 2001). The expression of IL-17 and the functional effects of this cytokine on MMP3 expression by fibroblasts were therefore studied as a final section in this thesis

The value of the arts in clinical and therapeutic interventions: a critical review of the literature

This report presents an updated critical review of the emerging body of literature on the value of the arts in clinical and therapeutic interventions. Based on a systematic search of the literature, there were two distinct strands of work undertaken. The first strand, builds on the seminal review undertaken by Staricoff (2004), which examined and identified a number of benefits to using arts in healthcare settings. The second strand of the review, focuses on caregivers’ perceptions of the value of the arts in therapeutic and clinical interventions

The role of working hours, work environment and physical leisure activity on the need for recovery following a day's work among UK white-water raft guides: a within-subjects multilevel approach

Background: White-water raft guides are a growing workforce of the outdoor sector but little is known about how the working environment, workload and physical leisure activity impacts on the need for occupational recovery (the desire to replenish internal resources and recuperate in the time immediately following work) of those working in this physically demanding occupation. Methods: Longitudinal data were collected across an eight month working season at three month intervals. Multilevel analyses tested the within-subject associations between work environment, hours worked and physical leisure activity had on the need for recovery. Results: Working longer across the working season and participating in more physical leisure activity were directly associated with a lower need for occupational recovery. Furthermore, working on natural rivers significantly reduced the need for recovery experienced compared to work on man-made courses. This was regardless of the number of hours of worked in these environments. Discussion: Physical leisure activity may provide a distraction from work, allowing employees to replenish their physical and psychological energy, thus protecting themselves against work-related fatigue. The findings also expand upon the previous literature identifying that working in a natural environment reduces the risk of experiencing work-related fatigue