Metallogenic features of Miocene porphyry Cu and porphyry-related mineral deposits in Ecuador revealed by Re-Os, 40Ar/39Ar, and U-Pb geochronology

Mineralization and alteration events at ten Miocene porphyry Cu and porphyry-related epithermal mineral deposits in southern, central, and northern Ecuador were dated by means of molybdenite Re-Os, biotite and alunite 40Ar/39Ar, and titanite U-Pb geochronology. Most of these hydrothermal events show a spatio-temporal correlation with porphyry intrusion emplacement as constrained by zircon U-Pb ages. The total age range for these events spans the 23.5-6.1Ma period, without displaying systematic along- or across-arc age distribution trends. While epithermal deposits tend to be spatially associated with volcanic rocks of a similar age, porphyry Cu deposits in Ecuador are frequently spatially associated with deeper-seated basement units and batholith-scale precursor intrusive systems assembled over ≥5m.y. time periods. In most cases, formation of the porphyry Cu deposits is related to the youngest magmatic (-hydrothermal) event in a given area, postdating batholith construction at a regional scale. The majority of Miocene deposits occurs in southern Ecuador where areally extensive, post-mineralization (late Miocene to recent) volcanic sequences with the potential to conceal mineralization at depth are lacking. Only few Miocene deposits occur in northern-central Ecuador, where they mainly crop out in the Western Cordillera, west of the productive present-day volcanic arc. The surface distribution of post-mineralization arc volcanism reflects along-arc variations in subducting slab geometry. Porphyry Cu and epithermal deposits in Ecuador define a Miocene metallogenic belt broadly continuous with its coeval counterpart in northern-central Peru. Although both belt segments were formed in an overall similar tectonomagmatic and metallogenic setting, their respective metal endowments differ significantl

Experimental study of liquid immiscibility in the Kiruna-type Vergenoeg iron–fluorine deposit, South Africa

In this study we experimentally assess whether the bulk composition of the Kiruna-type iron–fluorine Vergenoeg deposit, South Africa (17 wt.% SiO2 and 55 wt.% FeOtot) could correspond to an immiscible Fe-rich melt paired with its host rhyolite. Synthetic powder of the host rhyolite was mixed with mafic end-members (ore rocks) in variable proportions. Experimental conditions were 1–2 kbar and 1010 C, with a range of H2O and F contents in the starting compositions. Pairs of distinct immiscible liquids occur in experiments saturated with fluorite, under relatively dry conditions, and at oxygen fugacity conditions corresponding to FMQ 1.4 to FMQ+1.8 (FMQ = fayalite-magnetite-quartz solid buffer). The Si-rich immiscible liquids contain 60.9–73.0 wt.% SiO2, 9.1–12.5 wt.% FeOtot, 2.4–4.2 wt.% F, and are enriched in Na2O, K2O and Al2O3. The paired Fe-rich immiscible melts have 41.0–49.5 wt.% SiO2, 20.6–36.1 wt.% FeOtot and 4.5–6.0 wt.% F, and are enriched in MgO, CaO and TiO2. Immiscibility does not develop in experiments performed under water-rich (aH2O > 0.2; a = activity) and/or oxidized (>FMQ+1.8) conditions. In all experiments, solid phases are magnetite, ±fayalite, fluorite and tridymite. Our results indicate that the rocks from the Vergenoeg pipe crystallized in a magma chamber hosting two immiscible silicate melts. Crystallization of the pipe from the Fe-rich melt explains its extreme enrichment in Ca, F and Fe compared to the host rhyolitic rocks. However, its low bulk silica content compared to experimental Fe-rich melts indicates that the pipe formed by remobilization of a mafic crystal mush dominated by magnetite and fayalite. Segregation of evolved residual liquids as well as the conjugate immiscible Si-rich melt produced the host rhyolite. The huge amount of fluorine in Vergenoeg ores ( 12 wt.% F) can hardly be explained by simple crystallization of fluorite from the Fe-rich silicate melt (up to 6 wt.% F at fluorite saturation). Instead, we confirm a previous hypothesis that the fluorite enrichment is, in part, due to the migration of hydrothermal fluids

Treating asthma: is there a place for leukotriene receptor antagonists?

SummaryAsthma is a chronic disorder, characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), airway inflammation and airway remodelling. Evidence has been provided for a relationship between pathophysiology, airway inflammation and remodelling. Moreover, these asthma features have been shown to respond to anti-inflammatory therapy. According to current guidelines, monitoring of asthma is predominantly based on symptoms and lung function data. However, these parameters appeared as poor indices for asthma control. Alternatively, asthma control relates well to exacerbations and (anamnestic) surrogate biomarkers of airway inflammation. Hence, appropriate treatment of asthma should primarily target the airway inflammation.According to current guidelines for asthma management, anti-inflammatory therapy with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is the cornerstone in the treatment of persistent asthma. To further optimize asthma control, add-on therapy with long-acting β2-agonists (LABA) or leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRA) should be combined with low to high doses of ICS. While the first combination focuses on optimal control of symptoms and lung function, the second provides a more complete suppression of the airway inflammation.In this paper we discuss treatment of asthma according to current guidelines versus new insights, addressing practical issues

Addressable nanoantennas with cleared hotspots for single-molecule detection on a portable smartphone microscope

The advent of highly sensitive photodetectors and the development of photostabilization strategies made detecting the fluorescence of single molecules a routine task in many labs around the world. However, to this day, this process requires cost-intensive optical instruments due to the truly nanoscopic signal of a single emitter. Simplifying single-molecule detection would enable many exciting applications, e.g., in point-of-care diagnostic settings, where costly equipment would be prohibitive. Here, we introduce addressable NanoAntennas with Cleared HOtSpots (NACHOS) that are scaffolded by DNA origami nanostructures and can be specifically tailored for the incorporation of bioassays. Single emitters placed in NACHOS emit up to 461-fold (average of 89 ± 7-fold) brighter enabling their detection with a customary smartphone camera and an 8-US-dollar objective lens. To prove the applicability of our system, we built a portable, battery-powered smartphone microscope and successfully carried out an exemplary single-molecule detection assay for DNA specific to antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia on the road

Addressable Nanoantennas with Cleared Hotspots for Single-Molecule Detection on a Portable Smartphone Microscope

The advent of highly sensitive photodetectors1,2 and the development of photostabilization strategies3 made detecting the fluorescence of a single molecule a routine task in many labs around the world. However, to this day, this process requires cost-intensive optical instruments due to the truly nanoscopic signal of a single emitter. Simplifying single-molecule detection would enable many exciting applications, e.g. in point-of-care diagnostic settings, where costly equipment would be prohibitive.4 Here, we introduce addressable NanoAntennas with Cleared HOtSpots (NACHOS) that are scaffolded by DNA origami nanostructures and can be specifically tailored for the incorporation of bioassays. Single emitters placed in the NACHOS emit up to 461-fold brighter enabling their detection with a customary smartphone camera and an 8-US-dollar objective lens. To prove the applicability of our system, we built a portable, battery-powered smartphone microscope and successfully carried out an exemplary single-molecule detection assay for DNA specific to antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia "on the road “

Identification of a Putative Crf Splice Variant and Generation of Recombinant Antibodies for the Specific Detection of Aspergillus fumigatus

BACKGROUND: Aspergillus fumigatus is a common airborne fungal pathogen for humans. It frequently causes an invasive aspergillosis (IA) in immunocompromised patients with poor prognosis. Potent antifungal drugs are very expensive and cause serious adverse effects. Their correct application requires an early and specific diagnosis of IA, which is still not properly achievable. This work aims to a specific detection of A. fumigatus by immunofluorescence and the generation of recombinant antibodies for the detection of A. fumigatus by ELISA. RESULTS: The A. fumigatus antigen Crf2 was isolated from a human patient with proven IA. It is a novel variant of a group of surface proteins (Crf1, Asp f9, Asp f16) which belong to the glycosylhydrolase family. Single chain fragment variables (scFvs) were obtained by phage display from a human naive antibody gene library and an immune antibody gene library generated from a macaque immunized with recombinant Crf2. Two different selection strategies were performed and shown to influence the selection of scFvs recognizing the Crf2 antigen in its native conformation. Using these antibodies, Crf2 was localized in growing hyphae of A. fumigatus but not in spores. In addition, the antibodies allowed differentiation between A. fumigatus and related Aspergillus species or Candida albicans by immunofluorescence microscopy. The scFv antibody clones were further characterized for their affinity, the nature of their epitope, their serum stability and their detection limit of Crf2 in human serum. CONCLUSION: Crf2 and the corresponding recombinant antibodies offer a novel approach for the early diagnostics of IA caused by A. fumigatus

Organic matter fluxes and biogeochemical processes in the OMZ off Peru, Cruise No. M138, 01 June - 03 July 2017, Callao (Peru) - Bahia Las Minas (Panama)

The oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) in the eastern tropical South Pacific Ocean is tightly connected to the coastal upwelling system off Peru. The high biological productivity off Peru is therefore, driven by the complex interplay between the amount of nutrients recycled by remineralisation processes in the OMZ and the upwelling which brings these nutrients to the surface layer. However, surprisingly little is known about organic matter cycling and its effects on biogeochemical processes in the OMZ off Peru. To this end we conducted a first comprehensive study on the role of organic matter for the biogeochemical processes and the maintenance of the OMZ off Peru. M138 combined measurements of marine biogeochemistry, microbiology, physical oceanography and air chemistry with foci on (i) the efficiency of the biological pump, (ii) the nitrogen cycle processes in the OMZ, (iii) the ventilation of the OMZ as well as (iv) the air/sea gas exchange across the ocean/atmosphere interface and (v) aerosol deposition. The METEOR cruise M138 was performed as part of the third phase of the SFB754 'Climate-Biogeochemistry Interactions in the Tropical Ocean' (www.sfb754.de)

A Phase 2a Randomized Study to Evaluate the Safety and Immunogenicity of the 1790GAHB Generalized Modules for Membrane Antigen Vaccine against Shigella sonnei Administered Intramuscularly to Adults from a Shigellosis-Endemic Country

Shigellosis is a mild-to-severe diarrheal infection, caused by the genus Shigella, and is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. We evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of an investigational Shigella sonnei vaccine (1790GAHB) based on generalized modules for membrane antigens (GMMA) in Kenya, a Shigella-endemic country. This phase 2a, observer-blind, controlled randomized study (NCT02676895) enrolled 74 healthy adults aged 18–45 years, of whom 72 were vaccinated. Participants received, in a 1:1:1 ratio, two vaccinations with the 1790GAHB vaccine at doses of either 1.5/25 μg of O antigen (OAg)/protein (group 1.5/25 μg) or 5.9/100 μg (group 5.9/100 μg) at day (D) 1 and D29, or vaccination with a quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine at D1 and tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccine at D29 (control group). Solicited and unsolicited adverse events (AEs), serious AEs (SAEs), and AEs of special interest (neutropenia and reactive arthritis) were collected. Anti-S. sonnei lipopolysaccharide (LPS) serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) geometric mean concentrations (GMC) were evaluated at D1, D29, and D57 and compared to anti-S. sonnei LPS antibody levels in convalescent patients naturally exposed to S. sonnei. The percentages of participants with seroresponse were also calculated. The most frequently reported solicited local and systemic AEs across all groups were pain and headache, respectively. Only one case of severe systemic reaction was reported (severe headache after first vaccination in group 5.9/100 μg). Seven and three episodes of neutropenia, assessed as probably or possibly related to vaccination respectively, were reported in the investigational and control groups, respectively. No other SAEs were reported. Despite very high baseline anti-S. sonnei LPS serum IgG levels, the 1790GAHB vaccine induced robust antibody responses. At D29, GMC increased 2.10- and 4.43-fold from baseline in groups 1.5/25 and 5.9/100 μg, respectively, whereas no increase was observed in the control group. Antibody titers at D57 were not statistically different from those at D29. Seroresponse was 68% at D29 and 90% at D57 in group 1.5/25 μg, and 96% after each vaccination in group 5.9/100 μg. The 1790GAHB vaccine was well tolerated and highly immunogenic in a population of African adults, regardless of the GMMA OAg/protein content used