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Indirect worker participation in corporate policy decisions is occurring through worker and union representation on boards of directors and supervisory boards in Europe, Australia, and the United States. Evidence suggests that this form of representation is problematic because of the structure of corporate boards, selection and training of worker directors, dual loyalty-role conflict problems, confidentiality constraints, and communication with constituents. In the United States, worker directorships arise at the corporate level because of concession bargaining and employee ownership. However, U.S. corporate and labor laws raise questions over the legal status of union board memberships. Several U.S. cases are compared with foreign experiences. The assessment of the effectiveness of worker directorships as a form of participation varies dramatically based on the orientations of researchers as unitarist, pluralist, or conflict theorists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the formation of the Keraf Suture during the Neoproterozoic consolidation of Gondwana. Description of the Suture; How the northern part of the Suture is dominated by N-trending and upright folds; What are the differences in the structural styles.

Focuses on the glass inclusions in olivine and plagioclause phenocrysts which are from the Mariana arc lavas. What the glass inclusions showed; Indication of glass inclusion data; Discovery of primitive, mantle-derived melts; Reference to the controversies of igneous petrology.

Presents the results of a study on the deformation history of the Keraf zone in northern Sudan, site of the boundary between the juvenile Neoproterozoic crust of the Arabian-Nubian Shield in the Red Sea Hills and older crust of the Nile craton. Use of Shuttle Imaging Radar; Regional geology of the zone; Significance of structural styles in the zone.

Looks into certiorari in U.S. law. Preservation of uniformity of decision in the federal courts upon points solvable by federal law; Identification of the prime purposes of the certiorari jurisdiction; Discovery of the fact that the Renegotiation Board has no power to fix at six per cent the interest payable to the government on excessive profits.

The article discusses about inconsistency in government litigation. Most Government litigation is under the supervisory control of the Attorney General and the Solicitor General in the Department of Justice. In the Supreme Court, the litigation is in the direct charge of the Solicitor General. In the lower courts, most Government cases are handled by Department of Justice lawyers (including the United States Attorneys), although some are handled by attorneys for independent agencies. Cases reaching the Supreme Court level are usually handled by a new set of attorneys in the appellate sections of the various Divisions of the Department of Justice and the Solicitor General's Office.

The article presents a discussion on Commerce Clause and its impact on the U.S. national economy from 1933-1946. It states that the Commerce Clause itself, with its removal of trade barriers, had created the national market in which manufacturers were compelled to compete. Because of the Commerce Clause no state could protect its home industries by forbidding the entry of goods produced under substandard labor conditions. The author points out that in the absence of such power, establishment of higher labor standards for any single state would deprive its producers of their home markets as well as of those in other states.

Presents a comparative analysis on review findings of administrators, judges and juries in the federal, judicial and administrative systems in the U.S. Efforts of many judges and commentators to devise a rule that can be uniformly applied in the Supreme Court decisions; Factors that contribute to the variation on the standard of review applied by the Court with the agency under consideration and even with the individual case; Benefits of using the unitary approach to the administrative field on the feasibility of comparing the rules which govern the judicial review of administrative determinations.

Determines the problem of separability and separability clauses in the Supreme Court. Principles governing the severance of valid from invalid portions of a statue; Questions on separability clauses; Recognition of the defects in the prevailing means of informing the Court of the true intention of the legislature on matters of separability.

This article discusses the power of the federal government to regulate commerce in the U.S. The Constitutional Convention was called because the Articles of Confederation had not given the Federal Government any power to regulate commerce. This defect proved to be so serious that the Virginia General Assembly appointed commissioners to meet with commissioners of other states to take into consideration the trade of the United States; to examine the relative situation and trade of the said states; to consider how far the uniform system in their commercial regulations may be necessary to their common interest and their permanent harmony; and to report to the several states such an act relative to this great object.

Three experiments were conducted to study the behavioral and physiological effects of false heart rate feedback. These experiments were based on a paradigm advanced by Valins (1966) who stressed that the mere belief that one's heart beat is changing, regardless of actual physiological changes, is sufficient to affect behavior. The three experiments involved (1) a replication of Valins' original study with a closer examination of actual physiological responses, (2) examination of the role which subject attention plays, and (3) a substitution of unpleasant stimuli for the pictures of nude females used in the earlier studies. It was concluded that what Valins ascribed to merely the belief that physiological actions were occurring may have, in fact, been due to actual physiological changes precipitated by a general attention factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compares subjective and physiological adaptation, as measured by magnitude of galvanic skin response (GSR), to electric shock and auditory noise. GSR adaptation shown by noise subjects with an increase in subjective intensity reports; Importance of anticipation in terms of level of arousal at the onset of the session.

The effects of four types of deep breaths on the latency, the magnitude and the duration of finger volume pulse, heart rate and galvanic skin responses were studied in a quasi-learning situation. The respiratory stimuli were normal inspirations, three times deeper than normal, six times deeper and fast, and six times deeper and slow. Twenty Ss took each type of deep breath in random order six times in response to specific lights. Graphs and statistical tests are presented summarizing the above relationships and two unexpected findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ability to control GSRs through the use of ideational stimulation was studied in 26 professional actors. During one 10-mm period, "Respond," Ss had to make as many GSRs as possible; during the other period, "Rest," Ss were instructed to inhibit their GSRs. All Ss received continuous visual feedback of their responses during both periods. No relationship was found between ability to control GSRs and emotional expression as measured by the ratings of directors. However, as predicted, method actors performed at a significantly higher level than non-method actors. An additional finding was that those actors who normally experience sweating as their primary response to stress performed at a higher level than non-sweaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of response-contingent and random aversive auditory stimulation on gastrointestinal motility. Ss were presented with four consecutive 10-min treatment periods in the following order: response-contingent (R-C), random, R-C, random. During R-C, S could avoid the 5-sec 90 db tone, which was programmed to come on every 30 sec, by pressing a key once during the 5 sec preceding the tone. During the random period, S had no control over the presentation of the tone. The results indicated that during R-C, amplitude of gastrointestinal motility was significantly greater and latency briefer than under random conditions. These results are accounted for in terms of the dual role of the tone in the R-C condition, i.e. it is aversive and it signifies to S that his time estimation was incorrect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chren's study provides further evidence that for primary facial nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), recurrence rates with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) are modestly better than those for excision surgery. In 20 years, use of MMS has grown ∼10-fold and its cost now exceeds two billion dollars annually. Clinical experience and available data suggest that the skill of the treating physician is at least as important a determinant of outcome as the choice of MMS or excision. As patients and referring physicians increasingly share in the cost of more expensive procedures, evidence-based guidelines that establish the clinical circumstances in which the additional benefits of MMS outweigh its higher cost are needed, still lacking, and unlikely to become available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews the book "Hegel's Naturalism: Mind, Nature, and the Final Ends of Life" by Terry Pinkard.

The authors argues the need for evidence from independent prospective cohort studies and controlled trials before accepting the hypothesis that psoriasis is a systemic disease. An overview of psoriasis which is a chronic and disabling disease associated with a higher risk of obesity, smoking and myriad medical conditions is presented. The authors stress that dermatology must advance beyond the circumstantial evidence and studies must be financed adequately and independent from sponsors.

Recently, it has become clear that head trauma can lead to a progressive neurodegeneration known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Although the medical literature also implicates head trauma as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, these findings are predominantly based on clinical diagnostic criteria that lack specificity. The dementia that follows head injuries or repetitive mild trauma may be caused by chronic traumatic encephalopathy, alone or in conjunction with other neurodegenerations (for example, Alzheimer's disease). Prospective longitudinal studies of head-injured individuals, with neuropathological verification, will not only improve understanding of head trauma as a risk factor for dementia but will also enhance treatment and prevention of a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Gelfand’s 2006 publication, the hypothesis that psoriasis is a risk factor for myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has drawn substantial attention (Gelfand et al., 2006). Makers of biologic therapies for psoriasis, whose products cost $15,000 to $25,000 per patient treated per year, are prominent sponsors of symposia and publications that have advanced this hypothesis (Strober et al., 2008; Friedewald et al., 2008). A company-supported clinical trial testing the hypothesis that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor therapy of psoriasis may also reduce cardiovascular risk is under way (ClinicalTrials.gov, 2007). In this issue, Wakkee et al. provide additional evidence that it is unlikely that either psoriasis or severe psoriasis is a relevant risk factor for MI. Even if—after accounting for confounding and bias—psoriasis is significantly associated with CVD risk, psoriasis is unlikely to be a clinically useful independent risk factor for CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Paleocene adakitic granitoids are rare in Iran except in the northwest. We focused on the adakitic Saqqez-Takab pluton, which occupies an area of ~600 km2. New U-Pb zircon dating yield crystallization ages of 58–56 Ma (Thanetian). These granitoids comprises granite, quartz monzonite and monzogranite with granular to mylonitic textures. They have high SiO 2 abundances (59.1–78.6 wt%), high ratios of Sr/Y (50–490) and La/Yb ratios (19–237), along with high Ba (779–2466 ppm) and light rare earth element contents (e.g., La = 11–70 ppm). Saqqez-Takab granitoids have compositions that are similar to high-silica adakites, including low Mg- number (Mg# < 0.5), TiO 2 (<0.93 wt%), Cr (<38 ppm) and Ni (<55 ppm). K 2 O/Na 2 O ratios of these granitoids are high (>0.7), resembling K-rich adakitic granitoids. Initial ratios of 87Sr/86Sr and ε Nd (t) vary from 0.7044 to 0.7053 and −2.8 to +2.0 respectively. These isotopic signatures differ from those of typical subducting slab-derived adakites (O-type adakite) with high positive ε Nd (t) and from collision-related adakites (C-type adakite) with negative ε Nd (t). The geochemical and isotopic characteristics of Saqqez-Takab granitoids are most consistent with magma being produced by amphibole-dominated fractionation of hydrous melts of subcontinental lithospheric mantle accompanied by minor assimilation of lower mafic calc alkaline continental crust. Distribution of similar-ages adakites in the NW Iran and E Pontides of Turkey suggests that these melts formed similarly. Upwelling of hot asthenosphere due to Neotethys slab rollback led to partial melting of lower continental crust calc alkaline mafic rocks and/or amphibole fractionation from mafic magma produced K-rich adakitic rocks in eastern Turkey and NW Iran during the late Paleocene. • High-K adakitic granites from NW Iran have zircon U-Pb ages of 58–57 Ma. • Partial melting of subcontinental lithosphere was the source of mafic precursors. • Amphibole fractionation played the main role in generating Paleocene adakites. • These adakites were produced in continental crust of normal thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses formation of felsic magmas in an intra‐oceanic magmatic arc. New bathymetric, petrologic, geochemical, and isotopic data for Zealandia Bank and two related volcanoes in the south‐central Mariana arc is presented and interpreted. These three volcanoes are remnants of an older andesitic volcano that evolved for some time and became dormant long enough for a carbonate platform to grow on its summit before reawakening as a rhyodacitic volcano. Zealandia lavas are transitional between low‐ and medium‐K and tholeiitic and calc‐alkaline suites. They define a bimodal suite with a gap of 56–58 wt% SiO2; this suggests that mafic and felsic magmas have different origins. The magmatic system is powered by mantle‐derived basalts having low Zr/Y and flat rare earth element patterns. Two‐pyroxene thermometry yields equilibration temperatures of 1000–1100 °C for andesites and 900–1000 °C for dacites. Porphyritic basalts and andesites show textures expected for fractionating magmas but mostly fine‐grained felsic lavas do not. All lavas show trace element signatures expected for mantle and crustal sources that were strongly melt‐depleted and enriched by subduction‐related fluids and sediment melts. Sr and Nd isotopic compositions fall in the normal range of Mariana arc lavas. Felsic lavas show petrographic evidence of mixing with mafic magma. Zealandia Bank felsic magmatism supports the idea that a large mid‐ to lower‐crustal felsic magma body exists beneath the south‐central Mariana arc, indicating that MASH (mixing, assimilation, storage, and homogenization) zones can form beneath intra‐oceanic as well as continental arcs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) is a group of the world's leading medical journals whose participants meet annually to improve standards in manuscripts submitted to biomedical journals. In September 2004, the ICMJE announced a tough new stance on registering clinical trials. All trials that start enrolling participants after July 1, 2005 must register their trial in a suitable publicly accessible register before that date in order to be considered for subsequent publication in those journals.

Discusses a view on studies about the effect of efalizumab, a new treatment for psoriasis. The development of monoclonal antibodies that alter immune function; Evaluation of efalizumab relative to other therapies; The notion of efficacy in patients with regards to cost, risk of therapy and speed of relapse as well as how well a medication clears the skin; Long-term safety assessments; Recommendations for use in patients with severe disease unresponsive to other treatments.

The continental crust of Iran is dominated by abundant calc-alkaline and alkaline plutonic and volcanic rocks and by rifted basins filled with mostly terrigenous sedimentary rocks that formed at a Late Ediacaran to Cambrian extensional convergent plate margin along the northern margin of Gondwana. Here we present new zircon U–Pb age, geochemical, and isotopic data from plutonic (granite-granodiorite) and metamorphic (gneiss) rocks in the Kariznou region of NE Iran to provide insights into the nature of the Cadomian convergent margin of Iran. Geochemical data indicate calc-alkaline signatures, characterized by strong depletions in Nb, Ta, P, and Ti and arc-like trace element patterns. New zircon U–Pb ages show that calc-alkaline granitoids and granitic gneiss formed at ~564 to 537 Ma and 538 Ma, respectively. Bulk rock Sr-Nd isotopic data of calc-alkaline rocks have εNd(t) = –5.42 to −5.53 and −6.93 to −7.43 for granite and gneiss, respectively. The gneisses show stronger interaction with and/or re-melting of older continental crust than do granitic rocks. We interpret Kariznou magmatic rocks as forming in association with strong extension accompanied by crustal assimilation. Extension initiated ~570 Ma with the deposition of Late Ediacaran sediments, and magmatism began at 545–535 Ma, generating calc-alkaline magmas. The tectonomagmatic evolution of the Kariznou region encapsulates the prolonged transition of Cadomian Iran from a strongly extensional convergent margin, possibly as a result of oblique oceanic subduction and slab roll-back of the subducting Proto-Tethys oceanic lithosphere, culminating in the formation of an Early Palaeozoic passive margin on the northern side of Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) accumulation. The clinical features associated with CTE pathology are unclear. In brain donors with autopsy-confirmed CTE, we investigated the association of CTE p-tau pathology density and location with cognitive, functional, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Methods: In 364 brain donors with autopsy confirmed CTE, semi-quantitative p-tau severity (range: 0–3) was assessed in 10 cortical and subcortical regions. We summed ratings across regions to form a p-tau severity global composite (range: 0–30). Informants completed standardized scales of cognition (Cognitive Difficulties Scale, CDS; BRIEF-A Metacognition Index, MI), activities of daily living (Functional Activities Questionnaire), neurobehavioral dysregulation (BRIEF-A Behavioral Regulation Index, BRI; Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, BIS-11), aggression (Brown-Goodwin Aggression Scale), depression (Geriatric Depression Scale-15, GDS-15), and apathy (Apathy Evaluation Scale, AES). Ordinary least squares regression models examined associations between global and regional p-tau severity (separate models for each region) with each clinical scale, adjusting for age at death, racial identity, education level, and history of hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and substance use treatment. Ridge regression models that incorporated p-tau severity across all regions in the same model assessed which regions showed independent effects. Results: The sample was predominantly American football players (333; 91.2%); 140 (38.5%) had low CTE and 224 (61.5%) had high CTE. Global p-tau severity was associated with higher (i.e., worse) scores on the cognitive and functional scales: MI (β standardized = 0.02, 95%CI = 0.01–0.04), CDS (β standardized = 0.02, 95%CI = 0.01–0.04), and FAQ (β standardized = 0.03, 95%CI = 0.01–0.04). After false-discovery rate correction, p-tau severity in the frontal, inferior parietal, and superior temporal cortex, and the amygdala was associated with higher CDS (β sstandardized = 0.17–0.29, ps < 0.01) and FAQ (β sstandardized = 0.21–0.26, ps < 0.01); frontal and inferior parietal cortex was associated with higher MI (β sstandardized = 0.21–0.29, ps < 0.05); frontal cortex was associated with higher BRI (β standardized = 0.21, p < 0.01). Regions with effects independent of other regions included frontal cortex (CDS, MI, FAQ, BRI), inferior parietal cortex (CDS) and amygdala (FAQ). P-tau explained 13–49% of variance in cognitive and functional scales and 6–14% of variance in neuropsychiatric scales. Conclusion: Accumulation of p-tau aggregates, especially in the frontal cortex, are associated with cognitive, functional, and certain neurobehavioral symptoms in CTE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI) is associated with later‐life cognitive symptoms and neuropathologies, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Cognitive decline in community cohorts is often due to multiple pathologies; however, the frequency and contributions of these pathologies to cognitive impairment in people exposed to RHI are unknown. Here, we examined the relative contributions of 13 neuropathologies to cognitive symptoms and dementia in RHI‐exposed brain donors. Methods: Neuropathologists examined brain tissue from 571 RHI‐exposed donors and assessed for the presence of 13 neuropathologies, including CTE, Alzheimer disease (AD), Lewy body disease (LBD), and transactive response DNA‐binding protein 43 (TDP‐43) inclusions. Cognitive status was assessed by presence of dementia, Functional Activities Questionnaire, and Cognitive Difficulties Scale. Spearman rho was calculated to assess intercorrelation of pathologies. Additionally, frequencies of pathological co‐occurrence were compared to a simulated distribution assuming no intercorrelation. Logistic and linear regressions tested associations between neuropathologies and dementia status and cognitive scale scores. Results: The sample age range was 18–97 years (median = 65.0, interquartile range = 46.0–76.0). Of the donors, 77.2% had at least one moderate–severe neurodegenerative or cerebrovascular pathology. Stage III–IV CTE was the most common neurodegenerative disease (43.1%), followed by TDP‐43 pathology, AD, and hippocampal sclerosis. Neuropathologies were intercorrelated, and there were fewer unique combinations than expected if pathologies were independent (p < 0.001). The greatest contributors to dementia were AD, neocortical LBD, hippocampal sclerosis, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, and CTE. Interpretation: In this sample of RHI‐exposed brain donors with wide‐ranging ages, multiple neuropathologies were common and correlated. Mixed neuropathologies, including CTE, underlie cognitive impairment in contact sport athletes. ANN NEUROL 2024;95:314–324 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the role of the identity theory of truth. Definitions of the identity theory of truth; Propositional truth and material truth; The identity theory of truth as a theory of propositional truth; Hegel's interest in material truth; Conception of truth.

Debates the origin of the great bend of the Nile River using SIR-C/X-SAR imagery. The course of the Nile; What the radar imagery shows; Northward-flowing segments versus east-west segments; The evolution of the Nile; Focus on the third, fourth and fifth stretches; Bend due to relative uplift of the Bayuda Massif or Nubian Swell or both.

Abstract. An immunocompetent 12-year-old boy developed multiple microaerophilic streptococcal lung abscesses after application of orthodontic bands ("braces"). The dental work was done in the supine position. The data suggest that the patient asp[rated the organisms and, possibly, flecks of dental cement, during orthodontic treatment. "Rubber dams" should be used to help prevent aspiration in children who receive dental work in the supine position. When a rubber dam cannot be used, as with orthodontic treatment, physicians should advise patients who are at risk for developing pulmonary infection (eg, patients with neuromuscular diseases which compromise cough and/or gag, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, primary immunodeficiency, etc) to have this dental work, including orthodontic treatment, performed in the erect position. Pediatrics 70:722-724, 1982; lung abscess, orthodontic complications, microaerophilic streptococcus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT. The effects of acute diuresis in patients with cor pulmonale secondary to cystic fibrosis were studied. Both hemodynamic parameters and arterial blood gas changes were investigated. The major effect noted was a significant reduction of systemic venous pressure. Pulmonary artery and pulmonary artery wedge pressure either remained constant or declined slightly. No consistent changes were noted in cardiac output or arterial blood gases. Acute diuresis of moderate degree appears to be a safe and effective manner in which to treat the systemic venous congestion of cor pulmonale in this situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the genetic aspects of cystic fibrosis. Presence of mutations in patients with cystic fibrosis; Dissociation in genetically determined severity between different organs.

To test the validity of the common hypothesis that patients with psoriasis have an inherently lower susceptibility to cancer, we prospectively studied 1367 patients with severe psoriasis who enrolled in a clinical trial of oral methoxsalen photochemotherapy for treatment of psoriasis for an average of 3.2 yr. The incidence of noncutaneous cancers and the number of deaths from such cancers were slightly but not significantly higher than that expected for the general population (relative risk = 1.1; standard mortality ratio = 1.3). Among 318 patients (23%) in this cohort who were over 35 yr of age and who lacked appreciable exposure to suspected cutaneous carcinogens, the observed incidence for cutaneous carcinoma was 1.4 times that expected, based on rates for the general population (90% confidence interval = .8 to 2.7). These data suggest that patients with psoriasis have a risk of systemic and cutaneous cancer that is comparable to the risk for the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compares the lifetime history of major depression between subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism and those with normal thyroid functions. Selection criteria; Methods employed; Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH); Hamilton depression score.

Evidence is provided showing that there is very little change in pulse volume in the ear lobe as a function of the usual types of psychological stimuli. On the one hand, this makes ear lobe plethysmography an excellent source of a signal to trigger a cardiotachometer for investigators interested in pulse rate who do not want to, or cannot, use EKG recording. On the other hand, this makes the ear lobe an inappropriate place from which to record vasomotor reactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subduction initiation is a key process in the operation of plate tectonics. Our understanding of melting processes and magmatic evolution during subduction initiation has largely been developed from studies of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana forearc. Many suprasubduction zone ophiolites are analogous to the Izu-Bonin-Mariana forearc sequence. However, whether there are differences between Izu-Bonin-Mariana subduction initiation sequences and suprasubduction zone ophiolites remains unclear. Here, we report field geological, geochemical, and geochronological data from mafic and felsic rocks in the Xigaze ophiolite (southern Tibet) mantle and crustal section; the same types of published data from both this ophiolite and the Izu-Bonin-Mariana forearc are compiled for comparison. The ophiolite section is intruded by various late-stage dikes, including gabbroic pegmatite, diabase, basalt, and plagiogranite. The compositions of clinopyroxene and amphibole suggest that gabbroic pegmatite formed from hydrous high-SiO2 depleted melts, while whole-rock compositions of basaltic and diabase dikes show negative Nb and Ta anomalies, suggesting flux melting of depleted mantle. Along with the mafic rocks, plagiogranite has a roughly constant content of La and Yb with increasing SiO2 contents, implying hydrous melting of mafic amphibolite. Early-stage pillow basalts exhibit geochemical affinities with Izu-Bonin-Mariana forearc basalts, but they are slightly enriched. Synthesized with the regional geological setting and compared with Izu-Bonin-Mariana forearc magmatism, we propose that the transition from mid-ocean ridge basalt-like lavas to subduction-related mafic and felsic dikes records an Early Cretaceous subduction initiation event on the southern flank of the Lhasa terrane. However, the mantle sources and the magmatic evolution in the Xigaze ophiolite are more variable than those for the Izu-Bonin-Mariana forearc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by repetitive head impacts (RHI) and pathologically defined as neuronal phosphorylated tau aggregates around small blood vessels and concentrated at sulcal depths. Cross-sectional studies suggest that tau inclusions follow a stereotyped pattern that begins in the neocortex in low stage disease, followed by involvement of the medial temporal lobe and subcortical regions with significant neocortical burden in high stage CTE. Here, we define a subset of brain donors with high stage CTE and with a low overall cortical burden of tau inclusions (mean semiquantitative value ≤1) and classify them as cortical-sparing CTE (CSCTE). Of 620 brain donors with pathologically diagnosed CTE, 66 (11%) met criteria for CSCTE. Compared to typical high stage CTE, those with CSCTE had a similar age at death and years of contact sports participation and were less likely to carry apolipoprotein ε4 (p < 0.05). CSCTE had less overall tau pathology severity, but a proportional increase of disease burden in medial temporal lobe and brainstem regions compared to the neocortex (p’s < 0.001). CSCTE also had lower prevalence of comorbid neurodegenerative disease. Clinically, CSCTE participants were less likely to have dementia (p = 0.023) and had less severe cognitive difficulties (as reported by informants using the Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ); p < 0.001, meta-cognitional index T score; p = 0.002 and Cognitive Difficulties Scale (CDS); p < 0.001,) but had an earlier onset age of behavioral (p = 0.006) and Parkinsonian motor (p = 0.013) symptoms when compared to typical high stage CTE. Other comorbid tauopathies likely contributed in part to these differences: when cases with concurrent Alzheimer dementia or frontal temporal lobar degeneration with tau pathology were excluded, differences were largely retained, but only remained significant for FAQ (p = 0.042), meta-cognition index T score (p = 0.014) and age of Parkinsonian motor symptom onset (p = 0.046). Overall, CSCTE appears to be a distinct subtype of high stage CTE with relatively greater involvement of subcortical and brainstem regions and less severe cognitive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We address the growing controversy about the tectonic setting in which Jurassic magmatism of Iran occurred: arc or continental rift. In the Ghorveh area of the northern Sanandaj Sirjan zone (SaSZ), the Ghalayan metabasites are interlayered with marble and schist and locally cut by acidic dikes. Zircon U-Pb dating of the metabasitic rocks shows that these crystallized at ca. 145–144 Ma ago in the Late Jurassic (Tithonian). This complex was metamorphosed in the lower greenschist facies, however, some protolithic structures such as pillow lava and primary minerals are preserved. The metabasites are tholeiites with low SiO2 (45.6–50.5 wt.%), moderate Al2O3 (11.3–17.0 wt.%), and high TiO2 (0.7–2.9 wt.%) and Fe2O3 (9.4–14.1 wt.%). The Ghalayan metabasites are enriched in Light rare earth elements (LREEs) without significant Nb, Ta, Pb, Sr and Ba anomalies, similar to modern continental intra-plate tholeiitic basalts such as Afar and East African rifts. The Ghalaylan metabasites show wide ranges for 87Sr/86Sr(i) (0.7039–0.7077) and positive εNd(t) values (+0.1 to +4.6). These isotopic compositions are similar to those expected for slightly depleted subcontinental lithospheric mantle sources. Independently built discrimination diagrams indicate an intra-continental rifting regime for the source of Jurassic metabasites in the northern SaSZ. Geochemical and tectonic evidence suggests that rifting or a mantle plume was responsible for volcanic activity in the Upper Jurassic SaSZ. Considering the variation of ages of basaltic volcanism along the SaSZ, we suggest that Ghalayan basaltic magmatism reflected a submarine volcano that formed as part of the late stage continental rift, similar to Afar in the East African Rift system. Our results indicate that an extensional tectonic regime dominated SaSZ tectonics in the Middle to Late Jurassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor in response to the article "Recurrence and Mortality Following Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions," about the incidence and risk of recurrence of Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis, by Y. Finkelstein, E. M. MacDonald, P. Li, J. R. Hutson, D.N. Juurlink, which appeared in a 2014 issue, is presented.

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that has been neuropathologically diagnosed in contact and collision sport athletes, military veterans, and others with a history of exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI). Identifying methods to diagnose and prevent CTE during life is a high priority. Timely diagnosis and implementation of treatment and preventative strategies for neurodegenerative diseases, including CTE, partially hinge upon early and accurate risk characterization. Here, we propose a framework of risk factors that influence the neuropathological development of CTE. We provide an up-to-date review of the literature examining cumulative exposure to RHI as the environmental trigger for CTE. Because not all individuals exposed to RHI develop CTE, the direct and/or indirect influence of nonhead trauma exposure characteristics (e.g., age, sex, race, genetics) on the pathological development of CTE is reviewed. We conclude with recommendations for future directions, as well as opinions for preventative strategies that could mitigate risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several Mesozoic ophiolites in Iran formed in response to Late Cretaceous subduction initiation. Here we review the geology, petrography, mineralogy and geochemistry of mantle rocks from the Nain, Neyriz, Khoy, Esfandagheh and Fannuj ophiolites. They are remnants of Neo-Tethys ocean lithosphere formed during subduction initiation and were emplaced onto the southern flank of Eurasia. Most show SSZ-type geochemical affinity. We summarize the composition of mantle sections from these five representatives, which comprise lherzolites and harzburgites with minor dunite lenses and sometimes chromitites. Spinels in lherzolite from all regions are characterized by low chromium number [Cr# = Cr/(Al + Cr)] of 0.09 to 0.56 and plot in the abyssal peridotite field, whereas spinel in harzburgite and dunite-chromitite have Cr# of 0.41 to 0.73 and 0.45 to 0.86, respectively, showing geochemical affinities with forearc peridotites and boninites, respectively. Lherzolites and harzburgites have low rare earth element (REE) contents and experienced around 15% and 25% partial melting, respectively. Ophiolitic peridotites from the Nain (inner Zagros ophiolitic belt), Khoy, and Neyriz (outer Zagros ophiolitic belt) complexes are depleted in light REE and show flat heavy REE patterns. By contrast, peridotites from the Fannuj (Makran ophiolitic zone) and Esfandagheh (outer Zagros ophiolitic belt) complexes are characterized by flatter and U-shaped REE patterns, respectively, similar to those of SSZ peridotites. Based on the compositions of olivine and spinel, we infer that chromitites and their dunite envelopes experienced wider variations in oxygen fugacity (fO2), equilibrium temperatures, and spinel Cr# values than those of the surrounding lherzolites and harzburgites, suggesting interaction between residual mantle harzburgites and H2O-rich and highly oxidized SSZ melts. Lherzolites from all regions and harzburgites of Nain, Neyriz and Fannuj are MOR-type peridotites that plot in the overlapping space of MOR peridotites and were generated in an extensional environment. These are forearc peridotites that were in equilibrium with tholeiitic melts generated during early proto-forearc or back-arc spreading during subduction initiation, whereas spinels of dunites and high-Cr chromitites were in equilibrium with boninitic melts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]