Apr. 3, 2013 ? The mountain ranges of the North American Cordillera are made up of dozens of distinct crustal blocks. A new study clarifies their mode of origin and identifies a previously unknown oceanic plate that contributed to their assembly.
The extensive area of elevated topography that dominates the Western reaches of North America is exceptionally broad, encompassing the coastal ranges, the Rocky Mountains and the high plateaus in between. In fact, this mountain belt consists of dozens of crustal blocks of varying age and origin, which have been welded onto the American continent over the past 200 million years. "How these blocks arrived in North America has long been a puzzle," says LMU geophysicist Karin Sigloch, who has now taken a closer look at the problem, in collaboration with the Canadian geologist Mitchell Mihalynuk.
Collisions and continental growth
One popular model for the accretion process postulates that a huge oceanic plate -- the Farallon Plate -- acted as a conveyor belt to sweep crustal fragments eastwards to the margin of American Plate, to which they were attached as the denser Farallon Plate was subducted under it. However, this scenario is at variance with several geological findings, and does not explain why the same phenomenon is not observed on the west coast of South America, the classical case of subduction of oceanic crust beneath a continental plate. The precise source of the crustal blocks themselves has also remained enigmatic, although geological studies suggest that they derive from several groups of volcanic islands. "The geological strata in North America have been highly deformed over the course of time, and are extremely difficult to interpret, so these findings have not been followed up," says Sigloch.
Sigloch and Mihalynuk have now succeeded in assembling a comprehensive picture of the accretion process by incorporating geophysical findings obtained by seismic tomography. This technique makes it possible to probe the geophysical structure of Earth's interior down to the level of the lower mantle by analyzing the propagation velocities of seismic waves. The method can image the remnants of ancient tectonic plates at great depths, ocean floor that subducted, i.e., disappeared from the surface and sank back into the mantle, long time ago.
Intra-oceanic subduction of the Farallon Plate
Most surprisingly, the new data suggest that the Farallon Plate was far smaller than had been assumed, and underwent subduction well to the west of what was then the continental margin of North America. Instead it collided with, and subducted under, an intervening and previously unrecognized oceanic plate. Sigloch and Mihalynuk were able to locate the remnants of several deep-sea trenches that mark subduction sites at which oceanic plates plunge at a steep angle into the mantle and are drawn almost vertically into its depths. "The volcanic activity that accompanies the subduction process will have generated lots of new crustal material, which emerged in the form of island arcs along the line of the trenches, and provided the material for the crustal blocks," Sigloch explains.
As these events were going on, the American Plate was advancing steadily westwards, as indicated by striped patterns of magnetized seafloor in the North Atlantic. The first to get consumed was the previously unknown oceanic plate, which can be detected seismologically beneath today's east coast of North America. Only then did the continent begin to encounter the Farallon plate. On its westward journey, North America overrode one intervening island arc after another -- annexing ever more of them for the construction of its wide mountains of the West.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen (LMU).
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Karin Sigloch, Mitchell G. Mihalynuk. Intra-oceanic subduction shaped the assembly of Cordilleran North America. Nature, 2013; 496 (7443): 50 DOI: 10.1038/nature12019
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Both the White House and Republicans agree that entitlement reform is necessary to rein in federal deficits, but nothing ever gets started. That could change in the weeks ahead.
By David Grant,?Staff writer / April 4, 2013
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Dave Camp (R) of Michigan attends a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington last year. His committee will be key to entitlement reform.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP/File
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When President Obama visited with House Republicans last month, Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan had a question: Why not move ahead with the entitlement changes that both parties agree on right away?
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Because, Mr. Obama reportedly said, nothing is happening on entitlements without new tax revenues.
That?s the same standoff the parties have faced for all of the Obama administration. But the debate may get a fresh injection of specifics from both sides as Washington appears ready for another round of ?grand bargain? derring-do this summer as the government again approaches its debt limit.
From the Democratic side, the White House is expected to release a long-awaited budget plan next week that will likely offer details on what the president wants as new tax revenue. While Senate Democrats passed a budget plan last month that asked for $975 billion in new revenue, it proposed only a general plan to eliminate tax breaks and deductions that benefit the wealthy.
On the Republican side, Representative Camp announced this week that the Ways and Means Committee, which sets tax policy and of which he is the chairman, will begin a series of hearings on the points of agreement between Obama and the GOP conference on entitlement reform.
?The president has repeatedly called on Congress to act on policies we can agree on, and he has stated that we should not let our differences get in the way of making progress. Given the bipartisan support for various reforms to these programs, there is no reason we cannot roll up our sleeves and get this done,? Camp said in a statement.
It is an intriguing move and a ?great idea,? says Pete Davis of Davis Capital Investment Ideas.
The hearings could unstick the debate by starting a conversation about what is really necessary to make a solution possible. ?Those things are going to be part of a super deal if the 2 percent chance of a super deal ever comes true,? says Mr. Davis.
What will the Ways and Means Committee be talking about?
One idea is to adopt an index called ?Chained CPI? for adjusting government benefits including Social Security. The index rises more slowly than the current cost-of-living adjustments based on inflation because it assumes consumers will be able to shift some spending from goods with rapidly rising prices to similar goods with lower price tags.
There will also be hearings on the potential to raise the Medicare eligibility age, cut Medicare?s subsidies for wealthier seniors, and adjust coverage for Medicare?s insurance and prescription-drug coverage.
Obviously the most exciting thing about "Anchorman: The Legend Continues" is the fact that Harrison Ford has come on board to play a "legendary newsman." But, according to him, he doesn't have a very significant role in the movie. "It'd be easy enough to cut out. I don't think it's critical," he told Entertainment Tonight, [...]
Apr. 2, 2013 ? People with mental illnesses are more than seven times more likely to use cannabis weekly compared to people without a mental illness, according to researchers from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) who studied U.S. data.
Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance globally, with an estimated 203 million people reporting use. Although research has found links between cannabis use and mental illness, exact numbers and prevalence of problem cannabis use had not been investigated.
"We know that people with mental illness consume more cannabis, perhaps partially as a way to self- medicate psychiatric symptoms, but this data showed us the degree of the correlation between cannabis use, misuse, and mental illness," said Dr. Shaul Lev-ran, Adjunct Scientist at CAMH and Head of Addiction Medicine at the Sheba Medical Center, Israel.
"Based on the number of individuals reporting weekly use, we see that people with mental illness use cannabis at high rates. This can be of concern because it could worsen the symptoms of their mental illness," said Lev-ran, who conducted the research as a post-doctoral fellow with the Social Aetiology of Mental Illness (SAMI) Training Program at CAMH.
Researchers also found that individuals with mental illness were 10 times more likely to have a cannabis use disorder.
In this new study, published in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry, CAMH researchers analyzed data from face-to-face interviews with over 43,000 respondents over the age of 18 from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Using structured questionnaires, the researchers assessed cannabis use as well as various mental illnesses including depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol use disorders and personality disorders, based on criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV).
Among those will mental illness reporting at least weekly cannabis use, rates of use were particularly elevated for those with bipolar disorder, personality disorders and other substance use disorders.
In total, 4.4 per cent of individuals with a mental illness in the past 12 months reported using cannabis weekly, compared to 0.6 per cent among individuals without any mental illness. Cannabis use disorders occurred among 4 per cent of those with mental illness versus 0.4 per cent among those without.
Researchers also noted that, although cannabis use is generally higher among younger people, the association between mental illness and cannabis use was pervasive across most age groups.
They emphasize the importance of screening for frequent and problem cannabis use among those with mental illness, so that targeted prevention and intervention may be employed.
This study was funded through the SAMI Training Program of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Shaul Lev-Ran, Bernard Le Foll, Kwame McKenzie, Tony P. George, J?rgen Rehm. Cannabis use and cannabis use disorders among individuals with mental illness. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2012.12.021
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Like it or not, compared to a DSLR, or even a point & shoot, your smartphone's camera sucks. They've gotten considerably better over the years, and will continue to improve, but their tiny sensors and limited optics means image quality and their ability to accurately process a scene still have a long way to go. More »
CHOP collaborates with Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation to speed pediatric R & DPublic release date: 3-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: John Ascenzi
ascenzi@email.chop.edu
267-426-6055
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Jennifer Kokell
Jennifer.kokell@Pfizer.com
212-733-2596
Pfizer, Inc.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Pfizer, Inc., are joining forces with the goal of translating biomedical discoveries into novel treatments. CHOP is announcing its participation in the Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) network, a novel collaboration model built by Pfizer that brings academic researchers together with Pfizer scientists to expedite the pace of innovation.
Children's Hospital is only the second pediatric center to join the CTI network, which has established partnerships with 21 academic medical centers throughout the United States, such as Rockefeller University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the University of California, San Francisco.
"We are excited to have this opportunity to accelerate the process of moving scientific insights toward therapies that healthcare providers can offer in the clinic," said Philip R. Johnson, M.D., chief scientific officer and senior vice president of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Johnson is one of CHOP's representatives on a joint steering committee with Pfizer representatives that will direct CTI's activities in Philadelphia.
CTI will bring together scientists from Pfizer and Children's Hospital to identify preclinical research at CHOP with potential applications for innovative treatments. Pfizer will share with CHOP researchers an extensive collection of antibodies and other proteins, along with other proprietary research and drug-development tools. CHOP investigators will collaborate with Pfizer scientists at CTI laboratories in both Boston and New York City.
The goal is to advance a project into a Phase 1 clinical trial.
"This partnership will bring together the leading science at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with Pfizer's global capabilities," said Jose Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, Ph.D., senior vice president, Head of Biotherapeutics R&D at Pfizer. "Together, we increase the potential to bring novel medicines to patients."
A March 15 Town Hall at CHOP introduced CTI to the Hospital's researchers, who are being encouraged to submit concise proposals by April 15 for projects to be considered. In July 2013, the steering committee will choose projects for funding.
This expedited timetable is much faster than the typical schedule for federally sponsored research. In contrast to many partnerships between private industry and academia that focus on one highly defined end-product, CTI is designed to identify cutting-edge areas of research in areas of high unmet need that hold strong potential for therapeutic interventions.
"Working with leading academic researchers is a key part of the CTI model," said Anthony Coyle, Ph.D., CTI's Chief Scientific Officer. "CHOP's world-class reputation as a leading research hospital means it is an ideal partner for CTI as we continue our determined efforts to translate exciting science into effective medicines for patients."
"It's extremely rewarding for our researchers to see their scientific work translated into bedside treatments that directly benefit children," said Ellen Purpus, Ph.D., director of CHOP's Office of Technology Transfer. "This partnership will help to expedite that process."
###
About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 516-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.
About Pfizer's CTI
The Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) is an entrepreneurial Research Unit at Pfizer, Inc. dedicated to the establishment of partnerships with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) to transform research and development through a focus on translational medicine. CTI is an open innovation network with 21 leading AMCs focused on joint discovery and development of therapeutics, from early research through clinical proof-of-mechanism in humans. This model offers leading investigators the resources to pursue potential scientific and clinical breakthroughs by providing access to select Pfizer compound libraries, proprietary screening methods and antibody development technologies that are directly relevant to the investigators' work. The aim is to translate scientific ideas into clinically differentiated candidates ready for evaluation in a stratified patient population. CTI laboratories include Pfizer employees working side-by-side with leading investigators and post-doctoral researchers from the AMCs. The CTI collaborative model effectively and efficiently combines the best ideas, research and expertise of the AMCs with Pfizer's experience, technology and resources. For more information about CTI, visit http://www.pfizer.com/research/rd_works/centers_for_therapeutic_innovation.jsp
About Pfizer Inc.
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. To learn more, please visit us at http://www.pfizer.com
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
CHOP collaborates with Pfizer's Centers for Therapeutic Innovation to speed pediatric R & DPublic release date: 3-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: John Ascenzi
ascenzi@email.chop.edu
267-426-6055
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Jennifer Kokell
Jennifer.kokell@Pfizer.com
212-733-2596
Pfizer, Inc.
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Pfizer, Inc., are joining forces with the goal of translating biomedical discoveries into novel treatments. CHOP is announcing its participation in the Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) network, a novel collaboration model built by Pfizer that brings academic researchers together with Pfizer scientists to expedite the pace of innovation.
Children's Hospital is only the second pediatric center to join the CTI network, which has established partnerships with 21 academic medical centers throughout the United States, such as Rockefeller University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the University of California, San Francisco.
"We are excited to have this opportunity to accelerate the process of moving scientific insights toward therapies that healthcare providers can offer in the clinic," said Philip R. Johnson, M.D., chief scientific officer and senior vice president of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Johnson is one of CHOP's representatives on a joint steering committee with Pfizer representatives that will direct CTI's activities in Philadelphia.
CTI will bring together scientists from Pfizer and Children's Hospital to identify preclinical research at CHOP with potential applications for innovative treatments. Pfizer will share with CHOP researchers an extensive collection of antibodies and other proteins, along with other proprietary research and drug-development tools. CHOP investigators will collaborate with Pfizer scientists at CTI laboratories in both Boston and New York City.
The goal is to advance a project into a Phase 1 clinical trial.
"This partnership will bring together the leading science at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia with Pfizer's global capabilities," said Jose Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, Ph.D., senior vice president, Head of Biotherapeutics R&D at Pfizer. "Together, we increase the potential to bring novel medicines to patients."
A March 15 Town Hall at CHOP introduced CTI to the Hospital's researchers, who are being encouraged to submit concise proposals by April 15 for projects to be considered. In July 2013, the steering committee will choose projects for funding.
This expedited timetable is much faster than the typical schedule for federally sponsored research. In contrast to many partnerships between private industry and academia that focus on one highly defined end-product, CTI is designed to identify cutting-edge areas of research in areas of high unmet need that hold strong potential for therapeutic interventions.
"Working with leading academic researchers is a key part of the CTI model," said Anthony Coyle, Ph.D., CTI's Chief Scientific Officer. "CHOP's world-class reputation as a leading research hospital means it is an ideal partner for CTI as we continue our determined efforts to translate exciting science into effective medicines for patients."
"It's extremely rewarding for our researchers to see their scientific work translated into bedside treatments that directly benefit children," said Ellen Purpus, Ph.D., director of CHOP's Office of Technology Transfer. "This partnership will help to expedite that process."
###
About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country, ranking third in National Institutes of Health funding. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 516-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.
About Pfizer's CTI
The Centers for Therapeutic Innovation (CTI) is an entrepreneurial Research Unit at Pfizer, Inc. dedicated to the establishment of partnerships with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) to transform research and development through a focus on translational medicine. CTI is an open innovation network with 21 leading AMCs focused on joint discovery and development of therapeutics, from early research through clinical proof-of-mechanism in humans. This model offers leading investigators the resources to pursue potential scientific and clinical breakthroughs by providing access to select Pfizer compound libraries, proprietary screening methods and antibody development technologies that are directly relevant to the investigators' work. The aim is to translate scientific ideas into clinically differentiated candidates ready for evaluation in a stratified patient population. CTI laboratories include Pfizer employees working side-by-side with leading investigators and post-doctoral researchers from the AMCs. The CTI collaborative model effectively and efficiently combines the best ideas, research and expertise of the AMCs with Pfizer's experience, technology and resources. For more information about CTI, visit http://www.pfizer.com/research/rd_works/centers_for_therapeutic_innovation.jsp
About Pfizer Inc.
At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products. Our global portfolio includes medicines and vaccines as well as many of the world's best-known consumer health care products. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For more than 150 years, Pfizer has worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. To learn more, please visit us at http://www.pfizer.com
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Our pre-caffeine roundup is a collection of the hottest, strangest, and most amusing stories of the morning.
A wise man once called April Fool's Day "the worst day of the Internet of the year," and odds are that you'll feel the same at some point on Monday. We're here to hold your hand through this terrible day by keeping track of some of the best and worst April Fool's Day jokes on the Internet.
A bunch of people were mad about Sunday's Google Doodle. Here's why.
Noticed a lot of profile pictures changing this week on Facebook? This Facebook map shows same-sex marriage support.
The Russian government is censoring the Internet ... you know, for the kids!
It's the end of the line for Roadrunner supercomputer.
Drones over America! Here's how unmanned fliers are already helping cops.
"When will Apple get serious about security?" asks the Verge.
"This is no 'golden age' of journalism. These are the news media end times," says On The Media's Bob Garfield, in this rather fascinating rant. Well, I enjoyed it, anyway.
This werewolf transformation might be the coolest thing io9.com saw at Wondercon.
In closing: The best uses for leftover Easter Peeps! (Cause you know eatin' 'em is never an option.)
Compiled by Helen A.S. Popkin, who invites you to join her on Twitter and/or Facebook.
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Public release date: 3-Apr-2013
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