Noble gases confirm plume-related mantle degassing beneath Southern Africa.

Southern Africa is characterised by unusually elevated topography and abnormal heat flow. This can be explained by thermal perturbation of the mantle, but the origin of this is unclear. Geophysics has not detected a thermal anomaly in the upper mantle and there is no geochemical evidence of an asthenosphere mantle contribution to the Cenozoic volcanic record of the region. Here we show that natural CO2 seeps along the Ntlakwe-Bongwan fault within KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, have C-He isotope systematics that support an origin from degassing mantle melts. Neon isotopes indicate that the melts originate from a deep mantle source that is similar to the mantle plume beneath Réunion, rather than the convecting upper mantle or sub-continental lithosphere. This confirms the existence of the Quathlamba mantle plume and importantly provides the first evidence in support of upwelling deep mantle beneath Southern Africa, helping to explain the regions elevation and abnormal heat flow.

Galactic-cosmic-ray-produced 3He in a ferromanganese crust: any supernova 60Fe excess on earth?

An excess of 60Fe in 2.4-3.2 x 10(6) year old ferromanganese crust (237 KD) from the deep Pacific Ocean has been considered as evidence for the delivery of debris from a nearby supernova explosion to Earth. Extremely high ;{3}He/;{4}He (up to 6.12 x 10(-3)) and 3He concentrations (up to 8 x 10(9) atoms/g) measured in 237 KD cannot be supernova-derived. The helium is produced by galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and delivered in micrometeorites that have survived atmospheric entry to be trapped by the crust. 60Fe is produced by GCR reactions on Ni in extraterrestrial material. The maximum (3)He/(60)Fe of 237 KD (80-850) is comparable to the GCR (3)He/(60)Fe production ratio (400-500) predicted for Ni-bearing minerals in iron meteorites. The excess 60Fe can be plausibly explained by the presence of micrometeorites trapped by the crust, rather than injection from a supernova source.

The prevalence of dermatophyte infection in well-controlled diabetics and the response to Trichophyton antigen.

The prevalence of dermatophyte infection was assessed in 100 patients with well-controlled insulin-dependent diabetes, and in a control group of 100 non-diabetics matched for age, sex, occupation and sporting activity. Immediate and delayed responses to intradermal testing with Trichophyton antigen were recorded in both groups. The overall infection rate (skin and nails) was 19% in diabetics and 17% in controls. There was a higher infection rate in the skin of diabetics (17%) than in controls (8%), but this was not significant. Nail infection was seen in 12% of diabetics and in 11% of controls. Intradermal testing with Trichophyton antigen gave a higher proportion of both immediate and delayed positive results in diabetics. However, more control patients showed only an immediate positive response or only a delayed one. There was no evidence of an increased infection rate in those with immediate positive responses or of diminished infection rates in those with delayed positive responses, and no correlation with oral Candida infection. These findings applied equally to diabetics and controls.

Inhibited sexual desire in women.

A multifaceted study was conducted to identify differences in biopsychosocial characteristics between a clinical group of 59 married women who complained of inhibited sexual desire (ISD) and 31 married women who expressed normal sexual desire (non-ISD). Areas of examination included personality, endocrine, relationship, and sexual dimensions. Instruments of data collection included the MMPI, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, radioimmunoassay of testosterone and prolactin levels, and a questionnaire which focused on demographic, relationship, and sexual information. Statistical analyses indicated nonsignificant between-group differences on demographic characteristics, personality variables, and hormonal evaluation. Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups with regard to sexual history and several marital and sexual dimensions. The ISD group reported significantly greater dissatisfaction with these areas than the non-ISD group. Implications for clinical practice and research are discussed.

Psychological characteristics of women with inhibited sexual desire.

A multifaceted study was conducted to identify differences in biopsychosocial characteristics between a clinical group of 59 married women who complained of inhibited sexual desire (ISD) and 31 married women who expressed normal sexual desire. This report focuses on the findings obtained from the groups' personality profiles generated by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Statistical analyses indicated no significant differences between the ISD and non-ISD groups with regard to two of the three validity and 10 primary clinical scales of the MMPI. Both group profiles were classified as subclinical with no evidence of serious psychological disturbance. The implications for this nonsignificant association between intrapsychic symptomatology and ISD are discussed.