Displaced cratonic mantle concentrates deep carbon during continental rifting.

Continental rifts are important sources of mantle carbon dioxide (CO2) emission into Earth's atmosphere1-3. Because deep carbon is stored for long periods in the lithospheric mantle4-6, rift CO2 flux depends on lithospheric processes that control melt and volatile transport1,3,7. The influence of compositional and thickness differences between Archaean and Proterozoic lithosphere on deep-carbon fluxes remains untested. Here we propose that displacement of carbon-enriched Tanzanian cratonic mantle concentrates deep carbon below parts of the East African Rift System. Sources and fluxes of CO2 and helium are examined over a 350-kilometre-long transect crossing the boundary between orogenic (Natron and Magadi basins) and cratonic (Balangida and Manyara basins) lithosphere from north to south. Areas of diffuse CO2 degassing exhibit increasing mantle CO2 flux and 3He/4He ratios as the rift transitions from Archaean (cratonic) to Proterozoic (orogenic) lithosphere. Active carbonatite magmatism also occurs near the craton edge. These data indicate that advection of the root of thick Archaean lithosphere laterally to the base of the much thinner adjacent Proterozoic lithosphere creates a zone of highly concentrated deep carbon. This mode of deep-carbon extraction may increase CO2 fluxes in some continental rifts, helping to control the production and location of carbonate-rich magmas.

The impact of alcohol care teams on emergency secondary care use following a diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease - a national cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The increasing mortality rates from alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) are a public health concern. To address this, alcohol care teams (ACT) case-find and lead management of alcohol issues for these patients. Local assessments of ACTs have shown reductions in emergency admissions and emergency department attendances. We examine the impact of ACTs on emergency hospital activity following a diagnosis of ARLD. METHODS: Administrative Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data were extracted. Information on ACT provision at English NHS hospital trusts and sites in 2009/10 was taken from a survey by Public Health England. We undertook a difference-in-difference analysis to compare emergency hospital activity for a cohort of individuals diagnosed with ARLD who presented to hospitals either with or without an ACT in the one year before and after a first ARLD diagnosis during 2009/10. RESULTS: Over the study period, 9,165 individuals eligible for inclusion in our study had a first diagnosis of ARLD. 4,768 presented to one of 41 hospital trusts with an ACT (59 sites) and 4,397 presented to one of 50 non-ACT hospital trusts (65 sites). Whilst age and sex demographics were similar between the two cohorts, the ACT hospital cohort had a higher proportion of individuals in the most deprived quintile (41.6 % v 28.5 % p < .0001). In the difference-in-difference analysis, the presence of an ACT at a hospital trust was not associated with a change in all-cause emergency admissions (0.020 (95 % CI -0.070, 0.111), p = 0.656), alcohol-related emergency admissions (-0.025 (95 % CI -0.104, 0.054), p = 0.536) or all-cause emergency department attendances (0.042 (95 % CI -0.087, 0.171), p = 0.521). Sensitivity analyses by sex and hospital site did not affect the study findings. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the presence of an ACT at the NHS hospital trust where individuals have their first recorded diagnosis of ARLD does not appear to be associated with subsequent emergency hospital activity within these populations. Further analysis focussing on the components and specific effects of ACT interventions on individuals and systems both pre- and post-diagnosis of ARLD may reveal important avenues to improve care.

Co-design of an oral health promotion animated film with families in the South of England.

Introduction Oral health promotion interventions should be evidence-based and designed with community involvement. In England, Family Hubs are attended by families from a range of social backgrounds and provide an ideal setting for co-design of health interventions.Aim To co-design and evaluate an animated film for promoting oral health in community settings.Methods Families attended two co-design workshops at a Family Hub in Portsmouth, during which they discussed oral health priorities and commented on the animation design. A before-and-after survey questionnaire assessed its impact on oral health knowledge in another Family Hub in Portsmouth. Qualitative data were analysed using the Framework method, while the survey data were analysed descriptively.Results Families prioritised evidence-based advice for inclusion in the film and contributed to the film storyline. This enabled relevant alterations to ensure the animation was engaging and age-appropriate. Although the survey response rate was low for inferential statistics, descriptive analysis indicated variation in the oral health knowledge of parents and carers.Conclusion Families can offer valuable contributions to the design of health promotion interventions. A co-design method provides an approach for communicating health advice in a form that is relevant and applicable to target audiences.

Seismic evidence for a mantle suture and implications for the origin of the Canadian Cordillera.

The origin of the North American Cordillera and its affinity with the bounding craton are subjects of contentious debate. The mechanisms of orogenesis are rooted in two competing hypotheses known as the accretionary and collisional models. The former model attributes the Cordillera to an archetypal accretionary orogen comprising a collage of exotic terranes. The latter, less popular view argues that the Cordillera is a collisional product between an allochthonous ribbon microcontinent and cratonic North America. Here we present new seismic evidence of a sharp and structurally complex Cordillera-craton boundary in the uppermost mantle beneath the southern Canadian Cordillera, which can be interpreted as either a reshaped craton margin or a Late Cretaceous collisional boundary based on the respective hypotheses. This boundary dips steeply westward underneath a proposed (cryptic) suture in the foreland, consisent with the predicted location and geometry of the mantle suture, thus favoring a collisional origin.