Stable isotopic composition of bottom water and benthic foraminifera from Hakon Mosby Mud Vulcano

To investigate the use of benthic foraminifera as a means to document ancient methane release, we determined the stable isotopic composition of tests of live (Rose Bengal stained) and dead specimens of epibenthic Fontbotia wuellerstorfi, preferentially used in paleoceanographic reconstructions, and of endobenthic high-latitude Cassidulina neoteretis and Cassidulina reniforme from a cold methane-venting seep off northern Norway. We collected foraminiferal tests from three push cores and nine multiple cores obtained with a remotely operated vehicle and a video-guided multiple corer, respectively. All sampled sites except one control site are situated at the Håkon Mosby mud volcano (HMMV) on the Barents Sea continental slope in 1250 m water depth. At the HMMV in areas densely populated by pogonophoran tube worms, d13C values of cytoplasm-containing epibenthic F. wuellerstorfi are by up to 4.4 per mil lower than at control site, thus representing the lowest values hitherto reported for this species. Live C. neoteretis and C. reniforme reach d13C values of -7.5 and -5.5 per mil Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite (VPDB), respectively, whereas d13C values of their empty tests are higher by 4 per mil and 3 per mil. However, d13C values of empty tests are never lower than those of stained specimens, although they are still lower than empty tests from the control site. This indicates that authigenic calcite precipitates at or below the sediment surface are not significantly influencing the stable isotopic composition of foraminiferal shells. The comparatively high d13C results rather from upward convection of pore water and fluid mud during active methane venting phases at these sites. These processes mingle tests just recently calcified with older ones secreted at intermittent times of less or no methane discharge. Since cytoplasm-containing specimens of suspension feeder F. wuellerstorfi are almost exclusively found attached to pogonophores, which protrude up to 3 cm above the sediment, and d13C values of bottom-water-dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) are not significantly depleted, we conclude that low test d13C values of F. wuellerstorfi are the result of incorporation of heavily 13C-depleted methanotrophic biomass that these specimens feed on rather than because of low bottom water d13CDIC. Alternatively, the pogonophores, which are rooted at depth in the upper sediment column, may serve as a conduit for depleted d13CDIC that ultimately influences the calcification process of F. wuellerstorfi attached to the pogonophoran tube well above the sediment/water interface. The lowest d13C of live specimens of the endobenthic C. neoteretis and C. reniforme are within the range of pore water d13CDIC values, which exceed those that could be due to organic matter decomposition, and thus, in fact, document active methane release in the sediment.

Seawater carbonate chemistry and photosynthetic response of Emiliania huxleyi (CS-369) to UV radiation and elevated temperature duirng experiments, 2011

Changes in calcification of coccolithophores may affect their photosynthetic responses to both, ultraviolet radiation (UVR, 280-400 nm) and temperature. We operated semi-continuous cultures of Emiliania huxleyi (strain CS-369) at reduced (0.1 mM, LCa) and ambient (10 mM, HCa) Ca2+ concentrations and, after 148 generations, we exposed cells to six radiation treatments (>280, >295, >305, >320, >350 and >395 nm by using Schott filters) and two temperatures (20 and 25 °C) to examine photosynthesis and calcification responses. Overall, our study demonstrated that: (1) decreased calcification resulted in a down regulation of photoprotective mechanisms (i.e., as estimated via non-photochemical quenching, NPQ), pigments contents and photosynthetic carbon fixation; (2) calcification (C) and photosynthesis (P) (as well as their ratio) have different responses related to UVR with cells grown under the high Ca2+ concentration being more resistant to UVR than those grown under the low Ca2+ level; (3) elevated temperature increased photosynthesis and calcification of E. huxleyi grown at high Ca2+concentrations whereas decreased both processes in low Ca2+ grown cells. Therefore, a decrease in calcification rates in E. huxleyi is expected to decrease photosynthesis rates, resulting in a negative feedback that further reduces calcification.

Geochemistry of Early Toarcian carbonates

The Early Toarcian was characterized by two large perturbations to the carbon cycle: a positive trend associated with increased organic matter burial and ocean anoxia, and a pronounced negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE). We contrast the geochemical evolution in the carbonate phases of two successions: one from the Paris Basin (Sancerre core, comprising black shales), the other from the Lusitanian Basin (Peniche section with very minor lithological expression of bottom water anoxia). Our aim was to identify whether these carbon cycle perturbations were related, and differentiate between the common (global) versus regional expressions of the biogeochemical response and ocean chemistry. Our results highlight contrasts in timing of different phases of anoxia in both locations through the widely documented negative CIE. Widespread anoxic conditions were not a necessary prerequisite for generating a pronounced CIE, as required by the recycling (so-called "Küspert") model. The production of carbonate simultaneously dropped during the d13C negative shift in both locations, likely in response to lowered seawater saturation rate induced by substantial absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere. The recovery interval was accompanied by a rapid reestablishment of seawater alkalinity, and primary and carbonate productivity in epicontinental seas, as evidenced by high d13C and Sr/Ca, in contrast with the more open ocean regime in the Lusitanian Basin. Our results confirm that parallels can be draw between the ocean productivity response and feedback during the Toarcian CIE and the PETM. Both events are characterized by ocean acidification and reduced pelagic calcification followed by a peak in nearshore coccolith productivity, which could have helped the recovery from the perturbation.

Oceanography and stable isotopes on planktonic foraminifera from the North Atlantic

With the examination of multinet catches (63 µm mesh size), the present study analyzes the distribution of planktonic foraminifera in Polar regions: the Labrador Sea, Greenland Sea at 75°N and Fram Strait at 80°N. The community of the planktonic foraminifera, which in the study area mainly consists of six species: left and right-coiling N. pachyderma, T. quinqueloba, G. bulloides, G. glutinata and G. uvula, is primarily controlled by the temperature in the different water masses. Besides hydrographic parameters, the changes in the horizontal and vertical distribution of N. pachyderma (s.) and T. quinqueloba as well as their shell size distribution in the study area are primarily influenced by the synchrone reproduction, which is coupled to the lunar cycle. Detailed examinations of the isotope signal in dependency on the shell size and weight for N. pachyderma (s.) and T. quinqueloba from plankton tows, indicated the weight or degree of calcification to not be the primary factor controlling the isotope signal of encrusted specimens.The d18O vital effect is primarily caused by the thermal stratification of the water column, whereas the d13C vital effect mainly results from the ontogenetic development.

Compilation of Mg/Ca ratios of Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sinistral) and SST estimates from the northern North Atlantic

A map of estimated calcification temperatures of the planktic foraminifer Neogloboquadrina pachyderma sinistral (TNps) for the Nordic Seas and the northern North Atlantic for the Last Glacial Maximum was produced from oxygen isotopes with support of Mg/Ca ratios. To arrive at the reconstruction, several constraints concerning the plausible salinity and ?18O-fields were employed. The reconstruction indicates inflow of temperate waters in a wedge along the eastern border of the Nordic Seas and at least seasonally ice-free waters. The reconstruction from oxygen isotopes shows similarities with Mg/Ca based paleotemperatures in the southern and southeastern sector, while unrealistically high Mg/Ca values in the central Nordic Seas prevent the application of the method in this area. The oxygen isotope based reconstruction shows some agreement with temperature reconstructions based on the modern analogue technique, but with somewhat lower temperatures and a stronger internal gradient inside the Nordic Seas. All told, our results suggest a much more ice-free and dynamic high latitude ocean than the CLIMAP reconstruction.

Nouveau traité de médecine et de thérapeutique,

1. Maladies microbiennes en général. -- 2. Fièvres éruptives. -- 3. Fièvre typhoïde. -- 4. Maladies communes à l'homme et aux animaux. -- 5. Paludisme et trypanosomiase. -- 6. Maladies exotiques. -- 7. Maladies vénériennes. -- 8. Rhumatismes. -- 9. Grippe, coqueluche, oreillons, diphtérie. -- 10. Streptococcie, staphylococcie, pneumococcie, colibacillose. -- 10. Septicémies: streptococcie ..., 1922. -- 11. Intoxications. -- 12. Maladies de la nutrition. -- 13. Cancer. -- 14. Maladies de la peau. -- 15. Maladies de la bouche, du pharynx et de l'oesophage. -- 16. Maladies de l'estomac. -- 17. Maladies de l'intestin. -- 18. Maladies du péritoine. -- 19. Maladies du foie et de la rate. -- 20. Maladies des glandes salivaires et du pancréas. -- 21. Maladies des reins. -- 22. Maladies des organes génito-urinaires de l'homme et de la femme. -- 23. Maladies du coeur. -- 24. Maladies des artères et de l'aorte. -- 25. Maladies des veines et des lymphatiques. -- 27. Maladies du nez et du larynx. -- 28. Sémiologie de l'appareil respiratoire. -- 29. Maladies des bronches et des poumons. -- 30. Maladies des plèvres et du médiastin. -- 31. Sémiologie nerveuse. -- 32. Maladies du cerveau. -- 33. Maladies de l'isthme de l'encéphale. -- 34. Maladies des méninges. -- 35. Maladies de la moelle épiniere. -- 37. Névroses. -- 38. Maladies des muscles. -- 39. Maladies des os. -- 40. Maladies du corps typhoïde, du corps pituitaire, et des capsules surrénales.

Suboptimal Vitamin D Associated with Dental Caries at an Urban Pediatric Hospital

Thesis (Master's)--University of Washington, 2016-06

Development and transplantation of a mineralized matrix formed by osteoblasts in vitro for bone regeneration

The use of extracellular matrix materials as scaffolds for the repair and regeneration of tissues is receiving increased attention. The current study was undertaken to test whether extracellular matrix formed by osteoblasts in vitro could be used as a scaffold for osteoblast transplantation and induce new bone formation in critical size osseous defects in vivo. Human osteoblasts derived from alveolar bone were cultured in six-well plates until confluent and then in mineralization media for a further period of 3 weeks to form an osteoblast-mineralized matrix complex. Histologically, at this time point a tissue structure with a connective tissue-like morphology was formed. Type I collagen was the major extracellular component present and appeared to determine the matrix macrostructure. Other bone-related proteins such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 and -4, bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteopontin (OPN), and osteocalcin (OCN) also accumulated in the matrix. The osteoblasts embedded in this matrix expressed mRNAs for these bone-related proteins very strongly. Nodules of calcification were detected in the matrix and there was a correlation between calcification and the distribution of BSP and OPN. When this matrix was transplanted into a critical size bone defect in skulls of inummodeficient mice (SCID), new bone formation occurred. Furthermore, the cells inside the matrix survived and proliferated in the recipient sites, and were traceable by the human-specific Alu gene sequence using in situ hybridization. It was found that bone-forming cells differentiated from both transplanted human osteoblasts and activated endogenous mesenchymal cells. This study indicates that a mineralized matrix, formed by human osteoblasts in vitro, can be used as a scaffold for osteoblast transplantation, which subsequently can induce new bone formation.

Effect of early marine diagenesis on coral reconstructions of surface-ocean 13C/12C and carbonate saturation state

Recent research suggests that future decreases in the carbonate saturation state of surface seawater associated with the projected build-up of atmospheric CO2 could cause a global decline in coral reef-building capacity. Whether significant reductions in coral calcification are underway is a matter of considerable debate. Multicentury records of skeletal calcification extracted from massive corals have the potential to reconstruct the progressive effect of anthropogenic changes in carbonate saturation on coral reefs. However, early marine aragonite cements are commonly precipitated from pore waters in the basal portions of massive coral skeletons and, if undetected, could result in apparent nonlinear reductions in coral calcification toward the present. To address this issue, we present records of coral skeletal density, extension rate, calcification rate, δ13C, and δ18O for well preserved and diagenetically altered coral cores spanning ∼1830-1994 A.D. at Ningaloo Reef Marine Park, Western Australia. The record for the pristine coral shows no significant decrease in skeletal density or δ13C indicative of anthropogenic changes in carbonate saturation state or δ13C of surface seawater (oceanic Suess effect). In contrast, progressive addition of early marine inorganic aragonite toward the base of the altered coral produces an apparent ∼25% decrease in skeletal density toward the present, which misleadingly matches the nonlinear twentieth century decrease in coral calcification predicted by recent modeling and experimental studies. In addition, the diagenetic aragonite is enriched in 13C, relative to coral aragonite, resulting in a nonlinear decrease in δ13C toward the present that mimics the decrease in δ13C expected from the oceanic Suess effect. Taken together, these diagenetic changes in skeletal density and δ13C could be misinterpreted to reflect changes in surface-ocean carbonate saturation state driven by the twentieth century build-up of atmospheric CO2. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.

In vitro bioactivity of MOEP grafted ePTFE membranes for craniofacial applications

The bioactivity of three methacryloyloxyethyl phosphate (MOEP) grafted expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes with varying surface coverage as well as unmodified ePTFE was investigated through a series of in vitro tests: calcium phosphate (CaP) growth in simulated body fluid (SBF), serum protein adsorption, and a morphology and attachment study of human osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cells. The graft copolymers were prepared by means of gamma irradiation induced grafting and displayed various surface morphologies and wettabilities depending on the grafting conditions used. Unmodified ePTFE did not induce nucleation of Cal? minerals, whereas all the grafted membranes revealed the growth of Cal? minerals after 7 days immersion in SBF. The sample with lowest surface grafting yield (24% coverage), a smooth graft morphology and relatively high hydrophobicity (theta(adv) = 120 degrees, theta(rec) = 80 degrees) showed carbonated hydroxyapatite growth covering the surface. On the other hand, the samples with high surface grafting yield (76% and 100%), a globular graft morphology and hydrophilic surfaces (theta(adv) = 60 degrees and 80 degrees, theta(rec) = 25 degrees and 15 degrees, respectively) exhibited irregular growth of non-apatitic Cap minerals. Irreversibly adsorbed protein measured after a 1 h immersion in serum solution was quantified by the amount of nitrogen on the surface using XPS, as well as by weight increase. All grafted membranes adsorbed 3-6 times more protein than the unmodified membrane. The sample with the highest surface coverage adsorbed the most protein. Osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cells cultured for 3 h revealed significantly higher levels of cell attachment on all grafted membranes compared to unmodified ePTFE. Although the morphology of the cells was heterogeneous, in general, the higher grafted surfaces showed a much better cell morphology than both the low surface-grafted and the control unmodified sample. The suite of in vitro tests confirms that a judicious choice of grafted monomer such as the phosphate-containing methacrylate monomer (MOEP) significantly improves the bioactivity of ePTFE in vitro. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Genetic Marker to Separate Emiliania Huxleyi (Prymnesiophyceae) Morphotypes

Emiliania huxleyi (Lohm.) Hay and Mohler is a ubiquitous unicellular marine alga surrounded by an elaborate covering of calcite platelets called coccoliths. It is an important primary producer involved in oceanic biogeochemistry and climate regulation. Currently, E. huxleyi is separated into five morphotypes based on morphometric, physiological, biochemical, and immunological differences. However, a genetic marker has yet to be found to characterize these morphotypes. With the use of sequence analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, we discovered a genetic marker that correlates significantly with the separation of the most widely recognized A and B morphotypes. Furthermore, we reveal that the A morphotype is composed of a number of distinct genotypes. This marker lies within the 3' untranslated region of a coccolith associated protein mRNA, which is implicated in regulating coccolith calcification. Consequently, we tentatively termed this marker the coccolith morphology motif.

DHPLC analysis of patients with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome reveals novel PTCH missense mutations in the serol-sensing domain

Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome (NBCCS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterised by multiple basal cell carcinomas, palmar and plantar pitting, odontogenic keratocysts of the jaws and bilamellar calcification of the falx. Mutations in the PTCH gene are responsible for NBCCS but most studies have found mutations in less than half of the cases tested. We used denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) to screen for PTCH mutations in 28 NBCCS cases, most of whom had been previously evaluated by single stranded conformation polymorphism analysis but found to be negative. Protein truncating (n = 10) and missense or indel (n = 4) mutations were found in 14/28 (50%) cases and one additional case carried an unclassified variant, c.2777G>C. Thirteen of the variants were novel. The mutation frequency was similar in inherited and de novo cases. Three of the missense and indel mutations were in the sterol-sensing domain, and one was in the sixth transmembrane domain.

Hydrodynamic evaluation of kangaroo aortic valve matrices for tissue valve engineering

We evaluated the hydrodynamic performance of kangaroo aortic valve matrices (KMs) (19, 21, and 23 mm), as potential scaffolds in tissue valve engineering using a pulsatile left heart model at low and high cardiac outputs (COs) and heart rates (HRs) of 60 and 90 beats/min. Data were measured in two samples of each type, pooled in two CO levels (2.1 +/- 0.7 and 4.2 +/- 0.6 L/min; mean +/- standard errors on the mean), and analyzed using analysis of variance with CO level, HR, and valve type as fixed factors and compared to similar porcine matrices (PMs). Transvalvular pressure gradient (Delta P) was a function of HR (P < 0.001) and CO (P < 0.001) but not of valve type (P = 0.39). Delta P was consistently lower in KMs but not significantly different from PMs. The effective orifice area and performance index of kangaroo matrices was statistically larger for all sizes at both COs and HRs.