Dental Abnormalities and Early Diagnosis of Hyperphosphatasemia

Dental hard tissue abnormalities have never been described as part of the symptoms associated with hyperphosphatasemia. Fourteen teeth obtained from a young man, who had a mild form of hyperphosphatasemia, were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and infrared (IR) spectroscopy. SEM revealed a thin enamel, presenting a prismatic structure with many pits, and atypical cementum and dentin showing numerous resorption areas. The X-ray diffractograms revealed poorly crystallinehydroxyapatite associated with α-tricalcium phosphate and magnesium hydroxide phases. SIMS data showed high Ca concentrations: 40.5 weight % {wt%; standard deviation (SD) = 0.13) and 42.5 wt% (SD = 1.03) in enamel and dentin respectively, and high Ca/P weight ratios: 2.28 in the enamel, 2.65 in the dentin. The lack of crystallinity may be linked to the high content of proteins and magnesium adsorbed onto apatite. This study demonstrates the need for thorough radiographical and biological investigations for skeletal abnormalities, even in the absence of systemic symptoms, when generalized dental abnormalities of both enamel and dentin are observed

Selection of coals of different maturities for CO2 Storage by modelling of CH4 and CO2 adsorption isotherms

International audienceCO2 injection in unmineable coal seams could be one interesting option for both storage and methane recovery processes. The objective of this study is to compare and model pure gas sorption isotherms (CO2 and CH4) for well-characterised coals of different maturities to determine the most suitable coal for CO2 storage. Carbon dioxide and methane adsorption on several coals have been investigated using a gravimetric adsorption method. The experiments were carried out using both CO2 and CH4 pure gases at 25 °C from 0.1 to 5 MPa (1 to 50 bar). The experimental results were fitted using Temkin's approach but also with the corrected Langmuir's and the corrected Tóth's equations. The two last approaches are more accurate from a thermodynamical point of view, and have the advantage of taking into account the fact that experimental data (isotherms) correspond to excess adsorption capacities. These approaches allow better quantification of the adsorbed gas. Determined CO2 adsorption capacities are from 0.5 to 2 mmol/g of dry coal. Modelling provides also the affinity parameters of the two gases for the different coals. We have shown these parameters determined with adsorption models could be used for classification and first selection of coals for CO2 storage. The affinity ratio ranges from a value close to 1 for immature coals to 41 for high rank coals like anthracites. This ratio allows selecting coals having high CO2 adsorption capacities. In our case, the modelling study of a significant number of coals from various ranks shows that anthracites seem to have the highest CO2 storage capacities. Our study provides high quality affinity parameters and values of CO2 and CH4 adsorption capacities on various coals for the future modelling of CO2 injection in coal seams

Thermodynamic evidence of giant salt deposit formation by serpentinization: an alternative mechanism to solar evaporation

International audienceThe evaporation of seawater in arid climates is currently the main accepted driving mechanism for the formation of ancient and recent salt deposits in shallow basins. However, the deposition of huge amounts of marine salts, including the formation of tens of metres of highly soluble types (tachyhydrite and bischofite) during the Aptian in the South Atlantic and during the Messinian Salinity Crisis, are inconsistent with the wet and warm palaeoclimate conditions reconstructed for these periods. Recently, a debate has been developed that opposes the classic model of evaporite deposition and argues for the generation of salt by serpentinization. The products of the latter process can be called "dehydratites". The associated geochemical processes involve the consumption of massive amounts of pure water, leading to the production of concentrated brines. Here, we investigate thermodynamic calculations that account for high salinities and the production of soluble salts and MgCl2-rich brines through sub-seafloor serpentinization processes. Our results indicate that salt and brine formation occurs during serpentinization and that the brine composition and salt assemblages are dependent on the temperature and CO2 partial pressure. Our findings help explain the presence and sustainability of highly soluble salts that appear inconsistent with reconstructed climatic conditions and demonstrate that the presence of highly soluble salts probably has implications for global tectonics and palaeoclimate reconstructions

Natural gas of radiolytic origin: An overlooked component of shale gas.

SignificanceNatural gas is a key fossil fuel as the world transitions away from coal toward less polluting energy sources in an attempt to minimize the impact of global climate change. Historically, the origin of natural gas produced from conventional reservoirs has been determined based on gas compositional data and stable isotope fingerprints of methane, ethane, and higher n-alkanes, revealing three dominant sources of natural gas: microbial, thermogenic, and abiotic. In our detailed synthesis of published natural gas data from a variety of unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs worldwide, we demonstrate that there is a previously overlooked source of natural gas that is generated by radiolysis of organic matter in shales

Parent-to-parent advice: What can we learn by listening to parents of deaf children

Parent-to-parent support is an important component of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs for deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) children. In this study, we asked parents of DHH children what advice they would give to new parents in their situation. Seventy-one hearing parents of DDH children living in Canada, Switzerland, France, and Belgium participated in interviews that included the following question: “What advice you would give to parents who just learned that their child is deaf?”. We performed a thematic analysis and developed three overarching themes, revolving around the importance of trust, the need for reassurance, and finally, the quest for help. The findings allow to better understand how parental expertise can be used to improve early intervention services for DHH children

Extending the prediction of the thermodynamic properties of clay minerals to the trapping of trace elements

The thermodynamic properties of clay minerals, which control the stability of these minerals in solution, are still a matter of debate in spite of recent advances (Gailhanou et al., submitted). This is especially the case for the minerals that may structurally include trace elements and potential radionuclides such like Ni, Cd, Co, Cr, Mn, Pb, ... The usual methods developed in order to predict thermodynamic properties are parameterised using a given set of minerals. For clay minerals, the latter are mainly composed by Si, Al, Fe and Mg, apart from the alkalis elements (Chermak and Rimstidt, 1989), which means that predictions are limited to minerals whose layers are composed by Si, Al, Fe and Mg. At the vicinity of H&ILW disposal cells, the possible interactions between clay rock or engineered barrier and waste degradation products can result in the appearance of clay minerals that may structurally include radionuclides within an irreversible trapping process. This work aims at proposing a method for predicting the thermodynamic properties of such minerals. Theoretical principle and selection of calibration phases Vieillard (1994) has developed a methodology of estimation based on the difference of electronegativity by considering three scales of values of the parameter HO=(Mz+clay) in the three sites of phyllosilicates. We have considered the work of Vieillard (1994) that originally applies to the estimate of H0f and extended it to the estimate of Cp(T), S0 and V. Some popular estimate methods (Chermak and Rimstidt, 1989) are based on the hypothesis that the thermodynamic property of a mineral can be obtained by combining the properties of its components. An improvement of this principle had consisted in decomposing minerals into their polyhedral components (Chermak and Rimstidt, 1989). Now, we can write the fictive solution equilibrium with a basic polyhedral component MxOy as: and assumming the entropy of this fictive reaction is zero, we can define a SO= parameter as: . The value for the oxide analog of the polyhedral unit is obtained by implementing S0 of the oxide in the S0(MxOy) term. We have also defined, from the same reasoning, similar parameters for heat capacity and volume of the basic polyhedral components: ; . Results and discussion On Figure 1, we have displayed, for entropy, the correlation obtained between calculated values of SO= for the polyhedral unit and for the oxide analog. A straight line and a second-order function are obtained, for the interlayer and octahedral cations, respectively, with a good correlation coefficient. Fig. 1 - Development of predictive capacity for entropy estimates The implementation of the derived semi-empirical, first or second order relations allows to estimate the thermodynamic properties of a clay mineral, MX80 (Na0.409K0.024Ca0.009(Si3.738Al0.262)(Al1.598Mg0.214Fe3+0.173Fe2+0.035)O10(OH)2) in the present case, loaded by 6 radionuclides and to compare the values with the results obtained by Gailhanou et al. (submitted).The results can be expressed in terms of the concentrations for the elements Ni, Cd, Co, Cr, Mn and Pb and in terms of energetic potential with respect to the measurements performed by Gailhanou et al. (submitted)

Simulation of the degradation of a concrete/clay interface:influence of temperature, unsaturated conditions and porosityvariations

For long-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste, the useof concrete as engineering barrier and Callovian-Oxfordian clay asgeological barrier at a depth of 500 m is considered in the Frenchdisposal concept (ANDRA, 2005). Upon emplacement, initially unsaturatedconcrete is expected to experience coupled processes involving heating,re-saturation with groundwater from the clay formation, gas exchanges andgeochemical reactions. After an early period of re-saturation, solutetransport is supposed to be diffusion-controlled because of the extremelylow permeability of the two media. These coupled processes may lead tochanges in the porosity of the concrete or clay barriers. In the presentpaper, a fully coupled Thermo-Hydro-Chemical (THC) response of atwo-phase (gas and solution) mass-transfer model was evaluated and testedby a sensitivity analysis. This study is an extension of a previous modelapplied to an isothermal and fully saturated concrete/clay interface(Burnol et al., 2005); it investigated the coupled effect of temperatureand unsaturated conditions assuming no production of H2(g). The systemwas simulated for a 2000-year period, which covers the most predominantthermal perturbation

Mineralogical and isotopic record of biotic and abiotic diagenesis of the Callovian-Oxfordian clayey formation of Bure (France)

International audienceThe Callovian-Oxfordian (COx) clayey unit is being studied in the Eastern part of the Paris Basin at depths between 400 and 500 m depth to assess of its suitability for nuclear waste disposal. The present study combines new mineralogical and isotopic data to describe the sedimentary history of the COx unit. Petrologic study provided evidence of the following diagenetic mineral sequence: (1) framboidal pyrite and micritic calcite, (2) iron-rich euhedral carbonates (ankerite, sideroplesite) and glauconite (3) limpid calcite and dolomite and celestite infilling residual porosity in bioclasts and cracks, (4) chalcedony, (5) quartz/calcite. Pyrite in bioturbations shows a wide range of δ34S (−38‰ to +34.5‰), providing evidence of bacterial sulphate reduction processes in changing sedimentation conditions. The most negative values (−38‰ to −22‰), measured in the lower part of the COx unit indicate precipitation of pyrite in a marine environment with a continuous sulphate supply. The most positive pyrite δ34S values (−14‰ up to +34.5‰) in the upper part of the COx unit indicate pyrite precipitation in a closed system. Celestite δ34S values reflect the last evolutionary stage of the system when bacterial activity ended; however its deposition cannot be possible without sulphate supply due to carbonate bioclast dissolution. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio of celestite (0.706872-0.707040) is consistent with deposition from Jurassic marine-derived waters. Carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of bulk calcite and dolomite are consistent with marine carbonates. Siderite, only present in the maximum clay zone, has chemical composition and δ18O consistent with a marine environment. Its δ13C is however lower than those of marine carbonates, suggesting a contribution of 13C-depleted carbon from degradation of organic matter. δ18O values of diagenetic chalcedony range between +27‰ and +31‰, suggesting precipitation from marine-derived pore waters. Late calcite crosscutting a vein filled with chalcedony and celestite, and late euhedral quartz in a limestone from the top of the formation have lower δ18O values (not, vert, similar+19‰), suggesting that they precipitated from meteoric fluids, isotopically close to present-day pore waters of the formation. Finally, the study illustrates the transition from very active, biotic diagenesis to abiotic diagenesis. This transition appears to be driven by compaction of the sediment, which inhibited movement of bacterial cells by reduction of porosity and pore sizes, rather than a lack of inorganic carbon or sulphates