Agglutinated foraminifera from neritic to bathyal facies in the Palaeogene of Spitsbergen and the Barents Sea

Late Palaeocene to Early Eocene foraminiferal assemblages have been analysed from an exploratory well (7119/7-1) drilled in the Tromsø Basin (southwestern Barents Sea) and from two onshore sections, Basilikaelva and Kovalskifjella, exposed in the Central Tertiary Basin of Spitsbergen. The assemblages reveal marked differences in taxonomic composition and diversity, reflecting inner neritic to middle bathyal conditions. Within this depth range, four foraminiferal biofacies (FB) are distinguished: FB 1 occurs in the Kolthoffberget Member (of the Firkanten Formation, Late Palaeocene) sampled in the Basilikaelva section. The member consists of interbedded shales, siltstones and sandstones deposited in a transitional delta front - prodelta environment, according to current sedimentological interpretation. The foraminiferal assemblages are entirely agglutinated, show extremely low species diversities and strong dominance of Reticulophragmium arcticum followed by Labrospira aff. turbida. FB 2 is recognised in the Basilika Formation (Late Palaeocene) exposed in the Kovalskifjella section. The formation consists of silty claystones deposited in a prodelta shelf setting. The foraminiferal assemblages show an increased species diversity, and consist mainly of agglutinated taxa with a strongly subordinate calcareous component. The two most abundant species are R. arcticum and L. aff. turbida. Species of Verneuilinoides and Trochammina occur in significant numbers while tubular taxa are rare. FB 3 is found in the Lower Eocene clay interval composing the upper part of the Torsk Formation in well 7119/7-1. It contains entirely agglutinated assemblages with comparatively high diversities. The dominant species are Recurvoides aff. turbinatus and Budashevaella multicamerata, while Reticulophragmium amplectens is typical and common in these strata. Tubular forms referred to Rhizammina occur locally in significant quantities. The diversity and composition of the assemblages suggest an outer neritic to upper bathyal environment. FB 4 is developed in Palaeocene claystones comprising the lower part of the Torsk Formation in well 7119/7-1. In this interval the species diversity, as well as the frequency of tubular forms (referred to Rhizammina, Bathysiphon and Hyperammina) attains maximum values. Other common to dominant taxa include Spiroplectammina spectabilis, Haplophragmoides walteri, Ammosphaeroidina pseudopauciloculata, and Recurvoides sp. These wholly agglutinated assemblages are interpreted as reflecting upper to middle bathyal conditions

Biogeochemical effects of volcanic degassing on the oxygen-state of the oceans during the Cenomanian/Turonian Anoxic Event 2

ABSTRACT FINAL ID: PP11A-1769 Cretaceous anoxic events may have been triggered by massive volcanic CO2 degassing as large igneous provinces (LIPs) were emplaced on the seafloor. Here, we present a comprehensive modeling study to decipher the marine biogeochemical consequences of enhanced volcanic CO2 emissions. A biogeochemical box model has been developed for transient model runs with time-dependent volcanic CO2 forcing. The box model considers continental weathering processes, marine export production, degradation processes in the water column, the rain of particles to the seafloor, benthic fluxes of dissolved species across the seabed, and burial of particulates in marine sediments. The ocean is represented by twenty-seven boxes. To estimate horizontal and vertical fluxes between boxes, a coupled ocean–atmosphere general circulation model (AOGCM) is run to derive the circulation patterns of the global ocean under Late Cretaceous boundary conditions. The AOGCM modeling predicts a strong thermohaline circulation and intense ventilation in the Late Cretaceous oceans under high pCO2 values. With an appropriate choice of parameter values such as the continental input of phosphorus, the model produces ocean anoxia at low to mid latitudes and changes in marine δ13C that are consistent with geological data such as the well established δ13C curve. The spread of anoxia is supported by an increase in riverine phosphorus fluxes under high pCO2 and a decrease in phosphorus burial efficiency in marine sediments under low oxygen conditions in ambient bottom waters. Here, we suggest that an additional mechanism might contribute to anoxia, an increase in the C:P ratio of marine plankton which is induced by high pCO2 values. According to our AOGCM model results, an intensively ventilated Cretaceous ocean turns anoxic only if the C:P ratio of marine organic particles exported into the deep ocean is allowed to increase under high pCO2 conditions. Being aware of the uncertainties such as diagenesis, this modeling study implies that potential changes in Redfield ratios might be a strong feedback mechanism to attain ocean anoxia via enhanced CO2 emissions. The formation of C-enriched marine organic matter may also explain the frequent occurrence of global anoxia during other geological periods characterized by high pCO2 values

Multiallelic copy number variation in the complement component 4A (C4A) gene is associated with late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD)

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

can concomitant diseases predict the compliance with cisplatin plus rt in patients with la scchn an exploratory endpoint analysis of the comply trial

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Comparison of manual and artificial intelligence based quantification of myocardial strain by feature tracking - a cardiovascular MR study in health and disease

OBJECTIVES: The analysis of myocardial deformation using feature tracking in cardiovascular MR allows for the assessment of global and segmental strain values. The aim of this study was to compare strain values derived from artificial intelligence (AI)-based contours with manually derived strain values in healthy volunteers and patients with cardiac pathologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cohort of 136 subjects (60 healthy volunteers and 76 patients; of those including 46 cases with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) of varying etiology and 30 cases with chronic myocardial infarction) was analyzed. Comparisons were based on quantitative strain analysis and on a geometric level by the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of the segmentations. Strain quantification was performed in 3 long-axis slices and short-axis (SAX) stack with epi- and endocardial contours in end-diastole. AI contours were checked for plausibility and potential errors in the tracking algorithm. RESULTS: AI-derived strain values overestimated radial strain (+ 1.8 ± 1.7% (mean difference ± standard deviation); p = 0.03) and underestimated circumferential (- 0.8 ± 0.8%; p = 0.02) and longitudinal strain (- 0.1 ± 0.8%; p = 0.54). Pairwise group comparisons revealed no significant differences for global strain. The DSC showed good agreement for healthy volunteers (85.3 ± 10.3% for SAX) and patients (80.8 ± 9.6% for SAX). In 27 cases (27/76; 35.5%), a tracking error was found, predominantly (24/27; 88.9%) in the LVH group and 22 of those (22/27; 81.5%) at the insertion of the papillary muscle in lateral segments. CONCLUSIONS: Strain analysis based on AI-segmented images shows good results in healthy volunteers and in most of the patient groups. Hypertrophied ventricles remain a challenge for contouring and feature tracking. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: AI-based segmentations can help to streamline and standardize strain analysis by feature tracking. KEY POINTS: • Assessment of strain in cardiovascular magnetic resonance by feature tracking can generate global and segmental strain values. • Commercially available artificial intelligence algorithms provide segmentation for strain analysis comparable to manual segmentation. • Hypertrophied ventricles are challenging in regards of strain analysis by feature tracking

FACKEL is a sterol C-14 reductase required for organized cell division and expansion in Arabidopsis embryogenesis

In flowering plants, the developing embryo consists of growing populations of cells whose fates are determined in a position-dependent manner to form the adult organism. Mutations in the FACKEL (FK) gene affect body organization of the Arabidopsis seedling. We report that FK is required for cell division and expansion and is involved in proper organization of the embryo. We isolated FK by positional cloning. Expression analysis in embryos revealed that FK mRNA becomes localized to meristematic zones. FK encodes a predicted integral membrane protein related to the vertebrate lamin B receptor and sterol reductases across species, including yeast sterol C-14 reductase ERG24. We provide functional evidence that FK encodes a sterol C-14 reductase by complementation of erg24. GC/MS analysis confirmed that fk mutations lead to accumulation of intermediates in the biosynthetic pathway preceding the C-14 reductase step. Although fk represents a sterol biosynthetic mutant, the phenotype was not rescued by feeding with brassinosteroids (BRs), the only plant sterol signaling molecules known so far. We propose that synthesis of sterol signals in addition to BRs is important in mediating regulated cell growth and organization during embryonic development. Our results indicate a novel role for sterols in the embryogenesis of plants

Myocardial injury in patients with acute ischemic stroke detected by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging

BACKGROUND: Patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) are at high risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Until now, the burden of myocardial injury derived from cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has not been established in this population. METHODS: Patients with AIS underwent CMR at 3 Tesla within 120 h after the index stroke as part of a prospective, single-center study. Patients with persistent atrial fibrillation were excluded. Morphology and function of both cardiac chambers and atria were assessed applying SSFP cine. Myocardial tissue differentiation was based on native and contrast-enhanced imaging including late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) after 0.15 mmol/kg gadobutrol for focal fibrosis and parametric T2- and T1-mapping for diffuse findings. To detect myocardial deformation global longitudinal (GLS), circumferential (GCS) and radial (GRS) strain was measured applying feature tracking. Cardiac troponin was measured using a high-sensitivity assay (99th percentile upper reference limit 14 ng/L). T2 mapping values were compared with 20 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: CMR with contrast media was successfully performed in 92 of 115 patients (mean age 74 years, 40% female, known myocardial infarction 6%). Focal myocardial fibrosis (LGE) was detected in 31 of 92 patients (34%) of whom 23/31 (74%) showed an ischemic pattern. Patients with LGE were more likely to have diabetes, prior myocardial infarction, prior ischemic stroke, and to have elevated troponin levels compared to those without. Presence of LGE was accompanied by diffuse fibrosis (increased T1 native values) even in remote cardiac areas as well as reduced global radial, circumferential and longitudinal strain values. In 14/31 (45%) of all patients with LGE increased T2-mapping values were detectable. CONCLUSIONS: More than one-third of patients with AIS have evidence of focal myocardial fibrosis on CMR. Nearly half of these changes may have acute or subacute onset. These findings are accompanied by diffuse myocardial changes and reduced myocardial deformation. Further studies, ideally with serial CMR measurements during follow-up, are required to establish the impact of these findings on long-term prognosis after AIS

Fertility Ideals of Women and Men Across the Life Course

This paper explores the stability of women’s and men’s fertility preferences across the life course. The data come from the first six waves of the German Family Panel (pairfam), which span the period from 2008/2009 until 2013/2014. In our analysis, fertility preferences are measured using the following question: “Under ideal circumstances, how many children would you like to have?” The average number cited by both women and men is 2.2. With rising age, this number declines modestly. Relying on fixed-effects modelling, we find that neither partnership status nor economic circumstances have any causal effect on fertility preferences. However, as the number of children a respondent has increases, his or her ideal number of children is also likely to grow. Thus, fertility ideals appear to undergo changes over time, and are adjusted in line with the size of the respondent’s own family

Health status, use of healthcare, and socio-economic implications of cancer survivorship in Portugal : results from the fourth national health survey

Health status, use of healthcare, and socio-economic implications of cancer survivorship in Portugal: results from the Fourth National Health SurveyUnderstanding the morbidity and socio-economic implications of cancer survivorship is essential for a comprehensive management of oncological diseases. We compared cancer survivors (CS) with the general population regarding health status, use of healthcare resources and socio-economic condition. We analyzed data from a representative sample of the Portuguese population aged a parts per thousand yen15 years (n = 35,229). We defined three groups of CS, according to the time since diagnosis and the latest cancer treatment: CS 1 diagnosis within 12 months of interview; CS 2 diagnosis more than 12 months before and treatment in the previous 12 months; CS 3 diagnosis and treatment more than 12 months before. These were compared with the general population, adjusting for differences in sex, age, and place of residence. The prevalence of CS was 2.2 % (CS 1: 0.2 %; CS 2: 0.9 %, CS 3: 1.1 %). Self-perceived health status was worse among CS and short-time incapacity more frequent among CS 1 and CS 2. Health expenses were higher in the early stages of survivorship. Lower household income and financial difficulties were more frequent in CS 1 and CS 3 men, respectively. This study confirmed the higher consumption of healthcare resources and worse financial situation among CS. Our study provides valuable information for understanding the global impact of cancer survivorship.The authors thank the National Health Systems Observatory (Observatorio Nacional de Saude), National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA), Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Statistics (INE) for providing the data (Ministerio da Saude, Instituto Nacional de Saude Dr. Ricardo Jorge; IP, Departamento de Epidemiologia/Instituto Nacional de Estatistica: Inquerito Nacional de Saude 2005/2006). Luis Pacheco-Figueiredo received a grant from the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (SFRH/SINTD/60124/2009)