A tale of two gyres: Contrasting distributions of dissolved cobalt and iron in the Atlantic Ocean during an Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT-19).

Cobalt (Co) and iron (Fe) are essential for phytoplankton nutrition, and as such constitute a vital link in the marine biological carbon pump. Atmospheric deposition is an important, and in some places the dominant, source of trace elements (TEs) to the global ocean. Dissolved cobalt (dCo) and iron (dFe) were determined along an Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT-19; Oct/Nov 2009) between 50°N and 40°S in the upper 150 m in order to investigate the behaviour and distribution of these two essential, bioactive TEs. During AMT-19, large differences in the distributions of dCo and dFe were observed. In the North Atlantic gyre provinces, extremely low mixed layer dCo concentrations (23 ± 9 pM) were observed, which contrasts with the relatively high mixed layer dFe concentrations (up to 1.0 nM) coincident with the band of highest atmospheric deposition (∼5–30°N). In the South Atlantic gyre, the opposite trend was observed, with relatively high dCo (55 ± 18 pM) observed throughout the water column, but low dFe concentrations (0.29 ± 0.08 nM). Given that annual dust supply is an order of magnitude greater in the North than the South Atlantic, the dCo distribution was somewhat unexpected. However, the distribution of dCo shows similarities with the distribution of phosphate (PO43−) in the euphotic zone of the Atlantic Ocean, where the North Atlantic gyre is characterised by chronically low PO4, and higher concentrations are observed in the South Atlantic gyre (Mather et al., 2008), suggesting the potential for a similar biological control of dCo distributions. Inverse correlations between dCo and Prochlorococcus abundance in the North Atlantic gyre provinces, combined with extremely low dCo where nitrogen fixation rates were highest (∼20–28°N), suggests the dominance of biological controls on dCo distributions. The contrasting dCo and dFe distributions in the North and South Atlantic gyres provides insights into the differences between the dominant controls on the distribution of these two bioactive trace metals in the central Atlantic Ocean

Expression of Ki-67 and Bcl-2 in gastric epithelial cells: role of antralization in gastric carcinogenesis

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Iron Distribution in the Subtropical North Atlantic: The Pivotal Role of Colloidal Iron

The low availability of the essential micronutrient iron (Fe) in the ocean impacts the efficiency of the biological carbon pump, and hence, it is vital to elucidate its sources, sinks, and internal cycling. We present size‐fractionated dissolved Fe (dFe, <0.2 μm) measurements from 130 surface samples and 7 full‐depth profiles from the subtropical North Atlantic during summer 2017 and demonstrate the pivotal role of colloidal (cFe, 0.02 to 0.2 μm) over soluble (sFe, <0.02 μm) Fe in controlling the dFe distribution. In the surface (<5 m), a strong west‐to‐east decrease in dFe (1.53 to 0.26 nM) was driven by a dust gradient, which retained dFe predominantly as cFe (61% to 85% of dFe), while sFe remained largely constant at 0.19 ± 0.05 nM. In the euphotic zone, the attenuation of dFe resulted from the depletion of cFe (0% to 30% of dFe), with scavenging as an important driver. In the mesopelagic, cFe was released from sinking biogenic and lithogenic particles, creating a zone of elevated dFe (0.7 to 1.0 nM) between 400 to 1100 m depth. While the ocean interior, below the mesopelagic and above the seafloor boundary, exhibited a narrow range of cFe (40% to 60% of dFe), the abyssal cFe fraction varied in range from 26% to 76% due to interactions with seafloor sediments and a hydrothermal source with almost 100% cFe. Overall, our results produced an hourglass shape for the vertical cFe‐to‐dFe fraction and highlight the primary control of cFe on the dFe distribution

Radium-228-derived ocean mixing and trace element inputs in the South Atlantic

Trace elements (TEs) play important roles as micronutrients in modulating marine productivity in the global ocean. The South Atlantic around 40◦S is a prominent region of high productivity and a transition zone between the nitrate-depleted subtropical gyre and the iron-limited Southern Ocean. However, the sources and fluxes of trace elements to this region remain unclear. In this study, the distribution of the naturally occurring radioisotope 228Ra in the water column of the South Atlantic (Cape Basin and Argentine Basin) has been investigated along a 40◦S zonal transect to estimate ocean mixing and trace element supply to the surface ocean. Ra-228 profiles have been used to determine the horizontal and vertical mixing rates in the near-surface open ocean. In the Argentine Basin, horizontal mixingfromthecontinentalshelftotheopenoceanshowsan eddy diffusion of Kx =1.8±1.4 (106 cm2 s−1) and an integrated advection velocity w=0.6±0.3cms−1. In the Cape Basin, horizontal mixing is Kx =2.7±0.8 (107 cm2 s−1) andverticalmixing Kz=1.0–1.7cm2 s−1 intheupper600m layer. Three different approaches (228Ra diffusion, 228Ra advection, and 228Ra/TE ratio) have been applied to estimate the dissolved trace element fluxes from the shelf to the open ocean. These approaches bracket the possible range of off-shelf fluxes from the Argentine Basin margin to be 4–21 (×103)nmolCom−2 d−1, 8–19 (×104)nmolFem−2 d−1 and 2.7–6.3 (×104)nmolZnm−2 d−1. Off-shelf fluxes from the Cape Basin margin are 4.3–6.2 (×103)nmolCom−2 d−1, 1.2–3.1 (×104)nmolFem−2 d−1, and 0.9–1.2 (×104)nmolZnm−2 d−1. On average, at 40◦S in the Atlantic, vertical mixing supplies 0.1– 1.2nmolCom−2 d−1, 6–9nmolFem−2 d−1, and 5– 7nmolZnm−2 d−1 to the euphotic zone. Compared with atmospheric dust and continental shelf inputs, vertical mixing is a more important source for supplying dissolved trace elements to the surface 40◦S Atlantic transect. It is insufficient, however, to provide the trace elements removed by biological uptake, particularly for Fe. Other inputs (e.g. particulate or from winter deep mixing) are required to balance the trace element budgets in this region

Seasonal cycling of zinc and cobalt in the south-eastern Atlantic along the GEOTRACES GA10 section

Abstract. We report the distributions and stoichiometry of dissolved zinc (dZn) and cobalt (dCo) in sub-tropical and sub-Antarctic waters of the south-eastern Atlantic Ocean during austral spring 2010 and summer 2011/2012. In sub-tropical surface waters, mixed-layer dZn and dCo concentrations during early spring were 1.60 ± 2.58 nM and 30 ± 11 pM, respectively, compared with summer values of 0.14 ± 0.08 nM and 24 ± 6 pM. The elevated spring dZn concentrations resulted from an apparent offshore transport of elevated dZn at depths between 20–55 m, derived from the Agulhas Bank. In contrast, open-ocean sub-Antarctic surface waters displayed largely consistent inter-seasonal mixed-layer dZn and dCo concentrations of 0.10 ± 0.07 nM and 11 ± 5 pM, respectively. Trace metal stoichiometry, calculated from concentration inventories, suggests a greater overall removal for dZn relative to dCo in the upper water column of the south-eastern Atlantic, with inter-seasonally decreasing dZn / dCo inventory ratios of 19–5 and 13–7 mol mol−1 for sub-tropical surface water and sub-Antarctic surface water, respectively. In this paper, we investigate how the seasonal influences of external input and phytoplankton succession may relate to the distribution of dZn and dCo and variation in dZn / dCo stoichiometry across these two distinct ecological regimes in the south-eastern Atlantic. </jats:p

Water mass analysis along 22°N in the subtropical North Atlantic for the JC150 cruise (GEOTRACES, GApr08)

This study presents a water mass analysis along the JC150 section in the subtropical North Atlantic, based on hydrographic and nutrient data, by combining an extended optimum multiparameter analysis (OMPA) with a Lagrangian particle tracking experiment (LPTE). This combination, which was proposed for the first time, aided in better constraining the OMPA end-member choice and providing information about their trajectories. It also enabled tracing the water mass origins in surface layers, which cannot be achieved with an OMPA. The surface layers were occupied by a shallow type of Eastern South Atlantic Central Water (ESACW) with traces of the Amazon plume in the west. Western North Atlantic Central Water dominates from 100 to 500 m, while the 13°C ESACW contribution occurs marginally deeper (500–900 m). At approximately 700 m, Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) dominates the west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), while Mediterranean Water dominates the east with a small but non-negligible contribution down to 3500 m. Below AAIW, Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (UCDW) is observed throughout section (900–1250 m). Labrador Sea Water (LSW) is found centered at 1500 m, where the LPTE highlights an eastern LSW route from the eastern North Atlantic to the eastern subtropical Atlantic, which was not previously reported. North East Atlantic Deep Water (encompassing a contribution of Iceland-Scotland Overflow Water) is centered at ~2500 m, while North West Atlantic Bottom Water (NWABW, encompassing a contribution of Denmark Strait Overflow Water) is principally localized in the west of the MAR in the range of 3500–5000 m. NWABW is also present in significant proportions (>25%) in the east of the MAR, suggesting a crossing of the MAR possibly through the Kane fracture zone. This feature has not been investigated so far. Finally, Antarctic Bottom Water is present in deep waters throughout the section, mainly in the west of the MAR. Source waters have been characterized from GEOTRACES sections, which enables estimations of trace elements and isotope transport within water masses in the subtropical North Atlantic

Early cranial ultrasound findings among infants with neonatal encephalopathy in Uganda: an observational study.

BACKGROUND: In sub-Saharan Africa, the timing and nature of brain injury and their relation to mortality in neonatal encephalopathy (NE) are unknown. We evaluated cranial ultrasound (cUS) scans from term Ugandan infants with and without NE for evidence of brain injury. METHODS: Infants were recruited from a national referral hospital in Kampala. Cases (184) had NE and controls (100) were systematically selected unaffected term infants. All had cUS scans <36 h reported blind to NE status. RESULTS: Scans were performed at median age 11.5 (interquartile range (IQR): 5.2-20.2) and 8.4 (IQR: 3.6-13.5) hours, in cases and controls respectively. None had established antepartum injury. Major evolving injury was reported in 21.2% of the cases vs. 1.0% controls (P < 0.001). White matter injury was not significantly associated with bacteremia in encephalopathic infants (odds ratios (OR): 3.06 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.98-9.60). Major cUS abnormality significantly increased the risk of neonatal death (case fatality 53.9% with brain injury vs. 25.9% without; OR: 3.34 (95% CI: 1.61-6.95)). CONCLUSION: In this low-resource setting, there was no evidence of established antepartum insult, but a high proportion of encephalopathic infants had evidence of major recent and evolving brain injury on early cUS imaging, suggesting prolonged or severe acute exposure to hypoxia-ischemia (HI). Early abnormalities were a significant predictor of death

Anti-HIV-1 Response Elicited in Rabbits by Anti-Idiotype Monoclonal Antibodies Mimicking the CD4-Binding Site

Antibodies against conserved epitopes on HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Env), such as the gp120 CD4-binding site (CD4bs), could contribute to protection against HIV-1. Env-based immunogens inducing such a response could be a major component of future anti-HIV-1 strategies. In this proof-of-concept study we describe the generation of two anti-idiotype (AI) murine antibodies mimicking the CD4bs epitope. Sera were collected from long-term non-progressor patients to obtain CD4bs-directed IgG, through sequential purification steps. The purified IgG were then used as Fab fragments to immunize mice for hybridoma generation. Two hybridomas (P1 and P2), reacting only against the CD4bs-directed IgG, were identified and characterized. The P1 and P2 antibodies were shown to recognize the idiotype of the broadly neutralizing anti-CD4bs human mAb b12. Both P1 and P2 Fabs were able to induce a strong anti-gp120 response in rabbits. Moreover, the rabbits' sera were shown to neutralize two sensitive tier 1 strains of HIV-1 in an Env-pseudotype neutralization assay. In particular, 3/5 rabbits in the P1 group and 1/5 in the P2 group showed greater than 80% neutralizing activity against the HXB2 pseudovirus. Two rabbits also neutralized the pseudovirus HIV-MN. Overall, these data describe the first anti-idiotypic vaccine approach performed to generate antibodies to the CD4bs of the HIV-1 gp120. Although future studies will be necessary to improve strength and breadth of the elicited neutralizing response, this proof-of-concept study documents that immunogens designed on the idiotype of broadly neutralizing Abs are feasible and could help in the design of future anti-HIV strategies

Cixutumumab reveals a critical role for IGF-1 in adipose and hepatic tissue remodelling during the development of diet-induced obesity

High fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity leads to perturbation in the storage function of white adipose tissue (WAT) resulting in deposition of lipids in tissues ill-equipped to deal with this challenge. The role of insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the systemic and organ-specific responses to HFD is unclear. Using cixutumumab, a monoclonal antibody that internalizes and degrades cell surface IGF-1 receptors (IGF-1 R), leaving insulin receptor expression unchanged we aimed to establish the role of IGF-1 R in the response to a HFD. Mice treated with cixutumumab fed standard chow developed mild hyperinsulinemia with no change in WAT. When challenged by HFD mice treated with cixutumumab had reduced weight gain, reduced WAT expansion, and reduced hepatic lipid vacuole formation. In HFD-fed mice, cixutumumab led to reduced levels of genes encoding proteins important in fatty acid metabolism in WAT and liver. Cixutumumab protected against blunting of insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of Akt in liver of HFD fed mice. These data reveal an important role for IGF-1 R in the WAT and hepatic response to short-term nutrient excess. IGF-1 R inhibition during HFD leads to a lipodystrophic phenotype with a failure of WAT lipid storage and protection from HFD-induced hepatic insulin resistance

Cixutumumab reveals a critical role for IGF-1 in adipose and hepatic tissue remodelling during the development of diet-induced obesity

High fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity leads to perturbation in the storage function of white adipose tissue (WAT) resulting in deposition of lipids in tissues ill-equipped to deal with this challenge. The role of insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the systemic and organ-specific responses to HFD is unclear. Using cixutumumab, a monoclonal antibody that internalizes and degrades cell surface IGF-1 receptors (IGF-1 R), leaving insulin receptor expression unchanged we aimed to establish the role of IGF-1 R in the response to a HFD. Mice treated with cixutumumab fed standard chow developed mild hyperinsulinemia with no change in WAT. When challenged by HFD mice treated with cixutumumab had reduced weight gain, reduced WAT expansion, and reduced hepatic lipid vacuole formation. In HFD-fed mice, cixutumumab led to reduced levels of genes encoding proteins important in fatty acid metabolism in WAT and liver. Cixutumumab protected against blunting of insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of Akt in liver of HFD fed mice. These data reveal an important role for IGF-1 R in the WAT and hepatic response to short-term nutrient excess. IGF-1 R inhibition during HFD leads to a lipodystrophic phenotype with a failure of WAT lipid storage and protection from HFD-induced hepatic insulin resistance