Formation of diagenetic siderite in modern ferruginous sediments

Ferruginous conditions prevailed in the world’s deep oceans during the Archean and Proterozoic Eons. Sedimentary iron formations deposited at that time may provide an important record of environmental conditions, yet linking the chemistry and mineralogy of these sedimentary rocks to depositional conditions remains a challenge due to a dearth of information about the processes by which minerals form in analogous modern environments. We identified siderites in ferruginous Lake Towuti, Indonesia, which we characterized using high-resolution microscopic and spectroscopic imaging combined with microchemical and geochemical analyses. We infer early diagenetic growth of siderite crystals as a response to sedimentary organic carbon degradation and the accumulation of dissolved inorganic carbon in pore waters. We suggest that siderite formation proceeds through syntaxial growth on preexisting siderite crystals, or possibly through aging of precursor carbonate green rust. Crystal growth ultimately leads to spar-sized (>50 μm) mosaic single siderite crystals that form twins, bundles, and spheroidal aggregates during burial. Early-formed carbonate was detectable through microchemical zonation and the possible presence of residual phases trapped in siderite interstices. This suggests that such microchemical zonation and mineral inclusions may be used to infer siderite growth histories in ancient sedimentary rocks including sedimentary iron formations

The Evolution of Pepsinogen C Genes in Vertebrates: Duplication, Loss and Functional Diversification

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Aspartic proteases comprise a large group of enzymes involved in peptide proteolysis. This collection includes prominent enzymes globally categorized as pepsins, which are derived from pepsinogen precursors. Pepsins are involved in gastric digestion, a hallmark of vertebrate physiology. An important member among the pepsinogens is pepsinogen C (<em>Pgc</em>). A particular aspect of <em>Pgc</em> is its apparent single copy status, which contrasts with the numerous gene copies found for example in pepsinogen A (<em>Pga</em>). Although gene sequences with similarity to <em>Pgc</em> have been described in some vertebrate groups, no exhaustive evolutionary framework has been considered so far.</p> <h3>Methodology/Principal Findings</h3><p>By combining phylogenetics and genomic analysis, we find an unexpected <em>Pgc</em> diversity in the vertebrate sub-phylum. We were able to reconstruct gene duplication timings relative to the divergence of major vertebrate clades. Before tetrapod divergence, a single <em>Pgc</em> gene tandemly expanded to produce two gene lineages (<em>Pgbc</em> and <em>Pgc2</em>). These have been differentially retained in various classes. Accordingly, we find <em>Pgc2</em> in sauropsids, amphibians and marsupials, but not in eutherian mammals. <em>Pgbc</em> was retained in amphibians, but duplicated in the ancestor of amniotes giving rise to <em>Pgb</em> and <em>Pgc1</em>. The latter was retained in mammals and probably in reptiles and marsupials but not in birds. <em>Pgb</em> was kept in all of the amniote clade with independent episodes of loss in some mammalian species. Lineage specific expansions of <em>Pgc2</em> and <em>Pgbc</em> have also occurred in marsupials and amphibians respectively. We find that teleost and tetrapod <em>Pgc</em> genes reside in distinct genomic regions hinting at a possible translocation.</p> <h3>Conclusions</h3><p>We conclude that the repertoire of <em>Pgc</em> genes is larger than previously reported, and that tandem duplications have modelled the history of <em>Pgc</em> genes. We hypothesize that gene expansion lead to functional divergence in tetrapods, coincident with the invasion of terrestrial habitats.</p> </div

Non-Functional Parathyroid Carcinoma: A Review of the Literature and Report of a Case Requiring Extensive Surgery

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare malignancy, and only accounts for 0.5–2% of cases of primary hyperparathyroidism. Less than 10% of parathyroid carcinomas are non-functional, and as such, they have been rarely reported in the literature. Importantly, margin status at resection is related to prognosis, and only a handful of case reports of non-functional carcinoma note this important parameter. Here we report the first case of non-functional parathyroid carcinoma with negative margins, and review the literature on this rare entity. Whether functional or non-functional, parathyroid carcinoma can often be difficult to differentiate from benign parathyroid adenoma. While diagnosis has been based on clinical and histological criteria, recent data concerning the molecular underpinnings of parathyroid carcinoma may allow for improved accuracy in distinguishing benign and malignant parathyroid tumors

Spatio-temporal model-checking of vehicular movement in public transport systems

We present the use of a novel spatio-temporal model checker to detect problems in the data and operation of a collective adaptive system. Data correctness is important to ensure operational correctness in systems which adapt in response to data. We illustrate the theory with several concrete examples, addressing both the detection of errors in vehicle location data for buses in the city of Edinburgh and the undesirable phenomenon of “clumping” which occurs when there is not enough separation between subsequent buses serving the same route. Vehicle location data are visualised symbolically on a street map, and categories of problems identified by the spatial part of the model checker are rendered by highlighting the symbols for vehicles or other objects that satisfy a property of interest. Behavioural correctness makes use of both the spatial and temporal aspects of the model checker to determine from a series of observations of vehicle locations whether the system is failing to meet the expected quality of service demanded by system regulators

Vitamin D exposure and Risk of Breast Cancer: a meta-analysis

The relationship between vitamin D and breast cancer is still controversial. The present meta-analysis examines the effects of the 25(OH)D, 1,25(OH)2D and vitamin D intake on breast cancer risk. For this purpose, a PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science-databases search was conducted including all papers published with the keywords "breast cancer" and "vitamin D" with at least one reported relative risk (RR) or odds ratio (OR). In total sixty eight studies published between 1998 and 2018 were analyzed. Information about type of study, hormonal receptors and menopausal status was retrieved. Pooled OR or RR were estimated by weighting individual OR/RR by the inverse of their variance Our study showed a protective effect between 25 (OH) D and breast cancer in both cohort studies (RR?=?0.85, 95%CI:0.74-0.98) and case-control studies (OR?=?0.65, 95%CI: 0.56-0.76). However, analyzing by menopausal status, the protective vitamin D - breast cancer association persisted only in the premenopausal group (OR?=?0.67, 95%CI: 0.49-0.92) when restricting the analysis to nested case-control studies. No significant association was found for vitamin D intake or 1,25(OH)2D. CONCLUSION: This systematic review suggests a protective relationship between circulating vitamin D (measured as 25(OH) D) and breast cancer development in premenopausal women

Proteases of haematophagous arthropod vectors are involved in blood-feeding, yolk formation and immunity : a review

Ticks, triatomines, mosquitoes and sand flies comprise a large number of haematophagous arthropods considered vectors of human infectious diseases. While consuming blood to obtain the nutrients necessary to carry on life functions, these insects can transmit pathogenic microorganisms to the vertebrate host. Among the molecules related to the blood-feeding habit, proteases play an essential role. In this review, we provide a panorama of proteases from arthropod vectors involved in haematophagy, in digestion, in egg development and in immunity. As these molecules act in central biological processes, proteases from haematophagous vectors of infectious diseases may influence vector competence to transmit pathogens to their prey, and thus could be valuable targets for vectorial control

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

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