Searching for Organics Preserved in 4.5 Billion Year Old Salt

Our understanding of early solar system fluids took a dramatic turn a decade ago with the discovery of fluid inclusion-bearing halite (NaCl) crystals in the matrix of two freshly fallen brecciated H chondrite falls, Monahans and Zag. Both meteorites are regolith breccias, and contain xenolithic halite (and minor admixed sylvite -- KCl, crystals in their regolith lithologies. The halites are purple to dark blue, due to the presence of color centers (electrons in anion vacancies) which slowly accumulated as 40K (in sylvite) decayed over billions of years. The halites were dated by K-Ar, Rb-Sr and I-Xe systematics to be 4.5 billion years old. The "blue" halites were a fantastic discovery for the following reasons: (1) Halite+sylvite can be dated (K is in sylvite and will substitute for Na in halite, Rb substitutes in halite for Na, and I substitutes for Cl). (2) The blue color is lost if the halite dissolves on Earth and reprecipitates (because the newly-formed halite has no color centers), so the color serves as a "freshness" or pristinity indicator. (3) Halite frequently contains aqueous fluid inclusions. (4) Halite contains no structural oxygen, carbon or hydrogen, making them ideal materials to measure these isotopic systems in any fluid inclusions. (5) It is possible to directly measure fluid inclusion formation temperatures, and thus directly measure the temperature of the mineralizing aqueous fluid. In addition to these two ordinary chondrites halite grains have been reliably reported in several ureilites, an additional ordinary chondrite (Jilin), and in the carbonaceous chondrite (Murchison), although these reports were unfortunately not taken seriously. We have lately found additional fluid inclusions in carbonates in several additional carbonaceous chondrites. Meteoritic aqueous fluid inclusions are apparently relatively widespread in meteorites, though very small and thus difficult to analyze

Cholinergic Modulation of Locomotion and Striatal Dopamine Release Is Mediated by α6α4* Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors

Dopamine (DA) release in striatum is governed by firing rates of midbrain DA neurons, striatal cholinergic tone, and nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) on DA presynaptic terminals. DA neurons selectively express α6* nAChRs, which show high ACh and nicotine sensitivity. To help identify nAChR subtypes that control DA transmission, we studied transgenic mice expressing hypersensitive α6^(L9’S*) receptors. α6^(L9’S) mice are hyperactive, travel greater distance, exhibit increased ambulatory behaviors such as walking, turning, and rearing, and show decreased pausing, hanging, drinking, and grooming. These effects were mediated by α6 α4* pentamers, as α6^(L9’S) mice lacking α4 subunits displayed essentially normal behavior. In α6^(L9’S) mice, receptor numbers are normal, but loss of α4 subunits leads to fewer and less sensitive α6* receptors. Gain-of-function nicotine-stimulated DA release from striatal synaptosomes requires α4 subunits, implicating α6α4β2* nAChRs in α6^(L9’S) mouse behaviors. In brain slices, we applied electrochemical measurements to study control of DA release by α6^(L9’S) nAChRs. Burst stimulation of DA fibers elicited increased DA release relative to single action potentials selectively in α6^(L9’S), but not WT or α4KO/ α6^(L9’S), mice. Thus, increased nAChR activity, like decreased activity, leads to enhanced extracellular DA release during phasic firing. Bursts may directly enhance DA release from α6^(L9’S) presynaptic terminals, as there was no difference in striatal DA receptor numbers or DA transporter levels or function in vitro. These results implicate α6α4β2* nAChRs in cholinergic control of DA transmission, and strongly suggest that these receptors are candidate drug targets for disorders involving the DA system

Analysis of Direct Samples of Early Solar System Aqueous Fluids

Over the past three decades we have become increasingly aware of the fundamental importance of water, and aqueous alteration, on primitive solar-system bodies. Some carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites have been altered by interactions with liquid water within the first 10 million years after formation of their parent asteroids. Millimeter to centimeter-sized aggregates of purple halite containing aqueous fluid inclusions were found in the matrix of two freshly-fallen brecciated H chondrite falls, Monahans (1998, hereafter simply "Monahans") (H5) and Zag (H3-6) (Zolensky et al., 1999; Whitby et al., 2000; Bogard et al., 2001) In order to understand origin and evolution of the aqueous fluids inside these inclusions we much measure the actual fluid composition, and also learn the O and H isotopic composition of the water. It has taken a decade for laboratory analytical techniques to catch up to these particular nanomole-sized aqueous samples. We have recently been successful in (1) measuring the isotopic composition of H and O in the water in a few fluid inclusions from the Zag and Monahans halite, (2) mineralogical characterization of the solid mineral phases associated with the aqueous fluids within the halite, and (3) the first minor element analyses of the fluid itself. A Cameca ims-1270 equipped with a cryo-sample-stage of Hokkaido University was specially prepared for the O and H isotopic measurements. The cryo-sample-stage (Techno. I. S. Corp.) was cooled down to c.a. -190 C using liquid nitrogen at which the aqueous fluid in inclusions was frozen. We excavated the salt crystal surfaces to expose the frozen fluids using a 15 keV Cs+ beam and measured negative secondary ions. The secondary ions from deep craters of approximately 10 m in depth emitted stably but the intensities changed gradually during measurement cycles because of shifting states of charge compensation, resulting in rather poor reproducibility of multiple measurements of standard fluid inclusions of +/- 90 0/00(2 sigma) for delta D, and +/- 29 0/00 (2 sigma) for delta O-18. On the other hand, the reproducibility of Delta O-17 is plus or minus 8 /00 (2 sigma ) because the observed variations of isotope ratios follow a mass dependent fractionation law. Variations of delta D of the aqueous fluids range over sog,a 330(90; 2 sigma ) to +1200(90) 0/00 for Monahans and delta 300(96) 0/00 to +90(98)0/00 for Zag. Delta O-17 of aqueous fluids range over delta 16(22) 0/00 to +18(10) 0/00 for Monahans and +3(10) 0/00 to +27(11) 0/00 for Zag. These variations are larger than the reproducibility of standard analyses and suggest that isotope equilibria were under way in the fluids before trapping into halite. The mean values of delta D and Delta O-17 are +290 0/00 and +9 0/00, respectively. The mean values and the variations of these fluids are different from the representative values of ordinary chondrites, verifying our working hypothesis that the fluid inclusion-bearing halites were not indigenous to the H chondrite parent-asteroid but rather represent exogenous material delivered onto the asteroid from a separate cryovolcanically-active body. This initial isotopic work has demonstrated the feasibility of the measurements, but also revealed sample processing and analytical shortcomings that are now being addressed. Examination of solid mineral inclusions within Monahans and Zag halite grains by confocal Raman spectroscopy at the Carnegie Geophysical Laboratory has revealed them to be metal, magnetite, forsteritic olivine (Fo.98), macromolecular carbon (MMC), pyroxenes, feldspar with Raman spectral affinity to anorthoclase and, probably, fine-grained lepidocrocite (FeO(OH)). In addition, one inclusion features aliphatic material with Raman spectral features consistent with a mixture of short-chain aliphatic compounds. We have initiated analyses of the bulk composition of the fluids within the inclusions in Zag and Monahans halites at Virginia Tech by LA ICPMS using angilent 7500ce quadrupole ICPMS and a Lambda Physik GeoLas 193 nm excimer laser ablation system. Preliminary results reveal that the inclusion aqueous fluids contain highly charged cations of Ca, Mg and Fe. The minerals and compounds discovered thus far within Monahans/Zag halites are indicative of an originating body at least partly composed of unequilibrated anhydrous materials (high Fo olivine, pyroxenes, feldspars, possibly the metal) which were subjected to aqueous alteration (the halite parent brine) and containing a light organic component (the short-chain aliphatic compounds). This material was ejected from the originating body with little or no disruption, as evidenced with the presence of fluid inclusions. An actively geysering body similar to modern Enceladus (Postberg et al., 2011) may be a reasonable analogue in this respect. Also, the originating body should have been within close proximity to the H chondrite parent in order to generate the number of halite grains seen in Monahans and Zag. Other candidates for Monahans/Zag halite parent bodie(s) may include a young Ceres with its possible liquid ocean, or Main Belt comets

Sleep apnea predicts distinct alterations in glucose homeostasis and biomarkers in obese adults with normal and impaired glucose metabolism

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Notwithstanding previous studies supporting independent associations between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and prevalence of diabetes, the underlying pathogenesis of impaired glucose regulation in OSA remains unclear. We explored mechanisms linking OSA with prediabetes/diabetes and associated biomarker profiles. We hypothesized that OSA is associated with distinct alterations in glucose homeostasis and biomarker profiles in subjects with normal (NGM) and impaired glucose metabolism (IGM).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Forty-five severely obese adults (36 women) without certain comorbidities/medications underwent anthropometric measurements, polysomnography, and blood tests. We measured fasting serum glucose, insulin, selected cytokines, and calculated homeostasis model assessment estimates of insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IS) and pancreatic beta-cell function (HOMA-B).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Both increases in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and the presence of prediabetes/diabetes were associated with reductions in HOMA-IS in the entire cohort even after adjustment for sex, race, age, and BMI (<it>P </it>= 0.003). In subjects with NGM (n = 30), OSA severity was associated with significantly increased HOMA-B (a trend towards decreased HOMA-IS) independent of sex and adiposity. OSA-related oxyhemoglobin desaturations correlated with TNF-α (r=-0.76; <it>P </it>= 0.001) in women with NGM and with IL-6 (rho=-0.55; <it>P </it>= 0.035) in women with IGM (n = 15) matched individually for age, adiposity, and AHI.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>OSA is independently associated with altered glucose homeostasis and increased basal beta-cell function in severely obese adults with NGM. The findings suggest that moderate to severe OSA imposes an excessive functional demand on pancreatic beta-cells, which may lead to their exhaustion and impaired secretory capacity over time. The two distinct biomarker profiles linking sleep apnea with NGM and IGM via TNF-α and IL-6 have been discerned in our study to suggest that sleep apnea and particularly nocturnal oxyhemoglobin desaturations are associated with chronic metabolic fluxes and specific cytokine stressors that reflect links between sleep apnea and glucose metabolism. The study may help illuminate potential mechanisms for glucose dysregulation in OSA, and resolve some controversy over the associations of OSA with TNF-α and IL-6 in previous studies.</p

Phylotastic! Making Tree-of-Life Knowledge Accessible, Reusable and Convenient

Scientists rarely reuse expert knowledge of phylogeny, in spite of years of effort to assemble a great "Tree of Life" (ToL). A notable exception involves the use of Phylomatic, which provides tools to generate custom phylogenies from a large, pre-computed, expert phylogeny of plant taxa. This suggests great potential for a more generalized system that, starting with a query consisting of a list of any known species, would rectify non-standard names, identify expert phylogenies containing the implicated taxa, prune away unneeded parts, and supply branch lengths and annotations, resulting in a custom phylogeny suited to the user's needs. Such a system could become a sustainable community resource if implemented as a distributed system of loosely coupled parts that interact through clearly defined interfaces. Results: With the aim of building such a "phylotastic" system, the NESCent Hackathons, Interoperability, Phylogenies (HIP) working group recruited 2 dozen scientist-programmers to a weeklong programming hackathon in June 2012. During the hackathon (and a three-month follow-up period), 5 teams produced designs, implementations, documentation, presentations, and tests including: (1) a generalized scheme for integrating components; (2) proof-of-concept pruners and controllers; (3) a meta-API for taxonomic name resolution services; (4) a system for storing, finding, and retrieving phylogenies using semantic web technologies for data exchange, storage, and querying; (5) an innovative new service, DateLife.org, which synthesizes pre-computed, time-calibrated phylogenies to assign ages to nodes; and (6) demonstration projects. These outcomes are accessible via a public code repository (GitHub.com), a website (www.phylotastic.org), and a server image. Conclusions: Approximately 9 person-months of effort (centered on a software development hackathon) resulted in the design and implementation of proof-of-concept software for 4 core phylotastic components, 3 controllers, and 3 end-user demonstration tools. While these products have substantial limitations, they suggest considerable potential for a distributed system that makes phylogenetic knowledge readily accessible in computable form. Widespread use of phylotastic systems will create an electronic marketplace for sharing phylogenetic knowledge that will spur innovation in other areas of the ToL enterprise, such as annotation of sources and methods and third-party methods of quality assessment.NESCent (the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center)NSF EF-0905606iPlant Collaborative (NSF) DBI-0735191Biodiversity Synthesis Center (BioSync) of the Encyclopedia of LifeComputer Science

A Substellar Common Proper Motion Companion to the Pleiad HII 1348

We announce the identification of a proper motion companion to the star HII 1348, a K5V member of the Pleiades open cluster. The existence of a faint point source 1.1arcsec away from HII 1348 was previously known from adaptive optics imaging by Bouvier et al. However, because of a high likelihood of background star contamination and in the absence of follow-up astrometry, Bouvier et al. tentatively concluded that the candidate companion was not physically associated with HII 1348. We establish the proper motion association of the pair from adaptive optics imaging with the Palomar 5m telescope. Adaptive optics spectroscopy with the integral field spectrograph OSIRIS on the Keck 10m telescope reveals that the companion has a spectral type of M8\pm1. According to substellar evolution models, the M8 spectral type resides within the substellar mass regime at the age of the Pleiades. The primary itself is a known double-lined spectroscopic binary, which makes the resolved companion, HII 1348B, the least massive and widest component of this hierarchical triple system and the first substellar companion to a stellar primary in the Pleiades.Comment: accepted by Ap

The genome of the jellyfish Aurelia and the evolution of animal complexity

We present the genome of the moon jellyfish Aurelia, a genome from a cnidarian with a medusa life stage. Our analyses suggest that gene gain and loss in Aurelia is comparable to what has been found in its morphologically simpler relatives—the anthozoan corals and sea anemones. RNA sequencing analysis does not support the hypothesis that taxonomically restricted (orphan) genes play an oversized role in the development of the medusa stage. Instead, genes broadly conserved across animals and eukaryotes play comparable roles throughout the life cycle. All life stages of Aurelia are significantly enriched in the expression of genes that are hypothesized to interact in protein networks found in bilaterian animals. Collectively, our results suggest that increased life cycle complexity in Aurelia does not correlate with an increased number of genes. This leads to two possible evolutionary scenarios: either medusozoans evolved their complex medusa life stage (with concomitant shifts into new ecological niches) primarily by re-working genetic pathways already present in the last common ancestor of cnidarians, or the earliest cnidarians had a medusa life stage, which was subsequently lost in the anthozoans. While we favour the earlier hypothesis, the latter is consistent with growing evidence that many of the earliest animals were more physically complex than previously hypothesized