A Skeleton in Triassic Rocks in the Brooks Range Foothills

Fragments of vertebrate fossils are found in beds of the Shublik Formation, which blanketed most of northern Alaska during Triassic time. Although articulated remains are uncommon, one partial skeleton was discovered in 1950 during exploration of Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4. ... This note calls attention to the existence of the skeleton and reports on what has been observed of the vertebrate remains. Figs. 1 and 2 locate the site (68°37'15" N, 157°35' W) on Cutaway Creek (Howard Pass 1:250,000-scale quadrangle) in the geologically disturbed zone of the Brooks Range foothills. It is about 200 miles south of Point Barrow and 35 miles northwest of Howard Pass. Fig. 3 is a photograph of the actual bedding-plane exposure. Most of one side of the rib case is exposed, and some limb structures seem preserved. The exposed parts indicate a skeleton more than 5 feet long. Bone fragments are common in the fine talus weathering off the outcrop. Although no invertebrate fossils were seen on the surfaces of beds containing the skeleton, they are abundant in correlative beds; detailed examination of this or nearby exposures should yield pelecypods that will fix the biostratigraphic level of the vertebrate remains. Some features of the Late Triassic environment can be assessed. A sea of remarkably persistent character extended beyond the length of the present Brooks Range and probably more than twice the width of the present Arctic Slope. A shoreline existed near the present northeast coast of Alaska, but coarse detritus was not carried far southward. The bottom elsewhere was below wave base, and the sediment that settled onto it formed thin deposits, first of anaerobic chert, shale and limestone, then aerobic lithographic limestone. Pectens ... are abundant .... The thin chert beds surrounding the skeleton are correlative with beds elsewhere that contain Halabia of Karnian or early Norian age .... The skeleton is older than 200 million years as shown by K/Ar age determinations on minerals in diabase sills that intrude the Shublik Formation about 20 miles to the east .... Vertebrate fragments previously collected from the Shublik have been identified as follows: from this locality and from limestone near Hardway Creek (68°38'5" N, 156°51' W) about 20 miles to the east - vertebra of a possible ichthyosaur and teeth of a probable Mixasaurus ...; in limestone, chert, and shale on Kiligwa River (68°43'45" N, 158 °26' W) about 25 miles to the northwest - probable caudal vertebra of an ichthyosaur ...; and in limestone at the west end of the Sadlerochit Mountains (69°35'15" N, 145°55'5" W), northeastern Brooks Ranges - vertebral, costal, and jaw fragments of either the Shastasauridae or Ichthyosauridae ichthyosaur family .... Helicopters offer the only practical access to the site, for the nearest lake on which a float plane can land is more than 10 miles away. Transportation for preliminary inspection could probably be arranged with any geologic field party working within a hundred miles of the locality. Collection of the skeleton would require that an outfit be landed near the outcrop by ski plane in the spring and retrieved during the fall or winter. We cannot judge the quality or significance of the skeleton but feel that it should be examined by a vertebrate paleontologist as it could yield valuable information on life in the seas during Triassic time at a present arctic latitude

Implications of Von Hippel-Lindau Syndrome and Renal Cell Carcinoma

Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome (VHLS) is a rare hereditary neoplastic disorder caused by mutations in the vhl gene leading to the development of tumors in several organs including the central nervous system, pancreas, kidneys, and reproductive organs. Manifestations of VHLS can present at different ages based on the affected organ and subclass of disease. In the subclasses of VHLS that cause renal disease, renal involvement typically begins closer to the end of the second decade of life and can present in different ways ranging from simple cystic lesions to solid tumors. Mutations in vhl are most often associated with clear cell renal carcinoma, the most common type of renal cancer, and also play a major role in sporadic cases of clear cell renal carcinoma. The recurrent, multifocal nature of this disease presents difficult challenges in the long-term management of patients with VHLS. Optimization of renal function warrants the use of several different approaches common to the management of renal carcinoma such as nephron-sparing surgery, enucleation, ablation, and targeted therapies. In VHLS, renal lesions of 3 cm or bigger are considered to have metastatic potential and even small lesions often harbor malignancy. Many of the aspects of management revolve around optimizing both oncologic outcome and long-term renal function. As new surgical strategies and targeted therapies develop, the management of this complex disease evolves.  This review will discuss the key aspects of the current management of VHLS

Renforcement des matériaux argileux par des biopolymères pour la construction en terre crue

Construire en terre crue nécessite le contrôle des propriétés mécaniques du matériau terre. Il essentiel d’étudier la stabilisation et la consolidation du matériau terre afin de préserver le patrimoine et développer des matériaux de construction à faible empreinte carbone. Dans une perspective de réduction de l’empreinte environnementale, le renforcement par additifs bio-sourcés du matériau terre a été préféré à celui par un liant minéral. Cette technique de renforcement est issue des recettes traditionnelles utilisées à travers le monde. L’objectif de cette thèse est la compréhension des mécanismes d’action des biopolymères, issus des additifs bio-sourcés, dans le matériau terre. Cette étude adopte une démarche multi-échelle, allant de l’observation des propriétés mécaniques à l’échelle macroscopique d’une terre commerciale stabilisée, jusqu’à l’étude des effets de deux biopolymères aux échelles méso-micro- et moléculaire sur des argiles pures. Dans un premier temps, deux biopolymères parmi dix ont été sélectionnés après incorporation dans une terre commerciale en fonction de leur effet sur la résistance à la compression et le module élastique des briques stabilisées. Afin d’appréhender au mieux le comportement de ces biopolymères dans les mortiers argileux, un essai de mesure du seuil d’écoulement utilisable sur site a été développé. Ensuite, deux études menées en parallèle ont montré que les biopolymères sélectionnés possèdent des capacités de renforcement en fonction de la nature de l’argile présente, notamment la kaolinite, l’illite et la montmorillonite. Enfin, à l’échelle macroscopique, cinq murs en terre utilisant les biopolymères sélectionnés ont été construits pour suivre leur évolution dans le temps en fonction des conditions climatiques. Le renforcement assuré par les biopolymères étudiés permet de généraliser la stabilisation de la terre crue et d'améliorer la durabilité des ouvrages en terre renforcéeBuilding with raw earth requires the control of the mechanical properties of the earth material. It is essential to study the stabilization and consolidation of the earth material to preserve the heritage and develop building materials with a low carbon footprint. From an environmental footprint reduction perspective, the reinforcement of the earth material by bio-sourced additives has been preferred to a mineral binder. This reinforcement technique is derived from traditional recipes used throughout the world. This thesis aims to understand the mechanisms of action of biopolymers derived from bio-sourced additives in the earth material. This study adopts a multi-scale approach: from measuring mechanical properties of a stabilized commercial clay at the macroscopic scale to studying the effects of two biopolymers on pure clays at the meso-micro and molecular scales. In a first step, two biopolymers among ten were selected after incorporation in a commercial earth based on their effect on the compressive strength and the elastic modulus of stabilized bricks. In order to better understand the behavior of these biopolymers in clay mortars, a test of measurement of the yield stress that can be used on-site was developed. Then, two studies carried out in parallel showed that the selected biopolymers have capacities of reinforcement according to the nature of the clay present, including kaolinite, illite, montmorillonite. Finally, on the macroscopic scale, five earth walls using the selected biopolymers were built to track their evolution over time according to climatic conditions. The reinforcement effect of the biopolymers studied can broaden the stabilization of the raw earth and improve the durability of the reinforced clay-based structure

United States Geological Survey Reports

Report discussing a reconnaissance search for uranium in shale during August 1953 in western Nebraska and southern South Dakota. The reconnaissance was part of the U.S. Geological Survey's search for uranium in carbonaceous materials

United States Geological Survey Report 445

From abstract: A reconnaissance search for uraniferous rocks in the northeastern part of the Wind River Basin was made in July and August 1951 in the course of other work. In addition to Tertiary tuffs and associated lignite, coal, and carbonaceous rocks, some radioactivity anomalies, chiefly in granite, which had been detected by airborne equipment in November 1950, were checked on the ground. A tuff of middle or late Eocene age containing 0.003 percent uranium was as high in uranium as any rock found

Thyroid Storm and Hypoparathyroidism Caused by Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma

Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma (ATC) has an incidence of ≤ 2/1,000,000 and mean diagnosis age of 65 years (1). Fewer than 10% are \u3c50 years (2,3). Hypoparathyroidism secondary to destruction of the gland from malignant invasion is rare, accounting for ≤0.7% of all cases (4). The estimated incidence of thyroid storm is \u3c0.2/100,000 per year (5). A 48-year-old woman presents with odynophagia, night sweats, exertional dyspnea, diarrhea and swelling of the neck. A CT shows a large solid mass with cystic pockets in the thyroid measuring 12.5 cm, and multiple lung nodules consistent with metastatic cancer. She is admitted with an initial Burch HB-Wartofsky Score (BWS) of 10. TSH is \u3c0.01 mIU/L; free T4, 2.91 ng/dL; and T3, 6.44 pg/mL. Thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy shows malignancy with a differential diagnosis of ATC versus metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. A subsequent core thyroid biopsy confirms ATC. The patient developed compressive dyspnea that resulted in hypoxic cardiac arrest followed by atrial fibrillation. She experienced persistent tachycardia, hyperthermia (101.7 F), and coma. She is diagnosed with thyroid storm (BWS of 50). Thyroid antibodies were negative. She responds to high-dose glucocorticoids, beta blockers, and propylthiouracil. Three days later, thyroid function tests, tachycardia, and fever improves, but coma persists. The ATC continues to enlarge rapidly. Fourteen days after admission, she develops hypocalcemia (5.2 mg/dL), and intact Parathyroid Hormone (iPTH) was 6.3 pg/mL. Phosphorus and magnesium are normal. Hypoparathyroidism is attributed to malignant infiltration and destruction of the parathyroid glands. She responds to enteral calcitriol and calcium citrate. Her family opts for comfort measures after 19 days of coma. Conclusion: ATC may present with thyrotoxicosis and progress to thyroid storm. Hypoparathyroidism may occur due to invasion of the parathyroid glands. References: 1. Burke JP, Hay ID, Dignan F, et al. Long-term trends in thyroid carcinoma: a population-based study in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1935-1999. Mayo Clin Proc 2005; 80:753. 2. Kebebew E, Greenspan FS, Clark OH, et al. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Treatment outcome and prognostic factors. Cancer 2005; 103:1330. 3. Nagaiah G, Hossain A, Mooney CJ, et al. Anaplastic thyroid cancer: a review of epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment. J Oncol 2011; 2011:542358. 4. Marcucci G, et al. HypoparaNet: A Database of Chronic Hypoparathyroidism Based on Expert Medical-Surgical Centers in Italy

Thyroid Storm and Hypoparathyroidism Caused by Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma

Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma (ATC) has an incidence of ≤ 2/1,000,000 and mean diagnosis age of 65 years (1). Fewer than 10% are \u3c50 years (2,3). Hypoparathyroidism secondary to destruction of the gland from malignant invasion is rare, accounting for ≤0.7% of all cases (4). The estimated incidence of thyroid storm is \u3c0.2/100,000 per year (5). A 48-year-old woman presents with odynophagia, night sweats, exertional dyspnea, diarrhea and swelling of the neck. A CT shows a large solid mass with cystic pockets in the thyroid measuring 12.5 cm, and multiple lung nodules consistent with metastatic cancer. She is admitted with an initial Burch HB-Wartofsky Score (BWS) of 10. TSH is \u3c0.01 mIU/L; free T4, 2.91 ng/dL; and T3, 6.44 pg/mL. Thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy shows malignancy with a differential diagnosis of ATC versus metastatic squamous cell carcinoma. A subsequent core thyroid biopsy confirms ATC. The patient developed compressive dyspnea that resulted in hypoxic cardiac arrest followed by atrial fibrillation. She experienced persistent tachycardia, hyperthermia (101.7 F), and coma. She is diagnosed with thyroid storm (BWS of 50). Thyroid antibodies were negative. She responds to high-dose glucocorticoids, beta blockers, and propylthiouracil. Three days later, thyroid function tests, tachycardia, and fever improves, but coma persists. The ATC continues to enlarge rapidly. Fourteen days after admission, she develops hypocalcemia (5.2 mg/dL), and intact Parathyroid Hormone (iPTH) was 6.3 pg/mL. Phosphorus and magnesium are normal. Hypoparathyroidism is attributed to malignant infiltration and destruction of the parathyroid glands. She responds to enteral calcitriol and calcium citrate. Her family opts for comfort measures after 19 days of coma. Conclusion: ATC may present with thyrotoxicosis and progress to thyroid storm. Hypoparathyroidism may occur due to invasion of the parathyroid glands. References: 1. Burke JP, Hay ID, Dignan F, et al. Long-term trends in thyroid carcinoma: a population-based study in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1935-1999. Mayo Clin Proc 2005; 80:753. 2. Kebebew E, Greenspan FS, Clark OH, et al. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. Treatment outcome and prognostic factors. Cancer 2005; 103:1330. 3. Nagaiah G, Hossain A, Mooney CJ, et al. Anaplastic thyroid cancer: a review of epidemiology, pathogenesis, and treatment. J Oncol 2011; 2011:542358. 4. Marcucci G, et al. HypoparaNet: A Database of Chronic Hypoparathyroidism Based on Expert Medical-Surgical Centers in Italy