Redox conditions and heavy metals distribution in mangrove forests receiving effluents from shrimp farms (Teremba Bay, New Caledonia)

International audiencePurpose The mangroves of New Caledonia, in the south Pacific, act as a buffer between a lagoon of more than 20,000 km2 and the island, which is characterized by ultramafic rocks and lateritic soils that are exploited for their richness in heavy metals. We will provide a better understanding of the redox conditions, and of heavy metal distributions in mangroves receiving shrimp farm effluents. Materials and methods Samples were collected from four areas defined in terms of vegetation composition: a salt flat, an Avicennia marina forest, in which effluents are released; a Rhizophora stylosa forest, and a dead Rhizophora forest. They were collected during times of maximum effluent release. Some measurements on pore water were also done during a period without effluent. Cores (70 cm deep) were collected at low tide with an Eijkelkamp gouge auger, and pore waters were extracted using soil moisture samplers. Physico-chemical parameters (pH, Eh, salinity) were measured by directly inserting the probes into cores. Total nitrogen and total sulfur were also determined. The sedimentary organic content was studied using a Rock-Eval 6 pyrolysis. Finally, heavy metal concentrations were determined, both in the solid and the dissolved phases, using an HR-ICP-AES. Results and discussion The distribution of heavy metals in the core collected in the salt flat is mainly controlled, on the one hand, by the sedimentary organic content, and on the other hand, by the elevation of the area, which induced dessication. The release of effluent within the Avicennia stand induced anoxic conditions on the whole depth profile, while these conditions are suboxic without effluent release, probably inducing different metal speciation. The Rhizophora forests, located at 100 m from the release point, do not seem to show any impact from the effluent phase, as indicated by the redox profiles which show similar results with and without effluent release. Beneath these two stands, conditions are mainly anoxic and sulfidic, as a result of the decomposition of high organic matter content. Conclusions The release of effluent within the Avicennia stand, by modifying the length of waterlogging, clearly modifies the redox conditions. We suggest that the differences in redox conditions between the two periods modify the carrier phase of heavy metals, being mainly associated with sulfides during effluent release. Metals are thus less mobile, and consequently when mangrove receives effluents, they act as a sink for trace metals

Matrix Ansatz, lattice paths and rook placements

We give two combinatorial interpretations of the Matrix Ansatz of the PASEP in terms of lattice paths and rook placements. This gives two (mostly) combinatorial proofs of a new enumeration formula for the partition function of the PASEP. Besides other interpretations, this formula gives the generating function for permutations of a given size with respect to the number of ascents and occurrences of the pattern $13-2$, the generating function according to weak exceedances and crossings, and the $n^{\mathrm{th}}$ moment of certain $q$-Laguerre polynomials

CD56negCD16+ NK cells are activated mature NK cells with impaired effector function during HIV-1 infection

BACKGROUND: A subset of CD3(neg)CD56(neg)CD16⁺ Natural Killer (NK) cells is highly expanded during chronic HIV-1 infection. The role of this subset in HIV-1 pathogenesis remains unclear. The lack of NK cell lineage-specific markers has complicated the study of minor NK cell subpopulations. RESULTS: Using CD7 as an additional NK cell marker, we found that CD3(neg)CD56(neg)CD16⁺ cells are a heterogeneous population comprised of CD7⁺ NK cells and CD7(neg) non-classical myeloid cells. CD7⁺CD56(neg)CD16⁺ NK cells are significantly expanded in HIV-1 infection. CD7⁺CD56(neg)CD16⁺ NK cells are mature and express KIRs, the C-type lectin-like receptors NKG2A and NKG2C, and natural cytotoxicity receptors similar to CD7⁺CD56⁺CD16⁺ NK cells. CD7⁺CD56(neg) NK cells in healthy donors produced minimal IFNγ following K562 target cell or IL-12 plus IL-18 stimulation; however, they degranulated in response to K562 stimulation similar to CD7⁺CD56⁺ NK cells. HIV-1 infection resulted in reduced IFNγ secretion following K562 or cytokine stimulation by both NK cell subsets compared to healthy donors. Decreased granzyme B and perforin expression and increased expression of CD107a in the absence of stimulation, particularly in HIV-1-infected subjects, suggest that CD7⁺CD56(neg)CD16⁺ NK cells may have recently engaged target cells. Furthermore, CD7⁺CD56(neg)CD16⁺ NK cells have significantly increased expression of CD95, a marker of NK cell activation. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, CD7⁺CD56(neg)CD16⁺ NK cells are activated, mature NK cells that may have recently engaged target cells