A model for the paleoenvironmental distribution of larger foraminifera of Oligocene–Miocene carbonate rocks at Khaviz Anticline,Zagros Basin,SW Iran

Platform carbonate sediments of Oligocene–Miocene age (Asmari Formation) in the Zagros Basin (SW Iran) have been investigated in order to determine their paleoecology and depositional environment. The Zagros Basin is the result of the opening and closure of the Neo-Tethys Ocean along the northeastern border of the Arabian Plate. The thick sedimentary sequences of the Zagros Basin contain rocks ranging in age from Cambrian to recent. The geological evidence suggests that the region was part of a passive continental margin, which subsequently underwent rifting in the Permo-Trias and collision in the Late Tertiary. The Asmari carbonate system was dominated by foraminifera and corallinacean assemblage. Based on the distribution of the larger foraminifera, four assemblage zones have been recognised. Facies analysis allowed the recognition of nine microfacies types that are grouped into three depositional environments that correspond to the inner, middle and outer shelf. The biota assemblage of the Asmari Formation suggests that carbonate sedimentation took place in tropical waters and oligotrophic to slightly mesotrophic conditions. Our detailed analysis of microfacies and paleoecology shows that the Asmari Formation deposited on a carbonate open shelf dominated by heterozoan and, subordinately, photozoan skeletal assemblage.     

Paleoclimate and tectonic controls on the depositional and diagenetic history of the Cenomanian–early Turonian carbonate reservoirs, Dezful Embayment, SW Iran

Integrated facies and diagenetic analyses within a sequence stratigraphic framework were carried out on mid-Cretaceous Sarvak carbonate reservoirs in five giant and supergiant oilfields in the central and southern parts of the Dezful Embayment, SW Iran. Results of facies analysis indicate a homoclinal ramp-type carbonate platform for this formation with the frequencies of different facies associations in six wells reflecting their approximate position in the sedimentary model. Diagenetic studies indicate periods of subaerial exposure with different intensities and durations in the upper Sarvak carbonates producing karstified profiles, dissolution-collapse breccias, and thick bauxitic-lateritic horizons. Sequence stratigraphic interpretations show that the tectonic evolution of the NE margin of the Arabian Plate (Zagros Basin) during Cenomanian–Turonian times shaped the facies characteristics, diagenetic features, and strongly influenced reservoir formation. Reactivation of basement-block faults and halokinetic movements (related to the Hormoz salt series) in the middle Cretaceous, resulted in the development of several paleohighs and troughs in the Dezful Embayment hydrocarbon province. Movements on these structures generated two and locally three disconformities in the upper parts of Sarvak Formation in this region. The paleohighs played an important role in reservoir evolution within the Sarvak Formation in three giant-supergiant oilfields (including Gachsaran, Rag-e-Safid, and Abteymour oilfields) but where these structures are absent reservoir quality is low.     

The impact of the Scheldt input on the trace metal distribution in the Belgian coastal area (results of 1981–1983 and 1995–1996)

Offshore fluxes of Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Hg were calculated based onresidual flow patterns and salinity gradients along the Belgian coast. Theresidual flow lines along the Belgian coast are more or less parallel to thecoast except in the area where the north-easterly flowing watermass comingfrom the Channel encounters the south-westerly-oriented Scheldt outflow,forming a residual hydrodynamical front. From the steady-state salinitypattern, diffusion coefficients perpendicular to the residual flow werededuced; they ranged from 21 to 108 m² s^-1. Offshore fluxes of dissolved and particulate trace metals based on diffusiveand mixing processes are calculated. The steady state profiles of dissolvedmetals show a dilution effect in the coastal waters, reaching an almostconstant concentration in the marine watermass in the 1981–1983dataset. The ratios of the Scheldt input of trace metals to the totaldissolved offshore flux vary from 38 to 55% (1981–1983),depending on the kind of metal, and from 55 to 91% (1995–1996).The ratio of the Scheldt input to the dissolved metal flow parallel to thecoast, is in both periods (1981–1983 and 1995–1996), smallerthan 1%. The steady-state concentration profiles of particular metalsversus salinity are fairly constant in the coastal-estuarine and marinewatermasses, but decrease very abruptly from the first to the secondwatermass. Assuming a conservative behaviour of the particular metals,offshore fluxes and the resulting concentration increases agree fairly wellwith the observed values. The ratios of the Scheldt input to the particulatetrace metal offshore flux vary between 30 to 46% (1981–1983)and 13 to 37% (1995–1996). The contribution of the Scheldtestuary to the flows parallel to the coast ranges from 1.6 to 2.9%(1981–1983) and from 0.6 to 1.6% (1995). This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Incidence and mortality of pancreatic cancer on a rapid rise in Taiwan, 1999–2012

BackgroundAccumulating data has revealed a rapidly rising incidence of pancreatic cancer in Western countries, but convincing evidence from the East remains sparse. We aimed to quantify how the incidence and mortality rates of pancreatic malignancy changed over time in Taiwan, and to develop future projection for the next decade.MethodsThis nationwide population-based study analyzed the Taiwan National Cancer Registry and the National Cause of Death Registry to calculate the annual incidence and mortality rates of pancreatic malignancy from 1999 to 2012 in this country. The secular trend of the incidence was also examined by data from the National Health Insurance Research Database.ResultsA total of 21,986 incident cases of pancreatic cancer and 20,720 related deaths occurred during the study period. The age-standardized incidence rate increased from 3.7 per 100,000 in 1999 to 5.0 per 100,000 in 2012, with a significant rising trend (P < 0.01). The increase was nationwide, consistently across subgroups stratified by age, gender, geographic region, and urbanization. Data from the National Health Insurance Research Database corroborated the rise of incident pancreatic cancer. Mortality also increased with time, with the age-standardized rate rising from 3.5 per 100,000 in 1999 to 4.1 per 100,000 in 2012 (P < 0.01). In accordance with the incidence, the mortality trend was consistent in all subgroups. Both the incidence and mortality were projected to further increase by approximately 20% from 2012 to 2027.ConclusionThe incidence and mortality of pancreatic cancer have been rapidly rising and presumably will continue to rise in Taiwan.     

Influence of ionic strength and conductivity on benthic diatom communities in a tropical river (Monjolinho), S?o Carlos-SP, Brazil

Benthic diatoms are important indicators of ecological conditions in lotic systems. The objective of this study was to elucidate the confounding effects of eutrophication, organic pollution and ionic strength and conductivity on benthic diatom communities. Benthic diatoms and water quality sampling was done at 10 sites during summer base flow period (2008 and 2009). Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were used to determine environmental gradients along which species vary with respect to ionic strength and conductivity and other environmental variables. Using variance partitioning, we assessed the individual importance of a set of environmental variables (eutrophication and organic pollution) versus ionic strength and conductivity on diatom community structure. The effects of ionic strength and conductivity and organic pollution, eutrophication and other environmental variables were integrated into overall resultant benthic diatom communities. Through partial CCA, we partitioned the variance in diatom data between two sets of exploratory variables, i.e. ionic strength and conductivity (26.9%); other variables, particularly eutrophication and organic pollution (23.0%); shared variance (11.3%) and unexplained variance (38.8%). Due to the interaction of the effects of ionic strength and conductivity and other variables in this study, laboratory experiments must be performed to confirm the observed effects of ionic strength and conductivity.     

Wave–flow coupling effects on spatiotemporal variations of flow and salinity in a large hypersaline marine system: Lake Urmia, Iran

On many occasions, the effects of wind-induced waves and currents on flow and salinity fields in water bodies are evaluated separately. Some coupling mechanisms of the two phenomena, however, can have a significant impact on the flow and salinity conditions, in particular in sensitive aquatic ecosystems. This article attempts to quantify the wave contributions to the flow and salinity regimes in Lake Urmia, Iran. The salinity conditions in the lake have become an environmentally important subject, partly because this shallow hypersaline aquatic ecosystem is considered to be one of the largest natural habitats of a unique multicellular organism, Artemia urmiana. This brine shrimp is the major food source for many of the protected and rare shorebirds that visit the lake and can grow and survive in only certain ranges of salinity. The lake has also experienced considerable man-made changes during the past three decades. Previous studies that have modeled the flow and salinity regimes in the lake have overlooked the wave-coupling effects, and some have concluded that major remedial actions are necessary to restore the lake ecosystem. The wave-coupling effects were found to have significant impacts on the spatiotemporal variations of flow and salinity in the lake. Wave actions were intensifying vertical stratification, considerably influencing the flow and salinity regimes. It was found that improvements in the lake salinity conditions provided by the wave actions were comparable to potential improvements that expensive mitigation scenarios may offer. The relative magnitude of the wave coupling was found to be the highest in shallow/large water bodies, and it increased as the wave height and the initial salinity increased, suggesting that these wave-coupling effects are substantial, especially in large, shallow, hypersaline lakes.     

Growth rate,health and welfare in a dairy herd with natural suckling until 6–8 weeks of age: a case report

Over a period of two years, growth rate and health were measured for dairy calves allowed to suckle their mothers up to 6–8 weeks of age. Thirty-one calves were weighted weekly, and the mean daily growth rate was 1.2 ± 0.03 kg from birth up to 13 weeks of age. Illness in calves and young stock was not observed. In the cows, the mean incidences of ketosis, displaced abomasum, puerperal paresis, mastitis, teat injury and retained placenta were 0, 0, 8, 22, 1 and 1%, respectively, during a 6-year period. The mean daily gain of 56 growing bulls was 1.4 kg when slaughtered at 15 months of age, which is higher than the mean daily gain of 0.95 kg in the population. Probiotics, hormones and vaccines were not used, and antibiotics were only used for treating illness. The present study indicates many advantages and few problems when dairy calves are penned together with the cows and allowed natural feeding up to 6–8 weeks of age. This production system was easy to manage, preferred by the farmer, and may satisfy the public concern regarding the practice of immediate separation of cow and calf in commercial milk production.     

Changes in the species composition of benthic macroalgal communities of the upper subtidal zone on a coral reef in Sanya Bay (Hainan Island, China) during 2009–2012

Investigations of macroalgae were carried out on a coral reef at the Luhuitou Peninsula in Sanya Bay (Hainan Island, China) in the upper subtidal zone at a depth of 0.5 to 4 m during the dry season (in April 2009 and 2012). In total, 130 species, varieties, and forms of marine macroalgae were found: 71 (54%) Rhodophyta, 33 (25%) Chlorophyta, and 26 (21%) Phaeophyceae. In terms of the number of species and the floristic composition of algae in the communities, the reef benthic flora in the subtidal zone of Sanya Bay, which is polluted by municipal waste waters and aquaculture wastes, was close to the flora of Indo-Pacific coral reefs situated in areas with low pollution. In 2009 and 2012, the algal turf communities differed both in the algal species diversity and in the composition of dominant species. These differences might be due to an annual periodicity of changes in vegetation: algal turf patches are detached from the hard substrate and a new algal community is formed at this location.     

Abundance,distribution and habitat characteristics of winter skate Leucoraja ocellata in the southern Gulf of St Lawrence: a population on the brink of extirpation?

Abundance indices of southern Gulf Leucoraja ocellata residing in Northumberland Strait, Canada, declined from 2001 to 2005, but increased during 2006 to 2008. Catch rates in 2009 were the lowest in the time series. The size of the area occupied in Northumberland Strait varied with changes in the abundance indices. Leucoraja ocellata were primarily caught in the north‐west half of the strait over sandy to gravelly seabed; a near total absence was documented from the eastern half despite suitable habitat and a previously established presence documented during research surveys conducted before 2000. In Northumberland Strait, L. ocellata occupied shallow (50% cumulative occurrence = 12 m) and warm (50% cumulative occurrence = 16·5° C) coastal waters and were not present in the cold (<1° C, >35 m) intermediate layer. Abundance and distribution data highlight the need for continuing studies to monitor the status of this population, which is classified as endangered by the IUCN and Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.     

Plant–soil feedback effects on the performance and functional traits of Dodonaea viscosa in a dry-hot valley,China

Plant–soil feedback has been widely studied and may be particularly important in resource-poor areas. However, the roles of direct and indirect biotic effect in affecting plant growth and functional traits in this process still remained unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the roles of soil biota in affecting plant performance and traits by conducting a two-phase feedback experiment in a dry-hot valley, with a conditioning phase during which there were Dodonaea viscosa or no D. viscosa growing in the soil and a feedback phase in which the effect of the conditioned soil biota on D. viscosa performance was measured. Soil N was reduced by the presence of D. viscosa during the conditioning phase. However, D. viscosa showed a positive plant–soil feedback. In the feedback phase, the D. viscosa-conditioned soil increased the stem diameter, total biomass, and leaf dry mass content of D. viscosa, while the specific leaf area was significantly lower in D. viscosa-conditioned soil than that in bare soil. In contrast, soil sterilization had a negative effect on the growth of D. viscosa, with a significant reduction in biomass, especially in D. viscosa-conditioned soil, and soil sterilization significantly increased the root:shoot biomass ratio and litter mass. Furthermore, we showed that although the biota-driven changes in enzyme activities correlated with leaf N and especially P amount, the enzyme activity was not the main reason to promote D. viscosa growth in conditioned soil. These results suggest that the positive biotic feedback effect was superior to the negative nutrient-depleted effect on D. viscosa growth, and the direct biotic feedback effect would drive the positive effect of soil biota to a greater extent than the indirect effect. The positive biotic plant–soil feedback in dry-hot valley plays an important role in ecosystem restoration and helps in understanding plant adaptation to the local environment in this area.

     

Influence of a plant biostimulant on the uptake,distribution and speciation of Se in Se-enriched wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Pinzón)

Plant and Soil - Plant volatiles serve as airborne semiochemicals, bridging the interactions between the plant and environment. Intercropping of a Chinese medicinal herb, Atractylodes lancea, with...     

Identification and Determination of Selenoneine, 2-Selenyl-N α , N α , N α -Trimethyl-l-Histidine, as the Major Organic Selenium in Blood Cells in a Fish-Eating Population on Remote Japanese Islands

Selenoneine is the major selenium compound in fish muscles, and fish appears to be an important source of selenium in the fish-eating population. Selenoneine has strong antioxidant activity and a detoxifying function against methylmercury (MeHg) toxicity. Dietary intake, bioaccumulation, and metabolism of selenoneine have not been characterized in humans. A nutritional survey was conducted in remote islands of the Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan. To evaluate the potential risks and benefits of fish consumption for health, we measured concentrations of selenoneine, total selenium, MeHg, inorganic mercury, and polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) in the blood of a fish-eating human population. The erythrocyte, leukocyte, and platelet residues following removal of serum (cellular fraction) contained 0.510 μg Se/g, 0.212 μg selenoneine Se/g, and 0.262 μg Se-containing proteins Se/g, whereas the serum contained 0.174 μg total Se/g. Selenoneine was highly concentrated in the cellular fraction in a manner that was dependent on subjects' frequency of fish consumption. Concentrations of selenoneine were closely correlated with concentrations of MeHg in the cellular fraction. Selenoneine is the major chemical form of selenium in the blood cells of this fish-eating human population and may be an important biomarker for selenium redox status.     

Venous Thrombosis Risk after Cast Immobilization of the Lower Extremity: Derivation and Validation of a Clinical Prediction Score,L-TRiP(cast), in Three Population-Based Case–Control Studies

Background

Guidelines and clinical practice vary considerably with respect to thrombosis prophylaxis during plaster cast immobilization of the lower extremity. Identifying patients at high risk for the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE) would provide a basis for considering individual thromboprophylaxis use and planning treatment studies.The aims of this study were (1) to investigate the predictive value of genetic and environmental risk factors, levels of coagulation factors, and other biomarkers for the occurrence of VTE after cast immobilization of the lower extremity and (2) to develop a clinical prediction tool for the prediction of VTE in plaster cast patients.

Methods and Findings

We used data from a large population-based case–control study (MEGA study, 4,446 cases with VTE, 6,118 controls without) designed to identify risk factors for a first VTE. Cases were recruited from six anticoagulation clinics in the Netherlands between 1999 and 2004; controls were their partners or individuals identified via random digit dialing. Identification of predictor variables to be included in the model was based on reported associations in the literature or on a relative risk (odds ratio) > 1.2 and p ≤ 0.25 in the univariate analysis of all participants. Using multivariate logistic regression, a full prediction model was created. In addition to the full model (all variables), a restricted model (minimum number of predictors with a maximum predictive value) and a clinical model (environmental risk factors only, no blood draw or assays required) were created. To determine the discriminatory power in patients with cast immobilization (n = 230), the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated by means of a receiver operating characteristic. Validation was performed in two other case–control studies of the etiology of VTE: (1) the THE-VTE study, a two-center, population-based case–control study (conducted in Leiden, the Netherlands, and Cambridge, United Kingdom) with 784 cases and 523 controls included between March 2003 and December 2008 and (2) the Milan study, a population-based case–control study with 2,117 cases and 2,088 controls selected between December 1993 and December 2010 at the Thrombosis Center, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda–Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.The full model consisted of 32 predictors, including three genetic factors and six biomarkers. For this model, an AUC of 0.85 (95% CI 0.77–0.92) was found in individuals with plaster cast immobilization of the lower extremity. The AUC for the restricted model (containing 11 predictors, including two genetic factors and one biomarker) was 0.84 (95% CI 0.77–0.92). The clinical model (consisting of 14 environmental predictors) resulted in an AUC of 0.77 (95% CI 0.66–0.87). The clinical model was converted into a risk score, the L-TRiP(cast) score (Leiden–Thrombosis Risk Prediction for patients with cast immobilization score), which showed an AUC of 0.76 (95% CI 0.66–0.86). Validation in the THE-VTE study data resulted in an AUC of 0.77 (95% CI 0.58–0.96) for the L-TRiP(cast) score. Validation in the Milan study resulted in an AUC of 0.93 (95% CI 0.86–1.00) for the full model, an AUC of 0.92 (95% CI 0.76–0.87) for the restricted model, and an AUC of 0.96 (95% CI 0.92–0.99) for the clinical model. The L-TRiP(cast) score resulted in an AUC of 0.95 (95% CI 0.91–0.99).Major limitations of this study were that information on thromboprophylaxis was not available for patients who had plaster cast immobilization of the lower extremity and that blood was drawn 3 mo after the thrombotic event.

Conclusions

These results show that information on environmental risk factors, coagulation factors, and genetic determinants in patients with plaster casts leads to high accuracy in the prediction of VTE risk. In daily practice, the clinical model may be the preferred model as its factors are most easy to determine, while the model still has good predictive performance. These results may provide guidance for thromboprophylaxis and form the basis for a management study.     

Disentangling the relative effects of ambient energy,water availability,and energy–water balance on pteridophyte species richness at a landscape scale in China

Understanding what factors generate geographic variation in species richness is a fundamental goal of ecology and biogeography. Water and energy are considered as the major environmental factors influencing large-scale patterns of species richness, but their roles vary among taxa and regions. Pteridophytes are an ideal group of organisms for examining the relationship between species richness and their environment because the distribution of pteridophytes is usually in equilibrium with contemporary climate to a greater degree than those of seed plants and most terrestrial vertebrates partly due to the lightness of their spores, which is highly capable of long-distance dispersal by wind, and partly due to their single-spore reproduction strategy. Using correlation and regression analyses and structural equation modeling technique, we examine the relationship of pteridophyte species richness in 151 localities from across China with environmental factors representing energy, water, and energy–water balance. We found that pteridophyte species richness is correlated to water availability more strongly than to ambient energy. Furthermore, we found that of all environmental variables considered, energy–water balance has played the most important role in regulating pteridophyte species richness gradients in China.     

Effects of a single administration of prostaglandin F2alpha, or a combination of prostaglandin F2alpha and prostaglandin E2, or placebo on fertility variables in dairy cows 3–5 weeks post partum, a randomized, double-blind clinical trial

In female mammals, including humans, deviations from normal androgenic or estrogenic exposure during fetal development are detrimental to subsequent adult ovarian function. Androgen deficiency, without accompanying estrogen deficit, has little apparent impact on ovarian development. Fetal estrogen deficiency, on the other hand, results in impaired oocyte and follicle development, immature and abnormal adult ovaries, and excessive ovarian stimulation from endogenous gonadotropins ultimately generating hemorrhagic follicles. Complete estrogen deficiency lasting into adulthood results in partial ovarian masculinization. Fetal androgen excess, on the other hand, mediated either by direct androgen action or following androgen aromatization to estrogen, reprograms ovarian development and reproductive neuroendocrinology to mimic that found in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: enlarged, polyfollicular, hyperandrogenic, anovulatory ovaries with accompanying LH hypersecretion. Oocyte developmental competence is also compromised. Insulin is implicated in the mechanism of both anovulation and deficient oocyte development. Fetal estrogen excess induces somewhat similar disruption of adult ovarian function to fetal androgen excess. Understanding the quality of the fetal female sex steroid hormone environment is thus becoming increasingly important in improving our knowledge of mechanisms underlying a variety of female reproductive pathologies.     

Design,synthesis and preliminary structure–activity relationship investigation of nitrogen-containing chalcone derivatives as acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors: a further study based on Flavokawain B Mannich base derivatives

In order to study the structure–activity relationship of Flavokawain B Mannich-based derivatives as acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors in our recent investigation, 20 new nitrogen-containing chalcone derivatives (4?a–8d) were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for AChE inhibitory activity in vitro. The results suggested that amino alkyl side chain of chalcone dramatically influenced the inhibitory activity against AChE. Among them, compound 6c revealed the strongest AChE inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ value: 0.85?μmol/L) and the highest selectivity against AChE over BuChE (ratio: 35.79). Enzyme kinetic study showed that the inhibition mechanism of compound 6c against AChE was a mixed-type inhibition. The molecular docking assay showed that this compound can both bind with the catalytic site and the peripheral site of AChE.