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At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

USGS1993

Hydrothermal studies in a new diamond anvil cell up to 10 GPa and from -190°C to 1200°C

The new hydrothermal diamond anvil cell ( HDAC ) has been designed for optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction at pressures up to 10 GPa and temperatures between −190°C and 1200°C. Laser light reffected from the top and bottom anvil faces and the top and bottom solid sample faces produce interference fringes that provide a very sensitive means of monitoring the volume of sample chamber and for observing volume and refractive index changes in solid samples due to transitions and reactions. Synchrotron radiation has been used to make X-ray diffraction patterns of samples under hydrothermal conditions. Individual heaters and individual thermocouples provide temperature control with an accuracy of ±0.5°C. Liquid nitrogen directly introduced into the HDAC has been used to reduce the sample temperature to −190°C. The α-β phase boundary of quartz has been used to calculate the transition pressures from measured transition temperatures. With this method we have redetermined 5 isochores of H 2 O up to 850°C and 1.2 GPa at which the solution rate of the quartz became so rapid that the quartz dissolved completely before the α-β transition could be observed. When silica solutions were cooled, opal spherules and rods formed.

Pure and Applied Geophysics PAGEOPH↗

USGS1991

H4IIE rat hepatoma cell bioassay-derived 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents in colonial fish-eating waterbird eggs from the Great Lakes

Fish-eating waterbirds from the Great Lakes of North America have shown symptoms of poisoning similar to those observed in laboratory exposures of various avian species to planar halogenated hydrocarbons (PHHs). PHHs, include among others, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo- p -dioxins (PCDDs), and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and have been implicated in some of the reproductive problems of Great Lakes waterbirds. The objectives of this study were to assess the overall potencies of PCB-containing extracts from colonial water-bird eggs taken from the Great Lakes and to compare the potencies with the location and spatial distribution of the colonies. The potencies of the extracts were assessed by their ability to induce cytochrome P450IA1-associated ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity in H4IIE rat hepatoma cells as compared to the standard, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD). The H4IIE bioassay-derived TCDD-equivalents (TCCD-EQs) in the waterbird eggs concur with residue analyses and biological data from other studies. The greatest concentrations of TCDD-EQs were found in waterbird eggs from historically polluted, industrialized or urbanized areas in which the reproductive impairment of colonial waterbirds was most severe. However, significant concentrations of TCDD-EQs were detected at all sites tested; with a range of 49 to 415 pg TCDD-EQ/g egg, uncorrected for extraction efficiencies. The H4IIE bioassay proved to be a useful biomonitoring tool to assess the overall potency of complex PHH mixtures in environmental samples.

Beaver Island Group, Green Bay, Lake Erie, Lake Hu↗

USGS1970

Salmonid viruses: Double infection of RTG-2 cells with Egtved and infectious pancreatic necrosis viruses

Egtved and infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) viruses were applied at high multiplicity alone and in combination to RTG-2 cells in liquid medium. Procedures were used which selectively suppressed one or the other virus, and the yields were determined after 64 hours at 15°C. The viruses showed an increase of 280 to 450 times the immediate post-adsorption level. Plaques of IPN and Egtved viruses showed some differences which can be helpful in distinguishing between the two agents. Detailed methods and results are given.

Archiv Fur Die Gesamte Virusforschung↗

USGS2014

To understand coral disease, look at coral cells

Diseases threaten corals globally, but 40 years on their causes remain mostly unknown. We hypothesize that inconsistent application of a complete diagnostic approach to coral disease has contributed to this slow progress. We quantified methods used to investigate coral disease in 492 papers published between 1965 and 2013. Field surveys were used in 65% of the papers, followed by biodetection (43%), laboratory trials (20%), microscopic pathology (21%), and field trials (9%). Of the microscopic pathology efforts, 57% involved standard histopathology at the light microscopic level (12% of the total investigations), with the remainder dedicated to electron or fluorescence microscopy. Most (74%) biodetection efforts focused on culture or molecular characterization of bacteria or fungi from corals. Molecular and immunological tools have been used to incriminate infectious agents (mainly bacteria) as the cause of coral diseases without relating the agent to specific changes in cell and tissue pathology. Of 19 papers that declared an infectious agent as a cause of disease in corals, only one (5%) used microscopic pathology, and none fulfilled all of the criteria required to satisfy Koch’s postulates as applied to animal diseases currently. Vertebrate diseases of skin and mucosal surfaces present challenges similar to corals when trying to identify a pathogen from a vast array of environmental microbes, and diagnostic approaches regularly used in these cases might provide a model for investigating coral diseases. We hope this review will encourage specialists of disease in domestic animals, wildlife, fish, shellfish, and humans to contribute to the emerging field of coral disease.

EcoHealth↗

USGS1985

The effects of cortisoland actinomycin D injections on choloride cells and branchial N+---K+-ATPase in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri)

Injections of cortisol, actinomycin D, or combined administration of the hormone and the antiobiotic did not effect rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri ) branchial Na + K + -ATPase activity. Numbers of chloride cells also did not change following cortisol and actinomycin D treatment. These results are discussed in light of a similar report concerning Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ).

General and Comparative Endocrinology↗

USGS2017

A geochemical examination of humidity cell tests

Humidity cell tests (HCTs) are long-term (20 to >300 weeks) leach tests that are considered by some to be the among the most reliable geochemical characterization methods for estimating the leachate quality of mined materials. A number of modifications have been added to the original HCT method, but the interpretation of test results varies widely. We suggest that the HCTs represent an underutilized source of geochemical data, with a year-long test generating approximately 2500 individual chemical data points. The HCT concentration peaks and valleys can be thought of as a “chromatogram” of reactions that may occur in the field, whereby peaks in concentrations are associated with different geochemical processes, including sulfate salt dissolution, sulfide oxidation, and dissolution of rock-forming minerals, some of which can neutralize acid. Some of these reactions occur simultaneously, some do not, and geochemical modeling can be used to help distinguish the dominant processes. Our detailed examination, including speciation and inverse modeling, of HCTs from three projects with different geology and mineralization shows that rapid sulfide oxidation dominates over a limited period of time that starts between 40 and 200 weeks of testing. The applicability of laboratory tests results to predicting field leachate concentrations, loads, or rates of reaction has not been adequately demonstrated, although early flush releases and rapid sulfide oxidation rates in HCTs should have some relevance to field conditions. Knowledge of possible maximum solute concentrations is needed to design effective treatment and mitigation approaches. Early flush and maximum sulfide oxidation results from HCTs should be retained and used in environmental models. Factors that complicate the use of HCTs include: sample representation, time for microbial oxidizers to grow, sample storage before testing, geochemical reactions that add or remove constituents, and the HCT results chosen for use in modeling the environmental performance at mine sites. Improved guidance is needed for more consistent interpretation and use of HCT results that rely on identifying: the geochemical processes; the mineralogy, including secondary mineralogy; the available surface area for reactions; and the influence of hydrologic processes on leachate concentrations in runoff, streams, and groundwater.

Applied Geochemistry↗

USGS2009

Diamond dissolution and the production of methane and other carbon-bearing species in hydrothermal diamond-anvil cells

Raman analysis of the vapor phase formed after heating pure water to near critical (355–374 °C) temperatures in a hydrothermal diamond-anvil cell (HDAC) reveals the synthesis of abiogenic methane. This unexpected result demonstrates the chemical reactivity of diamond at relatively low temperatures. The rate of methane production from the reaction between water and diamond increases with increasing temperature and is enhanced by the presence of a metal gasket (Re, Ir, or Inconel) which is compressed between the diamond anvils to seal the aqueous sample. The minimum detection limit for methane using Raman spectroscopy was determined to be ca . 0.047 MPa, indicating that more than 1.4 nanograms (or 8.6 × 10 −11 mol) of methane were produced in the HDAC at 355 °C and 30 MPa over a period of ten minutes. At temperatures of 650 °C and greater, hydrogen and carbon dioxide were detected in addition to methane. The production of abiogenic methane, observed in all HDAC experiments where a gasket was used, necessitates a reexamination of the assumed chemical systems and intensive parameters reported in previous hydrothermal investigations employing diamonds. The results also demonstrate the need to minimize or eliminate the production of methane and other carbonic species in experiments by containing the sample within a HDAC without using a metal gasket.

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta↗

USGS2011

Raman spectroscopic measurements of CO2 density: Experimental calibration with high-pressure optical cell (HPOC) and fused silica capillary capsule (FSCC) with application to fluid inclusion observations

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful method for the determination of CO 2 densities in fluid inclusions, especially for those with small size and/or low fluid density. The relationship between CO 2 Fermi diad split ( Δ , cm −1 ) and CO 2 density ( ρ , g/cm 3 ) has been documented by several previous studies. However, significant discrepancies exist among these studies mainly because of inconsistent calibration procedures and lack of measurements for CO 2 fluids having densities between 0.21 and 0.75 g/cm 3 , where liquid and vapor phases coexist near room temperature. In this study, a high-pressure optical cell and fused silica capillary capsules were used to prepare pure CO 2 samples with densities between 0.0472 and 1.0060 g/cm 3 . The measured CO 2 Fermi diad splits were calibrated with two well established Raman bands of benzonitrile at 1192.6 and 1598.9 cm −1 . The relationship between the CO 2 Fermi diad split and density can be represented by: ρ = 47513.64243 − 1374.824414 × Δ + 13.25586152 × Δ 2 − 0.04258891551 × Δ 3 ( r 2 = 0.99835, σ = 0.0253 g/cm 3 ), and this relationship was tested by synthetic fluid inclusions and natural CO 2 -rich fluid inclusions. The effects of temperature and the presence of H 2 O and CH 4 on this relationship were also examined.

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta↗

USGS2012

Beach response dynamics of a littoral cell using a 17-year single-point time series of sand thickness

A 17-year time series of near-daily sand thickness measurements at a single intertidal location was compared with 5 years of semi-annual 3-dimensional beach surveys at the same beach, and at two other beaches within the same littoral cell. The daily single point measurements correlated extremely well with the mean beach elevation and shoreline position of ten high-spatial resolution beach surveys. Correlations were statistically significant at all spatial scales, even for beach surveys 10s of kilometers downcoast, and therefore variability at the single point monitoring site was representative of regional coastal behavior, allowing us to examine nearly two decades of continuous coastal evolution. The annual cycle of beach oscillations dominated the signal, typical of this region, with additional, less intense spectral peaks associated with seasonal wave energy fluctuations (~ 45 to 90 days), as well as full lunar (~ 29 days) and semi-lunar (~ 13 days; spring-neap cycle) tidal cycles. Sand thickness variability was statistically linked to wave energy with a 2 month peak lag, as well as the average of the previous 7–8 months of wave energy. Longer term anomalies in sand thickness were also apparent on time scales up to 15 months. Our analyses suggest that spatially-limited morphological data sets can be extremely valuable (with robust validation) for understanding the details of beach response to wave energy over timescales that are not resolved by typical survey intervals, as well as the regional behavior of coastal systems.

California↗

USGS2007

Quasi-horizontal circulation cells in 3D seawater intrusion

The seawater intrusion process is characterized by the difference in freshwater and seawater density that causes freshwater to float on seawater. Many confined aquifers have a large horizontal extension with respect to thickness. In these cases, while buoyancy acts in the vertical direction, flow is confined between the upper and bottom boundaries and the effect of gravity is controlled by variations of aquifer elevation. Therefore, the effective gravity is controlled by the slope and the shape of the aquifer boundaries. Variability in the topography of the aquifer boundaries is one case where 3D analysis is necessary. In this work, density-dependent flow processes caused by 3D aquifer geometry are studied numerically and specifically, considering a lateral slope of the aquifer boundaries. Sub-horizontal circulation cells are formed in the saltwater entering the aquifer. The penetration of the saltwater can be quantified by a dimensionless buoyancy number that measures the lateral slope of the aquifer relative to freshwater flux. The penetration of the seawater intrusion wedge is controlled more by this slope than by the aquifer thickness and dispersivity. Thus, the slope must be taken into account in order to accurately evaluate seawater intrusion.

Journal of Hydrology↗

USGS2016

Accommodation space in a high-wave-energy inner-shelf during the Holocene marine transgression: Correlation of onshore and offshore inner-shelf deposits (0–12 ka) in the Columbia River littoral cell system, Washington and Oregon, USA

The Columbia River Littoral Cell (CRLC), a high-wave-energy littoral system, extends 160 km alongshore, generally north of the large Columbia River, and 10–15 km in across-shelf distance from paleo-beach backshores to about 50 m present water depths. Onshore drill holes (19 in number and 5–35 m in subsurface depth) and offshore vibracores (33 in number and 1–5 m in subsurface depth) constrain inner-shelf sand grain sizes (sample means 0.13–0.25 mm) and heavy mineral source indicators (> 90% Holocene Columbia River sand) of the inner-shelf facies (≥ 90% fine sand). Stratigraphic correlation of the transgressive ravinement surface in onshore drill holes and in offshore seismic reflection profiles provide age constraints (0–12 ka) on post-ravinement inner-shelf deposits, using paleo-sea level curves and radiocarbon dates. Post-ravinement deposit thickness (1–50 m) and long-term sedimentation rates (0.4–4.4 m ka − 1 ) are positively correlated to the cross-shelf gradients (0.36–0.63%) of the transgressive ravinement surface. The total post-ravinement fill volume of fine littoral sand (2.48 × 10 10 m 3 ) in the inner-shelf represents about 2.07 × 10 6 m 3 year − 1 fine sand accumulation rate during the last 12 ka, or about one third of the estimated middle- to late-Holocene Columbia River bedload or sand discharge (5–6 × 10 6 m 3 year − 1 ) to the littoral zone. The fine sand accumulation in the inner-shelf represents post-ravinement accommodation space resulting from 1) geometry and depth of the transgressive ravinement surface, 2) post-ravinement sea-level rise, and 3) fine sand dispersal in the inner-shelf by combined high-wave-energy and geostrophic flow/down-welling drift currents during major winter storms.

Oregon, Washington↗

USGS2009

Comparisons of physical experiment and discrete element simulations of sheared granular materials in an annular shear cell

In this study, we report a direct comparison between a physical test and a computer simulation of rapidly sheared granular materials. An annular shear cell experiment was conducted. All parameters were kept the same between the physical and the computational systems to the extent possible. Artificially softened particles were used in the simulation to reduce the computational time to a manageable level. Sensitivity study on the particle stiffness ensured such artificial modification was acceptable. In the experiment, a range of normal stress was applied to a given amount of particles sheared in an annular trough with a range of controlled shear speed. Two types of particles, glass and Delrin, were used in the experiment. Qualitatively, the required torque to shear the materials under different rotational speed compared well with those in the physical experiments for both the glass and the Delrin particles. However, the quantitative discrepancies between the measured and simulated shear stresses were nearly a factor of two. Boundary conditions, particle size distribution, particle damping and friction, including a sliding and rolling, contact force model, were examined to determine their effects on the computational results. It was found that of the above, the rolling friction between particles had the most significant effect on the macro stress level. This study shows that discrete element simulation is a viable method for engineering design for granular material systems. Particle level information is needed to properly conduct these simulations. However, not all particle level information is equally important in the study regime. Rolling friction, which is not commonly considered in many discrete element models, appears to play an important role. ?? 2009 Elsevier Ltd.

Mechanics of Materials↗

USGS2015

Exposure to runoff from coal-tar-sealed pavement induces genotoxicity and impairment of DNA repair capacity in the RTL-W1 fish liver cell line

Coal-tar-based (CTB) sealcoat, frequently applied to parking lots and driveways in North America, contains elevated concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and related compounds. The RTL-W1 fish liver cell line was used to investigate two endpoints (genotoxicity and DNA-repair-capacity impairment) associated with exposure to runoff from asphalt pavement with CTB sealcoat or with an asphalt-based sealcoat hypothesized to contain about 7% CTB sealcoat (AS-blend). Genotoxic potential was assessed by the Formamido pyrimidine glycosylase (Fpg)-modified comet assay for 1:10 and 1:100 dilutions of runoff samples collected from 5 h to 36 d following sealcoat application. DNA-repair capacity was assessed by the base excision repair comet assay for 1:10 dilution of samples collected 26 h and 36 d following application. Both assays were run with and without co-exposure to ultraviolet-A radiation (UVA). With co-exposure to UVA, genotoxic effects were significant for both dilutions of CTB runoff for three of four sample times, and for some samples of AS-blend runoff. Base excision repair was significantly impaired for CTB runoff both with and without UVA exposure, and for AS-blend runoff only in the absence of UVA. This study is the first to investigate the effects of exposure to the complex mixture of chemicals in coal tar on DNA repair capacity. The results indicate that co-exposure to runoff from CT-sealcoated pavement and UVA as much as a month after sealcoat application has the potential to cause genotoxicity and impair DNA repair capacity.

Science of the Total Environment↗

USGS2016

Novel cell-based assay for detection of thyroid receptor beta-interacting environmental contaminants

Even though the presence of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with thyroid hormone (TH)-like activities in the environment is a major health concern, the methods for their efficient detection and monitoring are still limited. Here we describe a novel cell assay, based on the translocation of a green fluorescent protein (GFP)—tagged chimeric molecule of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and the thyroid receptor beta (TRβ) from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in the presence of TR ligands. Unlike the constitutively nuclear TRβ, this GFP-GR-TRβ chimera is cytoplasmic in the absence of hormone while translocating to the nucleus in a time- and concentration-dependent manner upon stimulation with triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroid hormone analogue, TRIAC, while the reverse triiodothyronine (3,3′,5′-triiodothyronine, or rT3) was inactive. Moreover, GFP-GR-TRβ chimera does not show any cross-reactivity with the GR-activating hormones, thus providing a clean system for the screening of TR beta-interacting EDCs. Using this assay, we demonstrated that Bisphenol A (BPA) and 3,3′,5,5′-Tetrabromobisphenol (TBBPA) induced GFP-GR-TRβ translocation at micro molar concentrations. We screened over 100 concentrated water samples from different geographic locations in the United States and detected a low, but reproducible contamination in 53% of the samples. This system provides a novel high-throughput approach for screening for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) interacting with TR beta.

Toxicology↗

USGS2000

Hydrothermal diamond anvil cell for XAFS studies of first-row transition elements in aqueous solutions up to supercritical conditions

A hydrothermal diamond anvil cell (HDAC) has been modified by drilling holes with a laser to within 150 ??m of the anvil face to minimize the loss of X-rays due to absorption and scatter by diamond. This modification enables acquisition of K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra from first-row transition metal ions in aqueous solutions at temperatures ranging from 25??C to 660??C and pressures up to 800 MPa. These pressure-temperature (P-T) conditions are more than sufficient for carrying out experimental measurements that can provide data valuable in the interpretation of fluid inclusions in minerals found in ore-forming hydrothermal systems as well as other important lithospheric processes involving water. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2002

Increased oxidative stress and decreased activities of Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase and Na+/K+-ATPase in the red blood cells of the hibernating black bear

During hibernation, animals undergo metabolic changes that result in reduced utilization of glucose and oxygen. Fat is known to be the preferential source of energy for hibernating animals. Malonyldialdehyde (MDA) is an end product of fatty acid oxidation, and is generally used as an index of lipid peroxidation. We report here that peroxidation of lipids is increased in the plasma and in the membranes of red blood cells in black bears during hibernation. The plasma MDA content was about four fold higher during hibernation as compared to that during the active, non-hibernating state (P < 0.0001). Similarly, MDA content of erythrocyte membranes was significantly increased during hibernation (P < 0.025). The activity of Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase in the erythrocyte membrane was significantly decreased in the hibernating state as compared to the active state. Na+/K+-ATPase activity was also decreased, though not significant, during hibernation. These results suggest that during hibernation, the bears are under increased oxidative stress, and have reduced activities of membrane-bound enzymes such as Ca2+/Mg2+-ATPase and Na+/K+-ATPase. These changes can be considered part of the adaptive for survival process of metabolic depression. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

Life Sciences↗

USGS2021

Untargeted lipidomics for determining cellular and sub-cellular responses in Zebrafish (Danio rerio) liver cells following exposure to complex mixtures in U.S. streams

Surface waters often contain a variety of chemical contaminants potentially capable of producing adverse outcomes in both humans and wildlife due to impacts from industrial, urban, and agricultural activity. Here, we report the results of a zebrafish liver (ZFL) cell-based lipidomics approach to assess the potential ecotoxicological effects of complex contaminant mixtures using water collected from eight impacted streams across the United States mainland and Puerto Rico. We initially characterized the ZFL lipidome using high resolution mass spectrometry, resulting in the annotation of 508 lipid species covering 27 classes. We then identified lipid changes induced by all streamwater samples (nonspecific stress indicators) as well as those unique to water samples taken from specific streams. Subcellular impacts were classified based on organelle-specific lipid changes, including increased lipid saturation (endoplasmic reticulum stress), elevated bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (lysosomal overload), decreased ubiquinone (mitochondrial dysfunction), and elevated ether lipids (peroxisomal stress). Finally, we demonstrate how these results can uniquely inform environmental monitoring and risk assessments of surface waters.

Environmental Science & Technology↗

USGS2019

Cell-Based metabolomics for untargeted screening and prioritization of vertebrate-active stressors in streams across the United States

The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have assessed contaminants in 38 streams across the U.S., using an extensive suite of target-chemical analysis methods along with a variety of biological effects tools. Here we report zebrafish liver (ZFL) cell-culture based NMR metabolomic analysis of these split stream samples. We used this untargeted approach to evaluate the sites according to overall impact on the ZFL metabolome and found that neither the total number of organics detected at the sites, nor their cumulative concentrations, were good predictors of these impacts. Further, we used partial-least squares regression to compare ZFL endogenous metabolite profiles to values for 455 potential stressors (organics, inorganics, and physical properties) measured in these waters and found that the profiles covaried with at most 280 of the stressors, which were subsequently ranked into quartiles based on the strength of their covariance. While contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) were well represented in the top, most strongly, covarying quartile – suggesting considerable potential for eliciting biological responses at these sites – there was even higher representation of various well-characterized legacy contaminants (e.g., PCBs). These results emphasize the importance of complementing chemical analysis with untargeted bioassays to help focus regulatory efforts on the most significant ecosystem threats.

Environmental Science & Technology↗