Carbon Mineralization in Fractured Mafic and Ultramafic Rocks: A Review.

Mineral carbon storage in mafic and ultramafic rock masses has the potential to be an effective and permanent mechanism to reduce anthropogenic CO. Several successful pilot-scale projects have been carried out in basaltic rock (e.g.

Increased neuron density in the midbrain of a foveate bird, pigeon, results from profound change in tissue morphogenesis.

The increase of brain neuron number in relation with brain size is currently considered to be the major evolutionary path to high cognitive power in amniotes. However, how changes in neuron density did contribute to the evolution of the information-processing capacity of the brain remains unanswered. High neuron densities are seen as the main reason why the fovea located at the visual center of the retina is responsible for sharp vision in birds and primates.

Subsurface biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen in the actively serpentinizing Samail Ophiolite, Oman.

Nitrogen (N) is an essential element for life. N compounds such as ammonium ( ) may act as electron donors, while nitrate ( ) and nitrite ( ) may serve as electron acceptors to support energy metabolism. However, little is known regarding the availability and forms of N in subsurface ecosystems, particularly in serpentinite-hosted settings where hydrogen (H) generated through water-rock reactions promotes habitable conditions for microbial life.

Parapatric speciation of in serpentinite-hosted aquifers in Oman.

The factors that control the distribution and evolution of microbial life in subsurface environments remain enigmatic due to challenges associated with sampling fluids from discrete depth intervals via boreholes while avoiding mixing of fluids. Here, using an inflatable packer system, fracture waters were isolated and collected from three discrete depth intervals spanning >130 m in a borehole intersecting an ultramafic rock formation undergoing serpentinization in the Samail Ophiolite, Sultanate of Oman. Near surface aquifer waters were moderately reducing and had alkaline pH while deeper aquifer waters were reduced and had hyperalkaline pH, indicating extensive influence by serpentinization.

Ruling out Color Transparency in Quasielastic ^{12}C(e,e^{'}p) up to Q^{2} of 14.2 (GeV/c)^{2}.

Quasielastic ^{12}C(e,e^{'}p) scattering was measured at spacelike 4-momentum transfer squared Q^{2}=8, 9.4, 11.4, and 14.

Probing the Deuteron at Very Large Internal Momenta.

We measure ^{2}H(e,e^{'}p)n cross sections at 4-momentum transfers of Q^{2}=4.5±0.5  (GeV/c)^{2} over a range of neutron recoil momenta p_{r}, reaching up to ∼1.

A transient decrease in mitochondrial activity contributes to establish the ganglion cell fate in retina adapted for high acuity vision.

Although the plan of the retina is well conserved in vertebrates, there are considerable variations in cell type diversity and number, as well as in the organization and properties of the tissue. The high ratios of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to cones in primate fovea and bird retinas favor neural circuits essential for high visual acuity and color vision. The role that cell metabolism could play in cell fate decision during embryonic development of the nervous system is still largely unknown.

Molecular Evidence for an Active Microbial Methane Cycle in Subsurface Serpentinite-Hosted Groundwaters in the Samail Ophiolite, Oman.

Serpentinization can generate highly reduced fluids replete with hydrogen (H) and methane (CH), potent reductants capable of driving microbial methanogenesis and methanotrophy, respectively. However, CH in serpentinized waters is thought to be primarily abiogenic, raising key questions about the relative importance of methanogens and methanotrophs in the production and consumption of CH in these systems. Herein, we apply molecular approaches to examine the functional capability and activity of microbial CH cycling in serpentinization-impacted subsurface waters intersecting multiple rock and water types within the Samail Ophiolite of Oman.

The Appearance of the Warburg Effect in the Developing Avian Eye Characterized In Ovo: How Neurogenesis Can Remodel Neuroenergetics.

Purpose: The avian eye is an established model for exploring mechanisms that coordinate morphogenesis and metabolism during embryonic development. Less is known, however, about trafficking of bioenergetic and metabolic signaling molecules that are involved in retinal neurogenesis.

Methods: Here we tested whether the known 3-day delayed neurogenesis occurring in the pigeon compared with the chick was associated with a deferred reshaping of eye metabolism in vivo.

Investigating Neurogenesis in Birds.

The macula and fovea make human vision unique among mammals. An understanding of the genetic network underlying the development and maintenance of this highly specialized region is instrumental to address issues about human macula-related retinopathies. The pigeon retina, unlike currently available animal models, shares numerous key characteristics of the primate macula and represents a promising new model for the study of retinal development.

High reactivity of deep biota under anthropogenic CO injection into basalt.

Basalts are recognized as one of the major habitats on Earth, harboring diverse and active microbial populations. Inconsistently, this living component is rarely considered in engineering operations carried out in these environments. This includes carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies that seek to offset anthropogenic CO emissions into the atmosphere by burying this greenhouse gas in the subsurface.

Geological and Geochemical Controls on Subsurface Microbial Life in the Samail Ophiolite, Oman.

Microbial abundance and diversity in deep subsurface environments is dependent upon the availability of energy and carbon. However, supplies of oxidants and reductants capable of sustaining life within mafic and ultramafic continental aquifers undergoing low-temperature water-rock reaction are relatively unknown. We conducted an extensive analysis of the geochemistry and microbial communities recovered from fluids sampled from boreholes hosted in peridotite and gabbro in the Tayin block of the Samail Ophiolite in the Sultanate of Oman.

Delayed neurogenesis with respect to eye growth shapes the pigeon retina for high visual acuity.

The macula and fovea located at the optical centre of the retina make primate visual perception unique among mammals. Our current understanding of retina ontogenesis is primarily based on animal models having no macula and no fovea. However, the pigeon retina and the human macula share a number of structural and functional properties that justify introducing the former as a new model system for retina development.

Rapid carbon mineralization for permanent disposal of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) provides a solution toward decarbonization of the global economy. The success of this solution depends on the ability to safely and permanently store CO2 This study demonstrates for the first time the permanent disposal of CO2 as environmentally benign carbonate minerals in basaltic rocks. We find that over 95% of the CO2 injected into the CarbFix site in Iceland was mineralized to carbonate minerals in less than 2 years.

Atypical Learning in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Transitive Inference.

Objective: To investigate the neural mechanisms underlying impairments in generalizing learning shown by adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Method: A total of 21 high-functioning individuals with ASD aged 12 to 18 years, and 23 gender-, IQ-, and age-matched adolescents with typical development (TYP), completed a transitive inference (TI) task implemented using rapid event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants were trained on overlapping pairs in a stimulus hierarchy of colored ovals where A>B>C>D>E>F and then tested on generalizing this training to new stimulus pairings (AF, BD, BE) in a "Big Game.

Clinical and Cognitive Characteristics Associated with Mathematics Problem Solving in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Mathematics achievement in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been understudied. However, the ability to solve applied math problems is associated with academic achievement, everyday problem-solving abilities, and vocational outcomes. The paucity of research on math achievement in ASD may be partly explained by the widely-held belief that most individuals with ASD are mathematically gifted, despite emerging evidence to the contrary.

Microbial stimulation and succession following a test well injection simulating CO2 leakage into a shallow Newark basin aquifer.

In addition to efforts aimed at reducing anthropogenic production of greenhouse gases, geological storage of CO2 is being explored as a strategy to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gas emission and mitigate climate change. Previous studies of the deep subsurface in North America have not fully considered the potential negative effects of CO2 leakage into shallow drinking water aquifers, especially from a microbiological perspective. A test well in the Newark Rift Basin was utilized in two field experiments to investigate patterns of microbial succession following injection of CO2-saturated water into an isolated aquifer interval, simulating a CO2 leakage scenario.

Feedback-driven trial-by-trial learning in autism spectrum disorders.

Objective: Impairments in learning are central to autism spectrum disorders. The authors investigated the cognitive and neural basis of these deficits in young adults with autism spectrum disorders using a well-characterized probabilistic reinforcement learning paradigm.

Method: The probabilistic selection task was implemented among matched participants with autism spectrum disorders (N=22) and with typical development (N=25), aged 18-40 years, using rapid event-related functional MRI.

Chemical and morphological changes during olivine carbonation for CO2 storage in the presence of NaCl and NaHCO3.

The increasing concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere are attributed to the rising consumption of fossil fuels for energy generation around the world. One of the most stable and environmentally benign methods of reducing atmospheric CO2 is by storing it as thermodynamically stable carbonate minerals. Olivine ((Mg,Fe)2SiO4) is an abundant mineral that reacts with CO2 to form Mg-carbonate.

Relative permeability experiments of carbon dioxide displacing brine and their implications for carbon sequestration.

To mitigate anthropogenically induced climate change and ocean acidification, net carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere must be reduced. One proposed option is underground CO2 disposal. Large-scale injection of CO2 into the Earth's crust requires an understanding of the multiphase flow properties of high-pressure CO2 displacing brine.

A positive feedback loop between ATOH7 and a Notch effector regulates cell-cycle progression and neurogenesis in the retina.

The HES proteins are known Notch effectors and have long been recognized as important in inhibiting neuronal differentiation. However, the roles that they play in the specification of neuronal fate remain largely unknown. Here, we show that in the differentiating retinal epithelium, the proneural protein ATOH7 (ATH5) is required for the activation of the transcription of the Hes5.

The urgency of the development of CO2 capture from ambient air.

CO(2) capture and storage (CCS) has the potential to develop into an important tool to address climate change. Given society's present reliance on fossil fuels, widespread adoption of CCS appears indispensable for meeting stringent climate targets. We argue that for conventional CCS to become a successful climate mitigation technology--which by necessity has to operate on a large scale--it may need to be complemented with air capture, removing CO(2) directly from the atmosphere.

Ptf1a/Rbpj complex inhibits ganglion cell fate and drives the specification of all horizontal cell subtypes in the chick retina.

During development, progenitor cells of the retina give rise to six principal classes of neurons and the Müller glial cells found within the adult retina. The pancreas transcription factor 1 subunit a (Ptf1a) encodes a basic-helix-loop-helix transcription factor necessary for the specification of horizontal cells and the majority of amacrine cell subtypes in the mouse retina. The Ptf1a-regulated genes and the regulation of Ptf1a activity by transcription cofactors during retinogenesis have been poorly investigated.