| 1. |
- McCoy, Thomas M, et al.
(författare)
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Spontaneous Self-Assembly of Thermoresponsive Vesicles Using a Zwitterionic and an Anionic Surfactant
- 2020
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Ingår i: Biomacromolecules. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1525-7797 .- 1526-4602. ; 21:11, s. 4569-4576
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Spontaneous formation of vesicles from the self-assembly of two specific surfactants, one zwitterionic (oleyl amidopropyl betaine, OAPB) and the other anionic (Aerosol-OT, AOT), is explored in water using small-angle scattering techniques. Two factors were found to be critical in the formation of vesicles: surfactant ratio, as AOT concentrations less than equimolar with OAPB result in cylindrical micelles or mixtures of micellar structures, and salt concentration, whereby increasing the amount of NaCl promotes vesicle formation by reducing headgroup repulsions. Small-angle neutron scattering measurements reveal that the vesicles are approximately 30-40 nm in diameter, depending on sample composition. Small-angle X-ray scattering measurements suggest preferential partitioning of OAPB molecules on the vesicle inner layer to support vesicular packing. Heating the vesicles to physiological temperature (37 °C) causes them to collapse into smaller ellipsoidal micelles (2-3 nm), with higher salt concentrations (≥10 mM) inhibiting this transition. These aggregates could serve as responsive carriers for loading or unloading of aqueous cargoes such as drugs and pharmaceuticals, with temperature changes serving as a simple release/uptake mechanism.
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| 2. |
- Phillips, Helen R. P., et al.
(författare)
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Global distribution of earthworm diversity
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 366:6464, s. 480-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Soil organisms, including earthworms, are a key component of terrestrial ecosystems. However, little is known about their diversity, their distribution, and the threats affecting them. We compiled a global dataset of sampled earthworm communities from 6928 sites in 57 countries as a basis for predicting patterns in earthworm diversity, abundance, and biomass. We found that local species richness and abundance typically peaked at higher latitudes, displaying patterns opposite to those observed in aboveground organisms. However, high species dissimilarity across tropical locations may cause diversity across the entirety of the tropics to be higher than elsewhere. Climate variables were found to be more important in shaping earthworm communities than soil properties or habitat cover. These findings suggest that climate change may have serious implications for earthworm communities and for the functions they provide.
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| 3. |
- Sarneel, Judith M., et al.
(författare)
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Reading tea leaves worldwide : decoupled drivers of initial litter decomposition mass-loss rate and stabilization
- 2024
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Ingår i: Ecology Letters. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1461-023X .- 1461-0248. ; 27:5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The breakdown of plant material fuels soil functioning and biodiversity. Currently, process understanding of global decomposition patterns and the drivers of such patterns are hampered by the lack of coherent large-scale datasets. We buried 36,000 individual litterbags (tea bags) worldwide and found an overall negative correlation between initial mass-loss rates and stabilization factors of plant-derived carbon, using the Tea Bag Index (TBI). The stabilization factor quantifies the degree to which easy-to-degrade components accumulate during early-stage decomposition (e.g. by environmental limitations). However, agriculture and an interaction between moisture and temperature led to a decoupling between initial mass-loss rates and stabilization, notably in colder locations. Using TBI improved mass-loss estimates of natural litter compared to models that ignored stabilization. Ignoring the transformation of dead plant material to more recalcitrant substances during early-stage decomposition, and the environmental control of this transformation, could overestimate carbon losses during early decomposition in carbon cycle models.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Choudhary, P., et al.
(författare)
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Comparison of bulk organic matter characteristics in sediments of three Kumaun Himalayan lakes
- 2009
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Ingår i: Current Science. - 0011-3891. ; 97:4, s. 572-575
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Three lakes (Nainital, Sattal and Naukuchiatal) in the Kumaun Himalayan region were investigated for total organic carbon (TOC%) and nitrogen (N%), their atomic ratios (C/N) and isotopic composition (delta C-13 and delta N-15) in their sediments. These geochemical proxies measured in 35-45 cm long cores indicate that organic matter preserved in the lake sediments is primarily derived from algal matter. Increase in TOC in all the three lakes suggests increased productivity. The sediments are anoxic in all the three lakes and show low N%. Shift in delta C-13 isotopic composition indicates influence of sewage input into the lakes. Likewise, increase in delta N-15 in surface sediments suggests nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria.
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Ulrich, G. A., et al.
(författare)
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Sulfur Cycling in the Terrestrial Subsurface : Commensal Interactions, Spatial Scales, and Microbial Heterogeneity
- 1998
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Ingår i: Microbial Ecology. - : Springer. - 0095-3628 .- 1432-184X. ; 36:2, s. 141-151
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Microbiological, geochemical, and isotopic analyses of sediment and water samples from the unconsolidated Yegua formation in east-central Texas were used to assess microbial processes in the terrestrial subsurface. Previous geochemical studies suggested that sulfide oxidation at shallow depths may provide sulfate for sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in deeper aquifer formations. The present study further examines this possibility, and provides a more detailed evaluation of the relationship between microbial activity, lithology, and the geochemical environment on meter-to-millimeter scales. Sediment of varied lithology (sands, silts, clays, lignite) was collected from two boreholes, to depths of 30 m. Our findings suggest that pyrite oxidation strongly influences the geochemical environment in shallow sediments ( 5 m), and produces acidic waters (pH 3.8) that are rich in sulfate (28 mM) and ferrous iron (0.3 mM). Sulfur and iron-oxidizing bacteria are readily detected in shallow sediments; they likely play an indirect role in pyrite oxidation. In consistent fashion, there is a relative paucity of pyrite in shallow sediments and a low 34S/32S-sulfate ratio (0.2ￜ) (reflecting contributions from 34S-depleted sulfides) in shallow regions. Pyrite oxidation likely provides a sulfate source for both oxic and anoxic aquifers in the region. A variety of assays and direct-imaging techniques of 35S-sulfide production in sediment cores indicates that sulfate reduction occurs in both the oxidizing and reducing portions of the sediment profile, with a high degree of spatial variability. Narrow zones of activity were detected in sands that were juxtaposed to clay or lignite-rich sediments. The fermentation of organic matter in the lignite-rich laminae provides small molecular weight organic acids to support sulfate reduction in neighboring sands. Consequently, sulfur cycling in shallow sediments, and sulfate transport represent important mechanisms for commensal interaction among subsurface microorganisms by providing electron donors for chemoautotrophic bacteria and electron acceptors for SRB. The activity of SRB is linked to the availability of suitable electron donors from spatially distinct zones.
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| 8. |
- Choudary, Preetam, et al.
(författare)
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A 100-year record of changes in organic matter characteristics and productivity in Lake Bhimtal in the Kumaon Himalaya, NW India
- 2013
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Ingår i: Journal of Paleolimnology. - : Springer Verlag (Germany). - 0921-2728 .- 1573-0417. ; 49:2, s. 129-143
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sediment variables total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total sulfur (TS), as well as their accumulation rates and atomic ratios (C/N and C/S), were studied along with stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S), and specific biomarkers (n-alkanes and pigments) in a 35-cm-long sediment core from Lake Bhimtal, NW India. The average sedimentation rate is 3.6 mm year−1, and the core represents a provisional record of ~100 years of sedimentation history. Bulk elemental records and their ratios indicate that sediment organic matter (OM) is derived primarily from algae. In-lake productivity increased sharply over the last two decades, consistent with paleoproductivity reconstructions from other lakes in the area. An up-core decrease in δ13C values, despite other evidence for an increase in lake productivity, implies that multiple biogeochemical processes (e.g. external input of sewage or uptake of isotopically depleted CO2 as a result of fossil fuel burning) influence the C isotope record in the lake. The δ15N values (−0.2 to −3.9 ‰) reflect the presence of N-fixing cyanobacteria, and an increase in lake productivity. The δ34S profile shows enrichment of up to 5.6 ‰, and suggests that sulfate reduction occurred in these anoxic sediments. Increases in total n-alkane concentrations and their specific ratios, such as the Carbon Preference Index (CPI) and Terrestrial Aquatic Ratio (TAR), imply in-lake algal production. Likewise, pigments indicate an up-core increase in total concentration and dominance of cyanobacteria over other phytoplankton. Geochemical trends indicate a recent increase in the lake’s trophic state as a result of human-induced changes in the catchment. The study highlights the vulnerability of mountain lakes in the Himalayan region to both natural and anthropogenic processes, and the difficulties associated with reversing trophic state and ecological changes.
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| 9. |
- Choudhary, Preetam, et al.
(författare)
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An environmental record of changes in sedimentary organic matter from Lake Sattal in Kumaun Himalayas, India
- 2009
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 407:8, s. 2783-2795
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sattal a small mountainous lake in the Kumaun Himalayas has been impacted by various cultural activities in recent years. We explored the effects of human-induced changes in this lake by using various geochemical proxies. Shifts in TOC and N flux, C/N ratio, stable isotopes (delta C-13 and delta N-15), n-alkane, and pigment concentrations in sediments indicate a steady increase in primary productivity over the last few decades. The trophic status of the lake has changed from mesotrophic to eutrophic condition. The C/N, CPI, and TAR based ratios in sediments indicate accumulation of algal matter derived primarily from in situ production, with limited input of terrestrial organic matter from the watershed. The low (between 0.1 and 1 parts per thousand) delta N-15 values imply N-2-fixation by cyanobacteria, and the decrease in delta C-13 values up-core represent the effect of sewage input and land based runoff, or possible contribution from microbial biomass. The pigments change from non-N-2 fixing cyanobacterial species to the N-2-fixing community, and are consistent with the proxy-based productivity shifts inferred in the lake. The deeper sediments are affected by post-diagenetic changes causing an increase in delta C-13 (and possibly delta N-15) due to mineralization of organic C and N.
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| 10. |
- Choudhary, Preetam, et al.
(författare)
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Biogeochemical records of paleoenvironmental changes in Nainital Lake, Kumaun Himalayas, India
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Paleolimnology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2728 .- 1573-0417. ; 42:4, s. 571-586
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rapid urbanization and increased tourism around Nainital Lake in the Kumaun Himalayan region in north India has raised concerns about sediment and water pollution. Lead-210 dated sediment cores from the lake represent similar to 95 years of accumulation and yield a mean sedimentation rate of similar to 4.7 mm year(-1). Total organic carbon (TOC), percent N and S and their atomic C/N and C/S ratios, stable isotopes (delta C-13, delta N-15, and delta S-34), and specific biomarkers (n-alkanes and pigments) were measured in the core. Organic matter is primarily derived from in-lake algal production and TOC flux varies from 1.0 to 3.5 g m(-2) year(-1). Sediments are anoxic (Eh -328 to -187 mV) and have low (0.10-0.30 g m(-2) year(-1)) N, but high (0.37-1.0 g m(-2) year(-1)) S flux. Shifts in delta C-13, delta N-15, and delta S-34 suggest in-lake microbial processes dominated by denitrification and sulfate reduction. The sediments are dominated by short-chain hydrocarbons with low Carbon Preference Index values. The pigments indicate a gradual shift to cyanobacterial domination of the phytoplankton community in recent years. Despite an increase in external input of nutrients, the trophic state of the lake has remained largely unchanged, and the perceived human-induced impacts are limited.
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