The distributions of calcite rich horizons within dryland soils are commonly used as paleoclimate proxies. Comprehensive conceptual and mathematical models of calcite accumulation in soils are required to accurately interpret and calibrate these proxies. A conceptual model for calcite accumulation is already well established: As water percolates through a soil, it dissolves minerals, such as calcite, transporting the soluble minerals downward. As soil water is removed by evaporation and transpiration, the water solution becomes supersaturated resulting in precipitation of calcite at depth. The impacts of dynamic plant growth and microbial respiration have not yet been simulated in numerical models for calcite accumulation but are likely important because of their influence on variables governing calcite solubility. The soil hydraulic modeling software, HYDRUS-1D, simulates water and solute transfer through a soil column, accounting for variations in all previously studied variables (temperature, water content, soil pCO₂) while additionally simulating vegetation-soil interactions. Five separate sensitivity studies were conducted to determine the importance for calcite accumulation of 1) soil texture, 2) plant growth, 3) plant phenology, 4) atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, and 5) the proximal variables that control calcite dissolution and precipitation: soil CO₂, soil water content, and soil temperature. In each modeling simulation, calcite was leached from the top several cm and redistributed deeper in the soil after 20 years. Soils with courser texture yield deeper (+20cm), more diffuse calcite horizons, as did simulations with bare soil compared to vegetated soil. The phenology of plant communities (late spring versus late summer growth) resulted in soil calcite accumulation at temperatures differing by at least 10°C. Changes in atmospheric CO₂ concentrations do not affect the soil calcite distribution. Variations in concentration of soil CO₂, rather than soil water content, have the greatest direct effect on calcite solubility. The most significant time periods of annual accumulation also corresponded with positive water fluxes resulting from high matric potential at the surface. Transpiration and evaporation moisture sinks caused solution to travel upward from higher to lower soil CO₂ concentrations, causing CO₂ de-gassing and calcite accumulation. This pathway describes a new qualitative mechanism for soil calcite formation and should be included in the conceptual model. / text

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The Sea Point contact, Cape Town, South Africa, exposes the contact between the Neoproterozoic Malmesbury Group metasedimentary rocks of the Pan-African Saldania belt and the intrusive S-type Peninsula Granite of the Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic Cape Granite Suite (CGS). The exposure outcrops over an area of approximately 170 m × 60 m with the northern end of the exposure being characterized by the country rock–microgranite intrusive contact. Heading further south, the outcrop transitions to the main contact zone, which is a predominantly gradational zone marked by sheets of compositionally variable granitic injections (collectively referred to as hybrid granite phases) concordant to the country rock structure, before reaching the main pluton area comprising the voluminous coarse-grained porphyritic granite. Using a combined study incorporating field, structural, geochemical, isotopic and U-Pb geochronological data, the intrusive contact is investigated to determine the construction history of the pluton and delineate possible emplacement mechanisms. The granitic phases, which vary from fine-grained leucocratic, medium-grained porphyritic to coarse-grained porphyritic, are peraluminous, magnesian to ferroan, and alkali-calcic. Based on the linear trends between the whole-rock major and trace element content of the granites vs. maficity (molar Fe + Mg), their initial Sr ratios and εNd(t) values, the granites of the study area are consistent with the currently proposed petrogenetic model for the CGS (e.g. Stevens et al., 2007; Villaros et al., 2009a; Harris & Vogeli, 2010); i.e., they are crustally derived and their chemical variability is controlled primarily by peritectic assemblage entrainment. The fractional crystallization of K-feldspar is identified as the primary mechanism for the local geochemical variability of the granites. The fractionation of K-feldspar as a mechanism of variability was evaluated using binary log-log diagrams of Ba, Sr and Eu and is interpreted to have taken place at levels close to the emplacement site after source entrainment processes. Although there is outcrop evidence, particularly in the main contact zone, to suggest that local assimilation and filter pressing took place, this was not reflected by the whole-rock and isotope geochemistry of the granites. This suggests that these processes are very localized and will need further rigorous testing to ascertain the extent to which they caused variability. Outcrop evidence for assimilation includes gradational country rock-granite contacts and the ductile behaviour of the country rock, whereas the occurrence of K-feldspar megacrysts embedded in the country rock at the main contact zone suggests melt accumulation and escape consistent with the filter pressing mechanism. In the case of the latter, the melt fraction of the granite was easily mobilized and driven out compared to the crystal fraction (K-feldspars) during the emplacement of the granites. Field relationships and the structural interpretation of the Malmesbury Group country rocks and the granites reveal that: (1) the various granites are late syn-tectonic and (2) were emplaced as incrementally assembled, repeated pulses of inclined granitic sheets more or less normal (i.e. at high angles) to the regional NE-SW shortening (D1) of the Malmesbury forearc during the Saldanian orogeny. Given the lack of a controlling shear zone in facilitating granite emplacement in the study area, the pre-existing planar anisotropies (bedding planes and foliations) in the country rock provided preferential pathways for magma emplacement and propagation during deformation. This implies that the tensile strength normal and parallel to the bedding and foliation anisotropy of the country rock was larger than the regional differential stress (σ1 – σ3, with σ1 ≥ σ2 ≥ σ3), allowing for magma emplacement relative to shortening. Sheet propagation is interpreted to have occurred through the balance of the following conditions: (1) density contrasts between host rocks and magmas, (2) the pressure differential along the subvertical fractures/sheets, and (3) the melt pressure equalling the lithostatic pressure to keep the magma pathways open and being sufficiently high such that it exceeds the sum of σ1 and the tensile strength of the rock parallel to σ1. The crystallization ages of the dated granite samples are identical within error and vary between 538.7 ± 3.6 Ma and 542.7 ± 2.9 Ma. They, therefore, cannot prove which granite phase intruded first and which one proceeded and so forth. Field relationships, however, suggests that the microgranites were first to intrude given their fine-grained nature and the localized chilled contacts they show with the country rock. The various coarser-grained and porphyritic phases were next to intrude, with their coarse grain-sizes and lack of chilled margins with the country rock suggesting that the time interval between their successive emplacements was not too long; this prevented the country rock from completely cooling down between each magma batch. Magma stoping and the ductile flow of the host material (owing to highly viscous magma flow) to accommodate granite emplacement are interpreted to be secondary emplacement processes.

Submitted by Maria Medeiros (maria.dilva1@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-06-29T14:16:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ISIS TATIANE DE BARROS MACÊDO VELOSO - TESE (PPGCEMat) 2016.pdf: 3573054 bytes, checksum: bfcbdc962777a12887f4d94980048582 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-29T14:16:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ISIS TATIANE DE BARROS MACÊDO VELOSO - TESE (PPGCEMat) 2016.pdf: 3573054 bytes, checksum: bfcbdc962777a12887f4d94980048582 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-06-30 / A reciclagem de vidros surge como alternativa ao impacto causado pelo seu descarte no meio ambiente, contribuindo para preservação dos recursos naturais, redução na emissão de gases e diminuição no volume dos aterros e lixões. O vidro pode ser infinitamente reciclado, sem que haja perda de massa ou de suas propriedades. Além disso, destaca-se pela sua beleza, por ser um dos poucos materiais capazes de refletir luz, cuja aplicação pode resultar em produtos de elevado apelo estético. Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo o desenvolvimento de pastilhas para revestimento pelo processo de reciclagem de resíduos de vidros sódico-cálcicos, a partir de estudos de tratamento térmico de fusão e recozimento. Inicialmente, os vidros foram separados por cor, triturados manualmente, distinguidos em diferentes granulometrias e acondicionados em moldes de concreto celular. Em seguida, foram submetidos a diferentes tratamentos térmicos, que resultaram na fusão e recozimento, este último processo para minimizar as tensões internas que fragilizam o vidro. Desta forma, buscou-se analisar a influência das granulometrias e dos tratamentos térmicos sobre os aspectos visuais das peças; os estudos dos materiais dos moldes e sua interação com o vidro, a desmoldabilidade e o acabamento das pastilhas; os equipamentos utilizados para a cominuição dos cacos de vidro. Como resultados, definiu-se o tratamento térmico quatro (TT4) para os vidros incolores e o tratamento térmico cinco (TT5) para os vidros coloridos (azul, âmbar, verde claro e verde escuro), em busca de obter peças de textura enrugada, aspecto vítreo e superfície brilhosa. Quanto ao tratamento térmico, as análises realizadas por microscopia óptica mostraram a eliminação das tensões internas que fragilizam o vidro, assim como o teste de impacto demonstrou uma maior resistência ao choque para amostras com recozimento, comprovando, assim, sua eficácia. Quanto à viabilidade de produção, os resultados demonstraram que as pastilhas são passíveis de serem confeccionadas pelo grupo CAVI, em escala artesanal, utilizando tecnologias e recursos acessíveis ao grupo, numa perspectiva de tecnologia social. / Glass recycling is an alternative to the impact caused by its disposal in environment, contributing to preservation of natural resources, reduction in gas emissions and decrease in volume of landfills and dumps. Glass can be recycled endlessly without any loss of mass or its properties. In addition, stands out for its beauty, for being one of few materials capable of reflecting light, the implementation of which may result in high aesthetic appeal products. This research aims to develop glass pastilles for coatings by recycling process of sodium-calcium glass residues, from heat treatment studies of melting and annealing. Initially, glasses were separated by color, manually grinded, distinguished into different granulometries and conditioned in cellular concrete molds. Then were subjected to different heat treatments, which resulted in melting and annealing, the latter process to minimize the internal tensions that weaken glass. Thus, it sought to analyze the influence of grain size and thermal treatments of visual aspects of the pieces; studies of materials of molds and their interaction with glass, demoldability and finish of the tablets; equipment used for comminution of the glass. As a result, it defined the heat treatment four (TT4) for colorless glass and heat treatment five (TT5) for tinted (blue, amber, light green, dark green) in seeking to obtain pieces of wrinkled texture, glassy and glossy surface. About heat treatment, the analysis performed by optical microscopy showed elimination of internal stresses which weaken the glass, and impact test showed a greater shock resistance for samples annealed, confirming thus its effectiveness. As for viability of production, results showed that pastilles are likely to be made by CAVI group, artisanal scale, using technologies and resources accessible to the group, in a perspective of social technology.

L’ion calcium est un second messager qui intervient dans de nombreux processuscellulaires dont la prolifération, la différenciation et l’apoptose. Ainsi, l’homéostasiecalcique constitue un point central de régulation de la signalisation cellulaire. En effet, laconcentration calcique cytosolique de calcium subit des oscillations, qui suivant leuramplitude ou leur fréquence, vont être capables d’activer spécifiquement certains facteursde transcription. La régulation de ces oscillations implique entre autres les ATPases de typeSERCA (Sarco/Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ATPase) qui accumulent le calcium dansle réticulum endoplasmique. L’objectif de ce travail de thèse a été l’étude des SERCAs aucours de la différenciation lymphocytaire B et dans l’épithélium du plexus choroïde ; ceci,afin de mieux comprendre le profil d’expression de ces pompes et les mécanismes derégulation impliqués.Au cours de la différenciation de lignées de leucémie aiguë lymphoblastique (LAL) nousavons observé que l’expression de l’isoforme SERCA2 restait stable ou augmentaitlégèrement alors que celle de l’isoforme SERCA3 était toujours fortement induite, pouvantatteindre des niveaux observés dans les cellules lymphoïdes matures. Nous avons égalementobservé que l’inhibition de l’activité des SERCAs altère la différenciation cellulaire qui estdépendante de la voie des PKC. Ces données indiquent que SERCA3 pourrait être utiliséecomme marqueur de la différenciation lymphocytaire B. Une régulation de l’expression desSERCAs a également été mise en évidence au cours de la différenciation de l’épithélium duplexus choroïde normal ou tumoral. SERCA3 est fortement exprimée dans l’épithéliumnormal, mais on retrouve une baisse ou une perte de son expression dans l’épithéliumtumoral, cette baisse est corrélée à la perte de la différenciation selon le grade des tumeurs.L’étude de l’expression des SERCAs dans les cellules primaires du plexus choroïde traitépar des agents cyto-différenciateurs (acides gras à chaîne courte), montre que ladifférenciation est associée à une surexpression de SERCA3. SERCA3 peut donc égalementêtre un marqueur de la différenciation de l’épithélium du plexus choroïde.L’ensemble de ce travail a montré que la différenciation cellulaire est associée à la régulationde protéines impliquées dans la régulation de l’homéostasie calcique : les SERCAs. On peutainsi proposer SERCA3 comme un nouveau marqueur phénotypique utile pour l’analyse dela différenciation du plexus choroïde normale et néoplasique, ainsi que pour celle de ladifférenciation lymphoïde pré-B leucémique. / Cellular calcium is involved in a multitude of biological processes including thecontrol of cell proliferation, differentiation and programmed cell death, and constitutestherefore a keconcentration calcique cytosolique de calcium subit des oscillations, qui suivant leuramplitude ou leur fréquence, vont être capables d’activer spécifiquement certains facteursde transcription. La régulation de ces oscillations implique entre autres les ATPases de typeSERCA (Sarco/Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ATPase) qui accumulent le calcium dansle réticulum endoplasmique. L’objectif de ce travail de thèse a été l’étude des SERCAs aucours de la différenciation lymphocytaire B et dans l’épithélium du plexus choroïde ; ceci,afin de mieux comprendre le profil d’expression de ces pompes et les mécanismes derégulation impliqués.Au cours de la différenciation de lignées de leucémie aiguë lymphoblastique (LAL) nousavons observé que l’expression de l’isoforme SERCA2 restait stable ou augmentaitlégèrement alors que celle de l’isoforme SERCA3 était toujours fortement induite, pouvantatteindre des niveaux observés dans les cellules lymphoïdes matures. Nous avons égalementobservé que l’inhibition de l’activité des SERCAs altère la différenciation cellulaire qui estdépendante de la voie des PKC. Ces données indiquent que SERCA3 pourrait être utiliséey element in cell signaling. Calcium levels vary in a dynamic mannerdepending on the state of activation of the cell, and can display oscillations the amplitudeand frequency of which can convey specific signals to various transcription factors.Sarco/Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ATPases (SERCA enzymes) accumulate calciumfrom the cytosol into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). By modulating the spatiotemporalcharacteristics of calcium signals and oscillations, SERCA pumps constitute an importantand unique point of control of calcium-dependent cell activation. In this work weinvestigated SERCA expression during early B lymphoid differentiation and in normal,tumoral and hyperplastic choroid plexus epithelial cells.We have shown that SERCA3 expression is markedly increased during thepharmacologically induced differentiation of immature B acute lymphoblastic leukemiacells, whereas the expression of the simultaneously expressed SERCA2 isoform is notmodified significantly. SERCA3 expression during this differentiation process can reachlevels observed in mature B lymphoid cells, and is dependent on the activation of proteinkinase C. Moreover, the direct pharmacological inhibition of SERCA-dependent calciumtransport interferes with the differentiation process.Our investigations on the choroid plexus show, that whereas SERCA3 is highly expressedin normal choroid plexus epithelium, expression is strongly decreased in benign choroidplexus tumors and is lost in carcinoma, whereas expression is retained in hyperplasia. Inaddition, treatment of primary normal choroid plexus epithelial cells by short chain fattyacid-type cell differentiation-inducing agents in vitro leads to the induction of SERCA3expression.Our observations when taken together indicate that ER calcium homeostasis is remodeledduring the differentiation of immature B lymphoid cells and in the choroid plexus due to theinduction of SERCA3 expression. We show that a cross-talk exists between SERCA functionand the control of differentiation in B cells, that SERCA3 constitutes a new phenotypicmarker for the study of early B cell differentiation, and that the lack of SERCA3 expressionmay be useful for the identification of choroid plexus tumors.

No description available.

Ce travail contribue à mieux connaître et contraindre la minéralogie du plomb. L’incorporation du plomb dans des minéraux du manteau terrestre a été étudiée ; on observe que deux phases importantes du globe sont des candidates pour accueillir le plomb : la phase CAS dans les plaques en subduction et la phase pérovskite CaSiO3 troisième minéral majeur du manteau inférieur. D’autres minéraux du manteau supérieur ont été également étudiés pour une incorporation du plomb. Des calculs ab-initio ont été réalisés sur un composé simple de plomb, PbO2. Ces calculs permettent de mettre en évidence l’évolution de PbO2 à hautes pressions jusqu’à 130 GPa. La spéciation du plomb dans des minéraux naturels métamictes a aussi été explorée : cette étude de l’élément fils des éléments radioactifs U et Th, dans ces minéraux naturels permet de mieux contraindre l’immobilisation durable des déchets nucléaires / This work helps to better understand and constrain the mineralogy of lead. The incorporation of lead in mantle minerals has been studied, we observe that two important mineral phases of the globe are candidates to accommodate lead in their structures : the CAS phase present in subducted plates and the CaSiO3 perovskite which is the third major mineral phase of the Earth’s lower mantle. Other minerals present in the upper mantle have also been studied for the incorporation of lead. Ab-initio calculations have been performed on a simple compound of lead, PbO2. These calculations help to better constrain the evolution of PbO2 at high pressures up to 130 GPa. The speciation of lead in natural metamict minerals has also been explored : this study on lead the daughter product of radioactive U and Th in these minerals improves our knowledge of the long-term immobilization of nuclear wastes