Tracing nitrate sources in one of the world's largest eutrophicated bays(Hangzhou Bay):insights from nitrogen and oxygen isotopes

Eutrophication caused by inputs of excess nitrogen(N) has become a serious environmental problem in Hangzhou Bay(China),but the sources of this nitrogen are not well understood.In this study,the August 2019 distributions of salinity,nutrients [nitrate(NO_(3)^(-)),nitrite,ammonium,and phosphate],and the stable isotopic composition of NO_(3)^(-)(δ^(15)N and δ^(18)O) were used to investigate sources of dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN) to Hangzhou B ay.Spatial distributions of nitrate,salinity,and nitrate δ^(18)O indicate that the Qiantang River,the Changjiang River,and nearshore coastal waters may all contribute nitrate to the bay.Based on the isotopic compositions of nitrate in these potential source waters and conservative mixing of nitrate in our study area,we suggest that the NO_(3)^(- )in Hangzhou B ay was likely derived mainly from soils,synthetic N fertilizer,and manure and sewage.End-member modeling indicates that in the upper half of the bay,the Qiantang River was a very important DIN source,possibly contributing more than 50% of DIN in the bay head area.In the lower half of the bay,DIN was sourced mainly from strongly intruding coastal water.DIN coming directly from the Changjiang River made a relatively small contribution to Hangzhou Bay DIN in August 2019.

Effects of phosphorus limitation on sinking velocities of phytoplankton during summer in the Changjiang River Estuary

The sinking of phytoplankton is critical to organic matter transportation in the ocean and it is an essential process for the formation of coastal hypoxic zones.This study was based on a field investigation conducted during the summer of 2022 in the Changjiang River(Yangtze River) Estuary(CJE) and its adjacent waters.The settling column method was employed to measure the sinking velocity(SV) of different size fractions of phytoplankton at the surface of the sea and to analyze their environmental control mechanisms.The findings reveal significant spatial variation in phytoplankton SV(-0.55-2.41 m/d) within the CJE.High-speed sinking was predominantly observed in phosphate-depleted regions beyond the CJE front.At the same time,an upward trend was more commonly observed in the phosphate-rich regions near the CJE mouth.The SV ranges for different sizefractionated phytoplankton,including micro-(>20 μm),nano-(2-20 μm),and picophytoplankton(0.7-2 μm),were-0.50-4.74 m/d,-1.04-1.59 m/d,and-1.24-1.65 m/d,respectively.Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between SV and dissolved inorganic phosphorus(DIP),implying that the influence of DIP contributes to SV.The variations in phytoplankton alkaline phosphatase activity suggested a significant increase in SV across all size fractions in the event of phosphorus limitation.Phytoplankton communities with limited photo synthetic capacity(maximum photochemical efficience,Fv/Fm <0.3) were found to have higher SV than that of communities with strong capacity,suggesting a link between sinking and alterations in physiological conditions due to phosphate depletion.The findings from the in situ phosphate enrichment experiments confirmed a marked decrease in SV following phosphate supplementation.These findings suggest that phosphorus limitation is the primary driver of elevated SV in the CJE.This study enhances the comprehension of the potential mechanisms underlying hypoxic zone formation in the CJE,providing novel insights into how nearshore eutrophication influences organic carbon migration.

Coastal hypoxia response to the coupling of catastrophic flood,extreme marine heatwave and typhoon:a case study off the Changjiang River Estuary in summer 2020

Massive bodies of low-oxygen bottom waters are found in coastal areas worldwide,which are detrimental to coastal ecosystems.In summer 2020,the response of coastal hypoxia to extreme weather events,including a catastrophic flooding,an extreme marine heatwave,and Typhoon Bavi,is investigated based on multiple satellite,four cruises,and mooring observations.The extensive fan-shaped hypoxia zone presents significant northward extension during July-September 2020,and is estimated as large as 13 000 km^(2) with rather low oxygen minimum(0.42 mg/L) during its peak in 28-30 August.This severe hypoxia is attributed to the persistent strong stratification,which is indicated by flood-induced larger amount of riverine freshwater input and subsequent marine heatwave off the Changjiang River Estuary.Moreover,the Typhoon Bavi has limited effect on the marine heatwave and coastal hypoxia in summer 2020.

Application of an optical nitrate profiler to high-and low-turbidity coastal shelf waters

Here,we report the results of high-resolution nitrate measurements using an optical nitrate profiler(in situ ultraviolet spectrophotometer,ISUS)along transect across a high-turbidity shelf(East China Sea)and a low-turbidity shelf(Chukchi Sea).The ISUS-measured nitrate concentrations closely reproduced the results measured by conventional bottle methods in low-turbidity waters.However,for high-turbidity waters of the East China Sea(salinity<30),a correction factor of 1.19 was required to match the standard bottle measurements.The high-resolution ISUS data revealed subtle spatial variability(e.g.,a subsurface nitrate minimum)that may have been missed if based solely on bottle results.Four main structures of the nitracline on the East China Sea are apparent from the ISUS nitrate profile.High-resolution nitrate data are important for studying nitrate budgets and nutrient dynamics on continental shelves.

Sources and degradation of organic matter in the surface sediments of the Chukchi Sea:insights from amino acids

In the context of global warming and rapid environment change in the Arctic,the supply of organic matter(OM)has increased significantly and a large amount of OM are buried on the Arctic shelf.Studying the fate of OM in Arctic shelf sediments is crucial to understanding the global carbon sink.As a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean,the Chukchi Sea is one of the most critical areas where OM is buried.Based on the surface sediment samples collected during the sixth Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition in the summer of 2014 and the SinoRussian joint Arctic Research Expedition in the summer of 2016,this study takes amino acids(AAs)as the primary tool to explore the source and degradation of OM in the surface sediments of the Chukchi Sea.This study shows that total hydrolyzable amino acid(THAA)concentrations(dry weight)are high,with a mean value of(32.7±15.8)μmol/g.Their spatial distribution is related to primary productivity,hydrodynamic conditions,sediment properties and other factors.The source of OM in the surface sediments of the Chukchi Sea is dominated by diatom-dominated marine productivity,with some input from terrestrial sources.Bacteria,as the main source of the D-enantiomer of AA(D-AA),not only have transforming effect on OM,but their cell walls and remnants likewise supply the OM pool.Based on a series of diagenetic indicators,we conclude that the OM in the surface sediments of the Chukchi Sea has undergone extensive degradation[DI(degradation index)=-0.59±0.44],and the degradation degree in the slope is higher than that in the shelf.This study uses AA to explore the sources and degradation of OM in the sediments of the Chukchi Sea,which facilitates our understanding of OM transport and transformation on the Arctic shelf.

The Distribution of Sedimentary Organic Matter and Implication of Its Transfer from Changjiang Estuary to Hangzhou Bay, China

In this study, a comparison was made between the Changjiang Estuary and the Hanghzou Bay, in terms of the sources and diagenesis of the sedimentary organic matter (OM). To achieve this purpose, surface sediments from the estuary and bay were analyzed for lignin-derived phenols, stable carbon isotope and TOC/TN (total organic carbon/total nitrogen) molar ratio. The signal of land-derived OM decreased, and the vanillic acid to vanillin ratio, (Ad/Al)v, increased with increasing distance from the Changjiang Estuary and the Hangzhou Bay. These results corresponded with the contribution of the terrigenous OM from the rivers to the coastal zone, and the predominance of marine OM farther offshore, and that the land-derived OM underwent decomposition during transport along the estuary and bay. It should be noted that besides the Qiantang River, Hangzhou Bay is also receiving more than half of its materials from Changjiang Estuary, which flows into the Hangzhou Bay at the north, and leaves via the southern part of the bay. This important aspect of the hydrological cycle in Hangzhou Bay corresponded to higher Λ (total lignin in mg/100 mg OC), higher TOC and C/N ratios and more elevated (Ad/Al)v and (Ad/Al)s values in the bay than the Changjiang Estuary, thus, rendering the bay as a site for the accumulation and rapid cycling of terrigenous OM.

Ketamine induces tau hyperphosphorylation at serine 404 in the hippocampus of neonatal rats

Male Wistar 7-day-old rats were injected with 40 mg/kg ketamine intraperitoneally, followed by three additional injections of 20 mg/kg ketamine each upon restoration of the righting reflex. Neonatal rats injected with equivalent volumes of saline served as controls. Hippocampal samples were collected at 1,7 or 14 days following administration. Electron microscopy showed that neuronal structure changed noticeably following ketamine treatment. Specifically, microtubular structure became irregular and disorganized. Quantitative real time-PCR revealed that phosphorylated tau mRNA was upregulated after ketamine. Western blot analysis demonstrated that phosphorylated tau levels at serine 396 initially decreased at 1 day after ketamine injection, and then gradually returned to control values. At 14 days after injection, levels of phosphorylated tau were higher in the ketamine group than in the control group. Tau protein phosphorylated at serine 404 significantly increased after ketamine injection and then gradually decreased with time. However, the levels of tau protein at serine 404 were significantly greater in the ketamine group than in the control group until 14 days. The present results indicate that ketamine induces an increase of phosphorylated tau mRNA and excessive phosphorylation of tau protein at serine 404, causing disruption of microtubules in the neonatal rat hippocampus and potentially resulting in damage to hippocampal neurons.

Understanding the synergetic interaction within α-MoC/β-Mo2C heterostructured electrocatalyst

Constructing heterostructure is an important strategy to design efficient electrocatalysts. The synergetic interaction between dissimilar materials has been considered as the origin of the activity enhancement,however, the interfacial interaction is challenging to probe, thus, the underlying mechanism remains obscure. Here, we reported a heterostructured α-MoC/β-Mo2 C electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution in alkaline media, which shows a significant electrocatalytic activity improvement as compared to the single component. Based on extensive characterizations including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure(XAFS) spectroscopy, together with density functional theory, we unraveled the synergetic interaction between α-MoC and β-Mo2 C, implying that α-Mo C sites are beneficial for water dissociation and hydrogen prefers to release on β-Mo2 C sites.

Vertical distribution of nutrient tracers in the western Arctic Ocean and its relationship to water structure and biogeochemical processes

During the 3rd Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition cruise in the summer of 2008,nutrients(NO3^-,NO2^-,SiO3^2-,and PO4^3-)and dissolved oxygen were measured in the western Arctic Ocean,to derive the vertical distribution of nutrient tracers and its relationship to water structure and biogeochemical processes.The nutrient data show that surface waters had the lowest NO3^-/PO4^3-(mean of 0.5)and SiO3^2-/PO3^-(mean of 2.8)values in the water column,suggesting an excess of phosphate.Winter Bering Shelf water(wBSW)had high Si^*(16.7μmol/L;Si^*=[Si(OH)4]–[NO3^-])with negative N^*(−11.7μmol/L;N^*=[PO4^3-]−16[PO4^3-]+3.5μmol/L)in the water column,indicating nitrate deficiency.The warm Atlantic layer had positive N^*(0.8μmol/L)and negative Si^*(−5.4μmol/L)compared with Pacific source water.The vertical distribution of nutrients indicates that wBSW can be characterized by N^* minimum and Si^* maximum.In contrast,minima of Si^* and SiO3^2-/PO4^3- below 200 m indicate the distribution of Atlantic warm water.

Study on the Corneal Higher-Order Aberrations and Correlation in Patients with Different Degrees of Myopia Suitable for Wavefront-Guided FS-LASIK

Background: Individualized corneal refractive surgery requires an understanding of the basis of higher-order aberrations before surgery. To investigate the characteristics and distribution of anterior surface wavefront aberrations in patients suitable for corneal refractive surgery. Methods: A total of 121 myopic patients (121 eyes, 18 - 45 years old) who underwent corneal refractive surgery were recruited from January to May 2016 at Affiliated Hospital, Yanbian University. Patients were randomly selected by the Pentacam anterior segment analysis system with a spherical equivalent (SE) of -0.25 to -10.00 D. The corneal anterior aberrations (total higher-order aberration;spherical aberration;Coma;Trefoil) and Q and K values were detected, and a correlation analysis of the relevant parameters was carried out. Results: The root-mean-square (RMS) of the third to sixth order aberrations of the corneal anterior wavefront aberrations at a 6 mm analysis diameter showed a decreasing trend in patients suitable for the corneal refractive surgery, and the RMS of the third order aberrations accounted for 62.92% of the total HOAs. The coma ratio (coma/total cornea higher-order aberrations) was increased with the increasing diopters, while the spherical aberration ratio (spherical aberration/total cornea higher-order aberrations) was not changed. In addition, the spherical aberration was 0.203 ± 0.082 μm (range: 0.061 to 0.503 μm), and the Q30 was -0.19 ± 0.03 (range: -0.58 to 0.31). There were significant differences in the coma aberrations of preoperative corneal anterior surface (3, 1) between the low, middle and high myopia groups (P = 0.013). The spherical equivalent was positively correlated with the corneal coma of the anterior corneal surfaces (R =?-0.241, P = 0.009), and the Q value was positively correlated with the total higher-order aberrations (R = 0.326, P Conclusions: Individual wavefront aberrations on the anterior surfaces of the cornea are comparatively different, and the Zernike coefficients are related to the degree of myopia. Spherical aberrations are the most overriding aberrations of the cornea.

Network Delay Model for Overlay Network Application

This paper presents a method to model network delay for overlay network application. The network topology measurement technology and network AS information is used to build up model of network delay via AS and geographic distance. Based on global Internet measurement result, we calculated the parameters of the model. Furthermore, the model verification is done by comparing on AS-MMI protocol and HMTP protocol.

Mixed iridium-nickel oxides supported on antimony-doped tin oxide as highly efficient and stable acidic oxygen evolution catalysts

Proton exchange membrane(PEM)water electrolysis represents a promising technology for green hydrogen production,but its widespread deployment is greatly hindered by the indispensable usage of platinum group metal catalysts,especially iridium(Ir)based materials for the energy-demanding oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Herein,we report a new sequential precipitation approach to the synthesis of mixed Ir-nickel(Ni)oxy-hydroxide supported on antimony-doped tin oxide(ATO)nanoparticles(IrNiyO_(x)/ATO,20 wt.%(Ir+Ni),y=0,1,2,and 3),aiming to reduce the utilisation of scarce and precious Ir while maintaining its good acidic OER performance.When tested in strongly acidic electrolyte(0.1 M HClO_(4)),the optimised IrNi1Ox/ATO shows a mass activity of 1.0 mAµgIr^(−1) and a large turnover frequency of 123 s^(−1) at an overpotential of 350 mV,as well as a comparatively small Tafel slope of 50 mV dec^(−1),better than the IrOx/ATO control,particularly with a markedly reduced Ir loading of only 19.7µgIr cm^(−2).Importantly,IrNi1O_(x)/ATO also exhibits substantially better catalytic stability than other reference catalysts,able to continuously catalyse acidic OER at 10 mA cm^(−2) for 15 h without obvious degradation.Our in-situ synchrotron-based x-ray absorption spectroscopy confirmed that the Ir^(3+)/Ir^(4+)species are the active sites for the acidic OER.Furthermore,the performance of IrNi1Ox/ATO was also preliminarily evaluated in a membrane electrode assembly,which shows better activity and stability than other reference catalysts.The IrNi1Ox/ATO reported in this work is a promising alternative to commercial IrO_(2) based catalysts for PEM electrolysis.

B7-H3 confers stemness characteristics to gastric cancer cells by promoting glutathione metabolism through AKT/pAKT/Nrf2 pathway

Background:Cancer stem-like cells(CSCs)are a small subset of cells in tumors that exhibit self-renewal and differentiation properties.CSCs play a vital role in tumor formation,progression,relapse,and therapeutic resistance.B7-H3,an immunoregulatory protein,has many protumor functions.However,little is known about the mechanism underlying the role of B7-H3 in regulating gastric cancer(GC)stemness.Our study aimed to explore the impacts of B7-H3 on GC stemness and its underlying mechanism.Methods:GC stemness influenced by B7-H3 was detected both in vitro and in vivo.The expression of stemness-related markers was examined by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction,Western blotting,and flow cytometry.Sphere formation assay was used to detect the sphere-forming ability.The underlying regulatory mechanism of B7-H3 on the stemness of GC was investigated by mass spectrometry and subsequent validation experiments.The signaling pathway(Protein kinase B[Akt]/Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2[Nrf2]pathway)of B7-H3 on the regulation of glutathione(GSH)metabolism was examined by Western blotting assay.Multi-color immunohistochemistry(mIHC)was used to detect the expression of B7-H3,cluster of differentiation 44(CD44),and Nrf2 on human GC tissues.Student’s t-test was used to compare the difference between two groups.Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between two molecules.The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis.Results:B7-H3 knockdown suppressed the stemness of GC cells both in vitro and in vivo.Mass spectrometric analysis showed the downregulation of GSH metabolism in short hairpin B7-H3 GC cells,which was further confirmed by the experimental results.Meanwhile,stemness characteristics in B7-H3 overexpressing cells were suppressed after the inhibition of GSH metabolism.Furthermore,Western blotting suggested that B7-H3-induced activation of GSH metabolism occurred through the AKT/Nrf2 pathway,and inhibition of AKT signaling pathway could suppress not only GSH metabolism but also GC stemness.mIHC showed that B7-H3 was highly expressed in GC tissues and was positively correlated with the expression of CD44 and Nrf2.Importantly,GC patients with high expression of B7-H3,CD44,and Nrf2 had worse prognosis(P=0.02).Conclusions:B7-H3 has a regulatory effect on GC stemness and the regulatory effect is achieved through the AKT/Nrf2/GSH pathway.Inhibiting B7-H3 expression may be a new therapeutic strategy against GC.

Influencing factors and control measures of excavation on adjacent bridge foundation based on analytic hierarchy process and finite element method

Many uncertain factors in the excavation process may lead to excessive lateral displacement or overlimited internal force of the piles,as well as inordinate settlement of soil surrounding the existing bridge foundation.Safety control is pivotal to ensuring the safety of adjacent structures.In this paper,an innovative method is proposed that combines an analytic hierarchy process(AHP)with a finite element method(FEM)to reveal the potential impact risk of uncertain factors on the surrounding environment.The AHP was adopted to determine key influencing factors based on the weight of each influencing factor.The FEM was used to quantify the impact of the key influencing factors on the surrounding environment.In terms of the AHP,the index system of uncertain factors was established based on an engineering investigation.A matrix comparing the lower index layer to the upper index layer,and the weight of each influencing factor,were calculated.It was found that the excavation depth and the distance between the foundation pit and the bridge foundation were fundamental factors.For the FEM,the FE baseline model was calibrated based on the case of no bridge surrounding the foundation pit.The consistency between the monitoring data and the numerical simulation data for a ground settlement was analyzed.FE simulations were then conducted to quantitatively analyze the degree of influence of the key influencing factors on the bridge foundation.Furthermore,the lateral displacement of the bridge pile foundation,the internal force of the piles,and the settlement of the soil surrounding the pile foundation were emphatically analyzed.The most hazardous construction condition was also determined.Finally,two safety control measures for increasing the numbers of support levels and the rooted depths of the enclosure structure were suggested.A novel method for combining AHP with FEM can be used to determine the key influencing aspects among many uncertain factors during a construction,which can provide some beneficial references for engineering design and construction.

Sources and distribution of sedimentary organic matter along the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas

In this study, lignin-derived phenols were used to determine the sources and distribution of sedimentary organic matter along the northern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea of the Arctic Ocean. The lignin parameter syringyl/vanillyl（S/V） and cinnamyl/vanillyl（C/V） ratios are used to indicate vegetation sources; and the ratios of vanillic acid/vanillin,（Ad/Al）v and syringic acid/syringaldehyde,（Ad/Al）s are used as indicators of lignin diagenesis. Results showed the predominance of woody gymnosperm signal at the easternmost location in the northern Bering Sea, a mixture of refractory non-woody angiosperm and fresher gymnosperm tissues in the Chukchi Sea, and signal of fresher woody gymnosperm tissues in the northernmost locations in the Chukchi Sea. The lignin materials showed gradual increase in decomposition stage during transport along the northern Bering Sea. Hydrodynamic sorting process, which is the retention of coarser materials nearshore and transportation of finer particles farther offshore, most probably occurred along the east coast of the northern Bering Sea. In Chukchi Sea, the non-woody angiosperm tissues could have originated from the Canadian Arctic and gymnosperm tissues could be from the Russian Arctic side. The fresher materials in the northernmost Chukchi Sea could have been transported here via the ice-rafting process.Detection of fresh lignin materials and the occurrence of lignin decomposition mean that this region could be sensitive to the impact of climate change.

Overlooked contribution of the biological pump to the Pacific Arctic nitrogen deficit

The nutrient-rich Pacific Ocean seawater that flows through the Bering Strait into the Chukchi Sea is generally considered to be the most important source of nutrients to the Arctic euphotic zone.The inflow is characterized by nitrogen deficit and low nitrate/phosphate(N/P)ratios;this is ascribed to sedimentary denitrification on the Chukchi shelf by preoccupant opinions.However,the Chukchi Sea also has high primary production,which raises the question of whether the biological pump may also significantly modulate nutrient properties of the throughflow.Here,we show that nitrate concentrations of the Pacific inflow gradually decrease northward in association with notable biological utilization.The phytoplankton N/P uptake ratio was 8.8±2.27,higher than the N/P ratio of Pacific inflow water(5-6).This uptake ratio,in combination with efficient vertical nitrogen export,serves to preferentially remove nitrogen(relative to phosphorus)from upper waters,thereby further intensifying the Arctic nitrogen deficit.Accordingly,as large as about 111.7×10^(9)mol N yr^(−1)of nitrate was extra consumed,according to the real N/P uptake ratio rather than the ratio of the Pacific inflow,which may be as great as half the nitrogen loss ascribed to sedimentary denitrification.Our findings suggest that besides sedimentary denitrification,biological disproportionate utilization of nutrients in the Chukchi Sea upper water is another important contributor to the nitrogen limitation and excess phosphorus in the upper Arctic Ocean.In the rapid Arctic change era,the predicted reinforced biological carbon pump could further impact the nutrient dynamics and biogeochemical process of the Arctic Ocean.