On the circulation, water mass distribution, and nutrient concentrations of the western Chukchi Sea

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under review.The article of record as published may be found at https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-29-2022Substantial amounts of nutrients and carbon enter the Arctic Ocean from the Pacific Ocean through the Bering Strait, distributed over three main pathways. Water with low salinities and nutrient concentrations takes an eastern route along the Alaskan coast, as Alaskan Coastal Water. A central pathway exhibits intermediate salinity and nutrient concentrations, while the most nutrient-rich water enters the Bering Strait on its western side. Towards the Arctic Ocean, the flow of these water masses is subject to strong topographic steering within the Chukchi Sea with volume trans port modulated by the wind field. In this contribution, we use data from several sections crossing Herald Canyon collected in 2008 and 2014 together with numerical modelling to investigate the circulation and transport in the western part of the Chukchi Sea. We find that a substantial fraction of water from the Chukchi Sea enters the East Siberian Sea south of Wrangel Island and circulates in an anticyclonic direction around the island. This water then contributes to the high nutrient waters of Herald Canyon. The bottom of the canyon has the highest nutrient concentrations, likely as a result of addition from the degradation of organic matter at the sediment surface in the East Siberian Sea. The flux of nutrients (nitrate, phosphate, and silicate) and dissolved inorganic carbon in Bering Summer Water and Winter Water is computed by combining hydrographic and nutrient observations with geostrophic transport referenced to lowered acoustic Doppler current profiler (LADCP) and surface drift data. Even if there are some general similarities between the years, there are differences in both the temperature–salinity and nutrient characteristics. To assess these differences, and also to get a wider temporal and spatial view, numerical modelling results are applied. According to model results, high-frequency variability dominates the flow in Herald Canyon. This leads us to conclude that this region needs to be monitored over a longer time frame to deduce the temporal variability and potential trends.The science was financially supported by: US National Science Foundation (Grant Number: GEO/PLR ARCSS 575 IAA#1417888), the Department of Energy (DOE) Regional and Global Model Analysis (RGMA), the Swedish Research Council Formas (contract no. 2018-01398), and the Swedish Research Council (contract nos. 621-2006-3240, 621-2010-4084, and 2012-1680). This work was carried out with logistic support from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and from Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. The Department of Defense (DOD) High Performance Computer Modernization Program (HPCMP) provided computer resources. This study was also supported by the Russian Scientific Foundation (grant no. # 21-77-580 30001).The science was financially supported by: US National Science Foundation (Grant Number: GEO/PLR ARCSS 575 IAA#1417888), the Department of Energy (DOE) Regional and Global Model Analysis (RGMA), the Swedish Re search Council Formas (contract no. 2018-01398), and the Swedish Research Council (contract nos. 621-2006-3240, 621-2010-4084, and 2012-1680). This work was carried out with logistic support from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and from Swedish Polar Research Secretariat. The Department of Defense (DOD) High Performance Computer Modernization Program (HPCMP) provided computer resources. This study was also supported by the Russian Scientific Foundation (grant no. # 21-77-580 30001)

Ventilation of the Arctic Ocean: Mean ages and inventories of anthropogenic CO2 and CFC-11

The Arctic Ocean constitutes a large body of water that is still relatively poorly surveyed because of logistical difficulties, although the importance of the Arctic Ocean for global circulation and climate is widely recognized. For instance, the concentration and inventory of anthropogenic CO2 (C ant) in the Arctic Ocean are not properly known despite its relatively large volume of well-ventilated waters. In this work, we have synthesized available transient tracer measurements (e.g., CFCs and SF6) made during more than two decades by the authors. The tracer data are used to estimate the ventilation of the Arctic Ocean, to infer deep-water pathways, and to estimate the Arctic Ocean inventory of C ant. For these calculations, we used the transit time distribution (TTD) concept that makes tracer measurements collected over several decades comparable with each other. The bottom water in the Arctic Ocean has CFC values close to the detection limit, with somewhat higher values in the Eurasian Basin. The ventilation time for the intermediate water column is shorter in the Eurasian Basin (∼200 years) than in the Canadian Basin (∼300 years). We calculate the Arctic Ocean C ant inventory range to be 2.5 to 3.3 Pg-C, normalized to 2005, i.e., ∼2% of the global ocean C ant inventory despite being composed of only ∼1% of the global ocean volume. In a similar fashion, we use the TTD field to calculate the Arctic Ocean inventory of CFC-11 to be 26.2 ± 2.6 × 106 moles for year 1994, which is ∼5% of the global ocean CFC-11 inventor

Cross-cohort gut microbiome associations with immune checkpoint inhibitor response in advanced melanoma

The composition of the gut microbiome has been associated with clinical responses to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment, but there is limited consensus on the specific microbiome characteristics linked to the clinical benefits of ICIs. We performed shotgun metagenomic sequencing of stool samples collected before ICI initiation from five observational cohorts recruiting ICI-naive patients with advanced cutaneous melanoma (n = 165). Integrating the dataset with 147 metagenomic samples from previously published studies, we found that the gut microbiome has a relevant, but cohort-dependent, association with the response to ICIs. A machine learning analysis confirmed the link between the microbiome and overall response rates (ORRs) and progression-free survival (PFS) with ICIs but also revealed limited reproducibility of microbiome-based signatures across cohorts. Accordingly, a panel of species, including Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum, Roseburia spp. and Akkermansia muciniphila, associated with responders was identified, but no single species could be regarded as a fully consistent biomarker across studies. Overall, the role of the human gut microbiome in ICI response appears more complex than previously thought, extending beyond differing microbial species simply present or absent in responders and nonresponders. Future studies should adopt larger sample sizes and take into account the complex interplay of clinical factors with the gut microbiome over the treatment course

Innovation Systems in Nordic Tourism

This research is on tourism and innovation in the Nordic countries. The aim is to outline the constituents of success in the industry and what can be done to facilitate and maintain success through policy measures. The research draws on theories of innovation systems and review of innovation policy in the Nordic countries. This theoretical approach is combined with detailed case studies, two from each country, on a successful tourism venture or destination that has been in operation for a minimum of five years. Over 60 interviews were conducted and subsequently transcribed and analysed, whence emerged a picture of the innovation systems underpinning their success and material that could be used to substantiate a critique on current Nordic tourism policy measures. The conclusion details seven general policy frameworks that need to be further developed and researched. These are of value to both public policy makers, private entrepreneurs and academics as they give an outline for policy making, ideas for corporate development and areas of future research interests for tourism studies in the Nordic context. In addition the research is important to Nordic innovation studies generally, as it places tourism systems as a relevant and worthwhile focus area

Innovation Systems in Nordic Tourism

This research is on tourism and innovation in the Nordic countries. The aim is to outline the constituents of success in the industry and what can be done to facilitate and maintain success through policy measures. The research draws on theories of innovation systems and review of innovation policy in the Nordic countries. This theoretical approach is combined with detailed case studies, two from each country, on a successful tourism venture or destination that has been in operation for a minimum of five years. Over 60 interviews were conducted and subsequently transcribed and analysed, whence emerged a picture of the innovation systems underpinning their success and material that could be used to substantiate a critique on current Nordic tourism policy measures. The conclusion details seven general policy frameworks that need to be further developed and researched. These are of value to both public policy makers, private entrepreneurs and academics as they give an outline for policy making, ideas for corporate development and areas of future research interests for tourism studies in the Nordic context. In addition the research is important to Nordic innovation studies generally, as it places tourism systems as a relevant and worthwhile focus area

Innovating and re-branding Nordic wellbeing tourism

The aim of this study is to draw a wider picture of what constitutes the wellbeing category of tourism in the overarching, transnational geographical context of Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. In addition, potential exploitation of special and even unique Nordic resources and advantages will be articulated in policy considerations for the emergence and support of a Nordic Wellbeing brand. Accordingly, the joint research will achieve a more profound understanding of the driving forces that could lead to the successful development of coherent wellbeing tourism in the Nordic region. The project involves researchers from each of the Nordic countries assigned the task to detail the innovative and entrepreneurial aspects of selected wellbeing tourism destinations. On the whole, the Nordic Wellbeing project takes an innovation perspective related to developing a particular Nordic content of wellbeing to be offered by tourism enterprises and destinations across the five Nordic countries

Plasma C4d Correlates With C4d Deposition in Kidneys and With Treatment Response in Lupus Nephritis Patients

Objective: To examine whether C4d plasma levels correlate with treatment response and C4d kidney deposition in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with lupus nephritis (LN). Methods: C4d plasma levels were analyzed by a unique assay specifically detecting C4d arising from complement activation and C4 plasma levels were quantified with competitive ELISA. SLE patients with LN (71) and active SLE patients without LN (22) plus 145 controls were included. For 52 LN patients samples were available both at baseline and after immunosuppressive treatment. C4d kidney deposition was detected using immunohistochemistry in two matching kidney biopsies of 12 LN patients. Results: In comparison to population-based controls, plasma C4d levels were significantly increased in SLE patients (0.33 mg/L versus 0.94 mg/ml, p < 0.0001) with significantly higher levels in LN patients (1.02 mg/L) than in non-renal SLE patients (0.57 mg/L, p = 0.004). The C4d/C4 ratio was also significantly higher in LN (11.2) than in non-renal SLE patients (2.5, p = 0.0002). According to ROC curve analysis, C4d was found to be an accurate marker to discriminate LN from non-renal SLE patients (p = 0.004). The C4d/C4 ratio displayed even higher specificity, sensitivity and overall accuracy as marker for LN than C4d and C4 alone. At baseline, C4d levels correlated significantly with urine-albumin to creatinine ratio (rs = 0.43, p = 0.011) and with renal activity index (rs = 0.37, p = 0.002). Immunohistochemical staining showed glomerular deposits of C4d in kidney biopsies, which strikingly correlated with plasma C4d levels (rs = 0.7, p = 0.0002). Plasma C4d declined significantly after treatment in patients that experienced favorable clinical and histopathological response (p < 0.0001), while levels remained mainly unchanged in non-responders. Conclusion: Plasma C4d discriminates LN from active non-renal SLE, correlates with C4d kidney deposits and appears valuable in monitoring responsiveness to various treatments. The C4d/C4 ratio might be superior to C4d alone

Effect of Mo content on the corrosion resistance of (CoCrFeNi)1−xMox thin films in sulfuric acid

(CoCrFeNi)1−xMox thin films with various Mo content (0–10 at.%) were grown by magnetron sputtering on a stainless steel substrate. The films with 0–2 at.% presented two crystal structures: one FCC phase and one sigma phase, while films with higher Mo content only had the FCC structure. All films have a (111) texture and follow the topography of the substrate. The corrosion resistance of the films was evaluated in 0.05 M H2SO4 at room temperature and at 80 °C. It was observed that the corrosion current densities considerably decreased for Mo &gt; 2 at%, and that the current densities were higher at the elevated temperature. Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy showed a large potential difference between the main FCC phase and sigma phase for the Mo0–2 films. This would suggest that preferential dissolution of the FCC phase occurs over the sigma and reduces the corrosion resistance. Such preferential dissolution does not occur for the higher Mo content films with only the FCC phase. The high corrosion resistance was also attributed to the inhibition of Fe and Cr dissolution by Mo and the stabilisation of the Cr enriched oxide by incorporating Mo oxides into the passive film, identified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The low corrosion current densities (below 1 µA/cm2) make these thin films possible candidates for protective coatings of bipolar plates in PEM fuel cells. This study was performed within the Competence Centre FunMat-II and was funded by the Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA, grant no 2016–05156, and grant no 2019–04881). The authors would also like to acknowledge the Swedish Government Strategic Research Area in Materials Science on Functional Materials at Linkoping University (Faculty Grant SFO-Mat-LiU No. 2009 00971)</p