Early chemical diagenesis, sediment-water solute exchange, and storage of reactive organic matter near the mouth of the Changjiang, East China Sea

【Abstract】A substantial proportion of the material delivered to the modern oceans is supplied by a few large rivers such as the Changjiang. Early diagenetic reactions in surficial bottom sediments determine in large part both the eventual influence of these rivers on the sea and the nature of sedimentary deposits formed. The region off the mouth of the Changjiang exemplifies the interplay between physical, chemical, and biological factors which can produce particular spatial patterns of diagenesis and sediment-water exchange. To examine these patterns measurement of pore water solute profiles, sediment-water solute fluxes, and solute reaction rates in the upper few decimeters of sediment were made at 27 stations near the Changjiang in the East China Sea. Direct measurements of dissolved Si(OH)4, NH4+, and NO3−, fluxes from or into bottom sediments made during summer and autumn periods (15 to 24°C) range from 0.13 to 13.2, −2.6 to 3.4, and −1.4 to 3.2mmol m−2 day−1, respectively. Net solute flux from the sea floor is often lowest from deposits having the highest interstitial solute concentrations. In addition, bottom regions having the highest build up of reaction products or depletion of reactants in pore waters (with respect to overlying water) actually have the lowest rates of reaction. These same areas of elevated (products) or depleted (reactants) pore water solute concentrations, low reaction rates, and low net rate of solute exchange which are located near the mouth of the Changjiang are sites of high sedimentation rates and depauperate benthic communities. High water turbidity and resuspension apparently hinder water column production and input of reactive organic matter or other biogenic material which drive many diagenetic reactions. Rapid sedimentation or disturbance hinders benthic community development, lowers biogenic reworking, and allows build up or depletion of reaction products or reactants in bottom sediments. Offshore areas of lower sedimentation, higher productivity, and active bottom communities are sites of high initial reaction rates and increased sediment-water solute exchange compared with rapid sedimentation regions. A diagenetic paradox resulting from the interaction between benthic communities and the physical environment of sedimentation is that proportionally the greatest storage of diagenetic products related to organic matter decomposition can occur in sediments that are initially the least diagenetically reactive

Screening for fear of cancer recurrence : instrument validation and current status in early stage lung cancer patients

Background Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is one of the most distressing concerns for cancer patients. A psychometrically validated brief scale is urgently needed for use in busy clinical oncology settings. This study aimed to (1) develop and validate the 7-item fear of cancer recurrence scale Chinese version (FCR7-C), and (2) explore the severity of FCR in post-operative early-stage lung cancer patients in Taiwan. Methods Early-stage lung cancer patients were recruited from a medical center in Taiwan. The FCR7-C was evaluated for content and construct validity and internal consistency reliability. Construct validity of FCR7-C was determined by the empirically supported correlation and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results A total of 160 subjects were recruited. The FCR7-C was shown to have satisfactory content validity and internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.9). The uni-dimensional structure was confirmed by CFA that showed a good fit for the model. The FCR7-C score correlates positively with the degree of most of the physical symptoms, anxiety, and depression, but correlates negatively with patient age, performance status, and quality of life. We found that 81.9% of patients reported at least some FCR, with a mean FCR severity of 15.18 (SD = 7.78). Conclusion FCR7-C is a brief screening tool with good psychometrics. Patients with early-stage lung cancer still revealed mild to moderate level of FCR. Applying the FCR7-C for to screen cancer patients’ distress and further develop personalized psychological interventions would be strongly suggested.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Characterization of flow-pattern and heat transfer of micro flat heat pipes

Paper presented to the 10th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Florida, 14-16 July 2014.In this study, thermal performance and flow visualization of a double layer flat micro vapor chamber are carried out. Two micro vapor chambers having pin fin and pin fin array support structure were fabricated and tested. The micro vapor chambers were composed of silicon and glass wafers having an overall size of 35 mm × 40 mm × 1.525 mm. Test results show that both the pin fin and pin fin array vapor chambers show appreciably lower thermal resistance as compared to the solid silicon counterpart, the thermal resistance of the pin fin vapor chamber is about 52-60% of the solid silicon whereas the corresponding thermal resistance of pin fin array is only 17-20 % of the solid silicon. The thermal resistance of the pin fin vapor chamber is moderately increased with the increase of supplied power whereas opposite trend is encountered for the pin fin array. The phenomenon is associated with the influence of dry-out phenomenon. It is found that the pin fin array vapor chamber is still in function even for an upside-down arrangement. The thermal resistance, however, is reduced with the rise of tilt angle, and the vertical arrangement gives the lowest thermal resistance. However, the thermal resistance is considerably increased if the heat source is placed upwards, and the corresponding thermal resistance for an upside-down heat source can be threefold higher than that of the vertical arrangement.dc201

Safety assessment of poly-ε-caprolactone in the treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax

Background/purposeBiomaterial-based implants are gaining traction as an option for pleurodesis treatment, yet the search for the best biomaterial or the most suitable shape to handle spontaneous pneumothorax continues. This forward-looking research assessed the use of a poly-ε-caprolactone membrane for its safety when applied as a sclerosant in pleurodesis procedures in human patients.MethodsFrom July 2017 to February 2018, we conducted a Phase I trial in which 10 patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax were treated using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with a poly-ε-caprolactone membrane. These procedures encompassed bleb resection and mechanical pleurodesis through parietal pleura scrubbing. After resection, a 150 × 150 mm poly-ε-caprolactone membrane was applied to the apex. The primary outcome measures were the adverse events and laboratory outcomes.ResultsAfter surgery, we observed no cardiopulmonary-related adverse events or indications of systemic inflammation. Furthermore, no episodes of hypothermia or hyperthermia occurred. Chest radiographs showed no evident pneumonitis or effusion associated with tissue reactions. The average follow-up duration was 31.7 ± 17.7 months, during which two patients exhibited recurrence.ConclusionThis study is the first to show the biocompatibility of poly-ε-caprolactone in humans, suggesting its potential as a treatment option for patients with primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Despite the relatively small number of patients, we maintain confidence in the reliability and safety profile of the PCL membrane, bolstered by its previously established efficacy in applications involving other organs. Phase II and phase III clinical studies are needed to support these observations

Genome-Wide Gene Expression Analysis Implicates the Immune Response and Lymphangiogenesis in the Pathogenesis of Fetal Chylothorax

Fetal chylothorax (FC) is a rare condition characterized by lymphocyte-rich pleural effusion. Although its pathogenesis remains elusive, it may involve inflammation, since there are increased concentrations of proinflammatory mediators in pleural fluids. Only a few hereditary lymphedema-associated gene loci, e.g. VEGFR3, ITGA9 and PTPN11, were detected in human fetuses with this condition; these cases had a poorer prognosis, due to defective lymphangiogenesis. In the present study, genome-wide gene expression analysis was conducted, comparing pleural and ascitic fluids in three hydropic fetuses, one with and two without the ITGA9 mutation. One fetus (the index case), from a dizygotic pregnancy (the cotwin was unaffected), received antenatal OK-432 pleurodesis and survived beyond the neonatal stage, despite having the ITGA9 mutation. Genes and pathways involved in the immune response were universally up-regulated in fetal pleural fluids compared to those in ascitic fluids. Furthermore, genes involved in the lymphangiogenesis pathway were down-regulated in fetal pleural fluids (compared to ascitic fluid), but following OK-432 pleurodesis, they were up-regulated. Expression of ITGA9 was concordant with overall trends of lymphangiogenesis. In conclusion, we inferred that both the immune response and lymphangiogenesis were implicated in the pathogenesis of fetal chylothorax. Furthermore, genome-wide gene expression microarray analysis may facilitate personalized medicine by selecting the most appropriate treatment, according to the specific circumstances of the patient, for this rare, but heterogeneous disease

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Dissecting the Shared Genetic Architecture of Suicide Attempt, Psychiatric Disorders, and Known Risk Factors

Background Suicide is a leading cause of death worldwide, and nonfatal suicide attempts, which occur far more frequently, are a major source of disability and social and economic burden. Both have substantial genetic etiology, which is partially shared and partially distinct from that of related psychiatric disorders. Methods We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 29,782 suicide attempt (SA) cases and 519,961 controls in the International Suicide Genetics Consortium (ISGC). The GWAS of SA was conditioned on psychiatric disorders using GWAS summary statistics via multitrait-based conditional and joint analysis, to remove genetic effects on SA mediated by psychiatric disorders. We investigated the shared and divergent genetic architectures of SA, psychiatric disorders, and other known risk factors. Results Two loci reached genome-wide significance for SA: the major histocompatibility complex and an intergenic locus on chromosome 7, the latter of which remained associated with SA after conditioning on psychiatric disorders and replicated in an independent cohort from the Million Veteran Program. This locus has been implicated in risk-taking behavior, smoking, and insomnia. SA showed strong genetic correlation with psychiatric disorders, particularly major depression, and also with smoking, pain, risk-taking behavior, sleep disturbances, lower educational attainment, reproductive traits, lower socioeconomic status, and poorer general health. After conditioning on psychiatric disorders, the genetic correlations between SA and psychiatric disorders decreased, whereas those with nonpsychiatric traits remained largely unchanged. Conclusions Our results identify a risk locus that contributes more strongly to SA than other phenotypes and suggest a shared underlying biology between SA and known risk factors that is not mediated by psychiatric disorders.Peer reviewe