The recent distribution of lead in the Indian Ocean reflects the impact of regional emissions

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2014. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of National Academy of Sciences for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of American 111 (2014): 15328–15331, doi:10.1073/pnas.1417370111Humans have injected lead (Pb) massively into the earth surface environment in a temporally and spatially evolving pattern. A significant fraction is transported by the atmosphere into the surface ocean where we can observe its transport by ocean currents and sinking particles. This study of the Indian Ocean documents high Pb concentrations in the northern and tropical surface waters, and extremely low Pb levels in the deep water. North of 20°S, dissolved Pb concentrations decrease from 42-82 pmol/Kg in surface waters to 1.5-3.3 pmol/Kg in deep waters. South of 20°S, surface water Pb concentrations decrease from 21 pmol/Kg at 31°S to 7 pmol/Kg at 62°S. This surface Pb concentration gradient reflects a southward decrease in anthropogenic Pb emissions. The upper waters of the north and central Indian Ocean have high Pb concentrations resulting from recent regional rapid industrialization and a late phase-out of leaded gasoline, and these concentrations are now higher than currently seen in the central North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans. The Antarctic sector of the Indian Ocean shows very low concentrations due to limited regional anthropogenic Pb emissions, high scavenging rates, and rapid vertical mixing, but Pb still occurs at higher levels than would have existed centuries ago. Penetration of Pb into the northern and central Indian Ocean thermocline waters is minimized by limited ventilation. Pb concentrations in the deep Indian Ocean are comparable to the other oceans at the same latitude, and deep waters of the central Indian Ocean match the lowest observed oceanic Pb concentrations.Y. Echegoyen thanks the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for a postdoctoral MEC-Fulbright grant. MIT laboratory expenses were supported by a grant from the Singapore National Research Foundation to the SMART-CENSAM project. Sample collection was supported by grants from the Steel Foundation for Environmental Protection Technology and from Grant-in-Aid of Scientific Research, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan

Asymptotic joint spectra of Cartesian powers of strongly regular graphs and bivariate Charlier–Hermite polynomials

Generalizing previous work of Hora (1998) on the asymptotic spectral analysis for the Hamming graph H(n, q) which is the nth Cartesian power Kq□n of the complete graph Kq on q vertices, we describe the possible limits of the joint spectral distribution of the pair (G□n, G□n) of the nth Cartesian powers of a strongly regular graph G and its complement G, where we let n → ∞, and G may vary with n. This result is an analogue of the bivariate central limit theorem, and we obtain in this way the bivariate Poisson distributions and the standard bivariate Gaussian distribution, together with the product measures of univariate Poisson and Gaussian distributions. We also report a family of bivariate hypergeometric orthogonal polynomials with respect to the last distributions, which we call the bivariate Charlier–Hermite polynomials, and prove basic formulas for them. This family of orthogonal polynomials seems previously unnoticed, possibly because of its peculiarity. © Instytut Matematyczny PAN, 2020

Inclusión de subproductos de orujo de aceituna en dietas de cerdos de cebo: rendimientos productivos y estudio de la salud intestinal

[ES] Actualmente la carne de cerdo es la carne que más se consume a nivel mundial y se prevé que su producción aumente en los próximos años. Por ello, la industria alimentaria a través de sus subproductos ofrece potenciales materias primas alternativas para alimentación animal, que conllevan una menor carga ambiental. En España existen subproductos, típicamente mediterráneos como los del olivar. El orujo de aceituna es un subproducto de la fabricación del aceite de oliva. Su disponibilidad es bastante elevada durante todo el año, pudiéndose deshidratar, por lo que incrementa su interés para la alimentación animal. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es determinar los efectos de inclusión de orujo de aceituna parcialmente desengrasado en dietas de cerdos de cebo sobre el rendimiento del crecimiento, la salud intestinal y la calidad de la carne. Los ensayos productivos se llevaron a cabo en la unidad experimental de cebo del Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Animal del Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA). En el ensayo productivo se utilizaron 160 animales de 20kg de peso, que fueron distribuidos en 32 corrales de cebo a razón de 5 animales/corral. Posteriormente, a cada corral se le asignó un tratamiento experimental. Durante el periodo experimental se realizaron controles quincenales de peso/animal y consumos por corral. Una vez sacrificados los animales se tomaron medidas de pH, espesor de grasa, color en las canales y se tomaron muestras de grasa subcutánea para su posterior análisis de ácidos grasos. Para el ensayo de la salud intestinal se tomaron muestras de heces de dos animales por corral al azar. Por cada corral se homogeneizaron las dos muestras y se trató como una. Se sembró en los distintos medios de cultivo y posteriormente se procedió a la lectura de las colonias crecidas en cada medio. Para el ensayo de ácidos grasos se utilizó la metodología propuesta por O’Fallon et al., (2007). No se encontraron diferencias significativas entre los distintos tratamientos en cuanto al rendimiento, la calidad de la canal y los recuentos microbiológicos. El perfil de ácidos grasos tampoco mostró diferencias entre los distintos tratamientos, pero la concentración de AGMI (ácidos grasos monoinsaturados) fue mayor y la de AGP(ácidos grasos poliinsaturados) fue menor en los animales alimentados con un 12% de inclusión de orujo de aceituna. La falta de diferencias en los resultados obtenidos demostró que un 12% de inclusión de orujo de aceituna se puede suministrar a los animales sin ningún efecto negativo sobre los rendimientos, la calidad de la canal, la salud intestinal y que mejora el perfil de AG (ácidos grasos) de la grasa subcutánea.[EN] Pork meat is currently one of the most consumed meats worldwide and its production is expected to increase in the years to come. That is why the food industry offers alternative and potential raw material through its sub-products for the animal feed, which imply lower environmental burden. In Spain there are sub-products typically Mediterranean, such as the ones derived from the olive grove. The olive cake is a sub-product which results from the manufacturing of olive oil. Its availability is quite high during the whole year, but it can be dehydrated, and that is why the animal feed industry’s interest increases. The main objective of this thesis is to determine the effects of the inclusion of partiallydegreased olive cake in diets of fattening pigs on the growth performance, the intestinal health and the meat quality. The productive tests were carried out in the fattening experimental unit of the Animal Research and Technology Centre of the Valencian Institute of Agricultural Research (IVIA). In the productive test 160 animals of 20 kg of weight were used, distributed in 32 fattening farmyards, at a rate of 5 animals per farmyard. During the experimental period, fortnightly controls were carried out, related to weight per animal and consumption per farmyard. Once the animals were sacrificed, several measures were adopted, regarding Ph., fat thickness and carcass color, and also several subcutaneous fat samples were taken in order to further analyze them in terms of fatty acids. For the intestinal health test, stool samples from two animals were taken, chosen randomly per farmyard. These two samples per farmyard were homogenized in order to only work on one, which was sown in the different crops. Subsequently, the settlements grown in each crop were analyzed. For the fatty acids test, the methodology suggested by O’Fallon et al., (2007) was implemented. No relevant differences were found among the different treatments regarding performance, carcass quality and microbiological recounts. The fatty acids profile also showed no differences among the different treatments, but the concentration of MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) was higher and the concentration of polyunsaturated fats was lower in the animal fed with 12% of inclusion in olive cake. The lack of differences in the results obtained proved that 12% of olive cake may be supplied to the animals without risk of having negative effects on performance, carcass quality and intestinal health, and that it even enhance the profile of fatty acids of the subcutaneous fat.Sanchis Esteve, E. (2018). Inclusión de subproductos de orujo de aceituna en dietas de cerdos de cebo: rendimientos productivos y estudio de la salud intestinal. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/114835TFG

Transport of trace metals (Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn and Cd) in the western Arctic Ocean (Chukchi Sea and Canada Basin) in late summer 2012

Distributions of trace metals (Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn and Cd) in the western Arctic Ocean (Chukchi Sea and Canada Basin) in September 2012 were investigated to elucidate the mechanisms behind the transport of these metals from the Chukchi Shelf to the Canada Basin. Filtered (<0.22 μm) and unfiltered seawater samples were analyzed to determine dissolved (D) and total dissolvable (TD) trace metal concentrations, respectively. We identified maxima in vertical profiles for the concentrations of D-Fe and TD-Fe, as well as for the other four analyzed trace metals, which occurred in the halocline and/or near-bottom waters. Concentration profiles of all trace metals except for Cd also tended to show peaks near the surface, which suggest that the inflow of low-salinity Pacific-origin water from the Bering Strait, as well as local fresh water inputs such as river water and melting sea-ice, influenced trace metal concentrations. The distribution patterns and concentration ranges were generally similar between the D and TD fractions for Ni, Zn and Cd, which indicate that Ni, Zn and Cd were present mainly in their dissolved forms, whereas the concentrations of TD-Fe and TD-Mn were generally higher than those of D-Fe and D-Mn, respectively. These results are consistent with the results of previous studies of this region. For both Fe and Mn, labile particulate (LP) concentrations (the difference between the TD and D fractions, which is acid-leachable fraction in the particles during storage at pH 1.5?1.6) were highest in the near-bottom waters of the Chukchi Shelf region. The relationships between the distance from the shelf break and the concentrations of trace metals revealed that Fe and Mn concentrations in halocline waters tended to decrease logarithmically with distance, whereas changes in the concentrations of Ni, Zn, Cd and phosphate with distance were small. These results suggest that the distributions of Fe and Mn were controlled mainly by input from shelf sediment and removal through scavenging processes. Based on the phase distributions of Fe and Mn, which were calculated as ratios between the LP and D fractions, different behaviors between Fe and Mn were expressed during lateral transportation. The concentration of TD-Fe declined rapidly via removal of LP-Fe from the water column, whereas the concentration of TD-Mn declined more slowly through the transformation of D-Mn into LP-Mn. In contrast, the concentrations of D-Cd, D-Zn and D-Ni were more strongly correlated with phosphate levels, which suggest that, like phosphate, the distributions of Cd, Zn and Ni were generally controlled by the internal biogeochemical cycles of the ocean interior. Based on the findings of studies that have previously evaluated the concentration maxima of Ni, Zn and Cd within the halocline layer in the Canada Basin near the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, the elevated Ni, Zn and Cd concentrations in the halocline layer may extend across the Canada Basin from the Chukchi Sea shelf-break area. The determination coefficients for correlations with phosphate concentration varied between the concentrations of Ni, Zn and Cd, which suggest that the sources of these trace metals, such as sediments and sea-ice melting, affected their patterns of distributions differently. Our findings reveal the importance and impact of the halocline layer for the transport of trace metals in the western Arctic Ocean during the late summer. The existence of rich and various sources likely sustained the high concentrations of trace metals and their unique profiles in this region

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

The GEOTRACES Intermediate Data Product 2014

The GEOTRACES Intermediate Data Product 2014 (IDP2014) is the first publicly available data product of the international GEOTRACES programme, and contains data measured and quality controlled before the end of 2013. It consists of two parts: (1) a compilation of digital data for more than 200 trace elements and isotopes (TEIs) as well as classical hydrographic parameters, and (2) the eGEOTRACES Electronic Atlas providing a strongly inter-linked on-line atlas including more than 300 section plots and 90 animated 3D scenes. The IDP2014 covers the Atlantic, Arctic, and Indian oceans, exhibiting highest data density in the Atlantic. The TEI data in the IDP2014 are quality controlled by careful assessment of intercalibration results and multi-laboratory data comparisons at cross-over stations. The digital data are provided in several formats, including ASCII spreadsheet, Excel spreadsheet, netCDF, and Ocean Data View collection. In addition to the actual data values the IDP2014 also contains data quality flags and 1-? data error values where available. Quality flags and error values are useful for data filtering. Metadata about data originators, analytical methods and original publications related to the data are linked to the data in an easily accessible way. The eGEOTRACES Electronic Atlas is the visual representation of the IDP2014 data providing section plots and a new kind of animated 3D scenes. The basin-wide 3D scenes allow for viewing of data from many cruises at the same time, thereby providing quick overviews of large-scale tracer distributions. In addition, the 3D scenes provide geographical and bathymetric context that is crucial for the interpretation and assessment of observed tracer plumes, as well as for making inferences about controlling processes

R/V HAKUHO MARU Cruise Report KH-22-4

調査海域: 琉球海溝, 第一奄美海丘, 東シナ海東部, 沖縄トラフ, 鹿児島湾 / Area: Ryukyu Trench, Daiichi-Amami Knoll, Eastern East China Sea, Okinawa Trough, Kagoshima Bay ; 期間: 2022年2月20日～2022年3月3日 / Operation Period: February 20, 2022～March 3, 202

R/V HAKUHOMARU Cruise Report KH-22-7 Leg1-2

調査海域: 西部北太平洋, 赤道域 / Area: Western Pacific ; 期間: 2022年6月30日～2022年9月1日 / Operation Period: June 30, 2022～September 1, 202