Dense-water generation episodes in the Northern Adriatic

The generation of North Adriatic Dense Water (NAdDW) has been documented in the paper, by analysing three generation episodes occurred in winters of 1981, 1987 and 1989. Temperature, salinity and density collected at the Po Delta-Rovinj transect before, during and after NAdDW generation were analysed and discussed. Furthermore, monthly surface heat, water and buoyancy fluxes were computed for the respective time intervals, coupled with Po River discharge rates. The decrease in the Po River runoff in the preceding 4 months is common characteristics for all of three NAdDW generation episodes. Nevertheless, NAdDW generated in winter of 1989 was the result of extremely lowered water fluxes that preceded to the generation, producing extremely saline dense water. In contrary, winters of 1981 and 1987 were characterized by extensive heat losses in January/February therefore resulting in very cold NAdDW. NAdDW density in all of the cases surpassed 29.7, being dense enough to influence wider area and bottom layers of the whole Adriatic, changing a lot its physical and chemical properties

Referencing geostrophic velocities at a northern Adriatic section

We have addressed the merits of two familiar methods to calculate absolute geostrophic currents when applied to a shallow-water section of a marginal sea. The comparison was performed on the basis of monthly collected hydrographic data and relative geostrophic currents (calculated with respect to the 30 m level) at a transect in the northern Adriatic in 1992 and 2000. The computed geostrophic currents were also compared to current-meter data collected continuously in 1992, in the surface and bottom layer of a station on the same section, and filtered with cut-off period of 10 days. When relative currents were converted to absolute the Fomin method (requiring minimal kinetic energy in the water column)pro vided correction closer to filtered Eulerian currents in 21 out of 24 (12 surface plus 12 bottom)comparison pairs. Modification of the sections’s position confirmed that the criterion of mass conservation over the entire section generates absolute correction more susceptible to the position and the extent of the section used in its calculation. Both approximations of absolute geostrophic current worked better when applied to data collected in the warmer part of the year

Istrian coastal countercurrent in the year 1997

During the 1966-1997 period the Istrian Coastal Countercurrent (ICCC), i.e. the strong southward surface current confined to the coastal belt off Istria, up to 20 Nm wide, appeared and was particularly pronounced in August of those years when mucilage or anoxia events occurred in the northern Adriatic (1977, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1997). In this paper we analyse geostrophic currents and hydrographic characteristics of the northern Adriatic in 1997. We show that the ICCC can appear in months other than August, as well as that its occurrence implies the presence of an anticyclonic gyre in the northeastern Adriatic, in which lower salinity waters, originating in the Po Delta area, are confined. Longer residence times of this nutrient-rich waters can favour eutrophication process and mucilaginous aggregate accumulation. On the basis of the prediction formula derived for the 1966-1992 period we were able to predict the intense episode of the ICCC in August 1997 from air-sea heat flux calculations with −7 months time lag and Po River discharge rate with −1 month time lag

Long-term changes in hydrographic conditions in northern Adriatic and its relationship to hydrological and atmospheric processes

A very long data series (1921–2000) of hydrographic parameters (temperature, salinity and density) collected in surface and bottom layers at a station in the coastal zone in the northeastern Adriatic was analyzed. Seasonal and interannual variability of the three parameters is described on the basis of monthly and yearly averages. The seasonal cycles obtained were found to be typical for the northern Adriatic. Interannual analysis showed that there was no trend in temperature, salinity and density in the region during the interval analyzed. The long-term series of yearly means of hydrographic parameters were related to the long-term series of yearly means of several hydrological/atmospheric parameters using different time lags of between 0 and 4 years. These parameters are surface heat flux gained by insolation Qs computed for Trieste, precipitation P in Trieste, Po River discharge rate R and two atmospheric oscillation indexes, a Mediterranean Oscillation (MO) index and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. At zero time lag the interannual changes at the surface were found to be significantly related to changes in the Qs and NAO index (temperature) and R (salinity and density). At the same time lag the changes in the bottom were found to be related to the MO index (temperature, salinity and density). Additionally, bottom salinity and density were significantly related to R at a time lag of 1 year.<br><br> <b>Key words.</b> Oceanography: Physical (air-sea interactions; hydrography

Long-term changes in hydrographic conditions in northern Adriatic and its relationship to hydrological and atmospheric processes

A very long data series (1921–2000) of hydrographic parameters (temperature, salinity and density) collected in surface and bottom layers at a station in the coastal zone in the northeastern Adriatic was analyzed. Seasonal and interannual variability of the three parameters is described on the basis of monthly and yearly averages. The seasonal cycles obtained were found to be typical for the northern Adriatic. Interannual analysis showed that there was no trend in temperature, salinity and density in the region during the interval analyzed. The long-term series of yearly means of hydrographic parameters were related to the long-term series of yearly means of several hydrological/atmospheric parameters using different time lags of between 0 and 4 years. These parameters are surface heat flux gained by insolation Qs computed for Trieste, precipitation P in Trieste, Po River discharge rate R and two atmospheric oscillation indexes, a Mediterranean Oscillation (MO) index and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index. At zero time lag the interannual changes at the surface were found to be significantly related to changes in the Qs and NAO index (temperature) and R (salinity and density). At the same time lag the changes in the bottom were found to be related to the MO index (temperature, salinity and density). Additionally, bottom salinity and density were significantly related to R at a time lag of 1 year. Key words. Oceanography: Physical (air-sea interactions; hydrography

HMGB1 genetic polymorphisms in oral squamous cell carcinoma and oral lichen planus patients

ObjectivesThis study examined the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) gene in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oral lichen planus (OLP). Materials and methodsThe study was conducted on 93 patients with OSCC, 53 patients with OLP, and 100 controls, all Caucasians of the same ethnicity, matched by age. HMGB1 genotypes for 4 SNPs, 2262G/A (rs1045411), 1177G/C (rs3742305), 3814C/G (rs2249825), and rs4540927, were assessed using TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays, Applied Biosystems. ResultsThe HMGB1 1177GG genotype was associated with lymph-node metastasis and tumor stage in OSCCs (P=0.016 and P=0.030, respectively). Genotype 1177GG resulted in poorer recurrence-free survival (RFS), P=0.000. The 1177G/C polymorphism was an independent predictor of RFS compared to GG genotype, P=0.001. The three polymorphisms were in linkage disequilibrium (LD). The AGC and GGC haplotypes were associated with an increased oral cancer risk, determined over the haplotype odds ratios (HOR=13.316, P=0.015, and HOR=5.769, P=0.029, respectively). The AGC haplotype was related to erosive OLP progression to OSCC (HOR=12.179, P=0.001). ConclusionsHMGB1 polymorphism 1177G/C could be associated with tumor progression and recurrence-free survival in patients with OSCC. The haplotypes of HMGB1 gene might be associated with susceptibility to OSCC and OLP progression to OSCC

Picoplankton community structure before, during and after convection event in the offshore waters of the Southern Adriatic Sea

This paper documents the picoplankton community's response to changes in oceanographic conditions in the period between October 2011 and September 2012 at two stations belonging to the South Adriatic Pit (SAP). The recorded data include the community's abundance, composition, prokaryotic production rates and bacterial metabolic capacity. The sampling period included an intense sea cooling with formation of exceptional, record-breaking dense water. We documented an especially intense winter convection episode that completely diluted the core of Levantine intermediate waters (LIW) in a large area encompassing the SAP's center and its margin. During this convection event the whole picoplankton community had significantly higher abundances with a recorded picoeukaryotic peak at the SAP margin. In the post-convection phase in March, prokaryotic heterotrophic production strongly increased in the entire SAP area (up to 50 times; 456.8 nM C day⁻¹). An autotrophic biomass increase (up to 5 times; 4.86 μg L⁻¹) and a disruption of a close correspondence between prokaryotic heterotrophic biomass production and cell replication rates were observed only in the center of the SAP, which was not under the influence of LIW. At the SAP's margin such an effect was attenuated by LIW, since the waters affected by LIW were characterized by decreased concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, decreased autotrophic biomasses, and by increased bacterial biomass production balanced with cell replication rates as well as by the domination of <i>Synechococcus</i> among autotrophic picoplankton. The metabolic capacity was lowest in spring when autotrophic biomass largely increased, while the highest levels found in the pre-convection phase (October 2011) suggest that the system was more oligotrophic before than after the convection event. Furthermore, we showed that metabolic capacity is a trait of bacterial community independent of environmental conditions and tightly linked to cell replication and substrate availability. In contrast, the bacterial community composition appears to be strongly influenced by physico-chemical characteristics of waters (e.g., temperature and nutrients) and environmental forcing (e.g., convection and LIW). Our results showed that the two oceanographic phenomena of the Southern Adriatic, strongly relevant for the total production of the Adriatic Sea, winter convection and LIW intrusion, regulate the changes in picoplankton community structure and activities

PBS Report for Port of Rijeka. (Final Report). BALMAS project. Work package 5. Activity 5.1

Ballast water is proven to be one of the major vectors transporting invasive alien species (IAS) worldwide. Even harmful aquatic organisms are to be avoided in this manner of transfer. Port Baseline Surveys of the major ports along the Adriatic Sea are to enable efficient continuous monitoring and/or surveillance efforts in detection of new introduced species. Research of environmental conditions, flora and fauna community and circulation pattern in the port and wider area will enable better insight in possible fate of the new introduced species

PBS Report for Port of Pula. (Final Report). BALMAS project. Work package 5. Activity 5.1

Ballast water is proven te be one of the major vectors transporting invasive alien species (IAS) worldwide. Even harmful aquatic organisms are to be avoided in this manner of transfer. Port Baseline Surveys of the major ports along the Adriatic Sea are to enable efficient continuous monitoring and/or surveillance efforts in detection of new introduced species. Research of environmental conditions, flora and fauna community and circulation pattern in the port and wider area will enable better insight in possible fate of the new introduced species