What\u27s Up with DATS?: The Redesign of a Digital Textile Printing Course

The market for digital textile printing is projected to grow to $1.3 billion by the end of 2014 according to the Printing Industry Research Association (Monson, 2013). Digital printing technologies for repeat print design are also used in a variety of industries such as paper goods, home furnishings, and historic reproductions; therefore knowledge in these areas will increase job opportunities for students. According to Dani Locastro of Design Works International/First2Print (2013), digital textile printing is used in the apparel industry as: (a) a sampling solution or (b) end products for retail. Early in the adoption of digital textile printing in the apparel and textile industry, Mike Fralix of TC2 (2001) stated

Oxidation kinetics and inverse isotope effect of marine nitrite-oxidizing isolates

Nitrification, the step-wise oxidation of ammonium to nitrite and nitrate, is important in the marine environment because it produces nitrate, the most abundant marine dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) component and N-source for phytoplankton and microbes. This study focused on the second step of nitrification, which is carried out by a distinct group of organisms, nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). The growth of NOB is characterized by nitrite oxidation kinetics, which we investigated for 4 pure cultures of marine NOB (Nitrospina watsonii 347, Nitrospira sp. Ecomares 2.1, Nitrococcus mobilis 231, and Nitrobacter sp. 311). We further compared the kinetics to those of non-marine species because substrate concentrations in marine environments are comparatively low, which likely influences kinetics and highlights the importance of this study. We also determined the isotope effect during nitrite oxidation of a pure culture of Nitrospina (Nitrospina watsonii 347) belonging to one of the most abundant marine NOB genera, and for a Nitrospira strain (Nitrospira sp. Ecomares 2.1). The enzyme kinetics of nitrite oxidation, described by Michaelis-Menten kinetics, of 4 marine genera are rather narrow and fall in the low end of half-saturation constant (Km) values reported so far, which span over 3 orders of magnitude between 9 and >1000 µM NO2-. Nitrospina has the lowest Km (19 µM NO2-), followed by Nitrobacter (28 µM NO2-), Nitrospira (54 µM NO2-), and Nitrococcus (120 µM NO2-). The isotope effects during nitrite oxidation by Nitrospina watsonii 347 and Nitrospira sp. Ecomares 2.1 were 9.7 ± 0.8 and 10.2 ± 0.9‰, respectively. This confirms the inverse isotope effect of NOB described in other studies; however, it is at the lower end of reported isotope effects. We speculate that differences in isotope effects reflect distinct nitrite oxidoreductase (NXR) enzyme orientations

High Resolution Measurements of Nitrous Oxide (N2O) in the Elbe Estuary

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is one of the most important greenhouse gases and a major sink for stratospheric ozone. Estuaries are sites of intense biological production and N2O emissions. We aimed to identify hot spots of N2O production and potential pathways contributing to N2O concentrations in the surface water of the tidal Elbe estuary. During two research cruises in April and June 2015, surface water N2O concentrations were measured along the salinity gradient of the Elbe estuary by using a laser-based on-line analyzer coupled to an equilibrator. Based on these high-resolution N2O profiles, N2O saturations, and fluxes across the surface water/atmosphere interface were calculated. Additional measurements of DIN concentrations, oxygen concentration, and salinity were performed. Highest N2O concentrations were determined in the Hamburg port region reaching maximum values of 32.3 nM in April 2015 and 52.2 nM in June 2015. These results identify the Hamburg port region as a significant hot spot of N2O production, where linear correlations of AOU-N2Oxs indicate nitrification as an important contributor to N2O production in the freshwater part. However, in the region with lowest oxygen saturation, sediment denitrification obviously affected water column N2O saturation. The average N2O saturation over the entire estuary was 201% (SD: ±94%), with an average estuarine N2O flux density of 48 μmol m−2 d−1 and an overall emission of 0.18 Gg N2O y−1. In comparison to previous studies, our data indicate that N2O production pathways over the whole estuarine freshwater part have changed from predominant denitrification in the 1980s toward significant production from nitrification in the present estuary. Despite a significant reduction in N2O saturation compared to the 1980s, N2O concentrations nowadays remain on a high level, comparable to the mid-90s, although a steady decrease of DIN inputs occurred over the last decades. Hence, the Elbe estuary still remains an important source of N2O to the atmosphere

Nitrogen isotopic inventory of the Lena River Delta

Permafrost-affected soils around the Arctic Ocean contain a large reservoir of organic matter including nitrogen, which partly reach the river after thawing, degradation and erosion of permafrost. After mobilization, reactive remineralised nitrogen is either used for primary production, microbial processing or is simply transported to coastal waters. We have analyzed soil, suspended matter and dissolved inorganic and organic nitrogen for their contents and 15N stable isotope composition to create a baseline for a nitrogen inventory of the Lena River Delta in 2019/2020. We used samples from two transect cruises through the delta in March and August 2019, a monitoring program at Samoylov Island in the central delta (2019/2020), and different soil type samples from Samoylov Island. Our data shows that the nitrogen transported from the delta to the Laptev Sea were dominated by dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and nitrate, which occur in similar amounts of approx. 10 μmol/L. DON was available during the whole year. Nitrate showed a clear seasonal pattern: increase from late summer until the spring flood, during summer the nitrate concentration are close to zero. During the spring flood the nitrogen concentration are higher with up to 100 μmol/L. The nitrogen stable isotope values of the different nitrogen components ranges mainly between 0.5 and 4.5‰, and were subsequently enriched from the soils via suspended particulate matter (SPM)/sediment and DON to nitrate. During the spring flood, the stable isotope signature of nitrate suggested a strong source of atmospheric deposition. The 15N values are depleted with appox. -8‰ and the 18O values are enriched up to 60‰. Our data provides a baseline for isoscape analysis and can be used as an endmember signal for modeling approaches

Metabolic alkalinity release from large port facilities (Hamburg, Germany) and impact on coastal carbon storage

Metabolic activities in estuaries, especially these of large rivers, profoundly affect the downstream coastal biogeochemistry. Here, we unravel the impacts of large industrial port facilities, showing that elevated metabolic activity in the Hamburg port (Germany) increases total alkalinity (TA) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) runoff to the North Sea. The imports of particulate inorganic carbon, particulate organic carbon, and particulate organic nitrogen (PIC, POC, and PON) from the upstream Elbe River can fuel up to 90 % of the TA generated in the entire estuary via calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dissolution. The remaining at least 10 % of TA generation can be attributed to anaerobic metabolic processes such as denitrification of remineralized PON or other pathways. The Elbe Estuary as a whole adds approximately 15 % to the overall DIC and TA runoff. Both the magnitude and partitioning among these processes appear to be sensitive to climatic and anthropogenic changes. Thus, with increased TA loads, the coastal ocean (in particular) would act as a stronger CO2 sink, resulting in changes to the overall coastal system's capacity to store CO2.</p

Particulate and dissolved organic carbon in the Lena Delta – the Arctic Ocean interface

Rapid Arctic warming accelerates permafrost thaw releasing aged organic matter (OM) to inland aquatic ecosystems and ultimately, after transport via estuaries or deltas, to the Arctic Ocean nearshore. Despite the importance of Arctic deltas, their functioning is still poorly studied. Here, we examined seasonal fluctuations and spatial differences in the quantity and composition of OM in the Lena Delta, measuring dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC) concentrations, carbon isotopes (δ13C and Δ14C), and total suspended matter (TSM). We compared deltaic POC to the POC in the Lena River main stem over a ~1600 km transect, from Yakutsk to the Lena Delta. We further examined and compared dynamics of DOC and POC in summer and winter across a ~140 km transect in the Lena Delta. TSM and POC concentrations decreased by 75 % during transit from Yakutsk to the Lena Delta. 18 % of deltaic and 5 % of river main stem POC originated from Yedoma deposits. Thus, despite lower concentrations of POC in the delta, amount of POC from Yedoma deposits in deltaic waters were almost twice as large as in the main stem (0.07 ±0.02 and 0.04 ±0.02 mg L-1, respectively). Deltaic POC was strongly depleted in 13C due to significant phytoplankton contributions (~-68 ±6 %). Strong differences between winter and summer samples in DOC and POC concentrations and their properties in the Lena Delta were also found. Combined analyses of DOC and POC revealed that Pleistocene-aged Yedoma deposits were still actively degrading in winter influencing the quantity and composition of OM of the Lena Delta and exported OC loads. Deltaic processes control the type and amount of OM exported to the Arctic Ocean and require deeper investigations as crucial processes for the riverine and oceans pathways in a warming Arctic

Permafrost land-ocean interactions: fluxes, transport processes and degradation pathways

Permafrost-affected soils around the Arctic Ocean contain a large reservoir of organic matter including nitrogen, which partly reaches the riverine system after thawing, degradation and erosion of permafrost. After mobilization, reactive nitrogen in form of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) ordissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN: ammonium and nitrate) is either used for primary production, microbial turnover and/or is transported to coastal waters where it serves as a key source of nutrition for the marine food web. In this study, we have followed the nitrogen released from permafrost soil via the Lena River into the Laptev Sea and used the natural abundance of 15N stable isotopes to identify sources, sinks and processes. Therefore, we have investigated different soil. We present a comprehensive data set from two transect cruises (03/08 2019) through the delta, and the outcome of a monitoring program (2018 - 2021) at Samoylov Island in the central delta. High-frequency monitoring and cruise data shows that the nitrogen transported from the river to the Laptev Sea was dominated by DON and nitrate, which occurred in similar amounts of approx. 10 μmol L–1 in the river water. The nitrate concentration decreased during the early summer and increased from late summer throughout the winter until the spring flood. During the spring flood, the nitrogen concentration was up to ten times higher. Thus, spring floods transport approx. 20 % of the annual load of reactive nitrogen into the Laptev Sea just at the onset of the growing season. The nitrogen stable isotope values of the different nitrogen components ranged mainly between 0.5 and 4.5‰, and were subsequently enriched from the permafrost soils via suspended particulate matter/sediment and DON to nitrate, which indicate an oligotrophic ecosystem. Using a Bayesian mixing model, the stable isotope signature of nitrate suggested a strong source of atmospheric deposition during the spring flood. During the rest of the year, soils are the main source of the reactive nitrogen, which is transported to the marine realm

Much more than carbon: Element stocks in ice-rich permafrost of the Yedoma domain

Soils of the permafrost zone store globally relevant reservoirs of frozen matter, such as organic matter, mineral elements as well as other biogeochemical relevant compounds like contaminants. Besides the well-studied organic carbon (OC), other compounds can become available in active biological and hydrological element cycling as global climate change is warming northern permafrost regions nearly four times faster than the global average. Current heating in Siberia is unprecedented during the past seven millennia, triggering widespread permafrost degradation and collapse. This is especially relevant for our study region, the Yedoma domain. In this region, a large amount of belowground ice is present and the ground can become unstable with warming, allowing the mobilisation of previously frozen sediments with their geochemical element contents. With this presentation, we synthesise recent studies, which have improved the understanding of various frozen stocks. Here, we estimated that the Yedoma domain contains 41.2 Gt of nitrogen (N), which increases the previous estimate for the circumpolar permafrost zone by ~46 %. The highest element stock within the Yedoma domain is estimated for Si (2739 Gt), followed by Al, Fe, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Zr, Sr, and Zn. The stocks of Al and Fe (598 and 288 Gt, respectively) are in the same order of magnitude as OC (327-466 Gt). Concerning contaminants, we focused on mercury. Using the ratio of mercury to OC (R(HgC), value based on own measurements: 2.57 μg Hg g C−1) and the OC levels from various studies for a first rough estimation of the Hg reservoir, we estimate the Yedoma mercury pool to be ~542,000 tons. In conclusion, we find that deep thaw of the Yedoma permafrost domain and its degradation will bear the potential to change the availability of various elements in active biogeochemical and hydrological cycles in northern regions, which will have the potential to change crucial ecosystem variables and services