Springs–neaps cycles in daily total seabed light: Daylength-induced changes

AbstractIn shallow, tidal seas, daily total seabed light is determined largely by the interaction of the solar elevation cycle, the tidal cycle in water depth, and any temporal variability in turbidity. Since tidal range, times of low water, and often turbidity vary in regular ways over the springs–neaps cycle, daily total seabed light exhibits cycles of the same periodicity. Corresponding cycles are likely to be induced in the daily total primary production of benthic algae and plants, particularly those light-limited specimens occupying the lower reaches of a sub-tidal population. Consequently, this effect is an important control on the growth patterns, depth distribution and survival of, for example, macroalgal forests and seagrass meadows.Seasonal changes in daylength exert an important additional control on these cycles, as they alter the fraction of the tidal and turbidity cycles occurring within daylight hours. Bowers et al. (1997) modelled this phenomenon numerically and predicted that for a site with low water at about midday and midnight at neaps tides, 6am and 6pm at springs, daily total seabed light peaks at neaps in winter, but the ‘sense’ of the cycle ‘switches’ so that it peaks at springs in summer — the longer daylength permits the morning and evening low water springs to contribute substantially to the daily total. Observations for such a site in North Wales (UK), presented in this paper, show that no such ‘switch’ occurs, and neaps tides host the largest daily totals throughout the year. The predicted ‘switch’ is not observed because turbidity increases generally at spring tides, and specifically at low water springs, both of which were not accounted for in the model. Observations at a second site in Brittany (France), diametrically opposite in terms of the times of low water at neaps and at springs, indicate a peak at springs throughout the year.Analytical tools are developed to calculate the percentage of daily total sea surface irradiance reaching the bed at a site of interest on any given day, and to determine the sense of any springs–neaps cycle thereof for a given season. The conditions required for a ‘switch’ are explored graphically, resulting in the identification of criteria (and a useful parameter) for predicting their occurrence. Consequences for the growth patterns, depth limits and long-term survival of benthic algae and plants are discussed

The area-to-mass ratio and fractal dimension of marine flocs

publisher: Elsevier articletitle: The area-to-mass ratio and fractal dimension of marine flocs journaltitle: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2017.03.026 content_type: article copyright: © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd

Recommendations for reporting ion mobility mass spectrometry measurements

© 2019 The Authors. Mass Spectrometry Reviews Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Here we present a guide to ion mobility mass spectrometry experiments, which covers both linear and nonlinear methods: what is measured, how the measurements are done, and how to report the results, including the uncertainties of mobility and collision cross section values. The guide aims to clarify some possibly confusing concepts, and the reporting recommendations should help researchers, authors and reviewers to contribute comprehensive reports, so that the ion mobility data can be reused more confidently. Starting from the concept of the definition of the measurand, we emphasize that (i) mobility values (K0) depend intrinsically on ion structure, the nature of the bath gas, temperature, and E/N; (ii) ion mobility does not measure molecular surfaces directly, but collision cross section (CCS) values are derived from mobility values using a physical model; (iii) methods relying on calibration are empirical (and thus may provide method-dependent results) only if the gas nature, temperature or E/N cannot match those of the primary method. Our analysis highlights the urgency of a community effort toward establishing primary standards and reference materials for ion mobility, and provides recommendations to do so. © 2019 The Authors. Mass Spectrometry Reviews Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc

An overview of periodontal regenerative procedures for the general dental practitioner.

The complete regeneration of the periodontal tissues following periodontal disease remains an unmet challenge, and has presented clinicians with a remarkably difficult clinical challenge to solve given the extensive research in this area and our current understanding of the biology of the periodontal tissues. In particular as clinicians we look for treatments that will improve the predictability of the procedure, improve the magnitude of the effect of treatment, and perhaps most importantly in the long term would extend the indications for treatment beyond the need for single enclosed bony defects to allow for suprabony regeneration, preferably with beneficial effects on the gingival soft tissues. A rapid development in both innovative methods and products for the correction of periodontal deficiencies have been reported during the last three decades. For example, guided tissue regeneration with or without the use of bone supplements has been a well-proven treatment modality for the reconstruction of bony defects prior to the tissue engineering era. Active biomaterials have been subsequently introduced to the periodontal community with supporting dental literature suggesting that certain factors should be taken into consideration when undertaking periodontal regenerative procedures. These factors as well as a number of other translational research issues will need to be addressed, and ultimately it is vital that we do not extrapolate results from pre-clinical and animal studies without conducting extensive randomized clinical trials to substantiate outcomes from these procedures. Whatever the outcomes, the pursuit of regeneration of the periodontal tissues remains a goal worth pursuing for our patients. The aim of the review, therefore is to update clinicians on the recent advances in both materials and techniques in periodontal regenerative procedures and to highlight the importance of both patient factors and the technical aspects of regenerative procedures

New insights into the genetic etiology of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias

Characterization of the genetic landscape of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias (ADD) provides a unique opportunity for a better understanding of the associated pathophysiological processes. We performed a two-stage genome-wide association study totaling 111,326 clinically diagnosed/'proxy' AD cases and 677,663 controls. We found 75 risk loci, of which 42 were new at the time of analysis. Pathway enrichment analyses confirmed the involvement of amyloid/tau pathways and highlighted microglia implication. Gene prioritization in the new loci identified 31 genes that were suggestive of new genetically associated processes, including the tumor necrosis factor alpha pathway through the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex. We also built a new genetic risk score associated with the risk of future AD/dementia or progression from mild cognitive impairment to AD/dementia. The improvement in prediction led to a 1.6- to 1.9-fold increase in AD risk from the lowest to the highest decile, in addition to effects of age and the APOE ε4 allele

Detecting the Zambezi River plume using observed optical properties

In April 1998 a research cruise was carried out in the Mozambique Channel taking detailed optical, water quality and salinity measurements; the Zambezi plume waters were apparent through strong colour fronts with green waters in the plume and clear blue waters offshore. A good (r2=0.76) negative empirical relationship was found between the salinity (S) and yellow substance, represented by the absorption of filtered samples at 440 nm (g440). An empirical relationship was found between the salinity and a reflectance ratio: An optical model in which light absorption is dominated by yellow substance and light scattering by inorganic particles confirms this empirical relationship. This has been applied to a SeaWIFS image to map salinity on the Sofala Bank, demonstrating the potential to remotely determine the distribution of the Zambezi River plume. It is thought that any significant level of chlorophyll would reduce the effectiveness of the above algorithm

The effect of particulate organic content on the remote sensing of marine suspended sediment

We report on the relationship between the backscattering coefficient at 665 nm and the cross sectional area of particles in suspension in the Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and English Channel. A plot of the backscattering coefficient against particle area shows two distinct trends: one for particles with high mineral content and another for particles with low mineral content. Backscattering per unit particle area (effective backscattering efficiency, Qbb) shows a continuous non-linear dependence on the ratio of mineral to total suspended solids (MSS/TSS) over the range 0.35 < MSS/TSS < 0.91. The relationship can be represented by an exponential function: Qbb = 0.000087 exp(6.9 MSS/TSS), which explains 62% of the observed variance in backscattering efficiency. Changes in particle size have no significant influence on Qbb. As the MSS/TSS ratio increases, the backscattering ratio (bb/b) also increases. The implication for the quantitative remote sensing of marine suspended sediments is that the mass specific backscattering coefficient, bb* depends on the particle area per unit mass multiplied by a function which depends on the mineral content of the particles

Water masses, mixing, and the flow of dissolved organic carbon through the Irish Sea

Observations of coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) and salinity have been used to identify water types and mixing in the Irish Sea. Three principal water types are identified: (1) Celtic Sea water, of high salinity and low CDOM which enters the Irish Sea from the south; (2) English coastal water, of low salinity and intermediate CDOM which is introduced into the eastern Irish Sea through rivers and (3) Irish Coastal water, with intermediate salinity and high CDOM. A mixing triangle is used to determine the geographical distribution of these three water types. This shows that the Celtic Sea water flowing northwards mixes initially with Irish water and later with English coastal water so that the mixture leaving the Irish Sea through the North Channel comprises 66% Celtic Sea water, 14% Irish water and 20% English water. We estimate the lateral mixing coefficient to be 67 m2 s−1. The CDOM absorption coefficient at 440 nm in the water leaving the Irish Sea is 0.17 m−1. Converting this to an estimate of the dissolved organic carbon concentration and multiplying by the volume transport in the North Channel, the net flux of dissolved organic carbon leaving the Irish Sea through the North Channel is calculated to be between 1 and 2 Tg C year−1