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Mesoscale eddies are important for transporting oceanic energy and matter. We investigated the three-dimensional structure of an irregularly shaped warm eddy using three Chinese underwater gliders and satellite data during May 2015 in the northern South China Sea. The warm eddy lasted for 2 months, remained quasi-steady, and had a mean radius of ~ 70 km from May 10 to May 31. The heat contents observed along the two glider tracks differed markedly, by 2 × 109 J/m2, which reflected an imbalance in the geostrophic and tangential velocity distributions of the eddy. The geostrophic/tangential velocity decreased/increased with depth within the warm eddy. The maximum tangential velocities calculated using the datasets from the two gliders were 0.8 and 0.25 m/s, respectively, confirming that the shape of the warm eddy was horizontally asymmetrical. Large errors can arise when the heat, energy, and matter transport for an irregularly shaped eddy are estimated using a regular circular model. We suggest that more intersecting glider tracks should be used to retrieve the three-dimensional eddy structure, and that those tracks should be better designed. The irregular shape of the warm eddy was likely induced by oceanic currents such as the wind-induced Ekman current. Further study is needed to elucidate the eddy–current interactions and the mechanisms thereof.

We observed the structure of the Pearl River plume and its turbulent characteristics, and investigated the turbulent effect on total suspended matter (TSM) within its “far-field” region, based on in situ and satellite data collected in June 2015. A significant northeastward plume was created under southern monsoonal conditions. The in situ data provided the width, depth, and velocity of the plume, as inferred by salinity. Weaker turbulence occurred at the front surface position than in the plume zone. Stronger turbulence induced greater turbidity in the bottom boundary layer; however, the surface mixed layer differed. By estimating the turbidity budget, we found the lateral fluxes term was the largest term in the plume, turbulent fluxes comprised the second largest term, and the settling terms comprised the smallest term. We quantified the turbulent mechanisms and found that stronger river discharge induced greater TSM turbidity. Tidal and buoyancy fluxes had minor regulatory effects on TSM. Our observations suggest that TSM in the “far field” region originated from the Pearl River and the coastal region.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyze the serum cystatin C (Cys C) and cystatin C/albumin (Alb) ratio in patients with cirrhosis and evaluate the role of serum Cys C in the evaluation of liver function. Methods: The liver function of patients was graded according to the Child-Pugh Score. According to the serum Cys C levels (determined with particle-enhanced immunonephelometric assay), the patients were divided into two groups: the high Cys C level group and normal Cys C level group. The correlation between the Child-Pugh grades/scores and the serum Cys C level, Cys C/Alb ratio were investigated. Results: The Cys C values were not correlated to Child-Pugh grades and scores. Besides, the Cys C/Alb ratio of both groups had a linear regressive relationship with the Child-Pugh scores. Ninety-seven percentage sensitivity and 100% specificity were achieved for the evaluation of liver function in cirrhosis patients with high serum Cys C level. Conclusion: Cys C value and Cys C/Alb ratio are accurate for liver function evaluation in the cirrhosis patients with high serum Cys C levels. Compared with the Cys C value, the Cys C/Alb ratio is more related to the liver function and can be used as an indicator in cirrhosis patients with normal serum Cys C level for the evaluation of liver function.