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Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) represents a preferred therapeutic modality with minimal invasiveness for unresectable intermediate and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. However, its therapeutic outcome is restricted by incomplete occlusion of the whole tumor vasculature and exacerbated tumor immunosuppression due to the lack of ideal embolic agents. Herein, procoagulant embolic microspheres with tunable sizes are prepared by loading thrombin into calcium carbonate (CaCO 3) nanoparticle-embedded gelatin microspheres (Th-CaCO 3 @gelatin MSs) via a microfluidic process. In this system, the yielded Th-CaCO 3 @gelatin MSs are capable of occluding main tumor-feeding blood vessels, while the released thrombin and Ca2+ triggered by the acidic tumor microenvironment can synergistically promote the formation of intravascular blood clots to occlude tumor capillaries. Meanwhile, the embedded CaCO 3 nanoparticles can work as proton sponges to neutralize tumor acidity and thus effectively reverse tumor immunosuppression. Resultantly, TAE treatment with Th-CaCO 3 @gelatin MSs exhibits the most effective tumor suppression efficacy on orthotopic N1S1 HCC rat xenografts without causing obvious toxic effects. Therefore, this study highlights that our biocompatible embolic microspheres are capable of potentiating conventional TAE treatment by promoting pH-responsive tumor vascular infarction and neutralizing the acidic tumor microenvironment, with great potential in clinical translation. [Display omitted] • pH-responsive procoagulant CaCO 3 -embedded embolic microspheres were successfully prepared via a microfluidic process. • Th-CaCO 3 @gelatin MSs could not only occlude the main tumor-feeding blood vessels but also induce intravascular blood clots. • The embedded CaCO 3 nanoparticles could neutralize tumor acidity and thus activate antitumor immunity. • TAE treatment with Th-CaCO 3 @gelatin MSs could significantly suppress the growth of orthotopic HCC tumors in SD rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have provided strong evidence of abnormal regional spontaneous brain activities among anxiety-disordered patients. However, the evidence has been divergent and inconclusive. Therefore, it is necessary to perform a meta-analysis identifying a common pattern of altered regional spontaneous brain activity for anxiety disorders.Method: Corresponding research of anxiety disorders, namely, whole-brain rs-fMRI studies that measured differences in regional homogeneity, amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations, or fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations, were analyzed in this study. Overall, seven studies with 235 anxiety-disordered patients and 241 healthy controls were ultimately included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was processed by seed-based d mapping.Results: Compared with healthy controls, patients with anxiety disorders showed significantly decreased regional spontaneous brain activities in the right putamen, the right orbital inferior frontal gyrus, and the right temporal pole. No increases in regional spontaneous brain activities were detected in patients relative to the controls.Limitation: Limited number of available studies, only Asian samples, and insufficient information of sample characteristics.Conclusion: The present study suggests that anxiety disorders are associated with aberrant regional brain activity in areas connected with emotion processing, which extends our understanding of anxiety disorders' pathophysiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury (Hg), especially methylmercury (MeHg), which is highly neurotoxic, is a global pollutant that can affect human health because of its accumulation in aquatic products. Poyang Lake, an inland lake in China, has been significantly affected by human activity, yet there is limited understanding of local mercury contamination and potential exposure pathways to humans. In this study, we explored the risks of mercury exposure by sampling sediments, plants, and aquatic organisms in the lake and surrounding areas and analyzing total Hg (THg) and MeHg levels. Sediment sampling was conducted at the main lake, rivers, rice paddies, and fishponds. Two dominant species of plants and 15 species of aquatic organisms were sampled and analyzed. We assessed the characteristics of mercury in sediments using the geo-accumulation index (I geo), mercury exposure using the biomagnification factor (BMF) and biota sediment accumulation factor (BSAF), and risks using thresholds for adverse effects. The highest THg concentrations (137.04 ± 44.3 ng g−1 dw) were detected in the main lake sediments, whereas the highest MeHg concentrations (0.47 ± 0.6 ng g−1 dw) were detected in fishpond sediments. Mercury accumulation in the main lake sediments could be assessed as contaminated (I geo > 0: 81.6%). Yellow catfish had the highest mercury concentration (THg 770.69 ± 199.7 ng g−1 dw; MeHg 741.93 ± 168.8 ng g−1 dw). Piscivores were adversely affected by carnivorous fish (50.8%), but all fish concentrations did not exceed the food safety standards recommend by China and the WHO. The mercury exposure results revealed significant Hg biomagnification and enrichment (BMF >1: 94.55%; BSAF max = 1218). Long-term monitoring of aquatic organisms is warranted. [Display omitted] • Sediments in Poyang Lake were moderately contaminated by mercury. • Fish mercury biomagnification factors were higher for methylmercury compared to total mercury. • Carnivorous fish posed the greatest risk for fish eating wildlife. • Fish mercury concentrations did not exceed food safety standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, as an attractive candidate of EBCs for SiC-based ceramic matrix composites, nano-sized β-Yb 2 Si 2 O 7 was synthesized by hydrothermal method. The sintering-resistance property and crystal growth behavior of β-Yb 2 Si 2 O 7 powders and compacted bodies were evaluated via various techniques. Quantity analyses demonstrate that β-Yb 2 Si 2 O 7 was formed at about 1100 °C, and possessed well thermal stability at even higher temperatures. The determined coefficient of thermal expansion and thermal conductivity are 4.63 × 10-6 K-1 and 1.72 W m-1 K-1, respectively. The microstructures of compacted bodies under different temperatures reveal the critical temperature of anti-sintering is about 1400 °C. Based on different growth mechanisms, the activation energy of crystal growth (Q) can be segmented into two sections with a turning point of 1076 °C. Furthermore, the relative relationship between activation energy and sintering was bridged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever-tightening particulate emissions regulation and the need of extending diesel particulate filter (DPF) manual cleaning period require an in-depth investigation into exhaust-borne ash components that may potentially deposit in DPF using a variety of methods to accelerate loading. Currently, the most common method used is blending a certain volume of lubricant oil into diesel. Predictably, the addition of lubricant oil will alter the nature of particles emitted from engines, creating an artifact between "accelerated" and real ash and therefore biasing the functionality of this method. However, such impacts haven't been carefully evaluated. In this paper, the mass, number, size-resolved distribution, morphology, and elemental analysis of the particles from a Euro-5 compliant, 2.5 L diesel engine consuming conventional diesel, diesel+2v% lubricant oil, and diesel+4v%lubricant oil were measured and compared 24. The results indicate that with the addition of lubricant oil into diesel, both the particulate mass and number emission increased dramatically, a proportional increase in particle numbers of all size stages was seen with 2% lubricant oil blending, while 4% blending only increased the number concentrations of nuclei-mode and relatively large particles. Adding lubricant oil into diesel tended to complicate the microstructure of particles. Particle-bound phosphorus and zinc were only identified when lubricant oil was dosed. An increased oxygen mass fraction with the presence of lubricant oil also suggests heavier volatile materials emissions. Lastly, although burning diesel/lubricant oil mixtures enables an accelerated ash loading process in a DPF, excessive blending ratio could alter the nature of engine-out particles and increase uncertainty. It is recommended to achieve fast ash accumulation at a high engine load with diesel+2v%lubricant oil. • The impacts of adding lubricant oil into diesel on particle nature were studied. • PM, PN and, particle-bound O, S, P, Ca, Mg, Zn all increased with oil addition. • Particles became smaller but more aggregated once lubricant oil was added. • 2% oil addition is recommended for ash loading acceleration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-sized monoclinic Y 4 Al 2 O 9 was produced by sol-gel process as a novel potential candidate material for thermal barrier coatings. The thermal behavior, structural evolution of the products and the morphological characteristics of the compacted bodies were investigated by Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimeter (TG-DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Qualitative analyses indicate that monoclinic Y 4 Al 2 O 9 was formed at about 1000 °C, and exhibited good phase stability throughout the annealing temperature ranging from 1000 °C to 1400 °C. The thermophysical properties of Y 4 Al 2 O 9 ceramics were also evaluated compared with 8YSZ and La 2 Zr 2 O 7. The determined activation energy of crystal growth is about 72.71 ± 0.31 kJ mol−1. Meanwhile, Y 4 Al 2 O 9 represents low thermal conductivity (1.71 W m−1 K−1), moderate thermal expansion coefficient (8.73 × 10−6 K−1), and high sintering-resistance ability. Such results reveal that nano-sized Y 4 Al 2 O 9 is favorable for the application of TBCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pre-carbonation can be a solution to the incompatibility of calcium carbide slag with cement. • The generation of CaCO 3 through the carbonation of calcium carbide slag refined the pore structure of mortars. • The carbonation process of calcium carbide slag was characterized. • Calcium carbide slag can be a good CO 2 absorbent. To promote the utilization of high-calcium and high-alkali calcium carbide slag (CCS) in the construction industry, a pre-carbonation method has been employed to convert Ca(OH) 2 in CCS to CaCO 3 to improve the compatibility of CCS with cement. The study investigated the effects of different carbonation durations (10 min, 20 min, and 30 min) on the performance of CCS mortars. Results showed that 30 min carbonation duration for CCS achieved a 24.83% CO 2 uptake and converted 92.2% of Ca(OH) 2 to CaCO 3 , thereby reducing the pH of the CCS suspension from 12.5 to 11.4. Moreover, the carbonation process generated CaCO 3 , which acted as seed and filling effects, accelerating, and promoting the hydration of the mortar. This led to an optimized pore distribution and a denser microstructure at 28d. The mortar with carbonated CCS for 20 min demonstrated the highest compressive strength, exhibiting an enhancement of 0.8% to 41.4% at 3d, 7d, and 28d compared to un-carbonated CCS mortar. These experimental findings provide a sustainable and efficient solution for the consumption of CCS in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of speciated atmospheric mercury play a key role in identifying mercury behavior in the atmosphere. In this study, we measured speciated atmospheric mercury, including gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM), and particulate bound mercury (PBM) (<2.5 μm), in 2015 and 2016 at an urban site in Beijing, China. The mean concentrations of GEM, RGM, and PBM were 4.70 ± 3.53 ng m−3, 18.47 ± 22.27 pg m−3, and 85.18 ± 95.34 pg m−3, respectively. The concentration of PM 2.5 significantly affected the distribution of reactive mercury between the gaseous and particulate phases. With the raising of PM 2.5 levels, PBM concentrations increased, on the contrary, the concentrations of RGM decreased gradually. The mean concentration of PBM during air-pollution events was more than three times that during clear days. During days with air pollution, the relative humidity significantly affected the gas-particle partitioning of reactive mercury. The linear relationships between gas-particle partitioning coefficient and meteorological factors (air temperature and relative humidity) were obtained over the four seasons. The data also showed that the gas-particle partitioning coefficient of reactive mercury was related to particle composition (e.g., Cl−, BC). The data present in this paper suggested the influence of anthropogenic emissions on reactive mercury in Beijing urban. And the findings will contribute to understand the gas-particle partitioning of reactive mercury and its influencing factors with complex urban pollution. Image 1 • Three speciated atmospheric mercury exhibited obviously seasonal and diurnal variations. • Increasing PM 2.5 led to a decrease in RGM levels and an increase in PBM levels. • Temperature, relative humidity, and particle composition were important factors in determining the reactive mercury gas-particle partitioning. PM 2.5 levels influenced the RGM and PBM concentrations, and the important factors that affect the reactive mercury gas-particle partitioning were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemia salina cysts (capsulated and decapsulated) and larvae (instar I, II and III) were exposed to α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles (α-Fe 2 O 3 -NPs) to evaluate the effects on marine ecosystems. Hatchability, mortality and a number of ethological, morphological and biochemical parameters were selected as end-points to define the toxic responses. Results indicate that the hatchability of capsulated and decapsulated cysts was significantly decreased ( p < 0.01) following exposure to 600 mg/L at 12, 18, 24 and 36 h. Both increases of mortality and decreases of swimming speed were shown concentration-dependent manners. The LC 50 values for instar II and III were 177.424 and 235.495 mg/L, respectively (not calculable for instar I), the EC 50 values for instar I, II and III were 259.956, 99.064 and 129.088 mg/L, respectively. Instar II larvae show the greatest sensitive to α-Fe 2 O 3 -NPs, and followed by instar III, instar I, decapsulated cysts and capsulated cysts. Body lengths and individual dry weight of instar I, II and III larvae were decreased following exposure. α-Fe 2 O 3 -NPs attached onto the gills and body surface of larvae, resulting in irreversible damages. All of malondialdehyde content, total antioxidant capacity, reactive oxygen species and antioxidant enzymes activities were substantially increased in dose-dependent manners after exposure to α-Fe 2 O 3 -NPs suspensions, indicating that toxic effects were mediated by oxidative stress. Finally, the uptake result indicated that α-Fe 2 O 3 -NPs were ingested and distributed in the nephridial duct, primary body cavity and intestine of A. salina . Moreover, the uptake kinetics data show that the maximum α-Fe 2 O 3 -NPs content (8.818 mg/g) was reached at 36 h, and a steady state was reached after 60 h. The combined results indicate that α-Fe 2 O 3 -NPs have the potential to affect aquatic life when released into the marine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops an efficient approach to solving dynamic response topology optimization problems in the time domain. The objective is to minimize the maximum response of the structure over the complete vibration phase. In order to alleviate the difficulties due to the max operator in the objective function, an aggregation functional is proposed and employed to transform the original problem formulation into one that is computational tractable. The main advantage of the proposed aggregation functional over the existing aggregation functions, such as KS function and the p-norm function is that, for the dynamic response problems in the time domain, the differentiate-then-discretize approach can now be used for adjoint sensitivity analysis, instead of the discretize-then-differentiate approach, which is tightly coupled with the numerical integration schemes of the primal analysis and is more cumbersome. In addition to the solution method, some issues of dynamic response topology optimization problems in the time domain are discussed. The reason why the maximum dynamic response may occur in the free vibration phase for transient load is uncovered. A strategy to reduce the maximum dynamic response over the complete vibration phase is proposed. Numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric mercury was measured at an urban site in Beijing during the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games (BOWG) to explore their sources and risks. The mean gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) and particulate bound mercury (PBM) concentrations were 2.75 ± 0.99 ng m−3 and 25.4 ± 67.1 pg m−3, respectively. The implementation of control measures was the dominant reason for low GEM during the BOWG. Similar temporal patterns (GEM, CO, NO 2 , and SO 2) and significant strong positive correlations between them reveal that they had common sources. Based on potential source contribution function and cluster analyses, central/southeastern Hebei, Tianjin, and southern Beijing were the dominant source areas. Air masses associated with high GEM during pollution event (>3.1 ng m−3) generally passed over polluted regions at low speeds and heights. Positive matrix factorization analysis reveals that surrounding coal fired and local vehicle emissions contributed approximately 58% and 30% to the sources, respectively. The PBM risk was higher than that of GEM, and children were more sensitive to atmospheric mercury. Mercury exposure is chronic at a low dosage, resulting loss of malaise, appetite, gastrointestinal upset, and weight. Although atmospheric mercury risk exhibits a decline trend over the past two decades and the current risk is generally low, the cumulative effect over decades or more shouldn't be ignored. The current occasionally high risk values warn people to avoid high-pollution periods. [Display omitted] • GEM level was significantly lower during the BOWG (winter) than during other seasons. • Tianjin and Hebei were identified as dominant source areas for high GEM in Beijing. • External coal burning and local vehicle emissions were major atmospheric Hg sources. • Children were more sensitive to atmospheric Hg risk, and it was great two decades ago. • A decline trend was found for winter atmospheric Hg risk, but summer risk was stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controllable helium-containing TiH 2 phase films were prepared on Si (100) substances by magnetron sputtering with hydrogen-helium-argon mixed gas, in order to investigate the helium behavior in titanium tritide. The TiH x He films were characterized by ion beam analysis (IBA) in which elastic recoil detection (ERD) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) methods are included, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). It is found that with the increase in the relative hydrogen flow rate (Q H : Q Ar ) under the fixed helium flow and sputtering pressure, the hydrogen concentration in TiH x He films increases at first, and then decreases. Though the hydrogen concentration in TiH x He films can be greatly increased by increasing the total sputtering pressure, excessive sputtering pressure will deteriorate the crystallization quality. Although the helium concentration mainly relies on the relative helium flow rate of mixed gas during sputtering, the increase of the relative helium flow rate will reduce the concentration of hydrogen in films at fixed sputtering pressure dramatically. Fortunately, suitable relative hydrogen flow and sputtering pressure can maintain a high concentration of hydrogen in the films. Thus TiH x He films with controllable hydrogen and helium content can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being widely utilized in clinic to treat solid tumors, the efficacy of radiotherapy (RT) is usually restricted by insufficient deposition of radiation energy and hypoxia-associated tumor radio-resistance. Moreover, as a local treatment technique, RT is ineffective against tumor metastases, the main cause of cancer death. Herein, biogenic platinum nanoparticles (Pt NPs) are in situ synthesized on the surface of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (S. oneidensis MR-1), followed by sonication to acquire Pt NPs decorated membrane fragments (PtMFs) for reinforcing the treatment outcome of RT. Thanks to the high-Z element intrinsic property and the catalytic property of Pt NPs in decomposing tumor endogenous H 2 O 2 to produce oxygen, PtMFs not only effectively amplify radiation-induced DNA damages, but also significantly enhance tumor oxygenation to overcome the hypoxia-induced radio-resistance and reprogram the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, thereby enhancing antitumor efficacy in vivo. After PtMFs-mediated RT to trigger the immunogenic cell death (ICD), the generated tumor antigens subsequently elicit potent anti-tumor immune responses in the presence of bacterial membrane fragments as natural immunologic adjuvants. Via combination with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) checkpoint blockade, strong abscopal effects are achieved to effectively inhibit tumor metastases, whereas a long-term immune memory effect to reject rechallenged tumors is further observed. Therefore, such biogenic Pt-based therapeutic platforms present a unique approach for enhanced RT to inhibit tumor metastasis and recurrence by triggering strong anti-tumor immunity. [Display omitted] • Biogenic Pt NPs-based nanoplatforms were designed to reinforce the RT treatment outcomes. • PtMFs efficiently overcome radio-resistance and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. • Tumor metastasis and recurrence were inhibited by triggering anti-tumor immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abacus-based mental calculation (AMC) activates the frontoparietal areas largely overlapping with the working memory (WM) network. Given the critical role of WM in cognition, how to improve WM capability has attracted intensive attention in past years. However, it is still unclear whether WM could be enhanced by AMC training. The current research thus explored the impact of AMC training on verbal and visuospatial WM, as well as the underlying neural basis. Participants were randomly assigned to an abacus group and a control group. Their verbal WM was evaluated by digit/letter memory span (DMS/LMS) tests, and visuospatial WM was assessed by a visuospatial n -back task. Neural activity during the n -back task was examined using functional MRI. Our results showed reliable improvements of both verbal and visuospatial WM in the abacus group after 20-day AMC training but not in the control. In addition, the n -back task-induced activations in the right frontoparietal circuitry and left occipitotemporal junction (OTJ) declined as a result of training. Notably, the decreases in activity were positively correlated with performance gains across trained participants. These results suggest AMC training not only improves calculating skills but also have the potential to promote individuals’ WM capabilities, which is associated with the functional plasticity of the common neural substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two oceanographic cruises were carried out in the East China Sea (ECS) during the summer and fall of 2013. The main objectives of this study are to identify the spatial-temporal distributions of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) in air and dissolved gaseous mercury (DGM) in surface seawater, and then to estimate the Hg 0 flux. The GEM concentration was lower in summer (1.61 ± 0.32 ng m −3 ) than in fall (2.20 ± 0.58 ng m −3 ). The back-trajectory analysis revealed that the air masses with high GEM levels during fall largely originated from the land, while the air masses with low GEM levels during summer primarily originated from ocean. The spatial distribution patterns of total Hg (THg), fluorescence, and turbidity were consistent with the pattern of DGM with high levels in the nearshore area and low levels in the open sea. Additionally, the levels of percentage of DGM to THg (%DGM) were higher in the open sea than in the nearshore area, which was consistent with the previous studies. The THg concentration in fall was higher (1.47 ± 0.51 ng l −1 ) than those of other open oceans. The DGM concentration (60.1 ± 17.6 pg l −1 ) and Hg 0 flux (4.6 ± 3.6 ng m −2 h −1 ) in summer were higher than those in fall (DGM: 49.6 ± 12.5 pg l −1 and Hg 0 flux: 3.6 ± 2.8 ng m −2 h −1 ). The emission flux of Hg 0 from the ECS was estimated to be 27.6 tons yr −1 , accounting for ∼0.98% of the global Hg oceanic evasion though the ECS only accounts for ∼0.21% of global ocean area, indicating that the ECS plays an important role in the oceanic Hg cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study are to identify the spatial and temporal distributions of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), reactive gaseous mercury (RGM), and fine particulate mercury (Hg P 2.5 ) in the marine boundary layer (MBL) of the Bohai Sea (BS) and Yellow Sea (YS), and to investigate the relationships between mercury species and meteorological parameters. The mean concentrations of GEM, RGM, and Hg P 2.5 were 2.03 ng m −3 , 2.5 pg m −3 , and 8.2 pg m −3 in spring, and 2.09 ng m −3 , 4.3 pg m −3 , and 8.3 pg m −3 in fall. Reactive mercury (RGM + Hg P 2.5 ) represented < 1% of total atmospheric mercury (GEM + RGM + Hg P 2.5 ), which indicated that most mercury export in the MBL was GEM and the direct outflow of reactive mercury was very small. Moreover, GEM concentrations over the BS were generally higher than those over the YS both in spring and fall. Although RGM showed a homogeneous distribution over the BS and YS both in spring and fall, the mean RGM concentration in fall was significantly higher than that in spring. In contrast, the spatial distribution of Hg P 2.5 generally reflected a gradient with high levels near the coast of China and low levels in the open sea, suggesting the significant atmospheric mercury outflow from China. Interestingly, the mean RGM concentrations during daytime were significantly higher than those during nighttime both in spring and fall, while the opposite results were observed for Hg P 2.5 . Additionally, RGM positively correlates with air temperature while negatively correlates with relative humidity. In conclusion, the elevated atmospheric mercury levels in the BS and YS compared to other open seas suggested that the human activities had a significant influence on the oceanic mercury cycle downwind of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We determined the concentrations of gaseous element mercury (GEM) and particulate mercury (Hg P ) in the Asian marine boundary layer (MBL) during the spring and fall of 2013 and 2014 to investigate the spatial-temporal distributions of GEM and Hg P . A cascade impactor was used to collect Hg P in nine size fractions ranging from 10 μm to <0.4 μm. The concentrations of Hg P in PM 10 (hereafter referred to as HgP 10) tended to decrease from the land to the open sea both in spring and fall. The mean (±SD) concentrations of HgP 10 during spring and fall were 15.3 ± 9.1 and 15.8 ± 4.4 pg m −3 respectively, while the mean GEM concentration during the entire study period was 2.02 ± 1.08 ng m −3 (N = 12,341), which was much higher than those of other remote oceans. Moreover, the size distributions of Hg P was bi-modal during spring, and Hg P was found mainly (57%) in coarse fractions (2.1–10 μm), while Hg P was dominated by fine particles (<2.1 μm) during fall. The concentrations of GEM and HgP 10 in the Bohai Sea (BS) were generally higher than those in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. Furthermore, the HgP 10 concentrations were slightly higher during fall than during spring except the data measured in the BS for its specific location. The average dry deposition fluxes of Hg P were calculated to be 2.77 ng m −2 d −1 during spring and 1.92 ng m −2 d −1 during fall, respectively, which were comparable to those measured at rural sites in North America, but considerably lower than those measured in urban cities in China. Additionally, compared to fine particles, coarse particles contributed more than 90% to the total dry deposition of Hg P due to higher deposition velocities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]