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As a significant source of nutrients and other components into the coastal ocean, submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is a combination of multiple spatial‐temporal scale processes, including fresh terrestrial groundwater (FSGD), recirculating seawater (RSGD), and porewater exchange (PEX). Quantifying the different types of SGD is extremely important for understanding the coastal biogeochemical cycles of various materials. The green tide bloom in the southern Yellow Sea (China) has attracted increasing attention during the past decade. Haizhou Bay is thought to be an important green tide proliferating area, but the source of an apparent high supply of nutrients has not been identified yet. We report here on our investigations of the distribution patterns of Ra and Rn isotopes in groundwater and seawater in Haizhou Bay. By solving a combined mass balance for 224Ra, 223Ra, 226Ra, and 222Rn, we estimated that the bay's water residence time is 28.8 days, FSGD is highest at 3.6 cm d−1, RSGD is 2.7 cm d−1, and PEX is lowest at 0.6 cm d−1. The total SGD into Haizhou Bay is estimated at 9.40 × 107 m3 d−1 (6.9 cm d−1), about 12 times that of the local river discharge into the bay. SGD‐derived nutrients are shown to play an important role when considered among all known nutrient sources. Our results suggest that dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and silicate (DSi) are transported by SGD mainly via FSGD. We also note that the phosphorus (DIP) budget is heavily influenced by RSGD. Plain Language Summary: Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) has been drawing attention as an important benthic boundary exchange pathway in the global marginal seas. As any water flow entering the sea, SGD may happen on small scales (centimeters, minutes to hours) as porewater exchange (PEX), and/or large scales (>meters, days to seasons) as fresh groundwater discharge (FSGD) and seawater recirculation (RSGD) in the subterranean estuary. To better understand its significance, it is necessary to interpret multi‐scale SGD processes and quantify associated nutrients fluxes accordingly. In this study, different types of SGD and associated nutrient fluxes were quantified based on multiple radium and radon isotopes in Haizhou Bay, China, which is one of the world's largest green tide proliferating areas. The FSGD and RSGD were found to be the main processes, accounting for more than 90% of the total SGD fluxes. SGD was recognized as a key nutrient source in Haizhou Bay, which is more than one order of magnitude higher than that of the local river discharge. This study highlights the crucial role of benthic boundary exchange for the health of marine ecosystem and sustainability of the future ocean. Key Points: Multi‐scale submarine groundwater discharge processes were differentiated and quantified via a multi‐isotope mass balance approachThe flux of fresh groundwater was about 30% higher than recirculated saline groundwater, and about 6 times higher than porewater exchangeFresh groundwater is a main nutrient source to Haizhou Bay, but recirculated saline groundwater makes a larger contribution to DIP inputs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The prediction of axillary lymph node status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) becoming critical because of the advocation of the de-escalation of axillary management. We investigate associated factors of axillary upstaging in clinical node-negative (cN0) breast cancer patients receiving NAC to develop and validate an accurate prediction nomogram. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 1892 breast cancer patients with stage of cT1-3N0 treated by NAC and subsequent surgery between 2010 and 2020 in twenty hospitals across China. Patients randomly divided into a training set and validation set (3:1). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed, after which a nomogram was constructed and validated. Results: In total, pathologic node negativity (ypN0) achieved in 1406 (74.3%) patients and another 486 (25.7%) patients upstaged to pathologic node positive (ypN+). Breast pathologic complete response (bpCR) was achieved in 445 (23.5%) patients and non-bpCR in 1447 (76.5%) patients. A nomogram was established by ER, tumor histology, HER2 status, cycle of NAC treatment, and the bpCR, which were confirmed by multivariate logistic analysis as independent predictors of nodal upstaging in the training cohort (n = 1419). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the training cohort and validation cohort (n = 473) were 0.73 (95% CI 0.693–0.751) and 0.77 (95% CI 0.723–0.812) respectively. Conclusion: We present a nomogram with a nationwide large sample data which can effectively predict axillary upstaging after neoadjuvant chemotherapy to give better advice for individualized axillary lymph node management of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The bone scan (BS) is widely used in follow-up to detect bone metastasis (BM) in breast cancer (BC) patients presenting bone-related symptoms after surgery. However, it remains controversial whether asymptomatic BS (intensive postoperative BS) screening could be translated into a survival benefit. Therefore, we conducted this multicenter real-world study to understand the prognostic impact of intensive postoperative BS screening among 1059 Chinese patients with BM during the years 2005–2013. This study showed that intensive postoperative BS screening was an independent prognostic factor and prolonged the survival in patients with BC with BM. The prognostic value of intensive BS screening was consistently favorable for survival in patients at clinical high-risk. These findings suggested that intensive BS screening was important for improving survival, and should be recommended for postoperative surveillance, especially for patients with a high risk of recurrence and metastasis. The prognostic value of intensive postoperative bone scan (BS) screening, which is performed in asymptomatic patients with breast cancer (BC) after surgery, remained unclear. Patients diagnosed with BC with bone metastasis (BM) from five medical centers in China during the years 2005–2013 were retrospectively collected. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance the baseline characteristics. The survival outcomes were overall survival (OS) and overall survival after BM (OSABM). Among 1059 eligible patients, 304 underwent intensive postoperative BS while 755 did not. During a median follow-up of 6.67 years (95%CI 6.45, 7.21), intensive postoperative BS prolonged the median OS by 1.63 years (Log-Rank p = 0.006) and OSABM by 0.66 years (Log-Rank p = 0.002). Intensive postoperative BS was an independent prognostic factor for both OS (adjusted HR 0.77, 95%CI 0.64, 0.93, adjusted p = 0.006) and OSABM (adjusted HR 0.71, 95%CI 0.60, 0.86, adjusted p < 0.001). The prognostic value of intensive postoperative BS was consistently favorable for OS among clinical high-risk patients, including those with ages younger than 50, stage II, histology grade G3 and ER-Her2- subtype. This multicenter real-world study showed that intensive postoperative BS screening improved survival for BC patients with BM and should probably be recommended for postoperative surveillance, especially for patients at clinical high-risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Previous studies have suggested that reproductive factors are associated with breast cancer risk. Breast cancer subtypes have distinct natural characteristics and may also have unique risk profiles. The purpose of this study was to determine whether reproductive factors affect the risk of breast cancer by estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2 status. Methods A multicenter, case-control study was conducted. There were 1170 breast cancer patients and 1170 age- and hospital-matched females included in the analysis. Self-reported data were collected about lifestyle behaviors, including reproductive factors. Breast cancer cases were categorized subtypes according to ER, PR, and HER2 expression as HR- positive, HER2-enriched, and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Having ≤1 child increased risk of HR-positive breast cancer (OR 1.882; 95%CI 1.29-2.74), especially in the premenopausal group (OR 2.212; 95%CI 1.23-3.99). Compared with women who first gave birth after age 30 years, earlier age at first birth decreased the risk of HR-positive breast cancer (≤23 years: OR 0.209; 95%CI 0.14-0.30; 24-29 years: OR 0.256; 95%CI 0.18-0.36; P <.001). Compared with those who had an average breastfed/birth period of more than 2 years, those with an average period less than 6 months had an elevated risk of all subtypes (HR positive: OR 2.690; 95%CI 1.71-4.16, P <.001; HER2-enriched: OR 3.779; 95%CI, 1.62-8.79, P =.001; TNBC: OR 2.564; 95%CI 1.11-5.94, P =.022). For postmenopausal patients, shorter period of lifetime menstrual cycles (≤30 years) had an obviously decreased risk in HR-positive cases (OR 0.397; 95%CI 0.22-0.71), while there was no similar appearance in other molecular subtypes. Conclusion The results suggest that reproductive behaviors affect risk of breast cancer differently according to ER/PR and HER2 status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PM2.5-bound metal contaminants are associated with multiple chronic diseases in human. At global level, the contamination status has not been well controlled yet. Here we report findings from a long-term air pollution surveillance in Jinan city of Shandong, China. During 2014–2022, the dynamics and trends of PM2.5-bound heavy metal contaminants were monitored in an industrial area and a downtown area. The surveillance targets included: antimony (Sb), aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), selenium (Se). The human exposure and health risks were calculated and we found that the health risks of most contaminants showed peak values in autumn and winter. But Al, Mn, Hg and Be were found to result in highest health risk in spring or summer in the downtown area. In the industrial area we identified 100% alarming health index >1 (ranged from 1.12 to 3.35) in autumn and winter. In winter the total non-carcinogenic HI was all above 1 (peak value 2.21). Mn and As together posed >85% non-carcinogenic risk. As and Cd were ranked as major drivers of carcinogenic risks (5.84 × 10−6 and 2.78 × 10−6). Pd and Cd both showed non-negligible environmental levels but risk assessment model for their air-exposure associated non-carcinogenic risks are not yet available. This study updates air pollution data and status for air pollution status in China. This study provides valuable 9 year long-term reference to experimental and field studies in the related fields. [Display omitted] • PM2.5-bound metals demonstrate element- and season-dependent environmental performances. • Jinan industrial area showed alarming health risk in cold seasons of 2014–2022. • Mn and As together pose >85% of total non-carcinogenic health risk associated with PM2.5-bound metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symptoms of eutrophication (including biodiversity loss, harmful algal blooms, and hypoxia) are an increasing problem in Chinese seas. Nutrient enrichment is primarily caused by accelerated human activities that cause nutrient pollution of the aquatic environment. In this study, the Integrated Model to Assess the Global Environment–Global Nutrient Model (IMAGE‐GNM) was used to estimate nitrogen inputs from river discharge, submarine fresh groundwater discharge, and mariculture, and TM5‐FAst Scenario Screening Tool (TM5‐FASST) for atmospheric nitrogen deposition to the three Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs, i.e., Yellow Sea/Bohai Sea, YS/BS; East China Sea, ECS; South China Sea, SCS) bordered by China and several other countries for the period 1970–2010. China's river nitrogen export was the largest nitrogen source in YS/BS and ECS. In SCS, however, China and other countries contributed equally and although decreasing, the proportion of natural sources remain considerable. The total nitrogen inputs to YS/BS (1.0 to 4.1 Tg year−1), ECS (1.3 to 5.5 Tg year−1), and SCS (2.1 to 5.8 Tg year−1) increased rapidly during 1970–2010. River export is dominated by agriculture; nitrogen inputs from atmospheric deposition and mariculture have been increasing rapidly in recent years. Considering only the coastal zone of the three LMEs, our results show that the total nitrogen inputs are strongly concentrated spatially in areas close to river mouths and those confined regions with mariculture production. To sustain the food production and economic growth in the coming decades, nitrogen inputs may increase further, depending on future eutrophication mitigation policies. Plain Language Summary: Nitrogen is a limiting nutrient for plant production. Excessive nitrogen use in agriculture and discharge from wastewater is the primary causes of eutrophication in aquatic environments. Symptoms of eutrophication (including biodiversity loss, harmful algal blooms (HABs), and hypoxia) are an increasing problem in Chinese seas. Here we quantified the nitrogen inputs from river export, atmospheric deposition, submarine fresh groundwater discharge, and mariculture to the Yellow Sea/Bohai Sea (YS/BS), East China Sea (ECS), and South China Sea (SCS) bordered by China and other countries for the period 1970–2010. Nitrogen inputs increased rapidly, mainly due to increasing land‐based sources (river export and atmospheric deposition), while nitrogen from mariculture started to increase recently. River export is dominated by agriculture with growing proportions of sewage and freshwater aquaculture. Nitrogen inputs were spatially concentrated and increased faster in Chinese coastal waters than in other countries. China's contribution to nitrogen pollution exceeded that of other countries in YS/BS and ECS, while China and other countries contributed equally in SCS. Nitrogen concentrations and HAB frequency in the seas seem to be correlated as both increased substantially since 1970s. Mitigation of nitrogen pollution is therefore urgent because human activities that trigger nitrogen discharge may increase further in future. Key Points: Since 1970, N inputs to Chinese seas increased rapidly due to rapidly increasing river export, atmospheric deposition, and maricultureRiver export is the largest source, with a dominant contribution from agriculture and recently growing shares of aquaculture and sewageN inputs are spatially concentrated and increase much faster in Chinese coastal waters than in other countries [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between dairy intake and breast cancer risk has not been well investigated, especially in the Chinese population. This study aimed to examine the association between the weekly frequency of dairy intake and the risk of breast cancer among women in Northern and Eastern China, and to investigate whether the association varied by hormone receptor status. A total of 1,286 cases of breast cancer and 1,461 controls were enrolled in this study. Dairy intake was obtained using a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Frequency of dairy intake per week was divided into four categories (<1 day/week, 1–2 days/week, 3–4 days/week and 5–7 days/week). Unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Stratified analyses were performed by residence, age, and education level. Separate analyses were also conducted for different estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status. This analysis revealed that weekly frequency of dairy intake was strongly inversely associated with breast cancer risk, with an adjusted OR for intake 5–7 days/week of 0.53 (95% CI=0.39–0.72, P<0.001 for trend). In the stratified analyses, women who consumed dairy 5–7 days/week had a lower risk of breast cancer in urban areas (OR=0.45, 95% CI=0.30–0.66, P<0.001 for trend), in the group 45–59 years old (OR=0.39, 95% CI=0.26–0.60, P<0.001 for trend), and in the group educated to senior high school or above (OR=0.39, 95% CI=0.25–0.59, P<0.001 for trend). There was an inverse association between the weekly frequency of dairy intake and the risk of ER+, PR+, and ER+PR+ breast cancer (all P<0.001 for trend). These results indicated that the weekly frequency of dairy intake was inversely associated with the risk of breast cancer among women in Northern and Eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Considering the lack of efficient breast cancer prediction models suitable for general population screening in China. We aimed to develop a risk prediction model to identify high-risk populations, to help with primary prevention of breast cancer among Han Chinese women.Methods: A cause-specific competing risk model was used to develop the Han Chinese Breast Cancer Prediction model. Data from the Shandong Case-Control Study (328 cases and 656 controls) and Taixing Prospective Cohort Study (13,176 participants) were used to develop and validate the model. The expected/observed (E/O) ratio and C-statistic were calculated to evaluate calibration and discriminative accuracy of the model, respectively.Results: Compared with the reference level, the relative risks (RRs) for highest level of number of abortions, age at first live birth, history of benign breast disease, body mass index (BMI), family history of breast cancer, and life satisfaction scores were 6.3, 3.6, 4.3, 1.9, 3.3, 2.4, respectively. The model showed good calibration and discriminatory accuracy with an E/O ratio of 1.03 and C-statistic of 0.64.Conclusions: We developed a risk prediction model including fertility status and relevant disease history, as well as other modifiable risk factors. The model demonstrated good calibration and discrimination ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radium (Ra) isotopes are useful for tracing water mass transport and examining estuarine hydrological dynamics. In this study, several hydrological parameters, nutrients, chlorophyll- a (chl- a), suspended particulate matter (SPM) and Ra isotopes (Ra, Ra and 226Ra) of surface waters of the Zhujiang (Pearl) River estuary (ZRE) were measured. This was done for both winter (December) and summer (July) seasons, to quantitatively understand the seasonal characteristics of river plume flow rate and trajectories, as well as the ecological response. The results show that Ra concentrations in summer were higher than in winter, especially Ra (about 2-5 times higher). The spatial distribution of three Ra isotopes and relative Ra water ages indicated that river water mainly flushed out of ZRE through the western side in winter, where the water transport was about 5 days faster than in the eastern zone. In summer, diluted river water expended to the east side, resulting in fairly similar water ages for both sides of the river mouth. Although nutrients were higher during the summer season, lower chl- a concentrations indicated that reduced primary production might be caused by high SPM (low light penetration). The results obtained from this study will provide knowledge needed for effectively developing and managing the ZRE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dam construction in river systems affects the biogeochemistry of nitrogen (N), yet most studies on N cycling in reservoirs do not consider the transformations and retention of the different N species. This study addresses the N inputs, transport, transformations, and retention in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) in the Changjiang River, the world largest water storage project, during its filling phase in 2004-2007. The results indicate that dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) was the most abundant N form in the TGR and particulate N was only 2% to the total N flow and retention. About 34% of the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), 64% of nitrite, and 44% of ammonia were retained by transformation within the TGR in 2007. Time-series data show that about 8% of inflowing total dissolved N was lost by denitrification and sedimentation. Transformations of DON, nitrite and ammonia caused an increase of the nitrate load by 6%; and at the same time the DIN flux increased by 4% while the water moved through the TGR, which is the balance between formation and retention of DIN. The large contribution of biogeochemical transformations to nitrate loading in the TGR indicates the importance of internal processing for the river N species composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on literature data and shipboard observations, this study investigated the main environmental characteristics of the seafloor topography, current field, front, and upwelling that are closely related to hypoxia occurrence off the Changjiang estuary. The physical processes of the plume front and upwelling off the Changjiang estuary in summer were coupled. The vertical distribution pattern of the plume front was closely related to the upwelling. By reviewing and analyzing the historical summer hypoxia events off the Changjiang estuary, we statistically demonstrated the spatial structure of the horizontal distribution of the hypoxic zone and investigated the location of occurrence zone of the hypoxia. We found that the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration on the inner continental shelf off the estuary showed a 'V' shape in relation to station depth. Therefore, we noted that the hypoxic water on the inner continental shelf mostly occurred on the slopes with steep seafloor topography. Base on the current understanding of the hypoxic mechanisms off the Changjiang estuary, we analyzed the biogeochemical mechanisms that could cause the steep terrain off the Changjiang estuary to become the main areas prone to summer hypoxia and explained the internal relations between the location of the hypoxic zone on the slopes and the plume front and upwelling. The plume front and upwelling off the Changjiang estuary and their coupling were important driving forces of summer hypoxia. The continuous supply of nutrients affected by the interaction of the plume front extension of the Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW) and upwelling and the favorable light conditions were important mechanisms causing the phytoplankton blooms and benthic hypoxia off the Changjiang estuary in summer. By analyzing oxygen utilization, organic carbon mineralization, and nutrient regeneration in the hypoxic zone, we observed that the significant oxygen utilization process off the Changjiang estuary in summer also mainly occurred near the steep slopes with front and upwelling features and confirmed the apparent nutrient loss in the benthic hypoxic zone. Meanwhile, our analysis revealed that the sediment resuspension in the benthic boundary layer in the mud areas off the Changjiang estuary could also affect the oxygen utilization and mineralization of organic carbon and nutrient recycling and regeneration. This study also demonstrated that the steep terrain off the Changjiang estuary was the main location for summer acidification, and the coupling between the plume front and upwelling on the steep slopes was an important physical driving force inducing summer benthic acidification. Finally, we discussed issues to address in future studies of the hypoxic zone and water acidification off the Changjiang estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Although obesity has been reported worldwide as a risk factor for breast cancer, there are still some inconsistencies regarding the association between obesity and breast cancer. Body mass index (BMI) is used most to assess the extent of obesity; however, the association of other body size characteristics, such as waist and hip circumference, with susceptibility to breast cancer in Chinese Han women needs to be better assessed. Patients and Methods. Female Chinese Han patients (N = 2,800) were recruited from 21 hospitals in northern and eastern China from April 2012 to April 2013 for a case-control study.The significant differences of factors related to body size between the breast-cancer case and control groups were determined by Student's t test and chi-square tests. Results. Premenopausal women with breast cancer had higher BMI and larger waist and hip circumferences (p = 2 x 10-4, <1 x 10-6, and 2 x 10-5, respectively). However, these body-size factors were not associated with postmenopausal breast cancer (p = .45,0.32, and 0.12, respectively). BMI between 28 and 30 kg/m² or greater than 32 kg/m² was related to breast cancer incidence in the overall study population and in premenopausal women but not in the postmenopausal group. Conclusion. Obesity is significantly associated with breast cancer in Chinese Han premenopausal women but not in postmenopausal women. Thus, it is important to realize that weight control, as well as avoiding abdominal obesity, should be considered as one of the most effective methods of reducing breast cancer risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diatoms are widely distributed in many temperate areas and some species frequently form extensive blooms in spring. Hence, monitoring the variations of specific genera or species of diatoms is necessary for studying phytoplankton population dynamics in marine ecosystems. To test whether pigment ratios can be used to identify diatoms at a below-class taxonomic level, we analyzed 14 species/strains of diatoms isolated from Chinese seas using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). We normalized all pigment concentrations to total chlorophyll a to calculate the ratios of pigment to chlorophyll a, and calculated the ratios between accessory pigments (or pigment sums). Cluster analysis indicated that these diatoms could be classified into four clusters in terms of three accessory pigment ratios: chlorophyll c: chlorophyll c, fucoxanthin:total chlorophyll c and diadinoxanthin:diatoxanthin. The classification results matched well with those of biological taxonomy. To test the stability of the classification, pigment data from one species, cultured under different light intensities, and five new species/strains were calculated and used for discriminant analysis. The results show that the classification of diatom species using pigment ratio suites was stable for the variations of pigment ratios of species cultured in different light intensities. The introduction of new species, however, may confuse the classification within the current scheme. Classification of marine diatoms using pigment ratio suites is potentially valuable for the fine chemotaxonomy of phytoplankton at taxonomic levels below class and would advance studies on phytoplankton population dynamics and marine ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We conducted studies of phytoplankton and hydrological variables in a semi-enclosed bay in northern China to understand the spatial–temporal variability and relationship between these variables. Samples were collected during seven cruises in Jiaozhou Bay from November 2003 to October 2004, and were analyzed for temperature, nutrients and phytoplankton pigments. Pigments from eight possible phytoplankton classes (Diatoms, Dinoflagellates, Chlorophyceae, Prasinophyceae, Chrysophyceae, Haptophyceae, Cryptophyceae and Caynophyceae) were detected in surface water by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Phytoplankton pigment and nutrient concentrations in Jiaozhou Bay were spatially and temporally variable, and most of them were highest in the northern and eastern parts of the sampling regions in spring (May) and summer (August), close to areas of shellfish culturing, river estuaries, dense population and high industrialization, reflecting human activities. Chlorophyll a was recorded in all samples, with an annual mean concentration of 1.892μgL−1, and fucoxanthin was the most abundant accessory pigment, with a mean concentration of 0.791μgL−1. The highest concentrations of chlorophyll a (15.299μgL−1) and fucoxanthin (9.417μgL−1) were observed in May 2004 at the station close to the Qingdao Xiaogang Ferry, indicating a spring bloom of Diatoms in this area. Although chlorophyll a and other biomarker pigments showed significant correlations, none of them showed strong correlations with temperature and nutrients, suggesting an apparent de-coupling between the pigments and these hydrological variables. The nutrient composition and phytoplankton community composition of Jiaozhou Bay have changed significantly in the past several decades, reflecting the increasing nutrient concentrations and decline of phytoplankton cell abundance. The unchanged total chlorophyll a levels indicated that smaller species have filled the niche vacated by the larger species in Jiaozhou Bay, as revealed by our biomarker pigment analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Huanghe River (Yellow River) had been the second largest river in the world in terms of sediment load to the sea; however, the river water discharge and sediment flux to the sea and their seasonal variability have been significantly altered by the dam activities and recent water–sediment regulation. These changes are believed to have important impacts on the flux of phosphorus that is generally transported in particulate form. In this article, the samples of suspended particulate matter (SPM) were collected at the Lijin Station during two high-discharge events in 2005 and were separated by particle size. Sequential extractions were applied to determine the forms of P in different particle size fractions and to assess the potential bio-availability of particulate phosphorus (PP). Based on the in-laboratory measurement, the impacts of different hydrological regimes on the source of PP and its bio-availability were also analyzed. The results indicate that exchangeable, organic, authigenic, and refractory P were preferentially associated with clay, very fine, and fine silt fractions. Detrital P was mainly associated with the medium and coarse silt fractions. Detrital P and authigenic P (two forms of calcium bound phosphorus) were the dominant fractions in all samples. Thus, the potential bio-available PP (exchangeable P and organic P) was mainly associated with the finer particles, such as clay. Higher content of exchangeable, organic, authigenic, and residual P and lower content of detrital P were found during the period of rainstorm compared to that of WSR. P forms and partitioning of P forms among different particle size fractions were assumed to depend on the sources of SPM. It is likely that the pathways and fates of PP forms were controlled by damming and by the related changes of hydrological regime. Therefore, anthropogenic changes of hydrological regime and particle size dominanted the amount and distribution pattern of bio-available P transportation to the estuary and the adjacent sea, which will have profound impacts on the marine ecosystems at the Huanghe River Estuary and even the Bohai Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Provenance discrimination of marine sediments is an important topic in marine geology. Although the catchments of the Changjiang and Huanghe Rivers are regarded as the main sources of sediments on the shelves of the China Sea, identification of detailed sediment provenance is necessary for understanding sediment transport patterns and the paleoenvironment. Magnetic properties of both bulk sediment samples and different-sized particles from the Changjiang and Huanghe Estuaries are studied to discuss the origin of the sediments. The results show that the sediments are dominated by ferrimagnetic magnetite with a minor content of anti-ferromagnetic minerals such as hematite, and a higher concentration of ferrimagnetic minerals is observed for the Changjiang Estuary sediments. The crystal grains of ferrimagnetic minerals in the Changjiang Estuary are coarser than those in the Huanghe Estuary, whereas superparamagnetic grains significantly contribute to the Huanghe sediments. Magnetic parameters of χ SIRM, SOFT and χ ARM from different-sized particles present more obvious differences than these parameters from bulk particles, and S−100 and S−300 for both bulk samples and different-sized particles show distinct differences between the sediments from the two estuaries. Therefore the latter parameters are more useful to distinguish sediment origins. A comparison of the magnetic properties of sediments in these two estuaries with those on the shelves of the adjacent China Sea also suggests that the analysis of sediment magnetic properties is effective to identify sediment provenances. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Uranium isotopes were measured in waters and suspended particulate matters (SPM) of the main channel of Yellow River, China that were sampled during four field trips between August 2005 and July 2006. The results show that the concentration of dissolved U (2.04–7.83μg/l) and the activity ratio of 234U/238U (1.36–1.67) are much higher than the average U concentrations and activity ratios of global major rivers. Mass balance calculations using the results of simulated experiments and measurement data show that the section of the Yellow River between Lanzhou and Sanmenxia has its dissolved U derived from two sources: suspended sediments (68%) and groundwater/runoff from loess deposits (32%). Both sources are related to the heavy erosion of the Chinese Loess Plateau. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The dynamic analysis and fault diagnosis of ESP well are critical section of ESP wells' management. The results of conventional working condition analysis with current card, production performance and well history are not accurate. By providing the ESP with a downhole tractometer, real-time recording of unit operation parameters is realized, which provides more and visual information for dynamic analysis and fault diagnose, thus comprehensive and correct analysis of working condition can be performed to find out fault causes and further to tap oil well potential. This paper summarizes the types of ESP fault in a simple way by in-depth analyzing and plotting the ESP tractometer data. Field application shows that the above analysis method is a preferred way and worth popularizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial and archaeal communities play important roles in wetland ecosystems. Although the microbial communities in the soils and sediments of wetlands have been studied extensively, the comprehensive distributions of planktonic bacterial and archaeal communities and their responses to environmental variables in wetlands remain poorly understood. The present study investigated the spatiotemporal characteristics of the bacterial and archaeal communities in the water of an artificially irrigated estuarine wetland of the Liaohe River, China, explored whether the wetland effluent changed the bacterial and archaeal communities in the Liaohe River, and evaluated the driving environmental factors. Within the study, 16S rRNA quantitative PCR methods and MiSeq high-throughput sequencing were used. The bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene abundances showed significant temporal variation. Meanwhile, the bacterial and archaeal structures showed temporal but not spatial variation in the wetland and did not change in the Liaohe River after wetland drainage. Moreover, the bacterial communities tended to have higher diversity in the wetland water in summer and in the scarce zone, while a relatively higher diversity of archaeal communities was found in autumn and in the intensive zone. DO, pH and PO4-P were proven to be the essential environmental parameters shaping the planktonic bacterial and archaeal community structures in the Liaohe River estuarine wetland (LEW). The LEW had a high potential for methanogenesis, which could be reflected by the composition of the microbial communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) are ubiquitous in marine environments. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether these brGDGTs are derived from terrestrial soils or produced in situ. Recently, it was proposed that the weighted average number of cyclopentane moieties of tetramethylated brGDGTs, #Rings tetra , could be used to identify sources of sedimentary brGDGTs in marine environments. However, little is known about #Rings tetra in seawater. In this study, we report #Rings tetra data in suspended particulate materials (SPM) in the surface shelf waters of the East China Sea (ECS) and coastal South China Sea (SCS), as well as in core-top sediments of the deep SCS. According to a two-end member model, #Rings tetra values in SPM increase offshore from 0.48 to 0.86 in the ECS and from 0.39 to 0.83 in the SCS, suggesting increasing marine-produced brGDGTs. An offshore increasing trend of #Rings tetra is also observed in the shelf surface sediments of the ECS and SCS, suggesting increased contributions of marine-produced brGDGTs. However, the offshore increasing trend in core-top sediments of the SCS ceases at a water depth ca. 100 m, with constantly low #Rings tetra values (0.3 ± 0.1) at sites deeper than 780 m and a transition value of 0.58 at 329 m. Instead of interpreting the low #Rings tetra values in deep-sea sediments as the result of increased contributions of terrestrial-derived brGDGTs, we propose that brGDGTs in deep-sea sediments are produced in situ. The lower pH in the deep-sea bottom water and sediment porewater than in the seawater column could be the reason for the low #Rings tetra values. We further propose that pH reconstructions of deep-sea sediment cores (e.g., >1000 m water depth) with the least terrestrial influence should reflect pH changes in marine bottom environments. • BrGDGTs data in SPM and sediments in China Seas; • #Rings tetra increases with water depth in shelf areas due to more marine brGDGT production; • Low #Rings tetra values in deep sea sediments are not soil signal but due to low pH in situ. • BrGDGTs in deep sea sediments with little terrestrial source have the potential to reconstruct bottom water pH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's seed industry innovation strategy is considered a key measure to guarantee grain green production. However, there has been no scholarly focus on the implementation process in different regional characteristics. This exploration has important reference to bridging the gap between seed innovation in developing and developed countries. In this study, we used the 2012–2021 provincial panel data in China, the two-way fixed effect model, instrumental variable method and least squares method were used to investigate the impact of seed industry innovation on the green total factor productivity of grain with different regional characteristics. The study results show that the seed industry innovation promotes green production of grain. When total factor productivity of grain is decomposed into green technical progress and green technical efficiency, seed industry innovation has a significant positive impact on both of them. This meant that seed industry innovation not only improved the efficiency of green food production but also led to the promotion of green food production technology. In addition, regional resource misallocation inhibited grain green production and acted as a negative moderator for seed industry innovation. In contrast, regional environmental regulation and absorptive capacity act as positive moderators. Finally, we analyzed the heterogeneity of grain functional areas and found that grain main production provinces and grain production and consumption balance provinces had similar conclusions. However, capital misallocation and absorptive capacity did not significantly moderate the impact of seed innovation on green total factor productivity of grain in the gain main consumption provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The speciation, potential bioavailability and preservation of phosphorus (P) in surface sediments of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Estuary and adjacent East China Sea (ECS) inner shelf were investigated through the analyses of P fractions and sediment bulk properties. A sequential extraction method (SEDEX) was used to separate and quantify the following six sedimentary P reservoirs: exchangeable P (Ex–P), authigenic P (Au–P), detrital P (De–P), organic P (Or–P), refractory P (Re–P) and Fe-bound P (Fe–P). Total P (TP) in surface sediments ranged from 15.0 to 21.4 μmol g−1 and was highest near the Changjiang river mouth. The average contribution of each form of P to TP was 55.6% (De–P), 17.8% (Re–P), 16.1% (Or–P), 5.5% (Au–P), 2.5% (Ex–P) and 2.5% (Fe–P), respectively. De–P showed relatively higher concentrations in the river mouth and the ECS shelf region, off the Changjiang Estuary. High concentrations of Or–P were found mainly in mud areas showing a similar distribution pattern with silt, sediment surface area (SSA), and total organic carbon (TOC). Re–P was mainly distributed near the estuarine area and the Zhe–Min coast. Bioavailable P (BAP), accounted for 9.5–32.0% of TP (with a mean of 21.2%) and showed a similar distribution pattern to that of Or–P. De–P/SSA and TOC/SSA loadings both decreased with increasing of SSA, while Or–P/SSA loadings varied little with SSA, indicating that Or–P may have reached an adsorption–desorption equilibrium on mineral surfaces. TOC to total organic P (TOP; sum of Re–P and Or–P) ratios less than the Redfield ratio (84 in average) may have indicated efficient remineralization of organic matter in mobile muds of the Changjiang Estuary and adjacent ECS inner shelf. Furthermore, the relatively high TOC/Or–P ratios (72–422 with a mean of 188) likely suggest a higher degree of preferential regeneration of labile Or–P over TOC in sediments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The estuarine-inner shelf region of the East China Sea (ECS) is a major sink of the Yangtze River-derived fine-grained sediments and associated organic materials. In this work, surface sediment samples from a matrix of seventy-three sites that extend from the Yangtze River estuary (YRE) to the southern inner shelf were measured for their elemental, stable isotopic and molecular indices to provide a process-oriented study on the sources, distribution and fate of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) in this region. The results indicated that the re-suspension and alongshore transport of sediments could play a key role on the accumulation of SOM in the area. In addition to the physical reworking, the low C/N ratios and the enriched δ13C values could also be likely related to the presence of microorganism-derived organic matter (OM) and soil-derived OM. The composition and principal component analyses of the n-alkanes indicated that the majority of the riverine terrigenous SOM was primarily restricted within the mud deposits along the coastal ECS. The wide occurrence and southward increasing trend of high molecular weight n-alkanes along the coastal ECS suggest an effective preferential dispersal of the terrigenous organic components. However, the local supply of the marine-derived OM potentially promotes the subsequent degradation of these terrigenous OM, which are likely responsible for the decreasing trend of the carbon preference index (CPI25–33) from the northern YRE to the southern inner shelf. This indicates that the transported SOM from the YRE could become more homogenized as it moved toward the southern inner shelf. The presence of unresolved complex mixtures (UCM), lower Pr/Ph ratios and patterns of more stable geochemical biomarkers (hopanes and steranes) in the nearshore region reveals a petroleum contamination in the coastal environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The phylum Bathyarchaeota, which has high species and functional diversity, is abundant and widespread in marine sediments. In this study, the abundance and communities of Bathyarchaeota in surface sediment samples from the southern Yellow Sea (SYS) and northern East China Sea were investigated. The high numbers of Bathyarchaeota 16S rRNA gene copies indicated that Bathyarchaeota plays an important role in the biogeochemical cycles in these surface sediments. In total, 16 subgroups of Bathyarchaeota were detected, with Bathy-8 having the highest relative abundance in nearshore surface sediment samples. Redundancy analysis showed that the water depth, temperature and salinity were the most influential factors determining the Bathyarchaeota community spatial distribution. In addition, the diversity index and Chao1 estimator values were negatively correlated with the temperature and water depth, respectively (P < 0.05). Our results improve the understanding of the Bathyarchaeota diversity and the environmental conditions influencing the Bathyarchaeota distribution in surface sediment samples. • The high numbers of Bathyarchaeota 16S rRNA gene copies were detected in the surface sediments from the SYS and NECS. • Bathy-8 having the highest relative abundance in nearshore surface sediment samples of the SYS and NECS. • Water depth, temperature and salinity can significantly influence the Bathyarchaeota community in surface sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial organic carbon (OC) burial in marginal seas comprises an important marine carbon sink. However, controls on the evolution of OC during sediment transport within and beyond river basins remain poorly constrained. OC contents and isotopic compositions (δ13C and Δ14C), and specific surface areas (SSA) of river particles of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) and Huanghe (Yellow River) and surface sediments in the Eastern China Marginal Seas (ECMS) were determined to better understand controls of OC composition and age along these two major river sedimentary systems of China. Although petrogenic OC (OC petro) content (0.02%) of particulate organic carbon (POC) in the Huanghe is lower than the Changjiang (0.09%), the radiocarbon age of Huanghe POC (4500 ± 420 yr) is significantly older than Changjiang POC (3230 ± 315 yr). Biospheric OC (OC bio) of POC in the Huanghe (0.32 ± 0.08%) is primarily derived from pre-aged soils in contrast to OC bio of Changjiang POC (0.87 ± 0.23%) - mainly from modern litter biomass. However, the age of OC in the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea surface sediments is younger than those in the East China Sea (2335 ± 590 yr vs. 4135 ± 725 yr). Removal of most terrestrial OC bio during transport results in diagenetic aging in the Changjiang estuary (via frequent physical reworking in highly oxidized mobile-muds) and the remaining terrestrial OC bio experiences further aging during along-shore transport (i.e., transport time-associated aging). However, the continuous addition of young marine OC with little loss of the terrestrial OC bio occurs along the Huanghe system, which is mainly due to the relatively weak sediment dynamics and the high proportion of pre-aged OC in Huanghe POC. Compared with other globally significant river sedimentary systems, the evolution pattern of OC in the Huanghe system is similar to those of small mountain river-active margin systems, although it belongs to the passive margin system. By contrast, the Changjiang system acts like other large river-passive margins. Our findings further demonstrate that the alteration of OC composition and age in river sedimentary systems can be controlled by similar sediment dynamics and OC reactivities – across divergent continental margins. • Ages of OC in coastal sediments are decoupled with OC in riverine particles. • Sedimentary OC becomes younger along the Huanghe system from additions of marine biospheric OC. • Sedimentary OC becomes older along the Changjiang system from the removal of terrestrial biospheric OC. • OC reactivities and sediment dynamics determine the evolution of OC composition and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Urbanization in China has increased the prevalence of high-fat and low-fiber diets, and of adverse health behaviors associated with an increased risk of diet-related, non-communicable diseases (DR-NCDs) in eastern Chinese women. This study aimed to characterize the dietary intake and health behaviors in eastern Chinese women.Methods and Study Design: Retrospective data of 122,058 women aged 25 to 70 who completed a multi-staged, stratified, cluster sampling epidemiological survey in eastern China in 2008, including self-report of diet and lifestyle information (sleep, physical activity, work, etc.). The survey included food groups (on a 4-point scale from daily to rarely) and health behaviors.Results: Of 122,058 surveyed women, 2008 (1.6%) smoked tobacco, 4326 (3.5%) consumed alcohol, 10,274 (8.4%) reported insomnia, and 38,305 (31.4%) exercised regularly. Consumption was most commonly reported as daily for vegetables/fruits (68.1%); 3-4/week for garlic (31.7%); 1-2/week for bean products (39.4%), red meat (40.8%), corn (36.6%), and carrots (41.9%); and rarely for milk products (46.4%), fried food (42.1%) and charcuterie (55.8%).Conclusions: This study suggests some overall positive lower rates of tobacco use, alcohol consumption and insomnia than reported previously, but physical exercise was also decreased. Dietary habits were relatively healthy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reworked muds, including mobile muds, resuspended sediments, and bio-mixed muds are ephemeral layers in the benthic boundary of large-river delta-front estuaries (LDEs). In this study, multiple radiotracers ( 210 Pb, 137 Cs, 234 Th, 7 Be, 235 U, 228 Th, 228 Ra, 226 Ra and 40 K) were combined to evaluate the sedimentary dynamics of the mud belt on the inner shelf of the East China Sea (ECS) adjacent to the Changjiang River Estuary. We first categorized eight types of typical 210 Pb profiles in marine sediments, and specified which ones could be used as possible evidence of reworked muds. The types of 210 Pb profiles observed in previous studies and this study were then used to examine the depth distribution of reworked mud layers of the benthic boundary of ECS. We found that reworked mud depth in the along-shore mud belt of the inner shelf of ECS was deeper than those in the outer shelf and slope area, reaching up to 150 cm deep in the Changjiang River LDE, and up to 50 cm deep in the Zhejiang–Fujian coast mud area. Sediment core tracer profiles also showed that the reworked mud layer could be further divided into several sub-layers with distinct redox conditions and microbe (sulfate-reducing bacterial) abundance. SRB abundance intensively fluctuated with changing redox environment, and larger abundance values were usually observed in anoxic conditions. Based on 7 Be and 234 Th, the top layer (ca. 2–4 cm thick) was the most modern and active zone, showing evidence of reworking on seasonal timescales. The deeper sections of the reworked mud layer were generally modified over longer timescale (years) which were examined using the more long-lived tracers, e.g., 137 Cs, 228 Th ex , and 228 Ra/ 226 Ra ratio. We found for the first time in this region that age of the reworked layers was usually much younger than underlying accumulating (burial) layers. We posit that this multi-radionuclide approach is critical for evaluating the complex biogeochemical sediment record on delta-front estuaries of large rivers subject to changing climate conditions and human impacts over the last several centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, sediment grain size (MGS), specific surface area (SSA), total organic carbon (TOC) contents, C/N molar ratios, stable carbon isotope, and P species in a sediment core, collected from the East China Sea (ECS) inner-shelf were measured to explore the applicability of detrital phosphorus (De-P) as a potential indicator of past flooding events in the Changjiang River Basin (CRB). In particular, we examined the linkages between the evolution of floods with regional climate changes and anthropogenic activities in the CRB. Peaks of De-P concentrations in sediments corresponded well with the worst flooding events of the CRB over the past two centuries (e.g., 1850s, 1860s, 1900s, 1920s, 1950s, 1980s, and 2000s). Moreover, De-P also corresponded well with the extreme hypoxic events in 1981 and 1998 in the Changjiang Estuary as indicated by Mo/Al ratios, indicating potential linkages between De-P as a flooding proxy to flood-induced hypoxia events in this region. In addition, a robust relationship was found among De-P, the floods in 1950s, 1980s, and 2000s of the CRB, the intensive El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the abnormally weak East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) and the warm phase of Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), suggesting that De-P also provided insights to linkages between regional climate change and flooding events in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Eutrophication is one of the most significant ecological problems in large-river delta-front estuaries (LDEs) around the world. We used TOC, TN, δ13C, δ15N and three stable sedimentary chloropigments (pyropheophytin-a [pPHtin-a], sterol chlorin esters [SCEs] and carotenol chlorin esters [CCEs]) as geochemical proxies to examine historical trends of eutrophication over the last few decades in the Changjiang and Mississippi LDEs. Concentrations of sedimentary pPHtin-a, SCEs and CCEs increased from 15, 12 and 120nmolg−1 OC in 1960s to 51, 32 and 256nmolg−1 OC in 1990s on the inner shelf of the East China Sea, respectively, and from 57, 69 and 31nmolg−1 OC in 1950s to 70, 90 and 44nmolg−1 OC in 2000s in the Mississippi Canyon, respectively. Riverine loading of DIN flux to LDE increased from (261±109)×106 kgyr−1 in pre-1980 to (1385±209)×106 kgyr−1 in post-1990 in the Changjiang LDE, while nitrate flux increased from (322±89)×106 kgyr−1 in the 1950s to 1960s to (589±123)×106 kgyr−1 in the 1970s, and DIN flux kept relatively stable in (963±250)×106 kgyr−1 from the 1980s to 2000s in the Mississippi LDE. This work reveals that the stable sedimentary chloropigments in accumulating sediments on the inner shelf are suitable biomarkers for examining past changes in eutrophication in the Changjiang and Mississippi LDE ecosystems. The historical record of riverine nutrient inputs as related to changes in the watershed (e.g., fertilizers and manure) is well-correlated with down-core concentrations of stable pheopigment biomarkers in sediments at both LDEs. These results support the coupling between enhanced phytoplankton abundance and increasing anthropogenic nutrients input to the inner shelves of these LDEs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Karenia mikimotoi is a dinoflagellate that is widely distributed in China that has recently become increasingly involved in harmful algal blooms (HABs). Therefore, it is urgent and necessary to study this dinoflagellate in order to monitor and forecast HABs. In this study, we designed a set of primers and a probe specific to K. mikimotoi (within its internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions) and developed a real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) method for the purpose of identification and quantification. We successfully prepared a 10-fold series of recombinant plasmid solutions containing ITS regions of K. mikimotoi as standard samples; these were used to generate a standard curve. Additionally, we quantified the genomic DNA of K. mikimotoi cells and utilized this DNA to prepare another 10-fold standard sample series and standard curve. The mathematic relationship between the cell numbers and their corresponding plasmid copy numbers was also established. We used laboratory and field samples to test the effectiveness of the qPCR method. For the laboratory samples, greater than 102 cells of K. mikimotoi could be quantified precisely utilizing both centrifugation and filtration techniques. The qPCR method was efficient even at low cell density and could detect 5 cells of K. mikimotoi. Field samples were collected from the East China Sea during a spring cruise in 2011; K. mikimotoi was detected (147±20cellsL−1) in these samples while light microscopy failed to detect K. mikimotoi. The qPCR and conventional PCR amplification products (utilizing dinoflagellate-specific primers LH2 and Dlam) were sequenced, and two sequences of 111bp and 684bp were determined to be highly similar to K. mikimotoi. Therefore, we conclude that the microalgae detected by the qPCR method was K. mikimotoi. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: The impacts of anthropogenic activities on nutrient transport in the Huanghe/estuary were investigated using biogeochemical observations carried out during 2008–2009 to examine how nutrient change during a water–sediment regulation event. Nutrient concentrations in the Huanghe are characterized by relative high concentrations of nitrate and dissolved silicate but low phosphate and DOP levels and shows seasonal variations with very high DIN/PO43- ratios. The water–sediment regulation event resulted in high monthly average water discharge and sediment load occurring at least 2months prior to before the event. The nutrient transport fluxes increased 8–30 times during that period. The regulation event has shifted the seasonal patterns of water and nutrient transport, which cannot only increase nutrient inputs to the coastal ecosystem but can also result in nutrient imbalance, affecting phytoplankton production and composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A novel assay method using nuclease protection assay integrated with sandwich hybridization (NPA-SH) for qualitative and quantitative detection of microalgae has been developed. Two species-specific nuclease-protection-assay (NPA) probes targeted 28S ribosomal RNA of Prorocentrum minimum and Prorocentrum micans, respectively, were designed in this study. The assay consists of S1 nuclease protection, sandwich hybridization and signal detection. The specificity of the probes was verified with cultured algae in the laboratory and field sample from Jiaozhou Bay, and the quantity by NPA-SH analysis showed good agreement with that of cell-counting with a light microscope. The optical absorbance of probe binding on the target showed good linear fit with cell amount. A standard curve for P. minimum was established to correlate the optical absorbance to cell density on a basis in the linear range between 15 and 475cellsml−1 seawater, and the equation deducted was ‘y =0.0053× x +0.0658’ (R 2 =0.992, n =4). The assay was sensitive to detect 15cellsml−1 seawater. And for P. micans, with linear range between 0.6 and 20cellsml−1 seawater, the equation deducted was ‘y =0.1174× x +0.1106’ (R 2 =0.996, n =4); the assay was sensitive to detect less than 1cellml−1 seawater. The inter-assay coefficients of variation (CVs) were 12.4 and 10.9%, respectively. The good specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility of the NPA-SH implied that this new technique could be extremely useful for qualitative and quantitative assay of P. minimum and P. micans at low abundance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper reported the isolation and the phylogenetic analysis of a free-living Gymnodinium-like dinoflagellates (G. sp. (15)) from the sea water collected at Jiaozhou bay, Qingdao, Shandong Province, P.R. China. Phylogenetic reconstruction analysis with Neighbor-Joining (NJ) method using sequences of variable regions (V1+V2+V3) of the small subunit (SSU) rDNA indicated that G. sp. (15) was a Symbiodinium sp., which was closely related to a symbiont of anemones, S. californium, and the free-living strain, Gymnodinium varians. These three strains formed a new clade (which had been designated as clade F) with 100% bootstrap support. Sequence comparison showed that sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of these three strains were highly homologous, suggesting that they might belong to one species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: TCbHP (taxane + carboplatin + trastuzumab + pertuzumab) is the preferred neoadjuvant therapy regimen for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. However, no consensus exists regarding whether specific populations may be exempt from carboplatin, allowing for de-escalation to the THP (taxane + trastuzumab + pertuzumab) regimen. Additionally, the optimal number of cycles for neoadjuvant THP remains unclear. We compared the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant TCbHP and THP regimens, providing clinicians with a nuanced perspective to guide their treatment regimen selection., Methods: This multicenter real-world study included patients with HER2-positive breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant TCbHP or THP between March 2019 and February 2023. Efficacy was assessed through the pathological complete response (pCR) rate, while safety was evaluated through monitoring adverse events., Results: Among 220 patients, 103 received 6 cycles of TCbHP (TCbHP×6), 83 received 6 cycles of THP (THP×6), and 34 received 4 cycles of THP (THP×4). The TCbHP×6 cohort exhibited a 66% pCR rate compared with 53% in the THP×6 cohort (P = 0.072). Subgroup analysis revealed that in patients aged ≤ 50 years, those with hormone receptor (HR)-negative status, and those with clinical stage T2, the pCR rate of the TCbHP×6 regimen was significantly higher than the THP×6 regimen (P < 0.05). The TCbHP×6 cohort reported higher frequencies of any-grade adverse events (99% versus 86.7%) and grade 3-4 events (49.5% versus 12%) than the THP×6 cohort. Propensity score matching identified 27 patient pairs between the THP×6 and THP×4 cohorts, indicating a significantly higher pCR rate for the THP×6 regimen than the THP×4 regimen (63% versus 29.6%, P = 0.029)., Conclusions: The TCbHP×6 regimen is favored for individuals aged ≤ 50 years and those aged > 50, ≤60 years with HR-negative status or clinical stage T2-4. For patients in compromised general condition or lacking the specified indications, the THP×6 regimen emerges as a lower-toxicity alternative with satisfactory efficacy. To ensure treatment efficacy, a minimum of 6 cycles of neoadjuvant THP is required., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Based on historical data from 1976 to 2019, the effects of anthropogenic activities on long-term changes in nutrients and their ecological effects in the South Yellow Sea were investigated. The dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations increased continuously from 1990 until the mid-2000s, followed by a shift from an upward trend to a downward trend. The phosphate (PO 4 -P) and silicate (SiO 3 -Si) concentrations also showed obvious interannual variations throughout the study period. The concentrations of DIN, PO 4 -P and SiO 3 -Si have decreased significantly in recent decade and more. These changes mainly resulted from the reduction in terrestrial input, while the main reason for the decrease in DIN and PO 4 -P concentrations is the reduction in anthropogenic input. The long-term nutrient changes in the South Yellow Sea have potential ecological impacts on green tide features., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have been increasing in frequency, areal extent and duration due to the large increase in nutrient inputs from land-based sources to coastal seas, and cause significant economic losses. In this study, we used the "watershed-coast-continuum" concept to explore the effects of land-based nutrient pollution on HAB development in the Eastern Chinese coastal seas (ECCS). Results from the coupling of a watershed nutrient model and a coast hydrodynamic-biogeochemical model show that between the 1980s and 2000s, the risk of diatom blooms and dinoflagellate blooms increased by 158% and 127%, respectively. The spatial expansion of HAB risk caused by dinoflagellates is larger than that of diatoms. The simulated suitability of the habitat for bloom of Aureococcus anophagefferens, a pico-plankton of non-diatom or dinoflagellate, in the Bohai Sea is consistent with observations spatially and temporally. To halt further nutrient accumulation in the ECCS, reductions of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) (16%) and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) (33%) loading are required. To improve the situation of distorted DIN:DIP ratios, even larger reductions of DIN are required, especially in the Bohai Sea. Our approach is a feasible way to predict the risk of HABs under the pressure of increasing anthropogenic nutrient pollution in coastal waters., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Silicon (Si) plays an essential role in the biogeochemistry of rivers. This study explored how damming, eutrophication and climate change alters the abundance and flux of DSi in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River based on long-term observations. The results showed that Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) could enhance DSi transfer only during low-flow time period, and a downstream DSi retention effect by the TGR was found between the Yichang and Jianli stations in the Changjiang River. This resulted in a DSi loss during March and April in the mainstream from Three Gorges Dam (TGD) to Jianli but a DSi addition during July and October along the main channel of the Changjiang River. Long-term data showed a sharp decrease in DSi abundance at the Cuntan, Hankou and Datong stations between the 1960s and 1980s, but a slight increase in DSi between the 1990s and 2010s at these stations. The decrease in DSi during the 1960s -1980s was primarily the result of a decrease trend of silicate weathering, while a slight DSi increase compared to the temperature/DSi relation after the 1990s was largely due to increased DSi retention in the basin by damming and eutrophication. Eutrophication and damming increase DSi trapping in both the river channel and reservoir systems in the low-flow period and thus enhance the nutrient distortion in the coastal ocean., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work, there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of, the manuscript entitled Decadal change in dissolved silicate concentration and flux in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River. The manuscript is approved by all co-authors. This work is an original submission and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We established long-term surveillance sites in Jinan city to monitor PM 2.5 particles (PM2.5) and PM2.5-bound PAHs (2014-2020). The range of PM2.5 was 15-230 µg/m 3 . The average annual ƩPAH 16 were 433 ± 271 ng/m 3 (industrial area) and 299 ± 171.8 ng/m 3 (downtown). PAHs captured in winter accounted for 61.5% (industrial area) and 59.1% (downtown) of total PAHs. A hazardous seasonal benzo[a]pyrene level was detected in 2015-2016 winter as 14.03 ng/m 3 (14 folds of EU standard). The dominant PM2.5-bound PAHs were benzo[b]fluoranthene (24-26%), chrysene (19-20%), benzo[g,h,i]perylene (15%), Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (12%) and Benzo[a]pyrene (10%). Toxic equivalent quotients of PAHs were 4.93 ng/m 3 (industrial area) and 3.13 ng/m 3 (downtown). Excess cancer risks (ECRs) were 4.3 × 10 -4 ng/m 3 and 2.7 × 10 -4 ng/m 3 , respectively. The ECRs exceeded EPA regulatory limit of 1 × 10 -6 ng/m 3 largely. Non-negligible excess lifetime cancer risks were found as 36 and 26 related cancer incidences per 1,000,000 people. Consistently, local prevalence of lung cancer raise from 56.97/100,000 to 72.38/100,000; the prevalence of thyroid cancer raise from 10.12/100,000 to 45.26/100,000 from 2014 to 2020. Our findings suggest an urgent need to investigate the adverse health effects of PAHs on local population and we call for more strictly restriction on coal consumption and traffic tail gas emission., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Previous studies have suggested that reproductive factors are associated with breast cancer risk. Breast cancer subtypes have distinct natural characteristics and may also have unique risk profiles. The purpose of this study was to determine whether reproductive factors affect the risk of breast cancer by estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR) and HER2 status., Methods: A multicenter, case-control study was conducted. There were 1170 breast cancer patients and 1170 age- and hospital-matched females included in the analysis. Self-reported data were collected about lifestyle behaviors, including reproductive factors. Breast cancer cases were categorized subtypes according to ER, PR, and HER2 expression as HR- positive, HER2-enriched, and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)., Results: Having ≤1 child increased risk of HR-positive breast cancer (OR 1.882; 95%CI 1.29-2.74), especially in the premenopausal group (OR 2.212; 95%CI 1.23-3.99). Compared with women who first gave birth after age 30 years, earlier age at first birth decreased the risk of HR-positive breast cancer (≤23 years: OR 0.209; 95%CI 0.14-0.30; 24-29 years: OR 0.256; 95%CI 0.18-0.36; P < .001). Compared with those who had an average breastfed/birth period of more than 2 years, those with an average period less than 6 months had an elevated risk of all subtypes (HR positive: OR 2.690; 95%CI 1.71-4.16, P < .001; HER2-enriched: OR 3.779; 95%CI, 1.62-8.79, P = .001; TNBC: OR 2.564; 95%CI 1.11-5.94, P = .022). For postmenopausal patients, shorter period of lifetime menstrual cycles (≤30 years) had an obviously decreased risk in HR-positive cases (OR 0.397; 95%CI 0.22-0.71), while there was no similar appearance in other molecular subtypes., Conclusion: The results suggest that reproductive behaviors affect risk of breast cancer differently according to ER/PR and HER2 status., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press.)

River damming reduces sediment load in rivers, leading to instability and erosion of coastal deltas; this is a global issue in many large-river delta-front estuaries (LDEs). The total organic carbon, stable carbon isotope, total nitrogen, lignin phenols in suspended particulate matter, and three sediment cores collected from the Changjiang LDE were analyzed to study the effects of river damming and delta erosion on the redistribution and burial of organic carbon (OC) in the coastal margin. The OC budgets that include the delta erosion process were established to better constrain the burial fluxes of OC in the Changjiang River system before and after river damming. We used a three-end-member mixing model with Monte Carlo simulation and found that the ratio of deltaic OC to riverine OC significantly increased in estuarine SPM and sediment cores in the Changjiang LDE after the operation of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), reflective of reduced sediment load and enhanced delta erosion. Our budget showed that, compared with the pre-dam period (1953-1985), the burial of terrestrial OC in the Changjiang LDE sediments had been reduced by ~97.3%, on the basis of 72.7% and 82.7% reductions in sediment load and particulate OC flux, respectively. Although trapping of terrestrial OC in reservoirs is the key driver in these reductions, re-exposure and decomposition of OC from eroding delta sediments also contribute significantly to OC losses in coastal sediments. On the contrary, the ratio of marine OC to riverine OC increased in sediment cores after TGD building, due in part to more inputs of marine OC because of serious eutrophication in recent decades. As continued dam construction and sea-level rise change the spatial and temporal dynamics of carbon sequestration in the coastal zones of LDEs, further consideration of alterations in these carbon burial "hotspots" is needed in global carbon models., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

One of the largest "green tide" (Ulva prolifera) outbreaks in the world has occurred every year from 2007 to present in the Southern Yellow Sea, China. Currently, the coastal area around Jiangsu Province (Subei Shoal region) is thought to be the origination point of these giant green tide blooms. The combination of high nutrient demand but low river discharge and other inputs suggests that there is a significant flux of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in this area. By using a radium mass balance model, we estimated the SGD flux in the area to be (0.7-1.4) × 10 9  m 3 d -1 (6.1-12 cm d -1 ), at the high end of SGD fluxes worldwide. Geographically, Subei Shoal is less than 5% of the entire Southern Yellow Sea area, while our calculated SGD flux just for the shoal area is ~3 times larger than previously documented for the whole Southern Yellow Sea. Therefore, Subei Shoal may be considered a SGD hotspot that plays an important role in SGD associated material fluxes. Compared to inputs from local rivers, atmospheric deposition, and anthropogenic activities, SGD-derived nutrients are the main source term that can support the growth of macroalgae. We specifically highlight that this type of areas that are shallow, intensively mixed, anthropogenically polluted, sandy or muddy with heavy bio-irrigation, may have a higher risk of suffering harmful ecological problems, even with limited terrestrial runoff., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The biogeography of active microbial communities and the underlying mechanisms in marine sediments are important in microbial ecology but remain unclear. Here, using qPCR and high-throughput sequencing, we investigated bacterial and archaeal community abundances and activities by quantifying the abundance and expression of the 16S rRNA gene respectively, RNA-derived bacterial and archaeal community biogeography, assembly mechanisms and co-occurrence relationships in surface sediment samples from the Bohai Sea (BS), South Yellow Sea (SYS) and the north East China Sea (NECS) of the eastern Chinese marginal seas. The results revealed a higher heterogeneity of bacterial and archaeal community activities than of abundances and heterogeneous ecological functions among areas reflected by community compositions. Furthermore, clear geographic groups (i.e., the BS, SYS and NECS groups) were observed for all, abundant and rare active bacterial and archaeal communities, accompanied by significant distance-decay patterns. However, the abundant and rare taxa showed inconsistent geographic patterns. More importantly, deterministic processes played a greater role than stochastic processes in active bacterial and archaeal community assembly. The rare taxa had weaker abilities to disperse and/or adapt and more complex ecological processes than the abundant taxa. In addition, this study also showed that intertaxa competition was the dominant interaction between active bacterial and archaeal members, which could greatly contribute to dispersal limitation. Moreover, active bacterial and archaeal co-occurrence patterns showed significant distance-decay patterns, which were consistent with the community compositions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Based on field survey in the southwestern Yellow Sea (SWYS) during April-September 2017, the spatiotemporal variations in the hydrological characteristics and nutrient conditions were coupled and analyzed; the intra-seasonal variations in the upwelling in the front of the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (YSCWM) and impacts on nutrient transport were explored. The coastal area was controlled by the low-salinity high-nutrient Lubei Coastal Current, Subei Coastal Current, and Yangtze River Diluted Water from north to south; at bottom, the northeastern SWYS was controlled by the low-temperature high-salinity high-nutrient YSCWM. Temperature, salinity and nutrient fronts formed around YSCWM. The upwelling velocity in the front increased during April to late June and decreased in early September; the upwelled fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (0.29×10 3 -7.77×10 3 μmol·m -2 d -1 ), phosphate (0.02×10 3 -0.27×10 3 μmol·m -2 d -1 ) and silicate (0.98×10 3 -8.75×10 3 μmol·m -2 d -1 ) showed similar variations during April-September. The upwelled nutrients could potentially contribute to local green tide development and phytoplankton growth during spring-summer., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Based on field observations in the summer of 2006 and long-term series data, this paper investigates the spatiotemporal variations of hypoxia and associated physical-biogeochemical driving mechanisms in the Bohai Sea (BS), China. Results show that the benthic hypoxic zone is mainly distributed in the "V"-shaped trough region in the western BS, and it tends to form two hypoxic centers which generally correspond to the bottom cold-water core. The regional difference in the intensity of stratification has a significant impact on the spatial distribution of hypoxia. The relatively weak stratification and the mesoscale anticyclonic eddy in the central shoal of the BS weaken the connectivity between the southern and northern hypoxic zones. Organic matter decomposition contributes to hypoxia and results in corresponding nutrient pool with a "dual (southern and northern)-core" structure. Intensified eutrophication is the main drive for decreasing in bottom dissolved oxygen and expansion of hypoxic zone in the BS., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The hydro-biogeochemical processes in the world's largest area of green tide occurrence, off the Jiangsu coast in the Yellow Sea, are investigated in the summer, and their implications for Ulva prolifera blooms are discussed. The results show that the offshore transport of coastal water and the inshore upwelling of offshore bottom water both occur off the Jiangsu coast, and the upwelling position is consistent with the 20- to 30-m isobath off the Subei Shoal. The upwelling results in nutrient supplementation off the shoal, where a rapid decrease in the suspended particulate matter content contributes to good light conditions. As a result, a high-value area of phytoplankton is formed within the 20- to 30-m isobath. Eutrophication in the shoal has provided nutrients for the frequent occurrence of Ulva prolifera in recent years, whereas the upwelling area off the shoal has served as a "service station" or "courier station" for floating Ulva prolifera and promoted the species' propagation. The propagation of Ulva prolifera in the upwelling area and its blooms within the Subei Shoal can have a spatially synergistic effect, leading to its large-scale development. Our findings reveal the mechanisms that trigger the world's largest green tides from the perspective of physical-biogeochemical interactions., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate breast cancer risk factors in Chinese women residing in urban and rural areas of eastern China using a large-scale cross-sectional survey., Methods: In this multistage, stratified cluster sampling epidemiological survey, information on demographic characteristics, diet and lifestyle variables were gathered using a carefully designed questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and subgroup analyses of the data were performed, including separate analyses of data from women residing in urban and rural areas., Results: A total of 122,058 women were included in the survey. Age, body mass index, number of miscarriages, family history of breast cancer and menopausal status were found to be risk factors for breast cancer, while the consumption of soya bean products was a protective factor. Among women residing in urban areas, high or moderate intake of soya bean products and red meat were protective factors. Among women residing in rural areas, obesity and a high intake of milk were identified as risk factors for breast cancer, while a moderate intake of soya bean products was a protective factor., Conclusions: This type of data is crucial for understanding the risk factors for breast cancer and could facilitate the development and targeting of effective intervention strategies, with the ultimate aim of breast cancer prevention., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of the Z0011 criteria to Chinese breast cancer patients. An survey about the Z0011 trial was distributed and we collected 658 consecutive patients with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after positive sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy from five centers' databases and grouped them as eligible or ineligible for omitting ALND according to the Z0011 criteria. The eligible group was compared with the cohort included in the Z0011 trial and with the ineligible group. Of the 427 respondants, 106 (24.8%) and 130 (30.4%)would not routinely perform ALND in patients meeting Z0011 criteria before and after learning of the trial results, respectively. Among the 658 patients, 151 (22.9%) were eligible and 507 were ineligible for omitting ALND. The clinicopathologic factors were not statistically different between the eligible group and the Z0011 cohort. Compared with the eligible Group, the ineligible group had significantly more T2 and T3 stage tumors, positive lymph nodes(LNs) and positive non-sentinel lymph nodes (NSLNs) (P < 0.01). The findings suggest good exportability of the Z0011 criteria to Chinese patients omitting ALND, but application of Z0011 as national treatment guideline still needs additional time and effort.

Changjiang Estuary, the largest estuary in China, encompasses a wide range of nutrient loading and trophic levels from the rivers to the sea, providing an ideal natural environment to explore relationships between functional diversity, physical/chemical complexity, and ecosystem function. In this study, molecular biological techniques were used to analyze the community structure and diversity of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in the sediments of Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent waters in East China Sea. The amoA gene (encoding ammonia monooxygenase subunit A) libraries analysis revealed extensive diversity within the β-Proteobacteria group of AOB, which were grouped into Nitrosospira-like and Nitrosomonas-like lineages. The majority of amoA gene sequences fell within Nitrosospira-like clade, and only a few sequences were clustered with the Nitrosomonas-like clade, indicating that Nitrosospira-like lineage may be more adaptable than Nitrosomonas-like lineage in this area. Multivariate statistical analysis indicated that the spatial distribution of the sedimentary β-Proteobacterial amoA genotype assemblages correlated significantly with nitrate, nitrite, and salinity. The vertical profile of amoA gene copies in gravity cores showed that intense sediment resuspension led to a deeper mixing layer. The horizontal distribution pattern of amoA gene copies was nearly correlated with the clayey mud belt in Changjiang Estuary and its adjacent area in East China Sea, where higher β-Proteobacteria phylogenetic diversity was observed. Meanwhile, those areas with high amoA copies in the surface sediments nearly matched those with low concentrations of dissolved oxygen and ammonium in the bottom water.

To explore the relationships between community composition and the environment in a reservoir ecosystem, plankton communities from the Three Gorges Reservoir Region were studied by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting. Bacterial and eukaryotic operational taxonomic units (OTUs), generated by DGGE analysis of the PCR-amplified 16S and 18S rRNA genes, were used as surrogates for the dominant "biodiversity units". OTU composition among the sites was heterogeneous; 46.7% of the total bacterial OTUs (45) and 64.1% of the eukaryotic OTUs (39) were identified in less than half of the sampling sites. Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) clustering of the OTUs suggested that the plankton communities in the Xiangxi River sites were not always significantly different from those from the Yangtze River sites, despite clear differences in their environmental characterizations. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was applied to further investigate the relationships between OTU composition and the environmental factors. The first two CCA ordination axes suggested that the bacterial community composition was primarily correlated with the variables of NO(3-)-N, dissolved oxygen (DO), and SiO3(2-)-Si, whereas, the eukaryotic community was mainly correlated with the concentrations of DO, PO4(3-)-P, and SiO3(2-)-Si.