Thestrup Mclaughlin (parcelaction91)

Natural organic matter (NOM) can contribute to arsenic (As) mobilization as an electron donor for microbially-mediated reductive dissolution of As-bearing Fe(III) (oxyhydr)oxides. However, to investigate this process, instead of using NOM, most laboratory studies used simple fatty acids or sugars, often at relatively high concentrations. To investigate the role of relevant C sources, we therefore extracted in situ NOM from the upper aquitard (clayey silt) and lower sandy aquifer sediments in Van Phuc (Hanoi area, Vietnam), characterized its composition, and used 100-day microcosm experiments to determine the effect of in situ OM on Fe(III) mineral reduction, As mobilization, and microbial community composition. We found that OM extracted from the clayey silt (OMC) aquitard resembles young, not fully degraded plant-related material, while OM from the sandy sediments (OMS) is more bioavailable and related to microbial biomass. Although all microcosms were amended with the same amount of C (12 mg C/L), the extent of Fe(III) reduction after 100 days was the highest with acetate/lactate (43 ± 3.5% of total Fe present in the sediments) followed by OMS (28 ± 0.3%) and OMC (19 ± 0.8%). Initial Fe(III) reduction rates were also higher with acetate/lactate (0.53 mg Fe(II) in 6 days) than with OMS and OMC (0.18 and 0.08 mg Fe(II) in 6 days, respectively). Although initially more dissolved As was detected in the acetate/lactate setups, after 100 days, higher concentrations of As (8.3 ± 0.3 and 8.8 ± 0.8 μg As/L) were reached in OMC and OMS, respectively, compared to acetate/lactate-amended setups (6.3 ± 0.7 μg As/L). 16S rRNA amplicon sequence analyses revealed that acetate/lactate mainly enriched Geobacter, while in situ OM supported growth and activity of a more diverse microbial community. Our results suggest that although the in situ NOM is less efficient in stimulating microbial Fe(III) reduction than highly bioavailable acetate/lactate, it ultimately has the potential to mobilize the same amount or even more As.Distinct spatiotemporal distributions of sea surface dissolved elemental mercury (DEM) and its air-sea exchange flux were observed in the river-dominated and monsoon-influenced East China Sea (ECS). Spatially, DEM concentrations were higher in the nearshore Changjiang diluted water (90 ± 20 to 260 ± 40 fM) than in the offshore Kuroshio water (60 ± 10 to 160 ± 40 fM) and correlated with salinity and total Hg concentrations, suggesting that the total Hg discharged from the Changjiang river is a controlling factor. In summer, monsoon-driven coastal upwelling formed a transient nearshore water mass with very elevated DEM concentrations (290 ± 20 to 320 ± 70 fM). Seasonally, DEM concentrations in all water masses were the highest in summer (120 ± 30 to 320 ± 70 fM). Estimated rate coefficients for DEM production varied seasonally and strongly correlated with sea surface temperature (SST). Hg0 evasion fluxes also peaked in summer (670 ± 380 pmol m-2 day-1), while in winter, DEM was close to equilibrium with gaseous elemental mercury in the atmosphere. Based on the air-sea Hg fluxes for all four seasons from this study and regional atmospheric deposition fluxes from others, we conclude that the ECS is a net sink of Hg annually, but it is a source of Hg to the atmosphere in summer. Moreover, the contribution of the ECS to Hg evasion may increase as a result of flood-associated high Changjiang discharge and rising SST.Vascular oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and proliferation are crucial mediators of vascular dysfunction which contribute to the pathology of hypertension. A tripeptide, LRW (Leu-Arg-Trp), was characterized from pea protein legumin, and its previously studied isomer IRW (Ile-Arg-Trp) was reported to exhibit antihypertensive activity via activation of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2. The objective of the current study was to explore the effects of LRW on vascular stress in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) u