Abstract. The air-sea exchanges of CO 2 in the world's 165 estuaries and 87 continental shelves are evaluated. Generally and in all seasons, upper estuaries with salinities of less than two are strong sources of CO 2 (39 ± 56 mol C m −2 yr −1 , positive flux indicates that the water is losing CO 2 to the atmosphere); mid-estuaries with salinities of between 2 and 25 are moderate sources (17.5 ± 34 mol C m −2 yr −1 ) and lower estuaries with salinities of more than 25 are weak sources . Mixing with low-pCO 2 shelf waters, water temperature, residence time and the complexity of the biogeochemistry are major factors that govern the pCO 2 in estuaries, but wind speed, seldom discussed, is critical to controlling the air-water exchanges of CO 2 . The total annual release of CO 2 from the world's estuaries is now estimated to be 0.10 Pg C yr −1 , which is much lower than published values mainly because of the contribution of a considerable amount of heretofore unpublished or new data from Asia and the Arctic. The Asian data, although indicating high pCO 2 , are low in sea-to-air fluxes because of low wind speeds. Previously determined flux values rely heavily on data from Europe and North America, where pCO 2 is lower but wind speeds are much higher, such that the CO 2 fluxes are higher than in Asia. Newly emerged CO 2 flux data in the Arctic reveal that estuaries there mostly absorb rather than release CO 2 .Most continental shelves, and especially those at high latitude, are undersaturated in terms of CO 2 and absorb CO 2 from the atmosphere in all seasons. Shelves between 0 and 23.5 • S are on average a weak source and have a small flux per unit area of CO 2 to the atmosphere. Water temperature, the spreading of river plumes, upwelling, and biological production seem to be the main factors in determining pCO 2 in the shelves. Wind speed, again, is critical because at high latitudes, the winds tend to be strong. Since the surface water pCO 2 values are low, the air-to-sea fluxes are high in regions above 50 • N and below 50 • S. At low latitudes, the winds tend to be weak, so the sea-to-air CO 2 flux is small. Overall, the world's continental shelves absorb 0.4 Pg C yr −1 from the atmosphere.

No abstract

Obesity has become a worldwide health burden in the last two decades. Obesity has been associated with increased comorbidities, such as coronary artery disease, diabetes, and destructive periodontal disease. Obesity is also part of a group of risk factors occurring together in an individual, which is referred to as metabolic syndrome. Clinical studies have shown higher risk for destructive periodontal disease in obesity and metabolic syndrome. However, the role of obesity and metabolic syndrome in the onset and development of destructive periodontal disease has not yet been fully understood. In this review, we discuss a working model, which focuses on interorgan inflammation as a common etiological factor for destructive periodontal disease associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Specifically, we suggest that elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) or interleukin 6 (IL-6)—both adipokines and known risk factors for destructive periodontal disease—in obesity and metabolic syndrome contribute to the onset and development of destructive periodontal disease. The connections between destructive periodontal disease and systemic conditions, such as obesity or metabolic syndrome, are complex and potentially multidirectional. This review largely focuses on TNF-α and IL-6, inflammatory mediators, as potential common risk factors and does not exclude other biological mechanisms.

No abstract

The Taiwan Strait connects the East China Sea (ECS) to the South China Sea (SCS). Typically, in spring, the water in the SCS and a branch of the Kuroshio occupy the eastern part of the strait while the China coastal waters, including a large contribution from the Changjiang (Yangtze River), occupy the western part. During spring 2008, when the Taiwan Strait was under the influence of La Niña, and according to field observations, the Kuroshio branch did not contribute much to the waters in the southern Taiwan Strait. A numerical model verifies this observation. The China coastal waters also seem to have had less effect than in typical years. Since the SCS waters contain more nutrients than the Kuroshio branch, more nutrients may be transported from the SCS to the ECS in a La Niña spring than at other times.