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This study considers the spatial variability of soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus storage in a drained alpine wetland and the possible relationships with soil properties. Top 0-0.30 m soil samples were collected in a typical alpine wetland in the south-eastern Qinghai-Tibet plateau using grid sampling. There was high spatial variability for soil organic carbon density (SOCD), soil total nitrogen density (STND), and soil total phosphorous density (STPD) in the drained alpine wetland. Spherical models best described the structure of the semivariograms for SOCD and STPD, and an exponential model for STND, with the range parameter of Additional keywords: drainage, peat soils, Qinghai-Tibet plateau, soil organic carbon, spatial variability, total nitrogen, total phosphorous., Introduction Wetland is an important component of the terrestrial ecosystem, and plays a crucial role in modifying regional climate, protecting biodiversity, and sequestrating carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorous (P) [...]

Wetting-drying cycles can influence decomposition of litter and soil organic carbon (SOC) and their mineralization, but such effects have seldom been explored in alpine wetland soils. We conducted a 120-day incubation experiment with alpine wetland soils to which we added litter or not. These soil samples were assigned to two constant moisture treatments (60% or 100% soil water-holding capacity, WHC) or to a wetting-drying treatment that cycled between 60% and 100% WHC. Drying-rewetting cycles significantly accelerated carbon (C) mineralization and nitrogen (N) immobilization compared to soil under saturated soil moisture conditions. Litter addition greatly increased C mineralization and N immobilization, but the intensity of mineralization was regulated by soil moisture through microbial biomass. A significantly negative relationship between C and N mineralization became more pronounced when litter was added. Thus, drying-rewetting cycles can alter C and N mineralization, and this effect can strongly depend on litter in alpine wetlands. This indicates that future climate change could affect C stocks in alpine wetland soil through altering moisture and litter production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: 210Pb and 137Cs dating techniques are used to characterize recent peat accumulation rates of alpine peatlands located in Zoige, Tibetan plateau. Several cores were collected in different parts of the peatlands. Cores were 210Pb- and 137Cs-dated, and these data were used to calculate sediment accumulation rates. Ranges of dry mass accumulation rates were 0.021∼0.048g cm-2 yr−1 (the mean value is 0.033g cm-2 yr−1). The mean sediment fluxes of SOC, LC and TN in the marsh soil were 113g m-2 yr−1, 12g m-2 yr−1 and 5g m-2 yr−1 seperatly during 1952∼2004 using 137Cs and 210Pb techenique. The changes of SOC, TN and LC accumulation flux were similar with that of the temperature of May. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personalized immunotherapy targeting tumor-specific mutations represents a highly promising approach to cancer treatment. Here, we describe an Asian lung squamous cell carcinoma patient demonstrating frank disease progression following chemotherapy and EGFR inhibitor treatment. Based on tumor mutational profiling and HLA typing, a saline-based multi-epitope peptide vaccine was designed and administered along with topical imiquimod as an adjuvant. Weekly neo-epitope peptide vaccination was followed by a rapid and dramatic regression of multiple lung tumor nodules, while a much larger liver metastasis remained refractory to treatment. Peripheral blood immune monitoring showed that specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) were induced primarily against peptide targets encompassing the widely shared EGFR L858R mutation, particularly one restricted to HLA-A*3101. Immunological targeting of this driver mutation may be of particular benefit to Asian lung cancer patients due to its relatively high prevalence within this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]