Stretchable and wearable sensors allow intimate integration with the human body for health and fitness monitoring. In addition to the acquisition of various physical parameters, quantitative analysis of chemical biomarkers present in sweat may provide vital insights into the physiological state of an individual. A widely investigated system utilizes electrochemical techniques for continuous monitoring of these biomarkers. The required supporting electronics and batteries are often challenging to form a deformable system. In this study, an intrinsically stretchable sensing patch is developed with compliant mechanical properties for conformal attachment to the skin and reliable collection of sweat. In these patches, superhydrophilic colorimetric assays consisting of thermoplastic polyurethane nanofiber textiles decorated with silica nanoparticles are assembled over a styrene− ethylene−butylene−styrene-based superhydrophobic substrate, thereby generating a large wettability contrast to efficiently concentrate the sweat. The system supports multiplexed colorimetric analysis of sweat to quantify pH and ion concentrations with images acquired using smartphones, in which the influence of ambient lighting conditions is largely compensated with a set of reference color markers. Successful demonstrations of in situ analysis of sweat after physical exercises effectively illustrate the practical suitability of the sensing patch, which is attractive for advanced health monitoring, clinical diagnostics, and competitive sports.

Construction of dams in the channels of rivers form artificial reservoirs which change the transit time of water flowing from the catchment to the coast (Bednarek, 2001;Dynesius & Nilsson, 1994;Fearnside, 2001). Human activities in river basins (such as livestock and poultry production, and excessive application of chemical fertilizers) increase the discharge of dissolved nutrients and organic matter (OM) into the river channels, and consequently can cause eutrophication of downstream systems such as reservoirs (

Mangrove wetlands support numerous ecosystem services including nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration and storage (blue carbon). Mangrove sediments may serve as a nitrogen source or sink to the hydrosphere and atmosphere at both regional and global scales. However, major mechanisms controlling the connection between the mangrove and the adjacent tidal creek (nitrogen cycling in sediments and outfluxing) remain unclear. A multidisciplinary study based on intensive investigation, incorporating detailed sediment profiling, multi‐isotopes analysis, sediment incubation, and microbiological identification was conducted in the Yunxiao mangrove reserve and Zhangjiang Estuary in southeast China. Here we show that mineralization and denitrification are major processes shaping mangroves as an ammonium source and nitrate sink. Enrichment of ammonium in pore water (10–40 cm in depth) likely resulted from strong ammonification with limited nitrification in the anaerobic sediments. Denitrification played a key role in nitrate removal from pore waters while producing N2O and N2. Decreasing δ15N‐N2O and associated δ15N:δ18O ratio suggested that most of the outgassing N2O was derived from incomplete denitrification in sediment pore water. Overall, there was a net export of dissolved inorganic nitrogen from mangroves toward the estuary in winter and spring but a net import to mangroves in summer and fall, mainly driven by tidal pumping with seasonal variation of bio‐uptake. These findings highlight the role of mangrove wetlands in regulating nutrient status and carbon budget in coastal areas.

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Background Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of early-onset neonatal sepsis. However, GBS was infrequently reported in the developing world in contrast to western countries. This study assessed the prevalence of GBS colonization among pregnant women in Jiangsu, East China, and revealed the difference of GBS infection between culture and PCR. Methods A total of 16,184 pregnant women at 34 to 37 weeks’ gestation aged 16–47 years were recruited from Nanjing Kingmed Center for Clinical Laboratory. Nine thousand twenty-two pregnant women received GBS screening by PCR detection only. Seven thousand one hundred sixty-two pregnant women received GBS screening by bacterial culture and GBS-positive samples were tested for antibiotic resistance. Results The overall GBS positive rate was 8.7% by PCR and 3.5% by culture. Colonization rate was highest in the “25–29 years” age group. The 249 GBS-positive samples which detected by culture were all sensitive to penicillin. The prevalence of resistance to erythromycin, clindamycin, and levofloxacin was 77.5, 68.3, and 52.2%, respectively. Conclusions This study revealed the data on the prevalence of GBS colonization in pregnant women at 34 to 37 weeks’ gestation in Jiangsu, East China. It compared the difference of the sensitivity to detect GBS between PCR and culture. PCR was expected to become a quick method in pregnancy women conventional detection of GBS infection.