Endocrine disruption in a marine amphipod? Field observations of intersexuality and de-masculinisation

Intersexuality has been found in both males and females of the marine/estuarine amphipod, Echinogammarus marinus, at polluted and reference sites in East Scotland. Polluted sites had significantly more intersex specimens than reference sites, however the cause of intersexuality is unclear. Discriminant analysis of morphometric data showed that normal male specimens from the most polluted site resembled pooled intersex males, suggesting that subtle endocrine disruption (ED) maybe occurring in these otherwise apparently normal males. The main discriminating character was gnathopod size, recognised to be under androgenic gland control. The association of distinctive morphometry with intersexuality may provide a new approach to biomarkers of ED in crustaceans. The opportunities for other novel biomarkers, for example biochemical or behavioural markers, may also be explored through study of intersex animals.     

Population and resources in Mauritius

"The island of Mauritius was facing a crisis by the 1950s as the relationship between its population and resources became unbalanced....A two-pronged strategy was set in place to change the relationship between population and resources. Firstly, an aggressive family-planning policy was established, reducing population growth. Secondly, the economy was diversified with tourism, financial services and, especially, manufacturing in the Mauritius Export Processing Zone, creating extra finance and resources. The changes have not been cost-free but Mauritius ends the century, not as a classic case of overpopulation, but more [as] a model micro-state that has overcome many population and resource problems, largely through its own efforts."     

Modelling the VUV emission spectrum of N2: preliminary results on the effects of rotational interactions on line intensities

A theoretical model of the excited singlet ungerade electronic states of the nitrogen molecule is presented. This work is an extension of a previous study (D. Stahel, M. Leoni and K. Dressler, J. Chem. Phys. 79, 2541-2558, 1983) with the addition of rotational interactions between states of different symmetry. These rotational interactions together with the homogeneous couplings frequently lead to extreme mixing of the states. This model is being used to analyse the high resolution vacuum ultraviolet emission spectrum which is currently being recorded photoelectrically. The ultimate goal of this work is the reliable interpretation of the low resolution emission spectra observed from planetary atmospheres, notably that of Titan, and the transitions assigned as being important in the Voyager 1 spectra of Titan are discussed in detail.     

Condensation and vaporization studies of CH3OH and NH3 ices: major implications for astrochemistry

In an extension of previously reported work on ices containing H2O, CO, CO2, SO2, H2S, and H2, we present measurements of the physical and infrared spectral properties of ices containing CH3OH and NH3. The condensation and sublimation behavior of these ice systems is discussed and surface binding energies are presented for all of these molecules. The surface binding energies can be used to calculate the residence times of the molecules on grain surfaces as a function of temperature. It is demonstrated that many of the molecules used to generate radio maps of and probe conditions in dense clouds, for example CO and NH3, will be significantly depleted from the gas phase by condensation onto dust grains. Attempts to derive total column densities solely from radio maps that do not take condensation effects into account may vastly underestimate the true column densities of any given species. Simple CO condensation onto and vaporization off of grains appears to be capable of explaining the observed depletion of gas phase CO in cold, dense molecular cores. This is not the case for NH3, however, where thermal considerations alone predict that all of the NH3 should be condensed onto grains. The fact that some gas phase NH3 is observed indicates that additional desorption processes must be involved. The surface binding energies of CH3OH, in conjunction with this molecule's observed behavior during warm up in H2O-rich ices, is shown to provide an explanation of the large excess of CH3OH seen in many warm, dense molecular cores. The near-infrared spectrum and associated integrated band strengths of CH3OH-containing ice are given, as are middle infrared absorption band strengths for both CH3OH and NH3.     

Detection of the 2165 inverse centimeter (4.619 micron) XCN band in the spectrum of L1551 IRS 5

We report the detection of a broad absorption band at 2165 cm-1 (4.619 microns) in the spectrum of L1551 IRS 5. New laboratory results over the 2200-2100 cm-1 wavenumber interval (4.55-4.76 microns), performed with realistic interstellar ice analogs, suggest that this feature is due to a CN-containing compound. We will refer to this compound as XCN. We also confirm the presence of frozen CO (both in nonpolar and polar matrices) through absorption bands at 2140 cm-1 (4.67 microns) and 2135 cm-1 (4.68 microns). The relative abundance of solid-state CO to frozen H2O is approximately 0.13 while the abundance of XCN seems comparable to that of frozen CO.     

Infrared spectroscopy of Triton and Pluto ice analogs: the case for saturated hydrocarbons

The infrared transmission spectra and photochemical behavior of various organic compounds isolated in solid N2 ices, appropriate for applications to Triton and Pluto, are presented. It is shown that excess absorption in the surface spectra of Triton and Pluto, i.e., absorption not explained by present models incorporating molecules already identified on these bodies (N2, CH4, CO, and CO2), that starts near 4450 cm-1 (2.25 micrometers) and extends to lower frequencies, may be due to alkanes (C(n)H2n+2) and related molecules frozen in the nitrogen. Branched and linear alkanes may be responsible. Experiments in which the photochemistry of N2:CH4 and N(2):CH4:CO ices was explored demonstrate that the surface ices of Triton and Pluto may contain a wide variety of additional species containing H, C, O, and N. Of these, the reactive molecule diazomethane, CH2N2, is particularly important since it may be largely responsible for the synthesis of larger alkanes from CH4 and other small alkanes. Diazomethane would also be expected to drive chemical reactions involving organics in the surface ices of Triton and Pluto toward saturation, i.e., to reduce multiple CC bonds. The positions and intrinsic strengths (A values) of many of the infrared absorption bands of N2 matrix-isolated molecules of relevance to Triton and Pluto have also been determined. These can be used to aid in their search and to place constraints on their abundances. For example, using these A values the abundance ratios CH4/N2 approximately 1.3 x 10(-3), C2H4/N2 < or = 9.5 x 10(-7) and H2CO/N2 < or = 7.8 x 10(-7) are deduced for Triton and CH4/N2 approximately 3.1 x 10(-3), C2H4/N2 < or = 4.1 x 10(-6), and H2CO/N2 < or = 5.2 x 10(-6) deduced for Pluto. The small amounts of C2H4 and H2CO in the surface ices of these bodies are in disagreement with the large abundances expected from many theoretical models.     

Questions of emigration,circulation and return: mobility between the French Caribbean and France

"The last four decades have seen the establishment of close migratory links between the French Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe and the metropole.... The present paper focuses on the...complex migratory links--including continuing emigration from the islands for work and education, return migration and circulation--which have come to characterise the 1980s.... The paper aims also to contribute to the broader conceptualisation of migration and mobility. The principal conclusions reveal that the more straightforward labour migration of the years from 1963 to 1981 has been replaced by some considerable return migration (amongst young adults particularly) and circulation.... The paper also demonstrates that the role of migration in reducing population growth and fertility in the islands has been much altered during the course of the 1980s."     

The inventory of interstellar materials available for the formation of the solar system

Tremendous progress has been made in the field of interstellar dust in recent years through the use of telescopic observations, theoretical studies, laboratory studies of analogs, and the study of actual interstellar samples found in meteorites. It is increasingly clear that the interstellar medium (ISM) contains an enormous diversity of materials created by a wide range of chemical and physical processes. This understanding is a far cry from the picture of interstellar materials held as recently as two decades ago, a picture which incorporated only a few generic types of grains and few molecules. In this paper, I attempt to review some of our current knowledge of the more abundant materials thought to exist in the ISM. The review concentrates on matter in interstellar dense molecular clouds since it is the materials in these environments from which new stars and planetary systems are formed. However, some discussion is reserved for materials in circumstellar environments and in the diffuse ISM. The paper also focuses largely on solid materials as opposed to gases since solids contain a major fraction of the heavier elements in clouds and because solids are most likely to survive incorporation into new planetary systems in identifiable form. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of the implications resulting from the recent growth of our knowledge about interstellar materials and also considers a number of areas in which future work might be expected to yield important results.     

气象探空测风软件系统的标准化研究

高空气象观测是气象业务的基础，是天气预报、气候分析、科学研究和国际交换的气象情报和资料的主要来源。气象探空测风软件是高空气象站探空测风综合探测系统的重要组成部分，它包括了一系列严密的处理方法，同时又融汇了日益发展的计算机处理技术，其规范化、标准化程度直接影响着新一代探空系统效益的发挥。该文介绍了高空气象台站探空测风标准化软件系统的设计思路，重点在软件需求、系统结构、实现技术等方面进行阐述，旨在设计出适合于各种高空探测系统，方便实用的“标准化”探空测风软件，为进一步的软件开发工作奠定坚实的基础。     

MICAPS中英文安装程序的制作和使用

气象信息综合分析处理系统（英文编写为MICAPS）是中国气象局9210的一个子.经负责业务气象资料的处理和显示，是业务预报员的基本工作平台。MICAPS系统分为工作站版和微机版，其中微机版应用于全国省、地、县三级气象台站。为此，MICAPS系统开发组首先开发了MICAPS系统中文版安装程序。随着MICAPS系统应用范围的扩大，MICAPS系统开发组又开发了MICAPS系统英文版安装程序。文章着重介绍目前国内广泛使用的中文版安装的使用方法和技巧，并对MICAPS系统中英文安装程序所使用两种开发软件的特性做出简要比较，旨在使MICAPS用户对MICAPS系统安装程序有一深入的了解，同时对从事安装程序制作的开发人员有一定的帮助和借鉴作用。