Neuroendocrine disruption in Mya arenaria clams during gametogenesis at sites under pollution stress

This study examined the neuroendocrine status of clams on intertidal mud flats in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Saguenay Fjord areas during late gametogenesis. The impact of pollution was determined by a test battery of early stress markers (metallothioneins, heme levels, glutathione S-transferase activity), tissue damage (lipid peroxidation and DNA damage) and morphologic characteristics (age, soft-tissue weight ratio and growth index). Neuroendocrinal status was examined by tracking serotonin and dopamine metabolism, monoamine adenylate cyclase activity in synaptosomes, monoamine oxidase and arachidonate cyclooxygenase activities in relation to gametogenetic activity: pyrimidine synthesis, (aspartate transcarbamoylase activity or ATC), vitellogenin-like proteins and gonado-somatic index. The results show that clam soft tissue weights were reduced at sites close to harbours and higher at sites near domestic wastewater outfalls. The age-to-length ratio of clams was generally higher at impacted sites, suggesting reduced growth. The biomarkers of stress or damage confirmed that oxidative stress, DNA damage, metallothioneins and glutathione S-transferase activity were significantly increased at varying degrees, at the polluted sites. Vitellogenin-like proteins and gametogenetic activity were significantly increased at sites influenced by domestic wastewaters. Furthermore, the clams were still in active gametogenesis and not ready for spawning, as indicated by the concordance of the serotonin/dopamine ratio with vitellogenin-like proteins and pyrimidine synthesis. However, gonadal cyclooxygenase activity was increased at polluted sites and significantly correlated with most of the stress biomarkers, suggesting that the clams were in a state of inflammation rather than at the spawning stage. Finally, a multivariate analysis revealed that the sites were readily discriminated with high efficiency (>71%) and that both neuroendocrine physiological markers and stress responses were identified as the major components, thus explaining the global physiological response of the clams. We conclude that the effects of pollution compromise the clams' health status and that the initiation of gametogenesis in environments contaminated by municipal wastewaters or harbours contributes to the toxic effects of pollution.     

波峰型低损耗负群时延微波电路研究

本文提出了一种波峰形状的低损耗微波负群时延微带电路，该电路主要由四条相同的微带传输线，两条相同的耦合微带线以及T形连接器组成.依据等效电路拓扑结构，基于微波电路理论推导出电路的S参数模型以及负群时延公式.利用ADS仿真软件对电路结构进行优化，并进行了实物的加工与测试.测试结果表明：在中心频率1.017 GHz时，电路的最大群时延为-2.46 ns，插入损耗为-2.1 dB以及反射损耗为-13 dB.实测结果与仿真结果以及理论模型结果具有很好的一致性.     

Influence of the turbulence closure scheme on the finite-element simulation of the upwelling in the wake of a shallow-water island

A three-dimensional finite-element model is used to investigate the tidal flow around Rattray Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Field measurements and visual observations show both stable eddies developing at rising and falling tide in the wake of the island. The water turbidity suggests intense upwelling able to carry bed sediments upwards. Based on previous numerical studies, it remains unclear at this point whether the most intense upwelling occurs near the centre of the eddies or off the island's tips, closer to the island. All these studies resorted to a very simple turbulence closure, with a zero-equation model whereby the coefficient of vertical viscosity is computed via an algebraic expression. In this work, we aim at studying the influence of the turbulence closure on model results, with emphasis on the prediction of vertical motions. The Mellor and Yamada level 2.5 closure scheme is used and an increase in the intensity of vertical transport is observed. This increase is partly explained by the fact that the Mellor and Yamada model takes into account the hysteresis effect in the time variation of turbulence variables. The influence of the advection of turbulence variables is estimated to be negligible. By a better representation of transient coastal phenomena, the Mellor and Yamada level 2.5 turbulence closure improves the model to a significant degree.     

川西义敦岛弧中部图姆沟组流纹岩年代学、地球化学特征及其对岩浆成因的限定

【研究目的】 义敦岛弧是三江特提斯复合造山带的重要组成部分。区域现有的研究较多集中在弧花岗质侵入岩及其成矿作用上,而对区内流纹岩的研究则相对匮乏。【研究方法】 本文在详细野外填图的基础上,对图姆沟组流纹岩进行岩石学、地球化学和同位素年代学研究。【研究结果】 流纹岩锆石U-Pb成岩年龄216.5 Ma,为晚三叠世。岩石SiO₂含量为73.24%~74.72%,全碱含量为5.26%~6.27%,为钙碱性系列,富集大离子亲石元素Rb、Th、U、K和轻稀土元素,亏损高场强元素Nb、Ta、Ti、P和重稀土元素,具典型的岛弧火山岩特征。【结论】 图姆沟组流纹岩是印支期甘孜—理塘洋壳向西俯冲环境下地壳部分熔融的产物。     

Ecotoxicological effects of a semi-submerged municipal dump (Castle harbour, Bermuda) on the Calico scallop Argopecten gibbus

A biomarker study was undertaken using the Calico scallop Argopecten gibbus to assess the ecotoxicological effects of a semi-submerged municipal dump on the adjacent patch reef lagoon ecosystem (Castle harbour, Bermuda). Caged scallops were deployed in situ for 2 months at various distances from the dump (50 m, 900 m and 2.7 km) and at a reference site (14 km). A suite of biomarkers comprising metallothionein (MT), lipid peroxidation (LPO), vitellin-like proteins (Vn), glutathione S-transferase (GST), DNA strand breaks and condition factor (CF) were investigated in various tissues of the scallop (gill, digestive gland and gonad). Levels of heavy metals were also measured in the whole scallop soft tissue. While there was some variation in response between tissues, in general the results indicated that the dump was negatively impacting scallops deployed in the adjacent marine environment: elevated levels of MT, DNA strand breaks, Vn and GST and reduced condition factor were found for scallops deployed nearest to the dump and at the site 1.5 km from this point source of contamination (Tuckers town) in Castle harbour, with respect to the reference site, North Rock (although this exhibited some degree of metal contamination). The gills from scallops deployed at the dump site were the most responsive tissue, with the highest expression of MT, LPO and DNA damage. This study indicates the potential of the Calico scallop as a convenient bioindicator species in the marine tropical benthos.     

Experimental Study of Partial Melting of Mantle Peridotite -A Discussion about the Genesis of Sih'ca-rich Fluids (Melts)

Experiments on partial melting of mantle lherzolite have been realized at 0.6 and 1.0 GPa and the chemical compositional variations of melts during different melting stages have been first discussed. The results show that the trends of variations in SiO2, CaO, Al2O3, Na2O and TiO2 are different at different melting stages. The melts produced at lower pressure are richer in SiO2 than those at higher pressure. The mantle-derived silica-rich fluids (silicate melts) are polygenetic, but the basic and intermediate-acid silicate melts in mantle peridotite xenoliths from the same host rocks, which have equivalent contents of volatile and alkali components and different contents of other components, should result from in-situ (low-degree) partial melting of mantle peridotite under different conditions (e.g. at different depths, with introduction of C-O-H fluids or in the presence of metasomatic minerals). The intermediate-acid melts may be the result of partial melting (at lower pressure) Opx + Sp + K-Na-rich f     

Impact of Saharan dust on PM10 concentration in the Mediterranean Tunisian coasts

This paper presents samples of Saharan dust outbreak affecting the Mediterranean Tunisian coasts and its impact on PM10 (Particles with an aerodynamic diameter below 10 µm) surface concentrations measured at seven monitoring stations during summer 2006. During the events, the daily PM10 levels at all stations exceeded EU and Tunisian air quality standard limits which are equal to 50 µg/m³. The maximum values ranged from 200 µg/m³ to 300 µg/m³ depending on the monitoring station. The impact is even more dramatic on PM10 hourly concentrations leading to maximum hourly peaks ranging from 400 µg/m³ to 850 µg/m³ again depending on the monitoring station (industrial or residential, traffic and commercial). Comparison between backward air masses trajectories reaching Tunisian coasts and satellite imageries vis-à-vis the PM10 hourly concentrations measured at the monitoring stations during 2006 evidenced the influence of the Saharan dust outbreaks on surface concentrations. The origin of the air masses is found to be from South-West direction under the influence of air masses from the Algerian Saharan desert.     

Capturing strain localization behind a geosynthetic‐reinforced soil wall

This paper presents the results of finite element (FE) analyses of shear strain localization that occurred in cohesionless soils supported by a geosynthetic‐reinforced retaining wall. The innovative aspects of the analyses include capturing of the localized deformation and the accompanying collapse mechanism using a recently developed embedded strong discontinuity model. The case study analysed, reported in previous publications, consists of a 3.5‐m tall, full‐scale reinforced wall model deforming in plane strain and loaded by surcharge at the surface to failure. Results of the analysis suggest strain localization developing from the toe of the wall and propagating upward to the ground surface, forming a curved failure surface. This is in agreement with a well‐documented failure mechanism experienced by the physical wall model showing internal failure surfaces developing behind the wall as a result of the surface loading. Important features of the analyses include mesh sensitivity studies and a comparison of the localization properties predicted by different pre‐localization constitutive models, including a family of three‐invariant elastoplastic constitutive models appropriate for frictional/dilatant materials. Results of the analysis demonstrate the potential of the enhanced FE method for capturing a collapse mechanism characterized by the presence of a failure, or slip, surface through earthen materials. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling environmental effects on the size-structured energy flow through marine ecosystems. Part 1: The model

This paper presents an original size-structured mathematical model of the energy flow through marine ecosystems, based on established ecological and physiological processes and mass conservation principles. The model is based on a nonlocal partial differential equation which represents the transfer of energy in both time and body weight (size) in marine ecosystems. The processes taken into account include size-based opportunistic trophic interactions, competition for food, allocation of energy between growth and reproduction, somatic and maturity maintenance, predatory and starvation mortality. All the physiological rates are temperature-dependent. The physiological bases of the model are derived from the dynamic energy budget theory. The model outputs the dynamic size-spectrum of marine ecosystems in term of energy content per weight class as well as many other size-dependent diagnostic variables such as growth rate, egg production or predation mortality.In stable environmental conditions and using a reference set of parameters derived from empirical studies, the model converges toward a stationary linear log–log size-spectrum with a slope equal to −1.06, which is consistent with the values reported in empirical studies. In some cases, the distribution of the largest sizes departs from the stationary linear solution and is slightly curved downward. A sensitivity analysis to the parameters is conducted systematically. It shows that the stationary size-spectrum is not very sensitive to the parameters of the model. Numerical simulations of the effects of temperature and primary production variability on marine ecosystems size-spectra are provided in a companion paper [Maury, O., Shin, Y.-J., Faugeras, B., Ben Ari, T., Marsac, F., 2007. Modeling environmental effects on the size-structured energy flow through marine ecosystems. Part 2: simulations. Progress in Oceanography, doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2007.05.001].