The effect of copper pollution on mitochondrial degeneration

The authors describe the effect of copper pollution on the mitochondria from various areas of the Torpedo marmorata central nervous system. A high percentage of swollen mitochondria has been observed in neurons from animals experimentally exposed to high level of copper (4 ppm). The correlation with age pigment granules is discussed.     

积雪变化导致格陵兰冰盖高度变化

地面冰盖对气候变化的反应可能会对未 来的海平面变化产生重大的影响.近年来格 陵兰南部的卫星调查显示,较大高度的冰盖 总体高度变化甚小,但空间变化很大.当然 仅仅依靠卫星数据难以测定是什么地球物理 过程引起了这种高度变化以及近年的变化速 率是否超过了正常变化速率.我们利用雪粒 密度增大的物理模型和根据高海拔12个冰 心再造的年雪堆积记录,获取了1978～1988 年格陵兰南部冰盖高度的变化. 地中海的干涸及其产生的后果 К.Н. Несис 很久以来就知道,地史最后阶段最具戏 剧性的事件之一就是大约在6Ma前的中新 世末期地中海的被隔离和完全干涸.据西西 里岛墨西拿城附近该时期著名的沉积剖面, 这个事件被称之为墨西拿盐量转变. 马建华摘译自 , 2000, Vol.406,No.24 周立君校     

Remote determination of momentum-flux profiles in the lower atmospheric boundary layer

An acoustic locator—a sodar—is a unique instrument for getting the objective characteristics of the current state of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) owing to a combination of such properties as remoteness, mobility, resolution, and information content. This study demonstrates the capabilities of a sodar to obtain data on the second moments of the field of wind-velocity fluctuations, in particular, the profiles of momentum flux in the lower ABL, which are very important in practical applications. A corresponding method is described, and the results of its experimental verification and some examples of its application under the conditions of different ABL stratification are presented.     

Nitrate assimilation by zooxanthellae maintained in laboratory culture

The ability of cultured zooxanthellae to use ammonium and nitrate was tested. The zooxanthellae were initially isolated from the anemone Aiptasia pulchella. The zooxanthellae were able to grow on media supplemented with either form of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) although ammonium was inhibitory above 300 μM. In accord with the intact symbiosis and freshly isolated algae, the cultured zooxanthellae took up ammonium. In contrast, the cultured algae demonstrated nitrate uptake and utilization. This was enhanced with DIN deprivation. Nitrate reductase was found in the algae and appeared to be inducible. Within the animal host, excretory ammonium may repress this induction.