Mathematical modeling of PCB bioaccumulation in Perna viridis

In the present work, we built a mathematical model of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) bioaccumulation in Perna viridis, namely, a one-compartment model with a time dependent incorporation rate R (μg g⁻¹ lipid per ppb water per day), with positive substrate cooperativity as the underlying physical mechanism. The temporal change of the PCB concentration Q (μg g⁻¹ lipid) in the soft tissues of the mussel depends on the competition of the input rate RW and the output rate kQ, where W is the concentration of PCB in water (ppb water) and k is the elimination rate (per day). From our experimental data, k=0.181±0.017 d⁻¹. The critical concentration in water W_c for positive substrate cooperativity was found to be 2.4 ppb. Below W_c, R is a constant. For a water concentration of 0.5 ppb Aroclor 1254, R=24.0±2.4 μg g⁻¹ lipid ppb⁻¹ d⁻¹. Above W_c, positive substrate cooperativity comes into effect and R becomes a function of time and dependent on the concentration Q in a form R=γQ/(Q+δ). This is the case for a water concentration of 5 ppb Aroclor 1254, where γ=15.1 μg g⁻¹ lipid ppb⁻¹ d¹ and δ≈200 μg g⁻¹ lipid. From this model, the uptake is exponentially increasing when the PCB concentration in the mussel is small compared to 200 μg g⁻¹ lipid, and hyperbolically increasing when the concentration is large compared to 200 μg g⁻¹ lipid, which are consistent with the experimental data. The model is useful for understanding the true processes taking place during the bioaccumulation and for risk assessment with higher confidence. Future experimental data which challenge the present model are anticipated and in fact desirable for improvement and perfection of the model.     

Burrowing responses of the short-neck clam Ruditapes philippinarum to sediment contaminants

The burrowing responses of a common tropical bivalve, the short-neck clam Ruditapes philippinarum, to cadmium (Cd)-spiked sediment, variations of sediment grain size and natural sediments collected from 15 locations in Hong Kong's inshore waters were investigated through a series of laboratory tests. Results showed that the burrowing response exhibited a negative relationship with an increase in Cd concentration in the spiked sediments. The level of Cd was also found to be directly proportional to the percent mortality of the clam. However, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the time elapsed for the clam to burrow into sediments with different grain size composition. The elapsed time for 50% of the test clams to burrow into the sediment (ET₅₀) over a period of 48 h was calculated for the sediment samples collected from the 15 locations. Results of ANOVA showed significant difference (p<0.05) among the sediment samples. Tukey's multiple comparison test revealed two groups of sediments: group 1 containing 3 sediment samples collected from Victoria Harbour and group 2 containing 12 samples obtained from other coastal areas of Hong Kong. The ET₅₀ value for group 1 sediments was found to be greater than 2880 min whilst the ET₅₀ for group 2 sediments had a mean of 173.9 min. Agglomerative classification of the sediment samples, based on metal content (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn), also showed two similar groups, suggesting that the ET₅₀ values were correlated with the metal level of the sediment samples. Group 1 sediments collected from Victoria Harbour had greater concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn as compared to that in group 2. The present study demonstrated that high metal content in the sediment tends to inhibit the burrowing responses of the clam and that there is potential to develop the burrowing responses of R. philippinarum as a sublethal sediment toxicity test.     

Dynamic response of a group of flexible foundations to incident seismic waves

The dynamic response of a finite number of flexible surface foundations subjected to harmonic incident Rayleigh or SH waves is presented. The foundations are assumed to be resting on an elastic half-space. The results show that the foundation stiffness has a marked effect on the vertical response, while there is only a minor effect on the horizontal displacements. In general, the dynamic response decreases with increasing foundation stiffness. In cases of Rayleigh wave incidence, the existence of an adjacent foundation generates a certain amount of horizontal response in the direction perpendicular to the incident wave and subsequently causes the system to undergo a torsional motion; while in cases of horizontally incident SH waves, a vertical response has been observed and its magnitude is comparable to the response in the direction of the incident wave.     

Molecule searches in Comet Kohoutek (1973f) at microwave frequencies

Nine transitions of the possible parent molecules H₂O, NH₃, CH₃OH and N₂O as well as the OH radical were searched for in Comet Kohoutek (1973f) in the frequency range 22.2–25.2 GHz. These molecules were not detected, but the upper limits for the optical depth, mean column density and the production rate are derived for each of the molecules. These results are discussed and compared with the reported detections of HCN and CH₃CN emission and OH absorption.     

High Performance Concrete and Its Typical Mixes

- With the modern development of chemical and mineral admixtures, it is now possible to produce much higher performance concrete than before. Higher performance does not only mean higher strength, but also better durability, lower risk of thermal cracking and higher dimensional stability etc. The three most effective admixtures for producing high performance concrete are superplastieizer, pulverized fuel ash and condensed silica fume. This paper outlines the properties of these materials and presents some practical guidelines for their usage.     

Optimization of buoyancy of an articulated stinger on submerged pipelines laid with a barge

An analytical method is presented for finding the elastic deflection of submerged pipelines laid with an articulated stinger in which the buoyancy of each element is adjustable. The computer time required for the method is much less than that for the finite element method, so that optimization of the laying parameters can be performed in a large region using mathematical programming. A practical example shows the efficiency of the proposed method.     

The gabbroic rocks of the Peninsular ranges batholith, Southern California: cumulate rocks associated with calc-alkalic basalts and andesites

Gabbroic rocks occur only in the west, and are the oldest intrusions in the Peninsular Ranges Cordilleran batholith. They comprise an olivine-pyroxene gabbronorite series and an amphibole gabbro series both of which contain abundant plagioclase and amphibole. They formed by crystal accumulation and in situ differentiation, in multiple intrusive complexes, and are not considered to be related by fractionation to the granitoid rocks of the batholith.Pure mineral separates of plagioclase, olivine, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, and amphibole were obtained by magnetic and heavy-liquid methods from a representative suite of gabbroic rocks. Their major- and trace-element contents were determined by X-ray fluorescence, and the data used to test hypotheses on the genesis and fractionation of the gabbros.The plagioclases range from An₉₈ to An₆₅ in composition, olivines, Fo₇₉ to Fo₇₀, occur in rocks where An>₃₆. All clinopyroxenes are augite with Mg #'s varying from 81.1 to 64.7. Orthopyroxene occurs where An<₉₂, and is generally inverted pigeonite or bronzite, and has Mg #'s ranging from 77.9 to 52.1. The amphiboles include tschermakite, tschermakitic hornblende, pargasite, pargasitic hornblende, ferroan pargasite, magnesio-hornblende, and magnesio-taramite, Mg #'s range from 80.4 to 62.5. Systematic chemical and mineralogical changes confirm that differentiation, controlled by mineral assemblages of plagioclase, olivine, spinel, and clinopyroxene initially, and orthopyroxene, amphibole, and magnetite later, took place between intrusive episodes and in situ.The highly clacic plagioclase coexisting with olivine and amphibole suggests that the gabbros were formed from hydrous mafic magmas. The modal mineralogy of the gabbros, and the chemistry of the minerals is very similar to that of the cumulate blocks of the Lesser Antillean volcanoes. These features confirm that the gabbros were derived from a hydrous mafic magma, with high Al₂O₃ and low TiO₂ contents, typical of orogenic environments.Cumulate minerals from the gabbros show little or no zoning and are considered to have formed in equilibrium with the evolving melts. Selected trace-element contents and distribution coefficients are used to calculate the compositions of the melts. The calculations show that the melts in equilibrium with the olivine-pyroxene gabbronorite series contain approximately 100–200 ppm Ba, 200–400 ppm Sr, 30-10 ppm Ni, 20-10 ppm Co, and 300-100 ppm V. K/Rb ratios of the melts, derived from post-cumulus and prismatic amphiboles, are generally in the range 550-250. These values are typical of calc-alkalic basalts and andesites, and it is suggested that they may have erupted at the surface to form a coeval calc-alkalic volcanic sequence.     

Approximate frequency analysis of shear wall frame structures

The finite strip method is used to determine the natural frequencies of shear wall frame buildings. The structure can be modelled in two different ways. In the first approach both the shear walls and the frames are idealized simply as an assemblage of finite strips of varying thicknesses with given or computed properties, while in the second approach the shear walls are still idealized as a series of finite strips, but the frames are regarded as a number of long columns which are interconnected with each other or with finite strips through the horizontal beams. Numerical results obtained from both models indicate good agreement with finite element solutions. The proposed models can be applied to a wide range of shear wall frame assemblies and are therefore more versatile than most existing models.     

Frequency analysis of rectangular plates continuous in one or two directions

The finite strip method is extended to the free vibration of rectangular plates continuous in one or two directions. A subroutine has been written for the computation of beam functions for continuous beams over any number of intermediate rigid supports and with simply supported or clamped end conditions. The standard finite strip method can thus be applied to plates continuous in both directions using the computed beam functions. The frequencies of 2 × 2 and 3 × 3 continuous panels with many different end conditions have been computed. The computations are also checked against published solutions and the accuracy is shown to be excellent.     

A semi-analytical boundary element method for scattering of waves in a half space

A boundary element method using finite strip discretization is proposed to investigate the three-dimensional scattering behaviour of waves in a half space. The scatterers examined are an irregular surface and a cavity in a half space. The numerical examples demonstrate the remarkably good accuracy of the results and validate the application of the present method to solve three-dimensional scattering problems.