The impact of the nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio on ionized nebula diagnostics based on [N ii] emission lines

We study the relation between nitrogen and oxygen abundances as a function of metallicity for a sample of emission-line objects for which a direct measurement of the metallicity has been possible. This sample is representative of the very different conditions in ionization and chemical enrichment that we can find in the Universe. We first construct the N/O versus O/H ratio diagram, and discuss its large dispersion at all metallicity regimes. Using the same sample and a large grid of photoionization models covering very different values of the N/O ratio, we then study the most widely used strong-line calibrators of metallicity based on [N  ii ] emission lines, such as N2 and O3N2. We demonstrate that these parameters underestimate the metallicity at low N/O ratios and vice versa. We also investigate the effect of the N/O ratio on different diagnostic diagrams used to discriminate narrow-line active galactic nuclei from star-forming regions, such as the [O  iii ]/Hβ versus [N  ii ]/Hα, and show that a large fraction of the galaxies catalogued as composite in this diagram can be, in fact, star-forming galaxies with a high value of the N/O ratio. Finally, using strong-line methods sensitive to the N/O abundance ratio, like N2O2 and N2S2, we investigate the relation between this ratio and the stellar mass for the galaxies of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We find, as in the case of the mass–metallicity relation, a correlation between these two quantities and a flattening of the relation for the most massive galaxies, which could be a consequence of the enhancement of the dispersion of N/O ratio in the high-metallicity regime.     

Determination of the Concentration of Carbonic Species in Natural Waters: Results from a World‐Wide Proficiency Test

The results of an international interlaboratory proficiency test for the determination of carbonic species are presented. Eight laboratories analysed twelve water samples (four synthetic waters, one lake water, four geothermal waters, one seawater and two petroleum waters) by two methods: (a) individual laboratory analytical procedure and (b) acid–base titration curves in tabular form following a standardised protocol. In case (b), the concentrations of carbonic species were calculated by the organiser using the (1) Hydrologists' method, (2) Geochemists' method and/or (3) initial pH and total alkalinity method. For synthetic waters, the averaged % trueness and precision of measurement of the two methods were (trueness = 7.6, precision = 9.4) and (9.0, 3.4) for total alkalinity, and (6.6, 31.0) and (7.8, 6.1) for carbonic alkalinity, respectively. This indicates that the total alkalinity calculation procedure is in general correct in the individual laboratory method, but the carbonic alkalinity calculation procedure has serious problems. The measurements of total alkalinity for lake and seawaters were in agreement in both the methods; however, the individual laboratory measurement method for geothermal and petroleum waters was conceptually incorrect. Thus, the analytical procedures for the determination of carbonic species were reviewed. To apply the Hydrologists' and/or Geochemists' methods, the location of NaHCO₃EP and H₂CO₃EP is necessary, even for samples with pH lower than that of NaHCO₃EP, and a backward titration curve after complete removal of CO₂ must be performed. The initial pH and total alkalinity method is appropriate where a complete analysis of species that contribute to the alkalinity is known.     

The Risk Atlas of Mexico City,Mexico: a tool for decision-making and disaster prevention

Natural Hazards - We present a Risk Atlas of Mexico City based on a Geographical Information System (RA-GIS). We identified the prevalent social risk to the more relevant hazards in Mexico City...     

Tailored data compression using stream partitioning and prediction: application to Gaia

Gaia is the most ambitious space astrometry mission currently envisaged and it will be a technological challenge in all its aspects. Here we describe a proposal for the data compression system of Gaia, specifically designed for this mission but based on concepts that can be applied to other missions and systems as well. Realistic simulations have been performed with our Telemetry CODEC software, which performs a stream partitioning and pre-compression to the science data. In this way, standard compressors such as bzip2 or szip boost their performance and decrease their processing requirements when applied to such pre-processed data. These simulations have shown that a lossless compression factor of 3 can be achieved, whereas standard compression systems were unable to reach a factor of 2.      

Star formation and AGN

We analyse the data from narrow band H and [O III] CCD imaging of a sample of nearby spiral galaxies with active nuclei. The results show that the large scale star formation depends on the level of nuclear activity, with Seyfert 2 presenting the strongest disk and circum-nuclear star formation, while Seyfert 1 show very little. We present particular results for the galaxies NGC 3982, NGC 4579, NGC 5427 and NGC 7469.     

Assessing the geochemical reactivity of inorganic phosphorus along estuaries by means of laboratory simulation experiments

Phosphate behaviour in natural estuarine systems can be studied by performing field measurements and by undertaking laboratory simulation experiments. Thus, in this paper we describe the use of a dynamic automated estuarine simulator to characterize the geochemical reactivity of phosphate in varying salinity gradients in order to study possible mechanisms of phosphate removal from the dissolved phase (e.g. formation of some kind of apatite) and how changes in pH and salinity values influence this removal. Six laboratory assays, representing various salinity and pH gradients (average pH values between 7 and 8), were carried out. The geochemical equilibrium model MINTEQA2 was employed to characterize removal of phosphate. Among the minerals from which dissolved phosphate can originate, it seems that hydroxyapatite is by far the mineral that shows the greatest saturation indexes in the experiments. Thus, there is evidence that a type of calcium phosphate (hydroxyapatite) is involved in phosphate removal in the assays. Phosphate removal by Ca²⁺ occurs sharply at salinity values of 1–2, whereas by Fe³⁺ it is relatively gradual, at least until a salinity value of 7. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mesozoic Evaniidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) in Spanish Amber: Reanalysis of the Phylogeny of the Evanioidea

<正>One new genus and five new species of the family Evaniidae are described from the Early Cretaceous (Albian)Spanish amber of Penacerrada-Ⅰ(Province of Burgos),San Just and Arroyo de la Pascueta(both in the Province of Teruel):Cretevania alonsoi sp.nov.,C.montoyai sp.nov.,C.alcalai sp.nov.,C.rubusensis sp.nov.,and Iberoevania roblesi gen.and sp.nov.Taxonomic changes include Cretevania pristina(Zhang and Zhang,2000) comb.nov.,C.exquisita(Zhang,Rasmtsyn,Wang and Zhang,2007)comb.nov.,C.vesca(Zhang,Rasnitsyn,Wang and Zhang,2007)comb.nov.,and C.cyrtocerca(Deans,2004)comb.nov.,as a result of the reinterpretation of the genera Procretevania and Eovernevania.The new well preserved specimens of the genus Cretevania,together with the characters shown by the type specimens of the synonymized genera,give new information about their anatomical characters of taxonomical importance,and the genus Cretevania Rasnitsyn,1975 is re-diagnosed.The holotypes of the Russian species in amber have been revised.A cladistic analysis of fossil and extant groups of the superfamily Evanioidea is included.Cretevania had a wide palaeogeographic distribution,with the highest diversity known from Spain.The 13 known Cretevania species show a high interspecific variation mainly in wing characteristics,and a wide range of body and wing size.     

Late Pleistocene (Last Interglacial) terrace deposits, Bahia Coyote, Baja California Sur, México

Late Pleistocene age terrace deposits are exposed in the narrow cliffed coastal plain of Bahia Coyote, Baja California Sur, resting unconformably on the lagoonal-shallow water volcaniclastics of the early Miocene Cerro Colorado Member of the El Cien Formation. The terrace is dissected by widely spaced arroyos and partically covered by alluvial fans in the inner and central areas. The marine deposits vary in thickness from 0.5 to 10 m and were laid down in pre-existing erosional channels and depressions in the Pleistocene landscape. The sequence begins with a cobble conglomerate with oyster shells, overlain by poorly bedded molluscan-rich bioclastic sands and coral rubble, beds of massive Porites in growth position and coral-rhodolith sands and marls. Beach sands and gravels and coastal dunes cap the sequence.Samples of Porites panamensis selected for U/Th dating are well-preserved aragonite (>95%). Preliminary results yield U/Th ages of 109–209 ka but the corals have initial δ ²³⁴U values in excess of modern seawater values. This indicates open-system behavior and uncertainty associated with the ages. A corrected age for the top of the massive Porites unit suggests that the corals grew during the last interglacial, marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e sea level high stand.Assuming global sea level during MIS 5e was ca. 4–5 m above present-day sea level (McCulloch and Esat, 2000) and the growth position of the corals was 1–5 m below sea level, the terraces have been uplifted between 12 and 25 m (12–15 cm/kyr). This is consistent with other terrace-based uplift rates for the central Baja California peninsula, north of the La Paz fault.