Mechanisms of land–sea interactions – the distribution of metals and sedimentary organic matter in sediments of a river-dominated Mediterranean karstic estuary

This paper examines disposal of metals and the origin, characteristics, and distribution of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) in a Mediterranean karstic estuary in the north-eastern Adriatic. This environment offers a real-time, small model system for studies of geochemical processes in microtidal Mediterranean estuaries that are infilling with sediments and classified as river-dominated disequilibrium estuaries. The results have shown that the longitudinal distribution of heavy metals in sediments follows the sedimentation dynamics and deposition pattern of river-borne, clay mineral particles. The highest concentration of metals was found in the restricted upper part of the estuary, characterized by rapid deposition of clay particles and terrestrial sedimentary organic matter, and decreases toward the open sea. The vertical distribution of metals in sediment cores depends on the prevailing pH and Eh conditions. Significant increases of the concentrations of metals in the uppermost strata are the result of recent anthropogenic inputs. The share of the terrestrial component in SOM, estimated by N/C_org atomic ratios and δ¹³C values, decreases with distance from the river mouth. The small vertical variation in δ¹³C values of SOM indicates that a fast sedimentation rate overrides the diagenetically determined decomposition. The results obtained indicate that river-borne inorganic particles, natural terrigenous organic material, and anthropogenic metal loads are trapped in sediments of the estuarine system. Under the prevailing conditions, there is negligible transport towards the open sea.     

44-year wave hindcast for the Eastern Mediterranean

Within the EU-funded project HIPOCAS (Hindcast of Dynamic Processes of the Ocean and Coastal Area of Europe), high-resolution wave hindcasts were performed for the period 1958–2001 over the Eastern Mediterranean. The state-of-the-art WAM model was used for producing the 44-year wave data set. The wave model was driven by wind data generated from the regional atmospheric model REMO. The WAM model outputs of significant wave height were validated against in-situ measurements and satellite data. The model results show a good agreement with observations. The homogeneous wave data set produced by the model was then used for a study of long-term variability and climatic trends in the region.     

Identification of AOSC-binding proteins in neurons

Acidic oligosaccharide sugar chain （AOSC）, a D-mannuronic acid oligosaccharide, derived from brownalgaepolysaccharide, has been completed Phase I clinical trial in China as an anti-Alzheimer＇s Disease （AD） drug candidate. The identification of AOSC-binding protein（s） in neurons is very important for understanding its action mechanism. To determine the binding protein（s） of AOSC in neurons mediating its anti-AD activities, confocal microscopy, affinity chromatography, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry （LC-MS/MS） analysis were used. Confocal microscopy analysis shows that AOSC binds to SH-SY5Y cells in concentration-, time-, and temperature-dependent fashions. The AOSC binding proteins were purified by affinity chromatography and identified by LC-MS/MS analysis. The results showed that there are 349 proteins binding AOSC, including clathrin, adaptor protein-2 （AP-2） and amyloid precursor protein （APP）. These results suggest that the binding/entrance of AOSC to neurons is probably responsible for anti-AD activities.     

The chemical composition of the halo and evolutionary problems

The chemical composition of the Milky-Way halo is studied on the basis of a sample of metal-poor (logarithmic metallicity less than –1) globular clusters. The histogram obtained may be interpreted in the terms of the classical galaxy formation theory of Eggen, Lynden-Bell and Sandage. Interestingly enough, this is in a rough agreement with the data on metallicity of high-redshift damped Ly-alpha and Ly-alpha forest systems. This may serve the important purpose of constraining the nature and the formation timescale of MACHOs discovered through gravitational microlensing experiments. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

笼养密度对九孔鲍生长的影响

在室内水池内以五层笼摞叠养殖方式,试验了入笼时平均壳长21.2 mm(平均体重1.1 7 g)、37.0 mm(平均体重5.43 g)、51.8 mm(平均体重16.08 g)小、中、大3种规格的九孔鲍的不同放养密度对其生长的影响.笼子大小为40 cm×30 cm×12 cm.小规格设每笼放养量为25、30、35、40、45与50只6种密度;中为25、30、35、40、与45只5种密度;大为20、25、30与40只4种密度.经60 d试验,结果表明(1)小个体组以30只/笼生长最快,平均160μm/d,33 mg/d;(2)中个体组以25只/笼生长最快,平均123um/d,62 mg/d;(3)大个体组以20只/笼生长最快,平均95 μm/d,116 mg/d.     

The Position of High-Frequency Waves with Respect to the Granulation Pattern

High-frequency velocity oscillations were observed in the spectral lines Fe i 543.45 nm and 543.29 nm, by using 2D spectroscopy with a Fabry – Perot and speckle reconstruction, at the Vacuum Tower Telescope in Tenerife. We investigate the radial component of waves with frequencies in the range 8 – 22 mHz in the internetwork, network, and a pore. We find that the occurrence of waves does not show any location preference and that they are equally distributed over downflows and upflows, regardless of the activity of the observed area in the line of Fe i 543.45 nm. The waves observed in the lower formed line of Fe i 543.29 nm seem to appear preferentially over downflows.     

Seasonal fluctuation of Myxobolus gibelioi（Myxosporea） plasmodia in the gills of the farmed allogyno—genetic gibel carp in China

The seasonal fluctuation of the plasmodia ofMyxobolus gibelioi Wu et Wang, 1982 in the gill filaments of the allogynogenetic gibel carpCarassius auratus gibelio (Bloch) in a fish pond in Hubei Province of China was investigated from August 1999 to July 2000. A total of 445 fish was examined; the overall prevalence of the plasmodium infection in the fish was 64.94% and mean abundance of plasmodia was 11.65±27.85 (mean±SD). Significant seasonal changes in prevalence and mean abundance, with higher levels of the plasmodia infection from late spring to autumn, were observed. This research was financially supported by the Projects for Knowledge Innovation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KSCX2-1-04 and No. 1999051) and the Science & Technology Commision of Wuhan City (No. 995004095G).     

An analysis of close binaries (CB) based on photometric measurements

The subject of the paper is the problem of stellar differntial rotation in close binaries (CB) ofRS CV n type. The differential-rotation parameters we find on the basis of the migration of the depression in the light curves caused by the spot effect over the orbital phase. For that purpose, a simple model (Bussoet al., 1985) and inverse-problem procedure, based on the Marquardt (1963) algorithm, are used. To verify the obtained solutions, the SIMPLEX algorithm (Torczon, 1991) is applied, suitable for the nonlinear parameter optimisation. This algorithm enables a correct solution of the nonlinear equation system describing the differential rotation. The procedure is applied in the determination of the parameters of differential rotation forCV Cam, VV Mon andSS Boo binaries.     

Proteocephalus sinocyclocheili n. sp. (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) in a fishSinocyclocheilus grahami tingi Fang from Yunnan, China

A new species ofProteocephalus from the fishSinocyclocheilus grahami tingi, a subspecies endemic to Fuxian Lake in Southwest China,is described. This is the first report of cestode from this host. The new species differs fromP. exiguus, P. Longicollis, P. parasiluri andP. torulosus, the only other species ofProteocephalus currently reported from China, by lacking an apical sucker, fromP. exiguus by having 45–108 rather than 24–54 testes per proglottis, and a maximum of 15 rather than 28 uterine diverticula; fromP.longicollis by having an average of 45–108 rather than 75–115 testes per proglottis and testes being in a single layer instead of 2 layers; and fromP. torulosus by having 45–108 instead of 150 testes per proglottis and testes being in 3–4 layers; and fromP. parasiluri by having 45–108 rather than 180 testes per proglottis. It resemblesP. percae, P. pollanicola, andP. thymalli in number of testes and uterine diverticula, but differs by lacking an apical sucker.Proteocephalus thymalli, like the new species, has a vagina that opens dorsally to the cirrus sac, butP. thymalli slao has postovarian testes, which the new species lacks. The possible significance of parasitological examinations of the other two subspecies ofS. grahami in two lakes close to Fuxian Lake is discussed in relation to host speciation and coevolution of the host-parasite system.