Lead and Aroclor 1254 disrupt reproductive neuroendocrine function in Atlantic croaker

We have previously shown that lead (lead chloride) and a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture (Aroclor 1254) can alter hypothalamic serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) content, and pituitary gonadotropin II (GTH II) release in vitro, in the Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus). In the present study we investigated whether impairment of the hypothalamic 5-HT pathway involves alterations in tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH), the rate-limiting enzyme in 5-HT biosynthesis, or monoamine oxidase (MAO), the catabolic enzyme. Aroclor 1254 (1 mg/kg body wt. for 30 days) significantly inhibited hypothalamic TPH activity without altering MAO activity, and caused a significant decline in 5-HT content. On the other hand, lead exposure (15 mg/kg body wt. for 30 days) only induced a slight decrease in hypothalamic 5-HT content and TPH activity, and a minor increase in MAO activity. However, both Aroclor 1254 and lead significantly inhibited the GTH II response to stimulation by a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analog (LHRHa) in vivo and caused reduced gonadal growth. These results demonstrate that impairment of hypothalamic serotonin metabolism by Aroclor 1254 involves inhibition of 5-HT synthesis, whereas lead does not exert a profound influence on 5-HT metabolism. The decline in 5-HT availability due to reduced 5-HT synthesis in the PCB-exposed fish may result in disruption of the stimulatory 5-HT-GnRH pathway controlling GTH II secretion leading to impairment of gonadal growth.     

Performance assessment of a concept propulsor: the thrust-balanced propeller

This paper presents the results of a numerical performance analysis to demonstrate the worthiness of a recently patented new concept propulsor, the so-called “thrust-balanced propeller (TBP)”. The main advantage of this unconventional propulsor is its inherent ability to reduce the unsteady effect of blade forces and moments when it is operating in a non-uniform wake flow. The propulsor comprises a pair of diametrically opposed blades that are connected to one another and mounted so as to be rotatable together through a limited angle about their spindle axis. A quasi-hydrodynamic approach is described and applied to perform the numerical analysis using a state-of-the-art lifting surface procedure for conventional propellers. Performance comparisons with a conventional fixed-pitch propeller are made for the blade forces and moments, efficiency, cavitation extents and fluctuating hull pressures. Bearing in mind the quasi-static nature of the analyses, the results present favourable performance characteristics for the thrust-balanced propeller and support the worthiness of the concept. However, the concept needs to be proved through physical model tests, which are planned to take in a cavitation tunnel.     

On the fairing of resistance test data: A software-based approach

A fairing method is presented for giving a good representation of ship model resistance test data, which in general tend to exhibit a scattered trend and need to be smoothed appropriately. One component of the test data originates from the frictional resistance and can be formulated smoothly. The second component is the wave resistance which exhibits a specific harmonic character with peaks and troughs. In this method, this component is modelled using suitable harmonic cosine terms for obtaining the best representation of the corresponding resistance data. The performance of the method is then tested on two example cases, using the characteristic parameters of the sample data as input during the smoothing process.     

Sequence stratigraphic analysis of Eocene Rock Strata,Offshore Indus,southwest Pakistan

In this study, seismic data from two wells (Pak G2-1 and Indus Marine-1C) and age diagnostic larger benthic foraminifera (LBF) within drill cuttings has been used for the first time to identify depositional sequences within the carbonates in the Offshore Indus Basin, Pakistan. The Offshore Indus is tectonically categorized as a passive continental margin where carbonates occur as shelf carbonates in the near offshore and on volcanic seamounts in deeper waters. Seismic data analysis has indicated the presence of minor faults and carbonate buildups above the igneous basement in the south. Patterns of the seismic reflections enabled definition of three seismic facies units identified as: Unit 1 basement, represented by chaotic, moderate amplitude reflection configuration; while parallel bedding and the drape of overlying strata is typical character of Unit 2, carbonate mound facies. The younger Miocene channels represent Unit 3. The diagnosis of Alveolina vredenburgi/cucumiformis biozone confirmed the Ilerdian (55–52 Ma) stage constituting a second order cycle of deposition for the Eocene carbonates (identified as Unit 2). The carbonate succession has been mainly attributed to an early highstand system tract (HST). The environmental conditions remained favorable leading to the development of keep-up carbonates similar to pinnacle buildups as a result of aggradation during late transgressive system tract and an early HST. The carbonate sequence in the south (Pak G2-1) is thicker and fossiliferous representing inner to middle shelf depths based on fauna compared to the Indus Marine-1C in the north, which is devoid of fossils. Three biozones (SBZ 5, SBZ 6 and SBZ 8) were identified based on the occurrence of LBF. The base of the SBZ 5 zone marks the larger foraminifera turnover and the Paleocene–Eocene (P–E) boundary. The LBF encountered in this study coincides with earlier findings for the P–E boundary. Our findings indicate that the entire Ilerdian stage ranges from 55.5 to 52 Ma that was the episode of warmer water conditions on the carbonate shelves leading to the diversification of K-strategist larger foraminifera. The larger foraminiferal assemblage encountered in this study confirms the findings. The possible indication of stratigraphic-combination traps, revealed as reflection terminations, make carbonate mounds in the south a potential exploration target.     

Present environmental status of Al-Kharrar Lagoon,central of the eastern Red Sea coast,Saudi Arabia

Al-Kharrar Lagoon is a fossil back-reef basin with hypersaline waters, situated 10 km northwest of Rabigh city, central of the eastern Red Sea coast, Saudi Arabia. About 130 stations were selected for measurements of the lagoon’s water temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and water depths during March 2014. The common macro-algae, flora, and fauna were also sampled and identified. The present study aims to investigate the prevailing environmental parameters and their impact on the macro-fauna/flora of the lagoon. The average water depth of the lagoon was around 5 m and reached maximum values of 8 and 16 at the lagoon centre and inlet, respectively. The results showed that the lagoon’s surface water temperature and salinity have mean values of 25 °C and 40‰, but with extreme values of 30 °C and 45‰ that occurred only at the enclosed intertidal areas, respectively. Their dissolved oxygen (DO) and pH were 6.5 mg/l and 8.3, respectively and the latter showing the highest values up to 8.5 in the intertidal areas dominated by the green cyanobacteria. These physicochemical conditions make the lagoon as a favorite place for the mangrove Avicennia marina, macro-algae, seagrasses (Halophila stipulacea and Cymodocea rotundata), and algal mats (Cyanobacteria) which dominate the intertidal and supratidal areas of the lagoon, tolerating extremely high-salinity and high-temperature conditions. On the other hand, corals were observed alive at the southern part of the lagoon, immediately south of the Al-Ultah Islet. Vertical profiles of temperature, salinity, and density in the lagoon’s water indicated that the water column consists of two layers throughout the year.     

Spatial analysis of water quality and its suitability in farming giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) in Negeri Sembilan region,Peninsular Malaysia

Finding potential sites for resilient prawn production in the tropical environment that also prevents wastage of natural resources is not an easy task. The purpose of this study is to evaluate water quality suitability for prawn farming in Negeri Sembilan of Peninsular Malaysia based on Geographic Information System (GIS). To achieve this goal, numerous criteria including sources of water, water temperature, water pH, sources of pollution, salinity, soil texture and availability of phytoplankton criteria were considered for the modelling process. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique was performed to standardize the criteria and the weighting process. The weighted overlay of indicators and results were accomplished by applying the Multi‐Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) method in GIS. It was indicated that the Negeri Sembilan area has potential for prawn farming. The results showed that about 25 per cent (163 056.93 ha) of the area was most suitable for prawn farming, about 58 per cent (384 656.88 ha) was considered moderately suitable, while 18 per cent (117 633.49 ha) was regarded as least suitable. The study concluded that the multi‐criteria decision analysis of water quality for prawn farming is vital for regional economic planning in the Negeri Sembilan area and also significant when establishing a model for aquaculture development.     

Distribution of diagenetic alterations within depositional facies and sequence stratigraphic framework of fluvial sandstones: Evidence from the Petrohan Terrigenous Group,Lower Triassic,NW Bulgaria

Sequence stratigraphy of fluvial deposits is a controversial topic because changes in relative sea level will eventually have indirect impact on the spatial and temporal distribution of depositional facies. Changes in the relative sea level may influence the accommodation space in fluvial plains, and hence have impact on types of fluvial system, frequency of avulsion, and style of vertical and lateral accretion. This study aims to investigate whether depositional facies and changes in the fluvial system of the Lower Triassic Petrohan Terrigenous Group sandstones (NW Bulgaria) in response to changes in the relative sea level have an impact on the spatial and temporal distribution of diagenetic alterations.     

Cenozoic geodynamic evolution of the Andaman–Sumatra subduction margin: Current understanding

The Andaman–Sumatra margin displays a unique set‐up of extensional subduction–accretion complexes, which are the Java Trench, a tectonic (outer arc) prism, a sliver plate, a forearc, oceanic rises, inner‐arc volcanoes, and an extensional back‐arc with active spreading. Existing knowledge is reviewed in this paper, and some new data on the surface and subsurface signatures for operative geotectonics of this margin is analyzed. Subduction‐related deformation along the trench has been operating either continuously or intermittently since the Cretaceous. The oblique subduction has initiated strike–slip motion in the northern Sumatra–Andaman sector, and has formed a sliver plate between the subduction zone and a complex, right‐lateral fault system. The sliver fault, initiated in the Eocene, extended through the outer‐arc ridge offshore from Sumatra, and continued through the Andaman Sea connecting the Sagaing Fault in the north. Dominance of regional plate dynamics over simple subduction‐related accretionary processes led to the development and evolution of sedimentary basins of widely varied tectonic character along this margin. A number of north–south‐trending dismembered ophiolite slices of Cretaceous age, occurring at different structural levels with Eocene trench‐slope sediments, were uplifted and emplaced by a series of east‐dipping thrusts to shape the outer‐arc prism. North–south and east–west strike–slip faults controlled the subsidence, resulting in the development of a forearc basins and record Oligocene to Miocene–Pliocene sedimentation within mixed siliciclastic–carbonate systems. The opening of the Andaman Sea back‐arc occurred in two phases: an early (～11 Ma) stretching and rifting, followed by spreading since 4–5 Ma. The history of inner‐arc volcanic activity in the Andaman region extends to the early Miocene, and since the Miocene arc volcanism has been associated with an evolution from felsic to basaltic composition.     

Multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) for seismic site characterization using 2D genetic algorithm at Bahrah area,Wadi Fatima,Saudi Arabia

The present study deals with the seismic site classification of Bahrah area, Wadi Fatima, to characterize the local site conditions. The dynamic behavior of sediments was studied by the application of surface wave inversion. The multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) shallow geophysical technique was utilized for site classification. MASW survey was carried out at 66 sites along with 13 seismic refraction profiles at suitable localities. MASW and seismic refraction profiles were processed and compared with the available borehole data. The integration of MASW techniques with seismic refraction and borehole data progressively enhanced the subsurface visualization and reliability of the shear wave velocity estimation in the subsurface in the study area. The subsurface shear-wave velocity model was achieved by the solution of an inverse problem-based dispersion of surface waves and propagation in a vertically heterogeneous medium. The 2D genetic algorithm was employed for the inversion of dispersion curves to obtain velocity and thickness of subsurface layers. The depth to engineering bedrock and velocity of shear waves in the first 30 m was deciphered and mapped. The depth of bedrock in study area varies from 4 to 30 m, and V _{S 30} ranges from 320 to 800 m/s. The most of study area falls in B and C class categories in addition to few sites of D class according to the NEHRP guidelines.     

Precipitation variability assessment of northeast China: Songhua River basin

Variability in precipitation is critical for the management of water resources. In this study, the research entropy base concept was applied to investigate spatial and temporal variability of the precipitation during 1964–2013 in the Songhua River basin of Heilongjiang Province in China. Sample entropy was applied on precipitation data on a monthly, seasonally, annually, decade scale and the number of rainy days for each selected station. Intensity entropy and apportionment entropy were used to calculate the variability over individual year and decade, respectively. Subsequently, Spearman’s Rho and Mann–Kendall tests were applied to observe for trends in the precipitation time series. The statistics of sample disorder index showed that the precipitation during February (mean 1.09, max. 1.26 and min. 0.80), April (mean 1.12, max. 1.29 and min. 0.99) and July (mean 1.10, max. 1.20 and min. 0.98) contributed significantly higher than those of other months. Overall, the contribution of the winter season was considerably high with a standard deviation of 0.10. The precipitation variability on decade basis was observed to increase from decade 1964–1973 and 1994–2003 with a mean value of decadal apportionment disorder index 0.023 and 0.053, respectively. In addition, the Mann–Kendall test value (1.90) showed a significant positive trend only at the Shangzhi station.