Integrated use of biomarkers in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis for assessing off-shore gas platforms in the Adriatic Sea: results of a two-year biomonitoring program

Despite a large number of gas platforms existing in the Adriatic Sea, which is a semi-enclosed basin characterized by a slow turnover rate and increasing industrial as well as other anthropogenic activities, the effects of these structures on the aquatic ecosystem require further investigation. Since 1998, multidisciplinary studies have been performed by CNR-ISMAR to comply with legislation and to support the development of protocols for the monitoring of offshore activities in the Adriatic Sea. The present study was developed to implement a biomonitoring plan to assess the ecotoxicological effects of the extraction activities of an off-shore gas platform. Biomarkers were evaluated in mussels collected from the platform in relation to physiological stress, DNA damage, cellular damage, oxidative stress and exposure effects. Organic contaminants and trace element bioaccumulation were also assessed in the soft body of the mussels to correlate bioaccumulation of pollutants with biomarker responses. The results indicate an absence of platform-related environmental stress.     

A New Mesopsychid (Mecoptera) from the Middle Jurassic of Northeastern China

The family Mesopsychidae Tillyard,1917 presently consists of ten described genera from the Early Permian to the Early Cretaceous of Australia,China,Kyrgyzstan,Russia,South Africa,Tajikistan,and Ukraine.Herein,a new genus and a new species of fossil mesopsychid,Epicharmesopsyche pentavenulosa gen.et sp.nov.,is described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia,China,supplementing the family-level diversity.The well-preserved,new material reveals many characters,including antennae,wing venation,shape and genitalia that increase our morphological understanding of the family,although unfortunately the mouthparts and most of the legs are not preserved.Diagnosis of the Mesopsychidae is emended to include a four-or five-branched MP in both the fore-and hind wings.This is the first documentation of a wing coupling structure in the Mesopsychidae,consisting of three to four frenula bristles on the humeral lobe at the base of the costal margin of both hind wings.Asymmetrical shape and size of the left and right wings on a specimen of E.pentavenulosa gen.et sp.nov.,seems to be a common condition for mesopsychid taxa from northeastern China.     

Seasonal variation of Caligus rotundigenitalis infestation on the host fish Etroplus suratensis from the Cochin Backwaters,southwest coast of India

Investigation of four edible fishes(Etroplus suratensis, Oreochromis mossambicus, Lates calcarifer, Chanos chanos)collected from a fish landing center along Cochin Backwaters has done for caligid infestation. Of these, caligids were detected only from Etroplus suratensis and was identified to be Caligus rotundigenitalis. Parasites were attached to the inner side of operculum of host which indicates strong site preference. The annual observation of prevalence, mean intensity and abundance were fo...     

面向未来10年的USGS自然灾害科学战略

近期,美国地质调查局(USGS)发布了系列科学战略报告。此文将对USGS发布的《自然灾害科学战略》(Natural Hazards Science Strategy)报告的主要内容进行介绍,以期能够对我国相关工作有所借鉴和参考。该报告提出了USGS在自然灾害科学战略中的使命和4个相互关联的科学目标,同时对各目标下的核心职责和将采取的战略行动及未来远景进行了阐述。     

Towards establishing practical multi-hazard bridge design limit states

In the U.S.,the current Load and Resistance Factor Design(LRFD) Specifications for highway bridges is a reliability-based formulation that considers failure probabilities of bridge components due to the actions of typical dead load and frequent vehicular loads.Various extreme load effects,such as earthquake and vessel collision,are not considered on the same reliability-based platform.Since these extreme loads are time variables,combining them with frequent,nonextreme loads is a significant challenge.The number of design limit state equations based on these failure probabilities can be unrealistically large and unnecessary from the view point of practical applications.Based on the opinion of AASHTO State Bridge Engineers,many load combinations are insignificant in their states.This paper describes the formulation of a criterion to include only the necessary load combinations to establish the design limit states.This criterion is established by examining the total failure probabilities for all possible time-invariant and time varying load combinations and breaking them down into partial terms.Then,important load combinations can be readily determined quantitatively.     

Experimental study of hollow rectangular bridge column performance under vertical and cyclically bilateral loads

To investigate the seismic performance of hollow reinforced concrete(RC) bridge columns of rectangular cross section under constant axial load and cyclically biaxial bending,five specimens were tested.A parametric study is carried out for different axial load ratios,longitudinal reinforcement ratios and lateral reinforcement ratios.The experimental results showed that all tested specimens failed in the flexural failure mode and their ultimate performance was dominated by flexural capacity,which is represented by the rupture/buckling of tensile longitudinal rebars at the bottom of the bridge columns.Biaxial force and displacement hysteresis loops showed significant stiffness and strength degradations,and the pinching effect and coupling interaction effect of both directions severely decrease the structural seismic resistance.However,the measured ductility coefficient varying from 3.5 to 5.7 and the equivalent viscous damping ratio varying from 0.19 and 0.26 can meet the requirements of the seismic design.The hollow RC rectangular bridge columns with configurations of lateral reinforcement in this study have excellent performance under bidirectional earthquake excitations,and may be considered as a substitute for current hollow RC rectangular section configurations described in the Guideline for Seismic Design of Highway Bridges(JTG/T B02-01-2008).The length of the plastic hinge region was found to approach one sixth of the hollow RC rectangular bridge column height for all specimen columns,and it was much less than those specified in the current JTG/T.Thus,the length of the plastic hinge region is more concentrated for RC rectangular hollow bridge columns.     

Opportunities to search for extraterrestrial intelligence with the FAST

The discovery of ubiquitous habitable extrasolar planets,combined with revolutionary advances in instrumentation and observational capabilities,has ushered in a renaissance in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence(SETI).Large scale SETI activities are now underway at numerous international facilities.The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope(FAST)is the largest single-aperture radio telescope in the world,and is well positioned to conduct sensitive searches for radio emission indicative of exo-intelligence.SETI is one of the five key science goals specified in the original FAST project plan.A collaboration with the Breakthrough Listen Initiative was initiated in 2016 with a joint statement signed both by Dr.Jun Yan,the then director of National Astronomical Observatories,Chinese Academy of Sciences(NAOC),and Dr.Peter Worden,Chairman of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation.In this paper,we highlight some of the unique features of FAST that will allow for novel SETI observations.We identify and describe three different signal types indicative of a technological source,namely,narrow band,wide-band artificially dispersed and modulated signals.Here,we propose observations with FAST to achieve sensitivities never before explored.For nearby exoplanets,such as TESS targets,FAST will be sensitive to an EIRP of 1.9×1011 W,well within the reach of current human technology.For the Andromeda Galaxy,FAST will be able to detect any Kardashev type II or more advanced civilization there.