Stress-induced apoptosis in sea urchin embryogenesis

We find that early sea urchin embryos have the capability to induce programmed cell death, or apoptosis, in response to chemical and physical stress. Strongylocentrotus purpuratus embryos (fertilized, 4 cell, 16 cell, 64 cell, and early blastula) were exposed to known cytotoxins, in order to determine when apoptosis occurs naturally and in response to stress. Using cell permeability as an indicator of early stage apoptosis, caspase activation as a mid-stage indicator, and DNA fragmentation as a late stage indicator, we find that during the cleavage stage of embryogenesis apoptosis is almost completely absent. However, a statistically significant (p<0.001) rise in apoptosis in stressed embryos is evident around 24 h after fertilization, during the early blastula stage and shortly after hatching. Before this stage, exposed embryos show no statistically significant increases in apoptosis in comparison to the controls. This pattern of apoptosis in development is similar to that seen in lower vertebrate models in which stress-induced apoptosis occurs only around the mid-blastula transition. We conclude that apoptosis may be used to rid embryos of aberrant or damaged cells in early development, but this response is stage-dependant. Repair, rather than apoptosis, may be utilized during earlier stages, or alternatively, embryos exposed to such stressors may continue development with damaged cells and perhaps damaged DNA. Our continued studies will focus on these alternative hypotheses.     

Altered feeding habits and strategies of a benthic forage fish (Fundulus heteroclitus) in chronically polluted tidal salt marshes

Responses in feeding ecology of a benthic forage fish, mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus), to altered prey resources were investigated in chronically polluted salt marshes (the Arthur Kill-AK, New York, USA). The diet niche breadth of the AK populations of mummichogs was significantly lower than that of the reference population, reflecting reduced benthic macroinfaunal species diversity. Most of the AK populations also had 2-3 times less food in their gut than the reference population. This disparity in gut fullness among the populations appeared to be partly due to ingested prey size shifts; some of the AK populations ingested fewer large prey than the reference population. Furthermore, benthic assemblages were strongly associated with sediment-associated mercury; gut fullness of the AK populations also significantly decreased with increasing mercury body burdens. These results indicate that chronic pollution may have directly (chemical bioaccumulation) and indirectly (reduced prey availability) altered the feeding ecology of mummichogs.     

不同氮源对海洋微藻氮同位素分馏作用的影响

以海链藻(Thalassiosira pseudonana)为研究对象,分别考察了以硝酸盐、铵盐和尿素为氮源的氮同位素分馏作用。在建立相应理论模型基础上,分别计算出各个实验体系的ε值。结果表明,在藻类生长初期,δ^15N均较低,其δ^15N的积累主要发生在指数增长期,在稳定期达到最高,与氮源的初始δ^15N相同;不同氮源的氮同位素分馏作用也不相同,其中以铵盐最强,硝酸盐次之,尿素最弱。考虑到实际情况下氮化合物并非单一存在,作者还进一步考察了上述3种氮源混合后对其同位素分馏作用的影响,发现混合氮源体系的表观ε值介于单一氮源时的最大与最小ε值之间,该结果较好地解释了Montoya等(1991)在Chesapeak湾的现场实验结果。     

New CO and Millimeter Continuum Observations of the z = 2.394 Radio Galaxy 53W002

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory observed the Crab Nebula and pulsar during orbital calibration. Zeroth-order images with the High-Energy Transmission Grating (HETG) readout by the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer spectroscopy array (ACIS-S) show a striking richness of X-ray structure at a resolution comparable to that of the best ground-based visible-light observations. The HETG-ACIS-S images reveal, for the first time, an X-ray inner ring within the X-ray torus, the suggestion of a hollow-tube structure for the torus, and X-ray knots along the inner ring and (perhaps) along the inward extension of the X-ray jet. Although complicated by instrumental effects and the brightness of the Crab Nebula, the spectrometric analysis shows systematic variations of the X-ray spectrum throughout the nebula.     

Species, tissue and gender-related organochlorine bioaccumulation in white-sided dolphins, pilot whales and their common prey in the northwest Atlantic

Organochlorine concentrations were measured in white-sided dolphins, pilot whales, and their prey from the Gulf of Maine and used to identify species, tissue, and gender differences, and trophic transfer trends, in bioaccumulation. Polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations ([PCB]) in dolphin blubber (13 +/- 7.1 micrograms/g fresh wt.) were twice those in pilot whales, but pesticide concentrations (20 +/- 13 micrograms/g fresh) were similar between species. 4,4'-DDE, trans-non-achlor, Cl6(153) and Cl6(138) concentrations were highest. Skin tissues had more recalcitrant organochlorines than the internal organs. Male dolphins bioaccumulated higher concentrations of nonmetabolizable PCBs and hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers, whereas pilot whales had no gender-related differences in bioaccumulation. Pilot whales, mackerel, and herring had proportionately higher concentrations of DDTs, whereas [PCB] were higher in dolphins and squid. Although these odontocetes feed at the same trophic level and store a similar suite of contaminants, dolphins bioaccumulated higher and potentially hazardous 4,4'-DDE and PCB concentrations from food in their more geographically restricted range.     

由地震目录自动重构断层网络:三维最优各向异性动态群聚

利用地震的空间位置分布,提出了一种可以重构断层网络活动部分的三维结构的模式识别新方法。该方法为所谓动态群聚(或称k均值)方法的推广,是利用震源位置关于它们的中心的全局方差最小化准则将数据点集划分为群集。这种新方法比原来的k均值方法更好,因为它为了把数据集划分为断层形状的各向异性群集而考虑了每个群集全空间位置的协方差张量。给定地震事件目录,就可以输出符合数据空间结构的最优集的平面段。每个平面段在它的位置、大小和取向上都有明显区别。主要的可调参数为地震定位精度,它固定了分辨率,即拟合的剩余方差。分辨率决定了描述地震目录所需要的断层段数目:分辨率越高,重构断层段的结构越精细。该算法成功地重构了合成地震目录的断层段。把该方法用于1992年6月28日发生在南加州兰德斯地震余震序列子集的真实地震目录,重构的断层面段与地质图上已知的断层或者长期目录中明显出现的盲断层完全吻合。讨论了该方法将来的进一步改进及其在断层带内结构的多尺度研究的潜在应用。     

地震预报研究--对此问题及将来工作方向的个人见解

本文是作者于1983年访华期间接受中国学术刊物的请求而撰写的.文中指出,地震应力在数量上相当小,因此它的效应一定很微妙,需要有灵敏的仪器去觉察它们.文中对压磁效应、波速比、应变、地倾斜、大地测量、电阻率、水氡和前震等各国常用的地震预报手段进行了评价,提出了建议.结论为,虽然注意到了 Brune[1](1979)关于在原理上地震可能是不可预报的强有力的论证,但作者并不那样悲观.认为地壳可能十分不均匀,它的状态可能是多变的,这就要求我们拥有大量数据.所以必须同时使用几种方法和大量的仪器进行观测.更多的注意力应放在:(1)地震波传播的各向异性和衰减,(2)多色激光测距,(3)改善构造磁学中的信噪比,(4)在电导率测量中使用可交替极性的供电极和较大面积的测量极网和(5)对前震和余震序列的统计学分析进行重新仔细检验.     

剩磁-温度谱与冷却模式

本文解释热剩磁和粘滞剩磁的阻挡过程。较慢冷却伴随较低的阻挡温度。一组同一的磁颗粒,其实验室解阻温度不一定等于其磁化成分的阻挡温度。冷却速率不同,重排剩磁量会不同,两者的关系与磁畴状态有关。距烘烤体不同距离采集磁颗粒分布相同的围岩样品,在一定场合下,根据其剩磁-实验室解阻温度谱所示的重排剩磁量的差别,可讨论冷却速度及模型。本文列举苏格兰某些围岩的不同重排剩磁量,讨论有关问题。     

震相振幅阈值的识别信息及其在中国西部地区数据中的应用

当信号持幅小和噪声水平高而无法测量信号时,提出了一种利用震相振幅内在信息的区域性地震识别法。该法称为二次否定证据识别法,是对Ｅｌｖｅｒｓ（１９７４）提出的远震技术的发展,并推广用于区域识别。本文提出的方法是为单个地震台站开发的,利用了区域的Ｐｇ与Ｌｇ对比判据中的经验信息（Ｐｏｍｅｒｏｙ,ｅｔ ａｌ,１９８３）。我们推导出计算特定台站爆炸漏报和虚报的误识率方程。这些误 认率取决于所要求的最小 信噪比     

关于“早些相对于晚些”发布地震预报的讨论

文章介绍了日本地震学会1982年秋季大会简况,会上共宣读241篇论文,包括八个方面;本文重点介绍了有关地震活动与地震预报研究两方面的内容。