Evaluation of two direct immunoassays for rapid detection of petroleum products on marine birds

To reduce rehabilitation time and improve survival, a practical, objective test is needed to determine if marine birds are contaminated with oil before they enter captivity. The RaPID Assays and EnviroGard immunoassays for detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil were evaluated for their ability to detect petroleum on feather samples from 30 intermediate fuel oil contaminated and 30 uncontaminated common murres (Uria aalge). Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, precision, and time required to run each assay were determined. The RaPID Assays was 96.7% sensitive and specific, while the EnviroGard assay was 93.3% sensitive, and 90.0% specific. Sensitivity decreased at higher dilutions for both assays. Intra-replicate variation was less than 20%. Our evaluation showed that these immunoassays are rapid and cost-effective methods for detecting oil-contamination on the plumage of seabirds, with the EnviroGard assay being more practical in most oil spill response situations due to ease of use and rapidity of results.     

Well vulnerability: a quantitative approach for source water protection

The concept of vulnerability of drinking water sources is reviewed, and a quantitative approach for assessing well vulnerability for complex three-dimensional ground water systems is developed. The approach focuses on the relative expected impact of potential contaminant sources at unknown locations within a well capture zone, providing relative measures of intrinsic well vulnerability, including the expected times of arrival of a contaminant, the dispersion-related reduction in concentration, the time taken to breach a certain quality objective, and the corresponding exposure times. Thus, the result of the analysis includes the usual advective travel time information used in conventional wellhead protection analysis, plus a set of selected quantitative measures expressing the expected impact. The technique is based on adjoint theory and combines forward- and backward-in-time transport modeling using a standard numerical flow and transport code. The methodology is demonstrated using the case study of a complex glacial multiaquifer system in Ontario. The new approach will be useful in helping water managers develop more physically based and quantitative wellhead protection strategies.     

Accumulation and distribution of petroleum hydrocarbons found in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) in the canals of Venice, Italy

Petroleum contamination was assessed in indigenous and transplanted mussels for three types of environments within the Venice Lagoon and its associated interior canals. Indigenous and transplanted mussels were least impacted by petroleum contamination at open-water stations, but more affected in partially-enclosed areas indicating that physical processes of tidal or wind activities can remove organic contaminants such as petroleum from these areas more effectively. Limited tidal flushing of the interior canals resulted in contaminated locations unable to support indigenous mussels. Clean mussels transplanted to these highly impacted sites accumulated the highest levels of petroleum hydrocarbons. The distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) indicated mainly combustion-related activities from sources such as the nearby industrial zones and boat traffic, with some evidence of fresher petroleum inputs. Total hydrocarbons found in all mussels could be related to concentrations found in the surrounding sediments as reported in an earlier study.     

湘南火山岩深源包体组合及岩石圈岩石学模型

湘南早白垩世（１３２～１３５）Ｍａ基性火山岩中含有橄榄岩类、辉长岩类、角闪麻粒岩相酸性岩包体，这三类包体的岩石学特征及地球物理参数（ｖｐ，ρ），分别与岩石圈地球物理模型中的上地幔，下地壳及中地壳相吻合。包体的岩相学、主要元素、ＲＥＥ及稀有元素地球化学特征及同位素年龄的研究结果表明，现在的岩石圈中的下地壳部分是元古代（１１４１Ｍａ±６７Ｍａ）由底板垫托垂直增生形成的；中地壳与世界范围内的中地壳和中国华北及扬子克拉通相比偏酸性，而下地壳则偏基性，以富Ａｌ２Ｏ３为其特征。这一富Ａｌ２Ｏ３的下地壳包体除了在美国亚利桑那以外，在世界范围内还未曾见过报道。     

外来克隆植物大米草对模拟潮汐淹水时间的生理响应

为了分析大米草(Spanina anglica)在中国海岸带衰退过程中对潮汐淹没时间的生态适应性,通过人工模拟潮汐控制试验,对不同潮汐淹水时间处理(淹水时间分别为每天2 h,4 h,6 h,8 h和10 h)条件下大米草叶片的脯氨酸含量、可溶性糖含量、叶绿素含量和光合速率等生理指标及总生物量的影响进行研究.结果表明,随着淹水时间的延长,大米草叶片可溶性糖、光合速率及总生物量呈增加趋势,淹水6 h后又呈下降趋势,各指标均在6 h淹水时间处理条件下最大,显著高于其他处理(p<0.05);而叶片脯氨酸含量从淹水4 h后,呈现显著增加趋势,淹水10h时达到最高;淹水处理对叶片叶绿素b及叶绿素c含量影响显著,分别以淹水时间4 h叶绿素b含量和10 h时叶片叶绿素c含量最低,而对叶绿素a及叶绿素a/b值的影响无显著差异.综合分析大米草的生理指标对模拟潮汐淹水时间处理的适应性,推断大米草种群较适宜的潮汐淹水时间为6 h/d左右,而由于大米草在中国沉积型海岸带分布区高程的变化使大米草种群长期不能达到最适淹水时间,是大米草种群自然衰退的主要原因之一.     

乌兰布和沙漠不同下垫面冬季沙尘通量

为揭示乌兰布和沙漠不同下垫面冬季沙尘通量的垂直分布,在野外实地监测的基础上对乌兰布和沙漠3种下垫面冬季输沙量进行测量分析。结果表明：近地表0～100 cm高度内冬季输沙量流动沙丘 > 梭梭固定沙丘 > 白刺半固定沙丘。各下垫面输沙量随高度呈下降趋势,流动沙丘、白刺半固定沙丘、梭梭固定沙丘符合幂函数分布,流动沙丘、梭梭固定沙丘输沙量集中于0～20 cm高度,白刺半固定沙丘集中于0～40 cm高度。风沙流幂函数通量系数a、b与粒径< 0.1 mm和粒径 >0.5 mm颗粒含量负相关,与粒径0.1～0.25 mm颗粒含量正相关,与粒径0.25～0.5 mm颗粒含量不相关。沙粒跃移高度在流动沙丘、白刺半固定沙丘和梭梭固定沙丘分别集中于0～3.59、0～4.33和0～2.36 cm;跃移高度与粒径<0.05 mm和0.1～0.5 mm颗粒含量正相关,尤其与粒径0.1～0.25 mm颗粒含量呈指数函数正相关,与粒径0.05～0.1 mm及>0.5 mm颗粒含量无明显相关性。乌兰布和沙漠流动沙丘在冬季仍具有较大的侵蚀状态,白刺半固定沙丘处于弱风蚀状态,梭梭固定沙丘处于堆积状态,造成地表积沙。在冬季,梭梭固定沙丘仍然发挥着防风固沙的能力,成为冬季固定风沙的重要防线。     

An Analytic Model of Galactic Winds and Mass Outflows

Galactic winds and mass outflows are observed both in nearby starburst galaxies and in high-redshift star-forming galaxies. We develop a simple analytic model to understand the observed superwind phenomenon with a discussion of the model uncertainties. Our model is built upon the model of McKee & Ostriker for the interstellar medium. It allows one to predict how properties of a superwind, such as wind velocity and mass outflow rate, are related to properties of its starforming host galaxy, such as size, gas density and star formation rate. The model predicts a threshold of star formation rate density for the generation of observable galactic winds. Galaxies with more concentrated star formation activities produce superwinds with higher velocities. The predicted mass outflow rates are comparable to (or slightly larger than) the corresponding star formation rates. We apply our model to both local starburst galaxies and high-redshift Lyman break galaxies, and find its predictions to be in good agreement with current observations. Our model is simple and so can be easily incorporated into numerical simulations and semi-analytical models of galaxy formation.