The IGS VTEC maps: a reliable source of ionospheric information since 1998

The International GNSS Service (IGS) Working Group on Ionosphere was created in 1998. Since then, the Scientific community behind IGS, in particular CODE, ESA, JPL and UPC, have been continuosly contributing to reliable IGS combined vertical total electron content (VTEC) maps in both rapid and final schedules. The details on how these products are being generated, performance numbers, proposed improvement as far as VTEC evolution trends during near one Solar Cycle, are summarized in this paper. The confirmation of (1) the good performance of the IGS combined VTEC maps, and (2) the characteristic VTEC variability periods, are two main results of this work.     

基于C#语言的EPSW与CASS数据格式转换

介绍利用C#程序实现EPsw软件与CASS软件数据格式转换,对两种数据格式进行了具体的分析,解决了EPSW图形数据转换成南方CASS标准图形时无测量属性、编码的问题,为数据共享及地形图测绘外业数据采集提供了一个简单而高效的方法。     

Trophic modeling of the Northern Humboldt Current Ecosystem, Part II: Elucidating ecosystem dynamics from 1995 to 2004 with a focus on the impact of ENSO

The Northern Humboldt Current Ecosystem is one of the most productive in the world in terms of fish production. Its location near to the equator permits strong upwelling under relatively low winds, thus creating optimal conditions for the development of plankton communities. These communities ultimately support abundant populations of grazing fish such as the Peruvian anchoveta, Engraulis ringens. The ecosystem is also subject to strong inter-annual environmental variability associated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which has major effects on nutrient structure, primary production, and higher trophic levels. Here our objective is to model the contributions of several external drivers (i.e. reconstructed phytoplankton changes, fish immigration, and fishing rate) and internal control mechanisms (i.e. predator-prey) to ecosystem dynamics over an ENSO cycle. Steady-state models and time-series data from the Instituto del Mar del Perú (IMARPE) from 1995 to 2004 provide the base data for simulations conducted with the program Ecopath with Ecosim. In simulations all three external drivers contribute to ecosystem dynamics. Changes in phytoplankton quantity and composition (i.e. contribution of diatoms and dino- and silicoflagellates), as affected by upwelling intensity, were important in dynamics of the El Niño of 1997–98 and the subsequent 3 years. The expansion and immigration of mesopelagic fish populations during El Niño was important for dynamics in following years. Fishing rate changes were the most important of the three external drivers tested, helping to explain observed dynamics throughout the modeled period, and particularly during the post-El Niño period. Internal control settings show a mix of predator–prey control settings; however a “wasp-waist” control of the ecosystem by small pelagic fish is not supported.     

Habitat continuity effects on gradients of fish biomass across marine protected area boundaries

Marine protected areas (MPAs) could be useful as fisheries management tools for the exportation of pelagic eggs, larvae and adult fish. A decreasing gradient of fish biomass across MPAs boundary may indicate export. We determine whether gradients of decreasing biomass of fish assemblage occurred in Tabarca Marine Reserve over two habitats with different continuity across the boundaries, to test if the patchy nature of the marine environment might act as a barrier for the fish export. In general, significant decreasing gradients in total fish biomass and biomass of some species were observed on P. oceanica and rocky substrates, independently of their different continuity through the reserve boundaries. Changes in the multivariate structure of the fish assemblage were correlated with the distance from integral reserve. All of these results support the hypothesis that the exportation of adult fish from Tabarca Marine Reserve occurs, and this process may influence the surrounding fished areas.     

The ignored but common nemertine Psammamphiporus elongatus from the Galician beaches (Spain), affected by the Prestige oil spill

Nemerteans have been recorded in several studies of the sandy beaches, but usually these specimens have been only regarded as members of the Phylum, with no attempt at identification at any taxonomic level. This lack of identification is partly because of the sampling procedures used to collect beach macroinfauna. Nemerteans are fragile and need special care. They must be isolated and observed in vivo before using histological procedures, which must be employed for the taxonomical studies. This study deals with a sandy beach hoplonemertean, Psammamphiporus elongatus ( Stephenson 1911 ), only known for seven specimens from the Firth of Clyde (UK). This species is recorded for the first time from the Galician sandy beaches (NW Spain) where it reaches its maximum abundance. The species is described and illustrated and new data on its morphology and ecology are provided. The species was apparently affected by the 'Prestige' oil spill, and would be a good indicator of beach quality.     

Crystallographic and NMR studies on sterols from green alga Chaetomorpha basiretorsa Setchell

Chemical investigation of the ethanol extract of the marine green alga Chaetomorpha basiretorsa Setchell led to the isolation of a new sterol stigmast-4,28-dien-3α,6β-diol 1 in addition to the five known sterols of β-lawsaritol 2, saringosterol 3, 24-hydroperoxy-24-vinyl - cholesterol 4, β-stigmasterol 5, 29-hydroxystigmasta-5, 24 （28） -dien-3β-ol 6. Compounds were isolated by normal phase silica gel and Sephadex LH - 20 gel colum chromatography, reverse phase HPLC and recrystalization. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including MS, IR 1D/2D NMR and X-ray analysis. Cytotoxicity of compounds was screened by using the standard MTF method. All these compounds were isolated from the green alga Chaetomorpha basiretorsa Setchell for the first time and they were inactive （50% inhibitory concentration was greater than 10 μg/cm^3） against KB, Bel -7402, PC - 3M, Ketr 3 and MCF-7 cell lines.     

Environmental limitations on recruitment from seed in invasive Spartina densiflora on a southern European salt marsh

The South American cordgrass, Spartina densiflora, has invaded a range of different habitats that can support different native species assemblages on salt marshes in the Gulf of Cadiz, Spain. Little is known about the mechanisms of invasion. We examined the potential for seed germination and recruitment in a field transplant experiment, representing a wide range of environments, on elevational gradients across marshes with muddy and sandy sediments. The biotic resistance of native, perennial vegetation (where present) to recruitment of the alien was also investigated. Spartina densiflora seeds were able to germinate over a greater than 2-m range of elevation in the tidal frame. Germination success on unvegetated muddy sediments was related to sediment redox potential, with poor germination at strongly negative redox potentials on the lower sites. On sandy, well-drained sediments, germination was apparently constrained by water availability at the highest elevations. Comparison of vegetated and cleared plots on the upper marsh showed that there was a negative relationship between the presence of Atriplex portulacoides and germination on the muddy sediments. Recruitment (survival of seedlings for 12 weeks) was seen only on unvegetated muddy sediments at the highest elevation. Hence the invasive success and wide elevational tolerance of S. densiflora on the marshes of the Gulf of Cadiz are not reflected in its short-term ability to become established from its prolific seed production. Colonization of sub-optimal habitats may be largely by vegetative propagules and clonal growth.     

Fishing safety policy and research

Fishing has been and is still one of the most dangerous of all human activities. In the field of fishing safety policy, it is acknowledged that the development of a working legal framework of reference is a vital prior condition for the implementation of measures aimed at its improving safety. However, the research work on fishing safety does not have at disposal records of a sufficient number of accidents and in most cases is not comparable from one country to another. Moreover, there is no work that focuses on a global view of fishing safety. The aim of the present work is to outline the state-of-the-art in fishing safety. To this end, aspects of fishing safety which are a major concern of institutions, organizations and researchers alike are analysed. Thus, several questions are addressed, such as: what institutional policy is given to the activity of the fishing sector to improve safety; what aspects and/or parameters are normally used to analyse fishing accidents; what is the usual spatial domain of this analysis; and what are the topics of the research carried out in fishing safety? The results of this analysis, among other aspects, identify eight specific lines of research followed in fishing safety and five which deal with aspects of safety at sea related to the fishing sector.     

维生素对凡纳滨对虾N-乙酰-β-D-氨基葡萄糖苷酶的效应研究

以凡纳滨对虾中提取的N-乙酰-β-D-氨基葡萄糖苷酶(NAGase,EC 3.2.1.52)为研究对象,以对-硝基苯-N-乙酰-β-D-氨基葡萄糖苷(pNP-NAG)为底物,考察了几种养殖常用维生素对该酶活力的影响.结果表明,VB12、烟酸、核黄素等对酶活力基本上没有影响;而VB1、VB6、抗坏血酸等对该酶活力均有不同程度的抑制作用.随着抑制剂浓度增大,酶活力呈指数下降,测定导致酶活力下降50%的抑制剂浓度(IC50)分别为16.0、13.5、37.5mmol/dm3.进一步研究了VB6的抑制作用动力学,结果显示:VB6对酶的抑制作用为非竞争性可逆抑制,其对酶抑制常数(KI)为 15.2mmol/dm3.该研究对凡纳滨对虾的人工养殖具有一定的参考价值.     

海水螺旋藻C-藻蓝蛋白富硒及其抗氧化特性

对海水钝顶螺旋藻Spirulina platensis C-藻蓝蛋白的富硒能力及含硒c-藻蓝蛋白对超氧阴离子(O2·)和羟基自由基(·OH)的清除作用进行了研究.结果表明,在添加低浓度硒(40-80mg·L-1)培养时,海水钝顶螺旋藻c.藻蓝蛋白对硒的富集效果显著强于淡水螺旋藻C-藻蓝蛋白.硒浓度为40mg·L-1时,C-藻蓝蛋白对硒的利用率最高,富硒系数最大(O.9%);硒浓度为60mg·L-1时,C-藻蓝蛋白含硒量最高(402mg·kg-1).含硒C-藻蓝蛋白比CJ藻蓝蛋白对超氧阴离子和羟基自由基的清除作用都有所加强,清除效应与C-藻蓝蛋白的含硒量及蛋白浓度呈正相关.C-藻蓝蛋白含硒量最高组(402mg·kg-1)在浓度为180μg·ml-1时,对超氧阴离子和羟基自由基的清除率分别可达到83%和35%,远高于同样条件下其他淡水种类相应蛋白的清除作用.研究结果显示,利用海水培养的螺旋藻能显著提高C-藻蓝蛋白的富硒能力和含硒C-藻蓝蛋白清除超氧阴离子的活性.此研究对开发具有抗氧化功能的含硒C-藻蓝蛋白显示出独特的技术优势和较大的应用潜力.