An evaluation of hemolymph cholinesterase activities in the tropical scallop,Euvola (Pecten) ziczac,for the rapid assessment of pesticide exposure

The use of sequential measurements of hemolymph cholinesterase activities as a non-invasive biomarker of seasonal organophosphate/carbamate exposure was investigated for the tropical scallop, Euvola (Pecten) ziczac. Overall activities of both acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase were relatively high compared to studies with bivalve tissues. Acute in vivo experiments showed inhibition of hemolymph acetylcholinesterase activity at concentrations of the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos of 0.1, 1 and 10 ng l(-1). Monthly sampling of hemolymph from scallops at two sites in Bermuda over a 15 month period showed seasonal acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition. Direct and indirect evidence suggests that this inhibition did not relate to biochemical or physiological changes associated with gonad maturation and spawning, but rather reflected diffuse contamination of the marine environment by cholinesterase inhibitors or increased bioavailability of such inhibitors at these times. Repetitive sampling of scallop hemolymph for cholinesterase activities represents a rapid, sensitive and non-invasive method for assessing seasonal, sublethal pesticide exposure in these commercially important bivalves and suggests a wider use in marine pollution monitoring.     

Mercury uptake by the estuarine species Palaemonetes pugio and Fundulus heteroclitus compared with their parasites,Probopyrus pandalicola and Eustrongylides sp

When exposed to methylmercury in the laboratory, grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, parasitized by the isopod Probopyrus pandalicola, accumulated lower concentrations of mercury than their unparasitized counterparts. The parasitic isopod accumulated far less mercury than the grass shrimp. When exposed to mercury in a contaminated field site, mummichogs, Fundulus heteroclitus, parasitized with the nematode Eustrongylides, similarly accumulated lower concentrations of mercury than unparasitized fish, and the parasite similarly accumulated less than the host. The lower uptake by the parasites compared to their hosts is counter to the general view of biomagnification of methylmercury, since parasites are a trophic level above their hosts. The mechanism whereby parasitized animals accumulate less toxicant than unparasitized ones is unknown, but may be partially due to lower metabolic rate.     

Detection of 33.8 Millisecond X-Ray Pulsations in SAX J0635+0533

Recently, detection of discrete features in the X-ray afterglow spectra of GRB 970508 and GRB 970828 was reported. The most natural interpretation of these features is that they are redshifted Fe K emission complexes. The identification of the line emission mechanism has drastic implications for the inferred mass of radiating material and hence the nature of the burst site. X-ray spectroscopy provides a direct observational constraint on these properties of gamma-ray bursters. We briefly discuss how these constraints arise in the context of an application to the spectrum of GRB 970508.     

Large Magellanic Cloud Planetary Nebula Morphology: Probing Stellar Populations and Evolution

Planetary nebulae (PNe) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) offer the unique opportunity to study both the population and evolution of low- and intermediate-mass stars, by means of the morphological type of the nebula. Using observations from our LMC PN morphological survey, and including images available in the Hubble Space Telescope Data Archive and published chemical abundances, we find that asymmetry in PNe is strongly correlated with a younger stellar population, as indicated by the abundance of elements that are unaltered by stellar evolution (Ne, Ar, and S). While similar results have been obtained for Galactic PNe, this is the first demonstration of the relationship for extragalactic PNe. We also examine the relation between morphology and abundance of the products of stellar evolution. We found that asymmetric PNe have higher nitrogen and lower carbon abundances than symmetric PNe. Our two main results are broadly consistent with the predictions of stellar evolution if the progenitors of asymmetric PNe have on average larger masses than the progenitors of symmetric PNe. The results bear on the question of formation mechanisms for asymmetric PNe-specifically, that the genesis of PNe structure should relate strongly to the population type, and by inference the mass, of the progenitor star and less strongly on whether the central star is a member of a close binary system.     

A Measurement of Omega from the North American Test Flight of Boomerang

We use the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background, measured during the North American test flight of the Boomerang experiment, to constrain the geometry of the universe. Within the class of cold dark matter models, we find that the overall fractional energy density of the universe Omega is constrained to be 0.85相似文献   

北阿尔金巴什考供-斯米尔布拉克花岗杂岩特征及锆石SHRIMP U-Pb定年

北阿尔金巴什考供-斯米尔布拉克杂岩体位于巴什考供盆地北缘, 呈东西向展布, 宽约 2~6 km, 长约30 km, 出露面积约140 km². 主要由灰黑色石英闪长岩、灰白色花岗岩、粉红色花岗岩和花岗伟晶岩组成. 围岩为前寒武系片岩、变质泥岩及变质凝灰岩. 岩石地球化学特征表明, 石英闪长岩属钙碱性系列, 具有Ⅰ型花岗岩的属性; 而粉红色和灰白色花岗岩属高钾钙碱性系列, 具有S型花岗岩的属性. 锆石SHRIMP定年结果表明, 石英闪长岩的年龄为(481.6±5.6) Ma, 而灰白色花岗岩和粉红色花岗岩的年龄在误差范围内基本一致, 分别为(437.0±3.0)~(433.1±3.4) Ma 和(443±11)~(434.6±1.6) Ma. 结合区域地质特征, 认为石英闪长岩可能形成于洋壳俯冲环境, 而灰白色和粉红色花岗岩可能形成于碰撞后环境.     

2003年11月超强磁暴热层大气密度扰动及其与焦耳加热和环电流指数的关系——CHAMP卫星观测

本文利用CHAMP卫星加速度仪测量数据，计算和分析2003年11月20～21日大磁暴期间大气质量密度扰动的全球分布特征；研究暴时变化与极区大尺度对流引起的全球焦耳加热总功率及环电流指数SYM H之间的关系.结果表明，磁暴期间400 km高度上热层大气质量密度大幅度上升， NRLMSISE 00模式预测值与此相比有很大差别；暴时大气密度的增大存在昼/夜半球不对称性：白天强于夜晚，且白天随纬度的分布呈现出比较复杂的图像，在赤道附近和南半球中低纬区（10°N ～50°S）大气密度增大较强，并呈双峰分布，两个峰分别位于0°和45°S，另外在极区也出现大气密度扰动的局部极大，而在夜晚，大气密度变化南北半球比较对称，在赤道低纬区大气密度增大较强；互相关分析表明，中低纬区大气密度变化滞后于全球焦耳加热总功率3～7 h，滞后于环电流指数（SYM H）0～3 h，与二者存在很强的相关，表明极区焦耳加热和赤道环电流过程对暴时热层大气密度扰动有重要影响.     

循化-德地区新生代盆地发育及其对高原增生的指示

循化-贵德地区的循化盆地、贵德盆地和同仁盆地与拉鸡山和西秦岭北缘逆冲带相邻分布.盆地沉积地层主要由渐新统西宁群、渐新统上部至上新统贵德群和下更新统组成.它们由不整合界面分隔,划分为3个盆地相.盆地相1为西宁群,盆地相2为贵德群查让组、下东山组、贺尔加组和甘家砾岩组,盆地相3为共和组及下更新统.3个盆地相均在其中下部或底部发育湖泊沉积,向上转变为冲积扇-辫状河平原沉积体系,呈现出粒径向上不断加大的反序、进积沉积序列.盆地沉积、古流和沉积物碎屑成分分析表明,研究区在西宁群(盆地相1)沉积时期发育大型湖泊沉积盆地,盆地沉积物源主要来自于南侧的西秦岭逆冲带,而拉鸡山逆冲带处于沉积基准面之下,接受沉积;在贵德群(盆地相2)沉积时期,逆冲作用向北迁移,拉鸡山逆冲隆升,研究区盆地分割,主要沿拉鸡山逆冲带南北两侧发育点源扩散型冲积扇-辫状河平原沉积.研究区盆山系统演化对青藏高原远端增生过程具有重要的指示意义.研究结果表明,青藏高原新生代向北东的增生作用在渐新世(29～21.4Ma)已抵达西秦岭北缘地区,增生过程主要表现为向北的单向褶皱逆冲增厚隆升和前缘前陆盆地充填;中新世至上新世(20.8～2.6Ma)高原增生作用跨过研究区可能抵达祁连北缘和六盘山地区,增生过程主要表现为双向基底卷入式逆冲增厚隆升和分割式前陆盆地充填上新世至早更新世(2.6～1.7 Ma)高原远端主要表现为区域剥蚀夷平与山间盆地加积充填.     

花粉植被化模拟的中国中全新世植被分布

花粉植被化模拟通过现代花粉与植被的类比 ,进行古植被模拟和制图 ,是国际全球变化中古植被和古气候研究的重要途径 .对表土花粉的初步测试表明它能够模拟出中国现代主要植被类型 .对 6ka花粉资料运行的结果显示了中国东部的森林植被向北推移约 30 0～ 5 0 0km .西北部荒漠植被和草原植被面积大大缩小 ,青藏高原苔原植被显著地退缩 .该研究对全球 6ka植被制图有重要输入 .