Utilizing in vivo nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study sublethal stress in aquatic organisms

In vivo nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) is a powerful technique for characterizing the sublethal actions of physical and chemical stressors in live, intact organisms. In particular, 31P NMR is ideal for observing perturbations to cellular energetics since critical metabolite concentrations, including phosphagens, ATP and inorganic phosphate (Pi), can be measured non-invasively and in real time. This technique's versatility is demonstrated not only in the diversity of organisms that can be studied, but also in its broad-ranging applicability to environmental research. Illustrative studies include the actions of copper in adult red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) and changes in energetically important metabolites in developing medaka embryos (Oryzias latipes). Advantages and disadvantages of in vivo NMR will be discussed.     

A field experimental study on recolonization and succession of subtidal macrobenthic community in sediment contaminated with industrial wastes

A field experiment was carried out in Hong Kong to study the patterns of recolonization and succession of subtidal macrobenthos in defaunated sediment contaminated with industrial wastes and to determine the time required for benthic recovery in the industrial-contaminated sediment. A total of 50 species was found with an average of 172 animals/tray and 24 species/tray recorded one month after deployment. Initial colonizers were predominantly polychaetes (96 animals/tray, accounting for 55.7%) and gastropods (47 animals/tray, accounting for 27.2%). Abundance of macrobenthos increased quickly to a peak (505 animals/tray) after four months, declined afterwards, and increased again till the end of the experiment. Species number peaked (57 species/tray) in the same month as abundance did, and gradually declined thereafter. Abundance, species number and diversity were significantly lower in the industrial-contaminated sediment as compared to the controls during the early successional stages, indicating the harmful effects of industrial wastes on recolonization and succession of macrobenthos. Although no significant differences in community parameters between the industrial-contaminated and the control sediments were found after eleven months, significant difference in species composition still existed after fourteen months, showing a relatively long-term impact of industrial wastes on macrobenthic community structure.     

美国蒙大拿卡尼湾干谷钼矿的流体包裹体和相平衡研究：CO2对辉钼矿…

卡尼湾干谷的钼矿床以网状脉化和矽卡岩化为特征。然而不同的围岩有明显不同的矿物组合。在卡尼湾岩株中，辉钼矿产于典型的石英－钾长石或石英－白云母脉中。在围岩中，辉钼矿产于绿泥石＋黄铁矿＋磁铁矿中，其中包含有不同量的石英、方解石和绿帘石。包含于石英和萤石中的原始流体包裹体有水溶液、液体ＣＯ２和气体ＣＯ２。     

产美考古磁学数据库

北美洲的考古磁学数据库是采用一个关系数据库管理系统编辑完成的,该数据库中现有１８７５个古地磁方向和１５１个古地磁场强度的结果。     

Fate and effects of picric acid and 2,6-DNT in marine environments: toxicity of degradation products

The toxicity of transformation products of 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,6-DNT) and 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (picric acid) were assessed in spiked sandy and fine-grained marine sediments and in seawater. Toxicity of pore water from sediments spiked with 2,6-DNT decreased for the macro-alga, Ulva fasciata, zoospores as biotransformation proceeded, but increased for the copepod, Schizopera knabeni, nauplii. The primary biotransformation product of 2,6-DNT, 2-amino-6-nitrotoluene, was also more toxic than the parent compound to copepod nauplii, but not to alga zoospores, in spiked seawater tests. Two biotransformation products of picric acid, picramic acid and 2,4-DNP, were more toxic than their parent compound. Porewater toxicity from picric acid-spiked sediments decreased significantly at the end of six-months incubation. Fine-grained sediment spiked with either ordnance compound had lower toxicity than its sandy counterpart after six months, suggesting faster microbial transformation in the former and production of less toxic products. Photo-transformation of 2,6-DNT in seawater resulted in a reduction in toxicity.     

Comparative effects of the blue green algae Nodularia spumigena and a lysed extract on detoxification and antioxidant enzymes in the green lipped mussel (Perna viridis)

Nodularia spumigena periodically proliferates to cause toxic algal blooms with some aquatic animals enduring and consuming high densities of the blue green algae or toxic lysis. N. spumigena contains toxic compounds such as nodularin and lipopolysaccharides. This current work investigates physiological effects of exposure from bloom conditions of N. spumigena cells and a post-bloom lysis. Biochemical and antioxidative biomarkers were comparatively studied over an acute 3-day exposure. In general, a post-bloom N. spumigena lysis caused opposite physiological responses to bloom densities of N. spumigena. Specifically, increases in glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and decreases in glutathione S-transferase (GST) were observed from the N. spumigena lysis. In contrast, N. spumigena cell densities decreased GSH and increased GST and lipid peroxidation (LPO) in mussels. Findings also suggest that at different stages of a toxic bloom, exposure may result in toxic stress to specific organs in the mussel.