Restoration of Ultimate Strength of Dented Hemispheres Under External Hydrostatic Pressure

China Ocean Engineering - This study aimed to restore the ultimate strength of dented stainless-steel hemispheres with a radius of 90 mm and a thickness of 0.86 mm. All of the hemispheres were...     

The humin structure of mucilage aggregates in the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian seas: hypothesis about the reasonable causes of mucilage formation

Sixteen mucilages sampled in the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian seas during 1999–2001 were characterised using spectroscopic [Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR); colorimetric], chromatographic [thin-layer chromatography (TLC)], and elemental analysis techniques. Most samples contained comparable fractions of organic and inorganic compounds, with the exception of a few samples where the inorganic fraction was greater than the organic fraction. Carbohydrates were important in the samples rich in organic matter, while carbonate and silica (quartz and biogenic silica) were the most important constituents of the inorganic fraction. Carbonate and silica were the only important constituents of the samples with a very low organic content.According to chemical analyses, mucilage aggregates show the typical structure of humin—the insoluble fraction of the humic substance. Classification of mucilage samples as humin-like compounds, together with a reexamination of the factors involved in the formation of organic aggregates in marine environment, has led to the formulation of a reasonable hypothesis for mucilage formation.     

Oxidative stress in two populations of killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) with differing contaminant exposure histories

A population of killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) inhabiting a creosote-polluted inlet of the Elizabeth River demonstrates tolerance to the acute toxic effects exerted by contaminated sediments on reference site killifish. Previous data have suggested that upregulated antioxidant defenses contribute to short-term tolerance in killifish exposed to Elizabeth River sediments. This study investigated population differences in antioxidant defenses from wild caught Elizabeth River and reference population killifish in different seasons, and after being held in the laboratory. Parameters measured in the killifish were total glutathione concentrations (GSH(T)), activities of glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and lipid peroxidation (LPO), all in adult hepatic tissues. The Elizabeth River population exhibited greater GSH(T), higher GPx activities, and increased LPO as compared to the reference population. Sex specific population differences were also observed in GSH(T) and GPx. Both populations displayed decreased GSH(T) and increased GR from early to late summer, as well as after being held in the laboratory. This study indicates that there are many factors that may contribute to differences in levels of antioxidant defenses in addition to exposure to contaminants, including reproductive status and environmental conditions.     

Biomarkers of Exposure and Effects for Assessing Toxicological Risk of Endocrine Disrupters in Top Predators of the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract. Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) have the potential to alter hormone pathways that regulate reproductive processes in wildlife and fisheries. In this research the unexplored hypothesis that Mediterranean top predator species (such as large pelagic fish and marine mammals) are potentially at risk due to EDCs is investigated. In the Mediterranean environment, top predators accumulate high concentrations of polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs) and toxic metals, incurring high toxicological risk. Here we illustrate the need to develop sensitive biomarkers for evaluation of toxicological risk in top marine predators (Xiphias gladius, Thunnus thynnus thynnus) and non-lethal techniques, such as non-destructive biomarkers, for the hazard assessment of threatened species exposed to EDCs, such as marine mammals ( Stenella coeruleoalba, Tursiops truncatus, Delphinus delphis and Balaenoptera physalus ).     

Tissue distribution of metals in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) from the Apulian coasts, southern Italy.

Tissue distributions of metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, iron, manganese) were determined in six specimens of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba, Meyen) stranded on the Apulian coasts (Southern Italy) between February and June 1987. Methyl mercury and selenium were also determined in the liver samples. The liver accumulated the highest concentrations of metals, except for cadmium and chromium. Metal levels were higher than those found in dolphins living in the Atlantic, but lower than those recorded in the same species from the French Mediterranean coasts. Necroscopic surveys found that all specimens were affected by haemorrhagic gastritis, but the cause was not clear. While it was not possible to related the death of dolphins to a specific cause, or to contaminants, the accumulation of metals is likely to contribute to the health of the organism and represents a risk factor for dolphins.     

Modelling the relationship between sexual reproduction and rhizome growth in Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile

The relationship between flowering and growth performance of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile in meadows distributed along the south‐eastern coast of Sicily (Italy) was investigated by means of a statistical model (generalized linear mixed model) combined with the lepidochronological analysis. Over a 28‐year period, 67 floral stalk remains were observed. The highest flowering index was recorded in lepidochronological year 1998 (10.1%) and the Inflorescence Frequency per age showed a clear decrease corresponding to 15‐year‐old shoots. The sexual reproductive event had positive effects on rhizome elongation (cm year^?1) and leaf production (no. leaves year^?1) in the same flowering year, whilst no effect on the rhizome production (mg year^?1) was observed. Rhizome growth variables showed significant negative lagged responses in the two years following flowering. On the whole, we calculated that the effect exerted by flowering, in terms of loss on rhizome elongation and production, was about 27% and 38%, respectively. Although it has been demonstrated that recovery from the stress induced by sexual reproduction is limited to the two years after flowering, the magnitude of the reproductive cost may become quite considerable especially in comparison with the whole lifespan of individual shoots.     

Remote sensing of Mercury's magnetospheric plasma environment via energetic neutral atoms imaging

The potentiality of exploring the plasma dynamical behavior of Mercury via energetic neutral atom (ENA) analysis is briefly discussed. The analysis of the Hermean ENA would give clues to the global magnetospheric configuration, clarifying crucial issues like the existence of radiation belts. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of ENA imaging in the Hermean environment, an empirical model of the equatorial proton distributions, originally developed for the Earth's magnetosphere, is here modified in order to be applicable to the expected conditions, according to the present knowledge of the planet. Simulations of the ENA radiation are then presented and discussed. It is shown that the simulated radiation is significantly high, especially when pointing the field of view towards the Hermean surface. The way of determining the proton flux distributions and the cross-tail electric field characteristics by using the ENA signal is discussed. Finally, a preliminary design of an ENA detector suitable for the ESA mission to Mercury ‘BepiColombo’ is proposed and discussed.     

Rill flow resistance law under equilibrium bed‐load transport conditions

In this paper, a recently deduced flow resistance equation for open channel flow was tested under equilibrium bed‐load transport conditions in a rill. First, the flow resistance equation was deduced applying dimensional analysis and the incomplete self‐similarity condition for the flow velocity distribution. Then, the following steps were carried out for developing the analysis: (a) a relationship (Equation  13 ) between the Γ function of the velocity profile, the rill slope, and the Froude number was calibrated by the available measurements by Jiang et al.; (b) a relationship (Equation  17 ) between the Γ function, the rill slope, the Shields number, and the Froude number was calibrated by the same measurements; and (c) the Darcy–Weisbach friction factor values measured by Jiang et al. were compared with those calculated by the rill flow resistance equation with Γ estimated by Equations  13 and 17 . This last comparison demonstrated that the rill flow resistance equation, in which slope and Shields number, representative of sediment transport effects, are introduced, is characterized by the lowest values of the estimate errors.     

Asteroid “clans”: Super-families or multiple events?

Among the recently determined asteroid families (Zappala' et al., 1992) a number of very large clusterings are recognized. Some of them agglomerate few families previously identified as single groupings. In most cases, the new big families (called clans) seem to be composed by different sub-clusterings connected each other by very narrow bridges. In the present paper we analyze their possible origin and evolution: a primordial single event followed by subsequent collisions of the fragments, a super-catastrophic original impact or different collisional events overlapping by chance.