Spatiotemporal Variations in the Content of Pollutants in the Moscow Air Basin and Their Emissions

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - The location of Moscow on a plain within higher latitudes when compared to other megacities creates conditions for the chemical transformation of...     

Relationship between Anomalies of the Rate of Snow Cover Formation in Western Siberia and Atmospheric Dynamics in the Northern Hemisphere in the Autumn–Winter Season

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - The relationship between the anomalies of the intensity of snow cover formation in Western Siberia (WS) and thermodynamic state of the atmosphere of...     

乙醇干预ApoE-/-小鼠离体心肌缺血再灌注模型的实验研究

目的：研究高脂饲喂ApoE^-/-小鼠的动脉粥样硬化小鼠心肌缺血再灌注模型。方法：将28只ApoE^-/-小鼠按体质量随机分为2组：正常对照组（10只）、模型组（18只）。正常对照组常规饲养,模型组给予高脂饲料16周建立动脉粥样硬化模型。造模成功后,将模型组16只随机分为2组：模型对照组、乙醇损伤组,每组各8只。模型对照组继续进行高脂造模,乙醇损伤组在给予高脂饲料的同时日常饮用25%的乙醇10μl,正常对照组给予普通饲料饲养。连续4周。造模结束后,采用离体灌流装置（Langendorff）对各组心脏进行离体灌流,并对模型对照组小鼠离体心脏进行冠状动脉左前降支结扎,结扎30 min,复灌120 min。检测灌流复灌5 min和10 min时灌流液中乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）的含量,心肌组织中半胱氨酸蛋白酶-3(Caspase-3)和乙醛脱氢酶2(ALDH2)的含量。测定心肌梗死面积,并对心肌组织进行组织病理学检查。结果：模型组小鼠主动脉脂质斑块形成,血管壁可见内膜明显增厚,血管狭窄;缺血再灌注模型ApoE^-/-小鼠在结扎LAD前心电图ST段抬高,提示造模成功。小鼠心脏复灌5 min和10 min灌流液中LDH含量及心肌组织中Caspase-3、ALDH2含量,心肌梗死面积,心肌组织病理评分方面,模型对照组、乙醇损伤组与正常对照组比较,乙醇损伤组与模型对照组比较,差异均有统计学意义（P<005或P<001）。ApoE^-/-小鼠心肌组织TTC染色结果显示,与正常对照组比较,模型对照组心肌梗死部位明显增加,与模型对照组比较,乙醇损伤组心肌梗死面积明显减少。结论：乙醇诱导对ApoE^-/-动脉粥样硬化小鼠心肌缺血再灌注具有明显的保护作用,其机制与调节Caspase-3、ALDH2含量有关。     

Geometrical focusing as a mechanism for significant amplification of ground motion in sedimentary basins: analytical and numerical study

We study the geometrical and material conditions which lead to focusing of seismic waves traveling across a concave velocity interface representing the boundary of a sedimentary basin within a denser rock. We approximate, using geometrical analysis for plane-waves, the combination of interface eccentricities and velocity ratios for which the seismic rays converge to a near surface region of the basin. 2-D finite difference modeling is used to compute Peak Ground Velocity (PGV) and spectral amplification across the basin. We show that effective geometrical focusing occurs for a narrow set of eccentricities and velocity ratios, where seismic energy is converged to a region of $\pm $ 0.5 km from surface. This mechanism leads to significant amplification of PGV at the center of the basin, up to a factor of 3; frequencies of the modeled spectrum are amplified up to the corner frequency of the source. Finally, we suggest a practical method for evaluating the potential for effective geometrical focusing in sedimentary basins.     

The dissociation constants of carbonic acid in seawater at salinities 5 to 45 and temperatures 0 to 45°C

The pK₁^* and pK₂^* for the dissociation of carbonic acid in seawater have been determined from 0 to 45°C and S = 5 to 45. The values of pK₁^* have been determined from emf measurements for the cell:

Pt](1 − X)H2 + XCO2|NaHCO3, CO2 in synthetic seawater|AgC1; Ag

where X is the mole fraction of CO₂ in the gas. The values of pK₂^* have been determined from emf measurements on the cell:

Pt, H2(g, 1 atm)|Na2CO3, NaHCO3 in synthethic seawater|AgC1; Ag

The results have been fitted to the equations:

lnK^*₁ = 2.83655 − 2307.1266/T − 1.5529413 lnT + (−0.20760841 − 4.0484/T)S^0.5 + 0.08468345S − 0.00654208S¹

InK^*₂ = −9.226508 − 3351.6106/T− 0.2005743 lnT + (−0.106901773 − 23.9722/T)S^0.5 + 0.1130822S − 0.00846934S^1.5

where T is the temperature in K, S is the salinity, and the standard deviations of the fits are σ = 0.0048 in lnK₁^* and σ = 0.0070 in lnK₂^*.Our new results are in good agreement at S = 35 (±0.002 in pK₁^*and ±0.005 in pK₂^*) from 0 to 45°C with the earlier results of Goyet and Poisson (1989). Since our measurements are more precise than the earlier measurements due to the use of the Pt, H₂|AgCl, Ag electrode system, we feel that our equations should be used to calculate the components of the carbonate system in seawater.     

Input of atmospheric lead to marine sediments in a south-east Pacific coastal area (approximately 36 degrees S)

Atmospheric input of Pb to coastal sediments in the south-east Pacific (approximately 36 degrees S) was estimated using: (1) a salt marsh (non-local emission sources) as a natural collector of atmospheric fluxes and (2) Pb concentrations in rain and air samples, both considered to be representative of the atmospheric input in the study area. A radioisotopic geochronology technique ((210)Pb) was used to estimate the total Pb atmospheric supply to the sediments. The results show that atmospheric input to Concepción Bay accounts for 13-68% of Pb in near shore sediments, evaluated through salt marsh and rain, both showing comparable results. Consequently, there are other relevant Pb sources to explain the higher concentrations in this area. Sediments in the shelf are subject to important influence of upwelling waters, estimated by Salamanca [Sources and sinks of (210)Pb in Concepción Bay, Chile (1993) PhD thesis, Marine Science Research Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA] using (210)Pb. The atmospheric input, however, is mainly responsible for the total Pb input, since the salt marsh (natural atmospheric collector) shows similar Pb(xs) inventories than the shelf, corresponding to a regional-scale Pb emissions.     

Feeding of benthic foraminifera on diatoms and sewage-derived organic matter: an experimental application of lipid biomarker techniques

Foraminiferal ecology at sewage outfalls has been investigated in numerous field studies over the last 30 years. Foraminifera have been frequently used as biomonitors of sewage pollution since they are both abundant and ubiquitous. Sewage outfalls have been demonstrated to have both positive and negative effects on adjacent foraminiferal populations, but it has never been shown conclusively why sewage affects foraminifera in these ways. Such information on the impact mechanisms of sewage pollution is essential if foraminifera are to be used as sewage pollution biomonitors, and also to understand the ecology of these important protists. One possible cause of a positive effect is the direct consumption of sewage-derived particulate organic matter (POM) by the foraminifera themselves. However this hypothesis has never been tested experimentally. Here, lipid (fatty acid and sterol) biomarker techniques were applied to study the ingestion of two potential food items by the foraminiferan Haynesina germanica in the laboratory. An experiment was conducted to confirm that the laboratory conditions were conducive to the survival and feeding of the foraminifera. In this experiment, foraminifera were provided with the pennate diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, which was considered to be a suitable food source. After 2 weeks, a four-fold increase in the levels of the diatom fatty acid biomarker, 20:5(n-3), in the foraminifera suggested that they had fed actively on the diatoms and survived under the experimental conditions. These experimental conditions were used in the main experiment, where foraminifera were fed the POM from sewage. Lipid biomarker analysis indicated that H. germanica did not consume secondary treated sewage-derived POM. Neither fatty acid profiles in the sewage nor coprostanol, the diagnostic human faecal sterol, were detected in foraminifera after exposure to the potential sewage food source. However, foraminifera may have consumed bacteria associated with the sewage in the experiment. The findings are discussed in terms of current EU legislation on sewage treatment that has affected the composition of sewage discharges, and therefore possibly reduced the nutritive value of sewage to the marine benthos.     

Wave run-up and overtopping on smooth and rough slopes of coastal structures

A series of hydraulic model tests has been carried out in a glass wave flume to investigate the influences of wave height, wave period, wave steepness, surf similarity parameter, roughness, layer thickness and porosity on wave run-up and overtopping of 1:2 sloped impermeable and permeable breakwaters fronted by a 1:10 gentle, smooth beach slope. The analysis of results involves the correlation between the overtopping energy transfer with the relative wall height and the relationship between wave run-up and overtopping rate. Further, measured wave run-up and overtopping rates are compared with the results given in the Shore Protection Manual (1984), Automated Coastal Engineering System (1992)and results of other investigators.     

Experimental study of the breaking limit of multi-directional random waves passing over an impermeable submerged breakwater

This study investigates experimentally the breaking wave height of multi-directional random waves passing over an impermeable submerged breakwater. Experiments have been conducted in a three-dimensional wave basin equipped with a multi-directional random wave generator. A special type of wave gauge has been newly devised to record the water surface elevations in the breaker zone as accurately as possible. The records are analyzed to estimate the location and limit of wave breaking. Comparisons have also been made with the results of regular waves. The influence of the incident wave conditions on the breaking wave height normalized by the breakwater dimensions has been investigated. Empirical formulae have been presented to estimate the breaking limit of multi-directional random waves based on the experimental records. The formulae have been tested and found to work well not only for multi-directional random waves, but for regular waves as well.