Heavy metal pollution in sediments of a typical mariculture zone in South China

The heavy metal inventory and the ecological risk of the estuarine sediments in Hailing Bay, an important maricultural zone along the southern coast of China, were investigated. Results show that the surface sediments were mainly polluted by As (2.17-20.34 mg/kg), Ni (1.37-42.50mg/kg), Cu (1.21-58.84 mg/kg) and Zn (11.69-219.22 mg/kg). Furthermore, the aquafarming zone was significantly more polluted than the non-aquafarming zone, and cluster analysis suggested additional sources of heavy metal input in the aquafarming zone. As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were mainly present in the non-bioavailable residual form in the surface sediments, whereas Cd was predominantly in the highly mobile acid soluble and reducible fractions. The ecological risk of the polluted sediments stemmed mainly from Cd, and from As, Cu and Pb to less degrees. The highest potential risks occurred near the aquaculture base, indicating the need to control heavy metal inputs from aquafarming activities.     

H 187 - At the Onset of a New Eclipse

CCD photometry data of the T Tauri star H 187 are presented. They show that a new eclipse of this star began at the end of 2004. Since only one eclipse of this star has been observed previously with a duration of 3.5 years, our data indicate that the eclipses of this object are periodic with a period P=4.9 years between eclipses. Thus, in terms of the absolute duration of the eclipses and in terms of their relative length as a fraction of the period, H 187 is one of the most exotic objects in the sky. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 4, pp. 529–534 (November 2005).     

A 3D multi-threshold,region-growing algorithm for identifying dust storm features from model simulations

Dust storms cause significant damage to health, property, and the environment worldwide every year. To help mitigate the damage, dust forecast models simulate and predict upcoming dust events, providing valuable information to scientists, decision makers, and the public. These simulation outputs are in four-dimensions (i.e., latitude, longitude, elevation, and time) and represent spatially heterogeneous dust storm features and their evolution over space and time. This research investigates and proposes an automatic multi-threshold, region-growing-based algorithm to identify critical dust storm features from 3D dust storm simulations. A multi-threshold scheme is defined for the identification of dust storm features with different dust concentrations. Based on the multi-thresholds, dust storm features are iteratively identified by developing a region-growing algorithm that splits a clustered dust storm feature into multiple sub-features. The proposed approach is compared with three commonly used methods in image processing and thunderstorm identification. The proposed approach outperforms the other three methods in sensitivity and quantitative/qualitative accuracy. This research approach may also be slightly adjusted to identify critical 3D features from simulation outputs for other severe weather and geographical phenomena.     

Evolution and observational signature of diffused antiworld

The existence of macroscopic regions with antibaryon excess in the baryon asymmetric Universe with general baryon excess is the possible consequence of practically all models of baryosynthesis. Diffusion of matter and antimatter to the border of antimatter domains defines the minimal scale of the antimatter domains surviving to the present time. A model of diffused antiworld is considered, in which the density within the surviving antimatter domains is too low to form gravitationally bound objects. The possibility to test this model by measurements of cosmic gamma ray fluxes is discussed. The expected gamma ray flux is found to be acceptable for modern cosmic gamma ray detectors and for those planned for the near future.     

现代浮游有孔虫对南海西南部上升流的响应

现代夏季风系统导致了南海西南部（越南岸外）上升流的发育,但浮游有孔虫对夏季上升流的响应如何尚缺乏实测资料,这不利于准确地利用有孔虫来重建古上升流的活动进而反演过去夏季风的强度变化。本研究利用2014年4月14日至11月1日布放于南海西南部夏季上升流区的时间序列沉积物捕获器材料,详细鉴定并定量统计了其所含浮游有孔虫类型。通过分析样品中浮游有孔虫各属种的通量和百分含量变化,结合区域气候环境资料,探讨南海西南部夏季上升流区浮游有孔虫对夏季风的响应,为古上升流与夏季风研究提供现代依据。研究结果表明初级生产力是控制上升流区浮游有孔虫通量变化的首要因素,喜营养种在上升流发育期增多而寡营养种含量下降。因此高表层生产力指示种,如Neogloboquadrina dutertrei可能是追溯南海西南部夏季上升流变化最可靠的指标。

     

从中下三叠统膏盐特征看中下扬子早印支运动

中下扬子早 中三叠世膏盐层是对早印支运动的沉积响应,本文从膏盐的成因、中下扬子膏盐层位的差异、沉积环境的变迁、膏盐的厚度变化和产状特征、沉积中心和沉降中心的分布等方面,分析早印支运动的表现形式。中下扬子早 中三叠世依次出现陆棚台地（碳酸盐岩）、潟湖—潮坪（白云岩与膏盐）和滨海（碎屑岩）,这种大规模海退,正是早印支运动表现为构造抬升的结果。抬升过程中,残留海水在炎热干燥的气候条件下蒸发形成膏盐层,而中扬子的膏盐层位比下扬子低,据此推测中扬子先于下扬子与华北板块碰撞而抬升。平面上,现今构造格局（主要由中印支—早燕山运动形成复向斜、复背斜和推覆构造）的坳陷区主要为白云岩与（硬）石膏互层或石膏夹少量白云岩或云质石膏,膏盐层厚度大,现今构造的隆坳过渡区主要为石膏假晶、含膏云岩、石膏质白云岩、白云岩夹石膏等,膏盐层厚度小,而膏盐的厚度和产状与沉积时的水深和地势直接相关; 另外,地层等厚图显示膏盐层主要分布于当时的沉降中心。这些沉积特征显示膏盐沉积时的地势与现今隆坳相间的构造地貌存在一定程度的吻合,说明膏盐沉积时的地层已经发生了轻微的褶皱变形（未见角度不整合和地层缺失）。     

潼峪金矿区成矿断裂构造特征

潼峪金矿区发育过冲剪滑型、平移剪张型和平移剪滑型三种不同性质、不同方向成矿断裂,分布在金罗斑背形的不同部位,其形成有先后差异,但变形环境大体相同,具脆-韧性变形特征。空间上一般不超越褶皱主体。三类断裂中,前两者具石英脉型金矿化,后者形成构造蚀变岩型及小规模石英脉型金矿化。矿化差异与断裂产出的褶皱部位及其相应的应力应变条件的不同有关。     

重庆万州盐井沟地区黄昏爪兽(爪兽科, 奇蹄目)化石新发现

黄昏爪兽（Hesperotherium）是我国早更新世代表物种之一,因发现标本稀少,其形态特征和灭绝时间是存疑的。重庆市万州区盐井沟大垭口地点发现了多件Hesperotherium化石,其中多数骨骼属首次发现,新材料增加了我们对该类动物的骨骼形态学的认识,其后肢骨骼在进化过程中较为保守,可能正是这种进化过程中的保守性导致其不能适应第四纪多变的气候环境,最终灭绝。同时通过对已知含Hesperotherium动物群的分析,认为Hesperotherium可以作为早更新世早-中期的代表物种,对应于邱占祥命名的NCMQ 1或欧洲的维拉方中-晚期。

     

Modulation by biogenic amines for the hemocyte count and prophenoloxidase exocytosis via receptors in Litopenaeus vannamei

Hemocyte counts and phenoloxidase(PO)activity were examined after hemolymph being incubated in dopamine(DA),noradrenaline(NE)and serotonin(5-HT).Results showed that all the three biogenic amines(BAs)had a significant impact on total hemocyte count(THC),differential hemocyte count(DHC),and intracelluar and extracelluar phenoloxidase(PO)activity.Among these Bas,DA had the strongest effect on the above parameters,whereas 5-HT had the least effect.Preincubation with D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390,D2 receptor antagonist Sulpiride and 1:1 admixture of the two could significantly inhibit the effect of DA on these parameters.SCH23390 showed a stronger inhibitory effect than Sulpiride,and the admixture exhibited the strongest effect.These results suggested that the change of hemocyte count and activation of prophenoloxidase(proPO)system in Litopenaeusvan-namei hemocyte can be regulated by BAs,and DA modulates the two parameters via its receptors.