Chandra observations of neutron stars: an overview

We present an overview of Chandra X-ray Observatory observations of neutron stars. The outstanding spatial and spectral resolution of this great observatory have allowed for observations of unprecedented clarity and accuracy. Many of these observations have provided new insights into neutron star physics. We present an admittedly biased and overly brief review of these observations, highlighting some new discoveries made possible by the Observatory’s unique capabilities. This includes our analysis of recent multiwavelength observations of the putative pulsar and its pulsar-wind nebula in the IC443 SNR.      

东经120°E中间层和低热层大气潮汐及其季节变化特征

利用为期一年的卫星遥感温度（SABER/TIMED）资料重建了120°E子午圈内中间层和低热层大气潮汐各主要频率分量（周日、半日和8小时潮汐）.这些主要频率分量随高度振幅增大，在97 km高度达到显著的振幅；其中迁移性周日潮汐在97 km高度出现极大振幅，然后随高度衰减.本文从考察迁移性成分和非迁移性成分各自在总潮汐中贡献角度出发，着重讨论了那些对形成该子午圈中97 km高度上整体潮汐扰动起控制作用的潮汐成分.结果显示，对周日和半日频率这两种潮汐而言，迁移性成分控制了它们的总体时空分布.在春分季节，迁移性周日潮的控制作用最显著，决定了赤道和两半球热带的活动中心；其中北半球副热带地区的季节变化形势与以往利用武汉（30°N，114°E）流星雷达风测量资料开展分析得到的结果是一致的；其他季节受非迁移性成分明显影响，例如，在本文关注的2005年中，夏至季节受（1，0）模、（1，-3）模和（1，-2）模的共同影响形成了从赤道向南延伸的活动中心，极值中心位于赤道附近，振幅达到了20 K以上，是全年的最大值.受迁移性成分控制，半日潮活动主要出现在两半球热带地区，北半球活动中心位于秋分季节（振幅达到13 K），南半球活动中心位于春分和夏至之间.其他季节受非迁移成分的影响，形成若干分布在两半球的活动中心.在本文关注的40°S～40°N范围内，与周日潮和半日潮相比，8小时潮汐具有显著较低的振幅；另外，虽然迁移性成分在一年中的大部分时间系统地分布在两半球热带地区，但是非迁移成分具有与迁移性成分相当或更大的振幅，在整体上控制了这种潮汐的时空分布.     

Geographic structure of European anchovy: A nuclear-DNA study

Atlantic–Mediterranean anchovies were genetically characterized at two polymorphic nuclear loci (intron 6 of two creatine-kinase genes) and compared to reference Engraulis albidus and E. encrasicolus samples from the northern Western Mediterranean to provide new insights into their geographic structure. Northeastern Atlantic anchovy, represented by one sample from the Canary archipelago and one sample from the Alboran Sea, were genetically distinct from Mediterranean E. encrasicolus (Weir and Cockerham's ^θ = 0.027–0.311), indicating geographic isolation from either side of the Almería–Oran oceanographic front. Generally smaller genetic differences were evident among anchovy populations from different sub-basins in the Mediterranean (^θ = − 0.019–0.116), the genetic differences between Black Sea and Ionian Sea/Aegean Sea anchovies being the strongest (^θ = 0.002–0.116). There was no evidence of the presence of E. albidus in our samples outside Camargue (northern shore of the Western Mediterranean). However, a sample from the southern Western Mediterranean appeared to be genetically intermediate between E. albidus and Mediterranean E. encrasicolus, indicating possible hybridization. Anchovy from the Benguela current system off southern Africa possessed allele frequencies characteristic of E. albidus at one locus and Northeastern Atlantic anchovy at the other locus, suggesting past introgression.     

Faecal indicator bacteria in New Zealand freshwater fish: a pilot study

Recent studies have suggested that poikilothermic animals, such as fish, may represent a previously overlooked source of the faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) used for the assessment of water quality. However, quantitative studies of FIB in poikilotherms are scarce. We investigated the presence of FIB in the faeces of five freshwater fish species. E. coli and enterococci were detected in 71 and 76% of faecal samples, respectively. Concentrations were highly variable, with maximum concentrations (2.1?×?10⁴ E. coli and 1.3?×?10⁶ enterococci per gram of faecal material) up to four orders of magnitude higher than present in the water column. FIB were not detected in faecal samples from marine fish. Our findings suggest that FIB ingested from the environment may be capable of replication within the fish gut, making fish a potential source and transport mechanism for FIB in New Zealand freshwaters. This may have implications for water quality monitoring.     

适宜浓度的维生素E促进半滑舌鳎生长激素基因的表达

本实验旨在探究维生素E对半滑舌鳎垂体组织中生长激素基因表达的影响。作者在每千克等氮等能的基础饲料中分别添加0、400和1 600mg的DL-α-生育酚乙酸酯(维生素E)投喂半滑舌鳎(Cynoglossus semilaevis)成鱼(464±2.6) g,进行为期8周的养殖实验;另外,在L-15培养基中添加0、18和54μmol/L的维生素E,对半滑舌鳎成鱼(464±2.6) g的垂体细胞进行为期3 d的体外原代培养实验。分别取垂体组织和原代细胞,通过荧光实时定量PCR分析其gh mRNA的相对表达量。实验结果表明:垂体组织中gh mRNA的相对表达量随着饲料中维生素E含量的增加而呈现先升高后下降的变化趋势,在400 mg/kg组时显著高于其他各组(P0.05);随着细胞培养液中维生素E浓度的升高, gh mRNA的相对表达量显著增加(P0.05)。由此可见,适宜浓度的维生素E能够促进半滑舌鳎垂体组织中生长激素基因的表达。     

The divergent environmental characteristics of permanently-open,seasonally-open and normally-closed estuaries of south-western Australia

This study has compared the environmental characteristics of the basins and saline lower reaches of the tributaries of eight estuaries on the south coast of Western Australia, which differ in their degree of connectivity with the ocean. Although four estuaries between 115.1° and 121.8° E along that coast remain permanently open to the ocean, the others only become open when the volume of river discharge is sufficient to breach the prominent sand bars at their mouths, which occurs annually following heavy winter and early spring rainfall in some estuaries (seasonally open) and infrequently in others (normally closed). Estuaries to the west of 118.5° E are predominantly permanently open, e.g. Oyster Harbour, or seasonally open, e.g. Broke, Irwin and Wilson inlets, whereas those further east, e.g. Wellstead Estuary and Hamersley, Culham and Stokes inlets, where annual rainfall and thus discharge are much lower, only become open after exceptionally heavy discharge. In permanently and seasonally-open estuaries, pronounced haloclines and oxyclines are present in the narrow rivers but not the wide basins where the waters are subjected to wind-driven mixing. The extent of cyclical seasonal fluctuations in environmental conditions differed markedly among the three seasonally-open estuaries and between years in one of those systems. These differences reflected variations in the relationship between the volume of fluvial discharge, which is determined by a combination of the amount of local rainfall, catchment size and extent of clearing of native vegetation, and the amount of intrusion by marine waters, which is largely controlled by the size and duration of the opening of the estuary mouth. The mean seasonal salinities in the basins of the three normally-closed estuaries increased over three years of very low rainfall to 64 in the deepest of these estuaries (Stokes Inlet) to 145 in Hamersley Inlet and to 296 in the shallowest estuary (Culham Inlet). These results demonstrate that the environmental characteristics of estuaries on the south coast of Western Australia differ markedly, even among those of the same type, e.g. seasonally-open estuaries or normally-closed estuaries.     

Long-period variations of sea-level in Australasia

Summary. The ability of the Australian sea-level monitoring network is assessed in the investigation of long-period sea-level signals. Through the character of coastal long waves, seasonal variations in level and inter-annual level anomalies, the importance of the south coast of the Continent is identified as a coherent indicator of large-scale marine and atmospheric teleconnections. The source of the sea-level signal is investigated by the tracing of progressive features, by the numerical modelling of wind stress over the Southern Ocean, by the modelling of the effect of monsoonal rains over the Indian Ocean and the mass transport through the Indonesian Strait. These features are related to the ENSO cycle which for the first time is linked, inter alia , with Southern Ocean mechanisms.     

邢台矿区山字型构造的发现及其地质意义

邢台山字型构造位于河北省邯邢煤田内，其前弧向ES突出，脊柱呈ES-WN走向。分别分析了山字型构造脊柱及其东、西翼反射弧构造形迹特征，对研究区找矿具有重要意义。