Application of the luciferase cell culture bioassay for the detection of refined petroleum products

A luciferase cell culture-based bioassay, developed to detect 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-like activity of halo-genated and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, was optimized to detect refined petroleum products and to determine their relative inducing potency. Quality control standards from 32 refined products (gasolines and diesels, jet fuels, lubricating oils, fuel oils and weathered products) and three commercial products were evaluated. Induction equivalents (I-EQs) were determined by direct comparison of the EC50 and EC20 values (based on the median and 20% TCDD maximal response, respectively) from dose-response curves for each product to those obtained with TCDD. Most petroleum products were active in the luciferase bioassay, with those products composed of fractions produced later in the distillation process (i.e. fuel oils) inducing higher levels. Additionally, weathering of products reduced their induction potency. Based on the high I-EQ estimates of many products, biological effects associated with exposure may have been previously underestimated using other diagnostic methods.     

A UT1-Like Quantity from Analysis of GPS Orbit Planes

This paper discusses a UT1-like quantity, UTGPS, determined daily from Earth-referenced GPS satellite orbits from the International GPS Service (IGS). For each satellite considered, the observed relation between the satellite's IGS orbit and a model of its orbit plane in inertial space is used to estimate UT1. This modeled orbit plane is initialized using the satellite's IGS orbit and the actual UT1 at an initial time. It is then propagated using standard models of gravitational forces and an empirical model representing the orbit-normal radiation pressure observed during several years of in-flight experience with the satellite. To estimate UT1, an a-priori transformation from terrestrial to true-of-date celestial coordinates is applied to the satellite's IGS orbit. The geocentric angular deviations of points of the resulting transformed orbit from the modeled orbit plane are analyzed, giving the angle between the ascending nodes of the satellite's transformed and modeled orbit planes. To this observed angle between nodes, converted to a UT1 difference, is added the a-priori UT1 value used in the transformation. From the result is subtracted a model of the angle, again converted to a UT1 difference, between the ascending nodes of the actual and modeled orbit planes. The final result is the estimate of UT1 from this satellite, and the median of the UT1 estimates from all satellites considered is UTGPS. The root-mean-square difference between UTGPS-UT1 at the beginning and at the end of an interval of one to four weeks is approximately 30 s times the square root of the interval's duration in weeks.This revised version was published online in October 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Estimation of Scalar Source/Sink Distributions in Plant Canopies Using Lagrangian Dispersion Analysis: Corrections for Atmospheric Stability and Comparison with a Multilayer Canopy Model

Source/sink distributions of heat, water vapour andCO₂ within a rice canopy were inferred using aninverse Lagrangian dispersion analysis and measuredmean profiles of temperature, specific humidity andCO₂ mixing ratio. Monin–Obukhov similarity theorywas used to account for the effects of atmosphericstability on _w(z), the standard deviation ofvertical velocity and _L(z), the Lagrangian timescale of the turbulence. Classical surface layer scaling was applied in the inertial sublayer (z > z_ruf)using the similarity parameter = (z - d)/L, where z is height above ground, d is the zero plane displacementheight for momentum, L is the Obukhov length,and z_ruf 2.3h_c, where h_c iscanopy height. A single length scale h_c, was usedfor the stability parameter 3 = h_c/L in the height range 0.25 < z/h_c < 2.5. This choice is justified by mixing layer theory, which shows that within the roughness sublayer there is one dominant turbulence length scaledetermined by the degree of inflection in the windprofile at the canopy top. In the absence of theoretical or experimental evidence for guidance,standard Monin–Obukhov similarity functions, with = h_c/L, were used to calculate the stabilitydependence of _w(z) and _L(z) in the roughness sublayer. For z/h_c < 0.25 the turbulence length and time scales are influenced by the presence of the lowersurface, and stability effects are minimal. With theseassumptions there was excellent agreement between eddycovariance flux measurements and deductions from theinverse Lagrangian analysis. Stability correctionswere particularly necessary for night time fluxes whenthe atmosphere was stably stratified.The inverse Lagrangian analysis provides a useful toolfor testing and refining multilayer canopy models usedto predict radiation absorption, energy partitioningand CO₂ exchanges within the canopy and at thesoil surface. Comparison of model predictions withsource strengths deduced from the inverse analysisgave good results. Observed discrepancies may be dueto incorrect specification of the turbulent timescales and vertical velocity fluctuations close to theground. Further investigation of turbulencecharacteristics within plant canopies is required toresolve these issues.     

The Gravity Field of the Vogtland and NW Bohemia: Presentation of a Project

The Vogtland and NW Bohemia are characterized geoscientifically by periodically occurrence of swarm earthquakes. The basic geophysical mechanism is not yet sufficiently clarified, just like detail questions to geology in especially the deeper underground. Complex geophysical investigations in the seismoactive region indicate geodynamic phenomena like mass redistribution or stress accumulation and release (Spiák et al., 1998). According to Grünthal (1989) a weakness zone is suggested in the region of the swarm earthquakes. This zone can be caused by fluid-tectonics (Kämpf et al., 1992), a mantle plume (pers. com. J. Svancara, 1999) and/or by the geometry of the geological structures (Neunhöfer & Güth, 1988). A three-dimensional gravimetric model can clear up the underground situation. By means of high-resolution gravimetry a three-dimensional model will be developped for the Vogtland and NW Bohemia region. In the first step a homogeneous Bouguer map of the Vogtland and NW Bohemia was created (fig. 1) containing gravity structures analysed by Ibrmajer & Suk (1989) and Blízkovsky et al. (1985). The used gravimetric data were made available by the Saxonian National Office for Environment and Geology, by the Czech Geological Survey, Prague and by the GGA Hannover. In the context with the interpretation of the deep-seismic profile MVE 90 a two-dimensional gravimetric modeling was carried out (Behr et al., 1994), too. Anomaly-producing source bodies apparently do not offer themselves in a two-dimensional model, because after Jung (1961) the length of a gravimetric source structure must be about four times larger than it's width. The technique of the three-dimensional gravimetric modeling by means of any polyhedrons was developed by Götze (1976, 1984). Gravimetry is a potential method and supplies an infinite number of solutions, so the model has to be developed close to other geoscientific results. The aim is to construct a high-resolution three-dimensional underground model, which includes the upper earth's crust and the deep-seated structures of the middle and lower crust, too. The determination of the mass distribution in the underground supplies contradicting or supporting facts for geodynamic views in the Vogtland and NW Bohemia for example of Bankwitz et al. (1993). The interpretation of the Bouguer map of the Vogtland and a three-dimensional gravimetric model ought to contribute a substantial, also geodynamic part to understand the origin and the emergence of the swarm earthquakes in this region.     

Focal Mechanisms and Stress Field in The Region Vogtland/Western Bohemia

We calculated focal mechanisms for 30 of the strongest events (1.5 M _L 3.3) in distinct subregions of Vogtland/Western Bohemia between 1990 and 1998. Our investigations are concerned with events of the swarms near Bad Elster (1991), Haingrün (1991), Nový Kostel (1994 and 1997) and Zwickau (1998), two events from a group of earthquakes near Klingenthal (1997) and eight single events. Seismograms were provided by the digital station networks of the Geophysical Observatory of the University of Munich, the Technical University of Freiberg, the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in Prague, the Masaryk University in Brno and some nearby stations of the German Regional Seismic Network (GRSN). To calculate focal mechanisms two inversion methods were applied. The inferred focal mechanisms do not show a simple, uniform pattern of seismic dislocation. All possible dislocation types – strike-slip, normal and thrust faulting - are represented. The prevailing mechanisms are normal and strike-slip faulting. Considerable differences in the fault plane solutions are noted for the individual subregions as well as in some cases among the individual events of a single swarm. For the Nový Kostel area we succeeded to resolve a change in the orientations of the nodal planes for the two successive swarms of December 1994 and January 1997. Besides this we also observe a change in the mechanisms, namely from strike-slip and normal faulting (December 1994) to strike-slip and thrust faulting (January 1997). Based on the inferred focal mechanisms the stress field was estimated. It turned out, that the dominating stress field in the region Vogtland/Western Bohemia does not substantially differ from the known stress field of West and Central Europe, being characterized by a SE-NW direction of the maximum compressive horizontal stress. We conclude that the seismicity in the Vogtland/Western Bohemia region is not predominantly caused by an independent local stress field, but rather controlled by the dominating stress regime in Central Europe.     

Straightforward methods to detect non-linear response of the soil. Application to the recordings of the Kobe earthquake (Japan, 1995)

Simple straightforward methods are applied to testtheir ability to detect the non-linear response of thesoil. Recordings of the main shock and aftershocks ofthe 1995, Hyogo-ken Nanbu (Kobe) earthquake are used.Non-linear effects are investigated using twodifferent techniques, on a collection of data for 12sites situated on different geological structures inthe Kobe and Osaka areas. The first method used is theso-called receiver functions technique (Langston,1979), which consists of computing the spectral ratiobetween horizontal and vertical components of motion.This ratio has been shown to reveal the fundamentalfrequency of a site (Lachet and Bard, 1994; Lachet etal., 1996; Theodulidis et al., 1995, 1996). For eachsite, recordings of the main shock and a set ofaftershocks are considered. The variation of thisspectral ratio for different values of the maximumacceleration recorded at a site is investigated. Bothvariations of the amplitude of the H/V ratio (due tonon-linear behavior, on the horizontal components inparticular) and of the frequency position of theamplified band-width are observed. The secondtechnique used in this study is related to thevariation of the high frequency content of therecordings during the main-shock and its aftershocks.The high frequency spectral decay of the motion,characterized by parameter, is assumed to berelated mainly to the near-surface attenuation. Itshould then increase with increasing peak velocity, incase of non-linearity. The value of kappa iscalculated for the 12 sites in the Kobe area, fordifferent types of soil conditions, and againdifferent values of peak ground acceleration.Variations of kappa are then related to non-linearbehavior of the soil during the Kobe earthquake.     

青藏高原比如地体与措勤地体相对古构造位置判别

本文采用蚀源区判别图解QFL和QpLsLv、微量元素图解Th -Co -Zr/10、常量元素图解K2O/Na2O -SiO2 和野外地质实测剖面等方法 ,对比如、措勤地体的构造演化进行了分析。发现并证实了在T3-J1 以前比如地体位于措勤地体的北部 :J2 -3 时随着班—恕缝合带的拉张 ,比如地体开始右旋向东滑动 :一直延续到J3-K1 时 ,班—怒缝合带闭合 ,比如地体才就位于目前位置。最后应用1/ZTR指数推测了比如地体在J2 -3 时滑移点的大致位置 (E90°49,N31°34)。     

西秦岭天水地区李子园群变质火山岩的地球化学特征及其地质意义

西秦岭天水地区的早古生代李子园群为一套中浅变质的沉积-火山岩系。沉积岩系主要由变质碎屑岩和碳酸盐岩组成,火山岩系主要由变玄武岩、变玄武安山岩和变安山岩组成,包括岛弧型火山岩和玻安岩。岛弧型火山岩SiO2含量介于48.79%~54.64%之间,TiO2含量较低(0.29%~0.88%);稀土元素分布型式呈LREE略富集型,富集大离子亲石元素(LILE)Cs、Sr、Th、U,相对亏损Rb、K和高场强元素(HFSE)Nb、P、Sm、Ti和Y,具Nb负异常,类似于低钾岛弧拉斑玄武岩和钙碱性玄武岩特征。玻安岩具有中等的SiO2含量(53.59%~59.28%),低的TiO2含量(0.24%~0.48%);相对中等的MgO含量(4.90%~4.96%)、较低的CaO/Al2O3比值(0.39~0.54)和较高的Mg#值(0.54~0.58)、Al2O3/TiO2比值(33.88~64.29);同时具有较低的Ti/Zr比值(15~83)、V/Zr比值(2.18~8.35)和较高的Zr/Y比值(3.82~12.08),相对富集大离子亲石元素(LILE),特别是Rb、Ba、Th,而亏损高场强元素(HFSE),如Nb、Ta、P、Ti、Y、Yb,显示为亏损MREE的U型稀土元素分布型式。岛弧型火山岩和玻安岩的存在表明,李子园群及其中的中基性火山岩系形成于俯冲带之上的岛弧或弧前环境。     

中国境内可能存在一条新的高压/超高压(?)变质带——青藏高原拉萨地体中发现榴辉岩带

新发现榴辉岩带位于拉萨北东方向,产在青藏高原拉萨地体中东部。观察到的榴辉岩带宽度约500~600m,呈近东西向延伸,已知规模10km以上。榴辉岩为常见的金红石榴辉岩、石英榴辉岩和多硅白云母榴辉岩。榴辉岩的单斜辉石中含硬玉分子变化较大,Jd=16%~44%,但均落于绿辉石成分区间;石榴子石中镁铝榴石(Pyrope)端元组分16%~33%,铁铝榴石(Alm)40%~54%,钙铝榴石(Gross)22%~31%。利用Grt-Omp-Phe和Grt-Omp矿物组合对变质温-压初步估算,获得金红石榴辉岩样品06Y-334的变质p、t分别为2.58GPa、635℃和2.67GPa、730℃,样品06Y-345的t主要在680~780℃区间,样品06Y-336的t主要在640~740℃区间,3个样品获得的结果相近。显微镜观察表明多硅白云母可能为折返阶段的退变质矿物而不属变质峰期的矿物,推测峰期的压力值有可能高于2.67GPa而进入柯石英稳定区间(p>2.8GPa)。石榴子石和绿辉石中出现的一些类似柯石英假象的石英包裹体与这一推断相吻合。以上初步研究结果表明,拉萨地体的榴辉岩带可能是中国境内又一条高压/超高压(?)变质带。     

巨大灾害后的脆弱性：台湾集集地震后中部地区土地利用与覆盖变迁

自2004年底的南亚大海啸、美国遭受飓风侵袭以来，人类社会如何采取应对措施以降低灾害的冲击成为国际科学界的一个重要议题。台湾在几年前也遭遇巨大的地震灾害，1999年9月21日凌晨，震中发源于台湾中部、芮氏规模7.3级的巨大地震，造成全台湾2 000多人死亡，8 000多人受伤，除了造成直接的经济社会损失外，也造成山区土石松滑、地层松动与山崩，直接改变了地表的覆盖状况。在后续几年台风所带来的强风豪雨下，丰沛的降雨量使原本因地震而松滑的土石大量滑落，造成严重的土石流灾害，河床也因土石泥沙的堆积而被提升，形成严重的洪患。这些自然环境的变化不仅再次改变地表的覆盖，也使重建后的小区面临极大的灾害风险。此次冲击促使当地居民重新思考人地关系之意义，通过重建过程凝聚小区意识，发展有别于过去的土地利用形态。因此为检验当地居民对灾害的暴露程度、敏感性与适应能力，本研究采用近年来在国际环境灾害研究课题备受重视的脆弱性研究途径，并利用野外调查以及遥测与地理信息系统分析呈现地震后的土地覆盖变化。希望通过分析人与环境系统的变化，以及人类社群的社会内部固有特质，归纳出重要机制以发展降低脆弱性的策略。 研究结果显示，灾害是人与环境耦合系统(coupled system)共同形成的结果，非单一的独立事件，也不是不可避免的；且地方的脆弱性具有演化与多元化的特性，同一地方下不同族群与个体对灾害的脆弱性皆不同，因此灾害研究必须更关注于灾害发生的机制，相关的政策与策略也必须建立在更小的社会与空间单元上。