Effect of seasonality on oxidative stress responses and metal accumulation in soft tissues of Aulacomya atra,a mussel from the South Atlantic Patagonian coast

This study investigated the effects of pollution and its interaction with temperature on the oxidative status of the ribbed mussel Aulacomya atra in the southern Atlantic Patagonian coast. Animals were collected from four sites with different degree and type of human activity impact, during the summer and winter of 2011. Seawater chromium, copper, manganese, nickel and zinc concentrations were measured, as well as metal accumulation, lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, reduced glutathione levels, and enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S-transferase in gills and digestive glands.Metal bioaccumulation and oxidative stress responses in both tissues were generally higher in mussels from harbor areas. Water temperature had a remarkable effect on gill SOD activity and protein oxidation during winter in mussels from all locations.Methodologically, we conclude that measuring both metal bioaccumulation and oxidative stress responses allowed for a more accurate assessment of the biological effects of metal present in seawater.     

The distribution of pelagic seabirds in relation to the oceanic environment of Gough Island

The distribution and the abundance of flying seabirds are described in relation to the marine environment near Gough Island in the south Atlantic Ocean. Results from a combined seabird, hydrographic and hydro-acoustic survey are assessed in order to highlight possible biotic-abiotic associations. In accordance with recently published work, the macroscale abundance and species composition of avifauna are explained in terms of Gough Island's position between two major biogeographic zones and by the island's utilization as a breeding site for pelagic seabirds. On the mesoscale, seabird abundance was greatest in areas of hydrographical variability, where results from acoustic transects and net hauls suggested concentration of potential food items (i.e. zooplankton and micronekton).     

煤矿积水采空区瞬变电磁法探测的附加效应

煤矿积水采空区由于其复杂性,在进行瞬变电磁法探测时,常常会产生一些附加效应。从理论、试验出发,研究了附加效应的特点及探测曲线特征,并根据这些特点对实际工程进行了分析、解释,圈定的积水采空区经钻探验证,效果良好。      

The assessment of weathering stages in granites using an EC/pH meter

The sidewall effects of a wind tunnel on aeolian sand transport were investigated experimentally. A wind tunnel was used to conduct the experiments with a given channel height of 120 cm and varying widths (B) of 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 cm. Both vertical profiles of wind velocity and sand mass flux were measured at different locations across the test section. The results show that the wind velocity with saltation first increases and then decreases to a minimum, from the sidewall to the central line of the wind tunnel. The discrepancy among wind velocities at different locations of the transverse section decreases with decreasing tunnel width. The wind friction velocity across the wind tunnel floor, with the exception of the region closest to the sidewalls, does not deviate strongly in wide wind tunnels from that along the central line, whereas it does vary in narrow tunnels. The sand mass fluxes, with the exception of some near-bed regions, are larger along the central line of the wind tunnel than they are at the quarter width location from the sidewall. Unlikely previously reported results, the dimensionless sand transport rate, Qg / (ρu³) (where Q is the total sand transport rate, g is the gravitational acceleration constant, ρ is the air density, and u is the wind friction velocity), first decreases and then increases with the dimensionless friction velocity, u / u_t (where u_t is the threshold friction velocity). The above differences may be attributed to the sidewall effects of the wind tunnel. A dimensionless parameter, F_B = u / (gB)^1/2, is defined to reflect the sidewall effects on aeolian sand transport. The flows with F_B of 0.33 or less may be free from the sidewall effects of the wind tunnel and can ensure accurate saltation tunnel simulation.     

准噶尔盆地南缘绿洲-沙漠过渡带“肥岛”形成过程中土壤颗粒的分形研究

通过野外调查取样和室内分析的方法研究了准噶尔盆地南缘绿洲-沙漠过渡带不同地段的梭梭灌丛土壤不同空间位置（包括灌丛下和灌丛间）的土壤颗粒分形维数的变异特征,以及分形维数与土壤机械组成、土壤养分的关系。结果表明:①土壤颗粒分形维数与土壤沙粒含量呈极显著负相关(P<0.01),与土壤粉粒和粘粒含量呈极显著正相关(P<0.01),并与土壤养分含量中的有机质、全氮、全磷呈极显著的正相关 (P<0.01),与可被植物吸收利用的速效形态养分碱解氮、速效钾、速效磷等的含量有极显著的正相关关系(P<0.01),土壤颗粒分形维数可用以表征土壤结构性状和肥力特征。②沙漠-绿洲过渡带典型空间位置的土壤粒级分布呈梯度性变化,从绿洲到沙漠1~0.25 mm的土壤颗粒体积百分比从0.4%增加到16%,而小于0.05 mm的颗粒体积百分比从76.6%减少到3.5%,土壤的粗粒组分明显增加,细粒组分明显递减,并且土壤颗粒分形维数从2.50降低到2.03。③不同粒径土粒的分布规律表现为灌丛下的粉粒、粘粒含量均大于灌丛间的,其中沙漠腹地灌丛下的表层土壤粉粒增加了1.23%,粘粒增加了0.06%;退耕还林地灌丛下土壤表层的粉粒增加了10.78%,粘粒增加了2.91%,说明梭梭灌丛能有效截获风蚀带来的微细尘埃、粘粒和粉沙,使灌丛下土壤的结构及肥力性状得以改善,形成灌丛“肥岛”。     

Parameterizing a physically based shallow landslide model in a data poor region

Shallow landslides and consequent debris flows are an increasing concern in the Western Ghats of Kerala, India. Their increased frequency has been associated with deforestation and unfavourable land‐use practices in cultivated areas. In order to evaluate the influence of vegetation on shallow slope failures a physically based, dynamic and distributed hydrological model (STARWARS) coupled with a probabilistic slope stability model (PROBSTAB) was applied to the upper Tikovil River basin (55·6 km²). It was tuned with the limited evidence of groundwater conditions during the monsoon season of 2005 and validated against observed landslide activity in the hydrological year 2001–2002. Given the data poor conditions in the region some modifications to the original model were in order, including the estimation of parameters on the basis of generalized information from secondary sources, pedo‐transfer functions, empirical equations and satellite remote sensing data. Despite the poor input, the model captured the general temporal and spatial pattern of instability in the area. Sensitivity analysis proved root cohesion, soil depth and angle of internal friction as the most dominant parameters influencing slope stability. The results indicate the importance of root cohesion in maintaining stability and the critical role of the management of rubber plantations in this. Interception and evapotranspiration showed little influence on the development of failure conditions. The study also highlights the importance of high resolution digital terrain models for the accurate mechanistic prediction of shallow landslide initiation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

利用主动震源检测汶川地震余震引起的浅层波速变化

为了监测汶川地震后断裂带附近的波速变化,2008年6月,我们利用快速响应探测系统,在龙门山断裂带北端进行了为期3周的连续观测实验.实验使用电动落锤作为主动震源,GPS连续同步授时的高精度数采作为接收系统.利用记录到的高时间精度观测数据,结合互相关时延检测技术,计算了P波和面波走时的相对变化,来表征地下波速的变化.我们观测到两次面波波速的异常变化,变化幅度最高达到2%,远远大于气压变化所能引起的波速变化.结合该时段内地震活动记录,我们认为面波的波速变化是由在附近发生的两次地震事件的同震效应引起的,该观测结果同理论计算结果相符.     

Ductility‐dependent intensity measure that accounts for ground‐motion spectral shape and duration

The calculated nonlinear structural responses of a building can vary greatly, even if recorded ground motions are scaled to the same spectral acceleration at a building's fundamental period. To reduce the variation in structural response at a particular ground‐motion intensity, this paper proposes an intensity measure (IM_comb) that accounts for the combined effects of spectral acceleration, ground‐motion duration, and response spectrum shape. The intensity measure includes a new measure of spectral shape that integrates the spectrum over a period range that depends on the structure's ductility. The new IM is efficient, sufficient, scalable, transparent, and versatile. These features make it suitable for evaluating the intensities of measured and simulated ground motions. The efficiency and sufficiency of the new IM is demonstrated for the following: (i) elastic‐perfectly plastic single‐degree‐of‐freedom (SDOF) oscillators with a variety of ductility demands and periods; (ii) ductile and brittle deteriorating SDOF systems with a variety of periods; and (iii) collapse analysis for 30 previously designed frames. The efficiency is attributable to the inclusion of duration and to the ductility dependence of the spectral shape measure. For each of these systems, the transparency of the intensity measure made it possible to identify the sensitivity of structural response to the various characteristics of the ground motion. Spectral shape affected all structures, but in particular, ductile structures. Duration only affected structures with cyclic deterioration. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effectiveness of resettable energy dissipating devices in seismic response modification of elastic SDoF systems

Semi‐active variable stiffness resettable devices can reduce seismic demands and damages in structures. Despite their advantages, variable stiffness resettable devices are under‐utilized mainly because of the shortage of fundamental research in quantifying the sensitivity of key seismic response parameters, and losses, in structures that use such systems for seismic hazard mitigation. Within this setting, the research summarized herein measures the effectiveness of semi‐active resettable energy dissipating devices in the Single‐Degree‐of‐Freedom domain aiming at quantifying the sensitivity of their seismic response to variation in control parameters and generating the required knowledge to utilize such semi‐active devices in the Multi‐Degree‐of‐Freedom domain. The performance (i.e. maximum relative displacement and peak absolute acceleration demands) of Single‐Degree‐of‐Freedom systems with an array of semi‐active control logics under various dynamic excitation regimes is studied. Two sets of 40 ground motions representing various seismic loading conditions (i.e. pulse‐like and rock‐site ground motions) are used, and an efficient control logic for mitigating these seismic demands is proposed. Numerical results show that proposed control logic enables a decrease of 40–60% for both maximum relative displacement and seismic base shear and 15–25% decrease for peak absolute acceleration. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Near-bed sediment transport in a heavily modified coastal plain estuary

Numerous estuaries of the world have been strongly modified by human activities.These interferences can make great adjustments of not only sediment transport processes,but also the collective behavior of the estuary.This paper provides a typical case of a heavily modified coastal plain estuary of Sheyang on the China coast,where a sluice barrage was built in 1956 to stop the intrusions of storm surges and saline water.Four sets of instrumented tripods were simultaneously deployed along a cross-shore transect to continuously observe near-bed flow currents and sediment transport.The in-situ surveys lasted over a spring and neap tide cycle when a strong wind event occurred in the neap tide.Comparisons of flows and sediment transport between tide-dominated and wind-dominated conditions demonstrated the important role of episodic wind events in flows and sediment transport.The wind-induced currents,bottom stresses,and sediment transport rates were significantly greater when wind was present than corresponding quantities induced by the tides.The long-shore sediment transport induced by winds exceeds the cross-shore component,especially near the river mouth bar.These results indicate the noticeable importance of wave-dominated coastal processes in shaping topographic features.A regime shift of estuarine evolution under highly intense human forcing occurs from fluvial to marine processes.This finding suggests that the management strategy of the estuarine system should focus on the restoration of estuarine processes,rather than the present focus on inhibition of marine dynamics.