The expression of CYP1A,vitellogenin and zona radiata proteins in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) after oral dosing with two commercial PBDE flame retardant mixtures: absence of short-term responses

The short-term effects of the commercial PBDE flame retardant mixtures Penta-BDE and cta-BDE on the expression of cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A), vitellogenin (Vtg) and zona radiata proteins (Zrp) were investigated in juvenile salmon (Salmo salar). For this purpose, groups of fish were dosed twice (oral intake at days I and 4) with 10 and 50 mg/kg body weight of both commercial mixtures. The fishes were sacrificed at day 7 (n = 5 for each group) and 14 (n = 6 for each group), and blood, liver, fillet, and brain were collected. Blanks and positive controls were also part of the experiment. The expressions of Vtg, Zrp, and CYPIA were measured with several techniques (EROD, ELISA, Western, Northern and Slot Blot). The values in the groups of fish treated with Penta-BDE or Octa-BDE did not significantly differ from the reference group for any of the parameters tested. In contrast, the positive control groups treated with estradiol-17beta for Vtg and Zrp expression, and beta-naphthoflavone for CYP1A expression did show a significant response, indicating the potential sensitivity of the fishes for the parameters measured. Since the results of the chemical analyses showed concentrations of a number of PBDE congeners in liver, fillet, and brain that were about three orders of magnitude above those of fish from the North Sea, it is concluded that the short-term toxicity of both commercial PBDE mixtures for these endpoints was low.     

Cytochrome P450 differences in normal and imposex-affected female whelk Buccinum undatum from the open North Sea

Normal and imposex-affected female Buccinum undatum were sampled from the open North Sea at three locations, one with low, and two with high shipping densities. Cytochrome P450 components and P450 aromatase activity were determined in the microsomal fractions isolated from pooled digestive gland/gonads. Cytochrome P450 aromatase activity was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in normal females collected in the low shipping density area (1,325 +/- 295 fmol/h/mg protein) than levels from imposex animals from a high shipping density area (620 +/- 287 fmol/h/mg protein). A negative correlation was found between aromatase activity and organotin body burden (r = -0.99). Levels of CYP450, cytochrome b5 and NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity did not show differences among groups. This is the first field evidence of depressed aromatase activity in imposex affected females, although additional research under laboratory controlled conditions is required to fully understand the mechanisms underlying the development of imposex in this species.     

Residues of 14C-4n-nonylphenol in mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) oocytes and embryos during dietary exposure of mature females to this xenohormone

In order to assess in fish the maternal transfer of alkylphenolic compounds to the progeny, the identification and quantification of the labelled compounds present in oocytes and embryos was conducted after dietary exposure of mature female mosquitofish to 14C-4n-nonylphenol during vitellogenesis and embryogenesis respectively. Radioactivity found in bile and liver extracts accounted for 0.9-0.6 and 0.2-0.1% of ingested radioactivity for females exposed during vitellogenesis and embryogenesis respectively. The amount of extractable radioactivity present in oocytes and embryos was 0.19 and 0.07% of the ingested dose respectively. The radio-HPLC profiles obtained from bile, liver, oocyte and embryo extracts were similar. They showed the presence of 4n-NP-glucuronide as the major metabolite and traces of unchanged 4n-NP. The other metabolites corresponded to 8-hydroxynonylphenol, 9-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-nonanoic acid and para-hydroxybenzoic acid which is the final product of the alkyl chain oxidation. Our results indicate that exposure of ovoviviparous female fish to 4-NP during vitellogenesis and embryogenesis leads to the contamination of the progeny by 4-NP and its metabolites.     

Some observations on migration within and from the former USSR in the 1990s

"Patterns of population distribution revealed from 1989 census data are used to assess how future population movements could be affected by current political, social, and economic changes. Much migration in the USSR has reflected central planning decisions as much as the spontaneous decisions of individuals. To the extent that the influence of the command economy diminishes and a market economy emerges, major new directions of migration flows can be expected. The return of ethnic 'expatriates' to home republics can be expected to increase, as can economic migration to areas with favorably perceived economic prospects, and migration to Central and Western Europe."     

Integrated chronostratigraphy of Proterozoic-Cambrian boundary beds in the western Anabar region, northern Siberia

Carbonate-rich sedimentary rocks of the western Anabar region, northern Siberia, preserve an exceptional record of evolutionary and biogeochemical events near the Proterozoic/Cambrian boundary. Sedimentologically, the boundary succession can be divided into three sequences representing successive episodes of late transgressive to early highstand deposition; four parasequences are recognized in the sequence corresponding lithostratigraphically to the Manykal Formation. Small shelly fossils are abundant and include many taxa that also occur in standard sections of southeastern Siberia. Despite this coincidence of faunal elements, biostratigraphic correlations between the two regions have been controversial because numerous species that first appear at or immediately above the basal Tommotian boundary in southeastern sections have first appearances scattered through more than thirty metres of section in the western Anabar. Carbon- and Sr-isotopic data on petrographically and geochemically screened samples collected at one- to two-metre intervals in a section along the Kotuikan River, favour correlation of the Staraya Reckha Formation and most of the overlying Manykai Formation with sub-Tommotian carbonates in southeastern Siberia. In contrast, isotopic data suggest that the uppermost Manykai Formation and the basal 26 m of the unconformably overlying Medvezhya Formation may have no equivalent in the southeast; they appear to provide a sedimentary and palaeontological record of an evolutionarily significant time interval represented in southeastern Siberia only by the sub-Tommotian unconformity. Correlations with radiometrically dated horizons in the Olenek and Kharaulakh regions of northern Siberia suggest that this interval lasted approximately three to six million years, during which essentially all 'basal Tommotian' small shelly fossils evolved.     

能量原理在确定岩石节理抗剪强度方面的应用

为了确定剪胀节理的剪切强度，人们已开始运用能量原理研究岩体结构面（Ｌａｄａｎｙｉ和Ａｒｃｈａｍｂａｕｌｔ，１９７０）。本项工作基于分析规则的粗糙起伏面，并且假定其是不可变形的。自然条件下的复杂岩体结构面中，很难辩认出要测量的有代表性的起伏角。Ｌａｄａｎｙｉ和Ａｒｃｈａｍｂａｕｌｔ通过假定等价结构面的张开度和结构面的有效起伏将其成果推广到天然节理。显然，这种等量假设不是普遍适用的，而且可能导致结构面     

节理粗糙度研究的新进展

当前采用的节理模型，如果不凭借经验，是不可能准确预测节理的剪切行为的，这已成为争论的热点。这是因为这些模型不能定量地评价节理粗糙度或尺度的重要性。介绍一种新的方法，它用分形几何来调查节理的粗糙度。这种方法已超出了简单地描述粗糙度的“症状”，而是去寻找“原因”。     

Demographic,economic, socio-cultural and political facts nowadays in the French Pacific territories

Demographic, sociocultural, economic, and political trends in the French islands of the South Pacific are examined. Consideration is given to population distribution, internal and interisland migration, economical assets and weaknesses, political relationship with France, and cultural traditions unique to New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna Islands.     

地壳岩石在地幔深度内的变质作用:变泥质岩石中的高压矿物和矿物组合

变质相的范围,经典的概念是在大陆莫霍面的深度内,其压力在10～12kb,并可延至30kb。即使是明显的地壳来源的岩石,例如,泥质变质岩。根据新近发现的阿尔卑斯和地中海地区的高压变泥质岩和MgO-Al_2O_3-SiO_2-H_2O、K_2O-MgO-Al_2O_3-SiO_2-H_2O系的高压实验研究,提出了一种新的观点:即地质变质作用新领域内特别重要的指示矿物是Mg—Fe纤锰柱石(Carpholite)、富Mg硬绿泥石(Mg—chloritoid)、镁铝榴石、柯石英、多硅白云母和ellenbergrite;主要的矿物组合是滑石+蓝晶石,滑石+硬绿泥石,滑石+镁铁榴石,滑石+多硅白云母,硬玉+石英,和硬玉+蓝晶石。由于在西部阿尔卑斯的Dofa Maira地块惊奇的出现了镁铝榴石—柯石英岩石,这对新概念的形成起了主要作用。它相当于白片岩(滑石—蓝晶石岩石)是极高压的岩石。它反映了陆壳板块的俯冲作用深度至少为90km。这种岩石遭受了蓝片岩相的退化变质作用,蓝闪石交代了镁铝榴石。在大陆与大陆碰撞期间,假如俯冲角度很大,那么陆壳的俯冲深度可以非常深。然而,利用地球动力学的原理仍不能较好的解释这种岩石返回到地表的机制。尤其重要的是早期造山阶段,碰撞带内达到地热平衡之前地壳俯冲的岩石就返回到较浅部位,以及当构造运移期间与冷却有关而发生减压时,非常高压的矿物能保留下来是可能的。如果不是这种情况,偶然上升到陆壳较浅部位,将导致高压岩石麻粒岩相和角闪岩相的矿物重新达到平衡,详细的显微电子探针工作是必要的。它可以探测正常的高级变质岩中高压条件的信息。