A fish hepatocyte model for the investigation of the effects of environmental contaminants

An isolated fish hepatocyte culture system was developed as a models ystem to investigate the mechanisms of action of environmental contaminants. Hepatocytes were isolated from striped bass (Morone saxatilis) by an adaptation of the two stage perfusion technique of Seglen.¹ The system was used to evaluate metal binding protein (MBP) induction in response to cadmium, a primary inducer of metallothionein (MT) in rat hepatocytes. Striped bass hepatocytes appeared to be refractory to the induction of MBP by cadmium, since there was no significant increase in the synthesis of MBP for any of the doses at any of the time points investigated. However, when a similar experiment was performed using rat hepatocytes there was induction of MBP that was related to both dose and time. These comparative experiments indicate that although there are similarities between the hepatocytes of the two species in regard to ³⁵S incorporation into low molecular weight metal-binding proteins, there appear to be significant quantitative differences as well in regard to MBP kinetics. This in vitro model system could potentially be utilized to investigate the toxicological properties of other environmental contaminants.     

Nutrients and zooplankton composition and dynamics in relation to the hydrological pattern in a confined Mediterranean salt marsh (NE Iberian Peninsula)

The role of the hydrological regime in the nutrients and zooplankton composition and dynamics has been analysed in five lagoons of La Pletera salt marshes (NE Iberian Peninsula) during a complete hydrological cycle (2002–2003). Two of the lagoons have their origin in the old river mouths while the other three were recently created in the framework of a Life Restoration project. This fact has also allowed us to study the effect of the lagoon age on nutrient and zooplankton composition and dynamics. The salt marsh hydrology is determined by a prolonged period of confinement without water inputs, irregularly interrupted by sudden water inputs due to flooding events (sea storms or intense rainfalls). While the dynamics of oxidized nitrogen compounds in the lagoons depends on the water inputs variability within each hydrological cycle, the internal load of phosphorus, total nitrogen and organic matter is related more to the cumulative mechanisms during the confinement periods. Accumulation processes may be easily related to lagoon age, since old lagoons have higher content of nutrients and organic matter, suggesting that these lagoons progressively accumulate nutrients during the successive confinement events. This is the usual case for most Mediterranean salt marshes without an artificially manipulated water regime. The zooplankton community in La Pletera integrates the effects of both the hydrological regime and the lagoon age since the former determines the temporal pattern of the main zooplankton species and the latter explains differences in composition and structure between old and new lagoons.     

Zircon M257 ‐ a Homogeneous Natural Reference Material for the Ion Microprobe U‐Pb Analysis of Zircon

We introduce and propose zircon M257 as a future reference material for the determination of zircon U‐Pb ages by means of secondary ion mass spectrometry. This light brownish, flawless, cut gemstone specimen from Sri Lanka weighed 5.14 g (25.7 carats). Zircon M257 has TIMS‐determined, mean isotopic ratios (2s uncertainties) of 0.09100 ± 0.00003 for ²⁰⁶pb/²³⁸U and 0.7392 ± 0.0003 for ²⁰⁷pb/²³⁵U. Its ²⁰⁶pb/²³⁸U age is 561.3 ± 0.3 Ma (unweighted mean, uncertainty quoted at the 95% confidence level); the U‐Pb system is concordant within uncertainty of decay constants. Zircon M257 contains ～ 840 μg g^?1 U (Th/U ～ 0.27). The material exhibits remarkably low heterogeneity, with a virtual absence of any internal textures even in cathodoluminescence images. The uniform, moderate degree of radiation damage (estimated from the expansion of unit‐cell parameters, broadening of Raman spectral parameters and density) corresponds well, within the “Sri Lankan trends”, with actinide concentrations, U‐Pb age, and the calculated alpha fluence of 1.66 × 10¹⁸ g^?1. This, and a (U+Th)/He age of 419 ± 9 Ma (2s), enables us to exclude any unusual thermal history or heat treatment, which could potentially have affected the retention of radiogenic Pb. The oxygen isotope ratio of this zircon is 13.9%o VSMOW suggesting a metamorphic genesis in a marble or calc‐silicate skarn.     

Modeling groundwater quality in an agriculturally used water catchment

The sulfate pollution in an agriculturally used watershed has been investigated with respect to the transport in the saturated zone and the development of sulfate in the unsaturated zone. Besides of other sources such as acid wet and dry deposition or sulfate input by agricultural activities, most of the sulfate originates from oxidation of pyrite by either NO₃ or O₂. High sulfate concentrations coincided with high nitrate leaching caused by plowing of former grassland or by vegetable crop residues and with former wet lands that have become dry. By using soil water concentration data and maps showing the extension of former wetlands and grassland as well as agricultural land use, it was possible to delineate regions of high sulfate input. The transport of sulfate in the aquifer was analyzed with a modified version of the USGS MOC model, which takes into account the nonlinearity of the underlying equation describing unconfined groundwater flow. The calibration of the transport model showed good agreement between the estimated and modeled sulfate input rates. A prediction of future sulfate concentrations in the aquifer was feasible by using worst-case parameters.     

Assessing the Vibrational Frequencies of the Cathedral of Cologne (Germany) by Means of Ambient Seismic Noise Analysis

Ambient seismic noise measurements were conducted inside the Cathedral of Cologne (Germany) for assessing its frequencies of vibration and for checking whether these occur in the range where soil amplification is expected. If this is the case, damages may increase in case of an earthquake due to an increased structural response of the building. Analysis of the ratio between the horizontal and vertical components of the spectra recorded at stations located inside the building as well as the ratio between the corresponding components of the spectra recorded simultaneously inside the building and at a reference station placed in the basement of the cathedral indicated several modes of vibration. Facilitated by these results an assessment of the seismic vulnerability was attempted for a 2D ground motion scenario using the finite element method.     

A comparison of chironomid biostratigraphy from Lake Vuolep Njakajaure with vegetation, lake-level, and climate changes in Abisko National Park, Sweden

Chironomid remains from the sediment of Lake Vuolep Njakajaure reflect limnological conditions resulting from changing climate and vegetation throughout the Holocene, but do not strictly follow accepted climate trends or the vegetation history based on regional pollen and macrofossil analyses. Chironomid community changes appear to be influenced by organic nutrient input from the surrounding catchment vegetation and lake hydrology, both of which are indirectly responding to some combination of climate change, hypolimnetic oxygen concentration, and changes in basin morphology. The chironomid-based quantitative mean July air-temperature reconstruction differs from other regional quantitative records; this discrepancy is likely related to limnological conditions particular to Lake Vuolep Njakajaure. Comparison of a northern Swedish temperature transfer function and one from western Canada reveals differences in the mean July air-temperature optima of several common taxa, suggesting that the existing conservative estimates of Holocene climate change in northern Sweden may be underestimated due to the limited temperature gradient captured by the Swedish training set.     

Vertical velocities of European coastal sites derived from continuous GPS observations

Vertical velocities of 30 European permanent Global Positioning System (GPS) stations at or close to tide gauge sites are estimated from more than 3 years of continuous observations. The results of two different solution strategies are presented and compared. The first approach accumulates the daily free network normal equations, the second introduces all sets of daily ellipsoidal height estimates and their covariance matrix into a subsequent common least squares adjustment. In both solutions, mean station heights at a reference epoch, linear vertical velocities, height discontinuities and short period height offsets are estimated. The second approach solves in addition for periodic annual signals and for site-specific pressure loading coefficients. The vertical velocities range from +8 mm/year in the center of the Fennoscandian uplift area to –4 mm/year at a few subsiding locations. Apart from these extrema, most of the sites experience only very small vertical motions. The standard deviations from the second approach providing more realistic error estimates are well below 0.15 mm/year. Some specific data problems are discussed.     

Numerical Analysis of Space–Time Finite Element Formulations for Miscible Displacements

A finite element formulation is proposed to approximate a nonlinear system of partial differential equations, composed by an elliptic subsystem for the pressure–velocity and a transport equation (convection–diffusion) for the concentration, which models the incompressible miscible displacement of one fluid by another in a rigid porous media. The pressure is approximated by the classical Galerkin method and the velocity is calculated by a post-processing technique. Then, the concentration is obtained by a Galerkin/least-squares space–time (GLS/ST) finite element method. A numerical analysis is developed for the concentration approximation. Then, stability, convergence and numerical results are presented confirming the a priori error estimates.     

Cathodoluminescence of authigenic albite

Authigenic albites in carbonate rocks typically grow in a high-grade diagenetic to low-grade metamorphic environment and often show Roc-Tourné-twinning sensu Füchtbauer. Based on an investigation of four Middle to South European occurrences, they show Mn²⁺- and Fe³⁺-activated cathodoluminescence (CL), as revealed by combined high resolution spectroscopy of cathodoluminescence emission (HRS-CL), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and proton-induced X-ray emission (μPIXE).