Age,growth and radiometric age validation of a deep-sea,habitat-forming gorgonian (Primnoa resedaeformis) from the Gulf of Alaska

Sustainable fisheries require (1) viable stock populations with appropriate harvest limits and (2) appropriate habitat for fish to survive, forage, seek refuge, grow and reproduce. Some deep-water habitats, such as those formed by deep-water stands of coral, may be vulnerable to fishing disturbance. The rate at which habitat can be restored is a critical aspect of fishery management. The purpose of this study was to characterize growth rates for a habitat-forming deep-sea coral. Two nearly complete colonies of red tree coral (Primnoa resedaeformis) collected from waters off southeast Alaska were used for an analysis of age and growth characteristics. CAT scans revealed that colonies consisted of multiple settlement events, where older basal structures provided for settlement of new colonies. The decay of ²¹⁰Pb over the length of the colony was used to validate age estimates from growth ring counts. Age estimates were over 100 yr for sections near the heavily calcified base. Based on validated growth ring counts, growth of red tree coral ranged from 1.60 to 2.32 cm per year in height and was approximately 0.36 mm per year in diameter. These growth rates suggest that the fishery habitat created by red tree coral is extremely vulnerable to bottom fishing activities and may take over 100 years to recover.     

Lithostratigraphic Context for Kln-1993.05-SNJ,a Fossil Colobine Maxilla from Jokotingkir,Sangiran Dome

Jablonski and Tyler (1999) announced a new subspecies of colobine monkey based on a fossil partial maxilla from the Sangiran dome. The specimen is easily assigned to a living leaf monkey species—most extant Southeast Asian catarrhines differ only subspecifically from their Middle Pleistocene earliest local fossil ancestors. Yet Jablonski and Tyler (1999) reported an improbable provenance for the specimen; a mass-flow volcanic breccia generally considered late Pliocene in age. We show that the Lower Lahar was laid down amidst a range of paludal habitats and that its deposition predates the appearance of all-but-now extinct, water-tolerant mammals on emergent Java. No other catarrhine fossil has been ascribed to the Lower Lahar, not even hominins, which are the most gregarious members of the group. More probable provenance lies in the upper Sangiran or the lower Bapang formations. Either alternative would associate the specimen with other catarrhine fossils in more tenable Pleistocene environments. We also unravel errors and inconsistencies in the contextual report and in the discussion of dome geochronology. The various radiometric, paleomagnetic, and paleontologic studies cited show a discordance of about 300 Ka (thousand years) across the lithostratigraphic sequence. Plio-Pleistocene biogeographic hypotheses for Java must work with short and long chronologies.     

The middle Miocene palynoflora and palaeoenvironments of Eskihisar (Yatağan basin,south‐western Anatolia): a combined LM and SEM investigation

We investigated a palynological section from middle Miocene sediments at Eskihisar (south‐western Anatolia) to establish biogeographic links of the palynoflora and to infer the palaeoenvironment. Four algal palynomorphs, nine spore taxa, eight gymnosperms, three monocots and 67 dicot pollen types were encountered and investigated using the ‘single grain method’ that combines light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Two pollen zones reflect different phases of basin development. Zonal vegetation remained fairly stable across the section and reflects heterogeneous environments including broad‐leaved deciduous forest, subtropical forest and sclerophyllous and semi‐evergreen oak forest. Conifers were accessory elements in the broad‐leaved deciduous forest communities and replaced these at higher elevations. Some herbaceous taxa (Plumbaginaceae) indicate scattered occurrences of sandy and/or rocky soils. Biogeographic affinities are general Northern Hemisphere, North American and East Asian, as also suggested by the macrofossil record. Only two taxa provide potential biogeographic links with the African flora. This suggests that biome shifts of plant taxa between African subtropical/tropical biomes and Anatolian (western Eurasian) temperate forests and shrublands may have been rare in the middle Miocene.     

Radiometrically determined dates and sedimentation rates for recent sediments in nine North African wetland lakes (the CASSARINA Project)

Sediment cores were collected from nine wetland lakes in Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt for the CASSARINA project investigating environmental change in Northern African wetlands. The cores were dated radiometrically by using natural (²¹⁰Pb) and artificial (¹³⁷Cs and ²⁴¹Am) radionuclides. At sites in Morocco and Tunisia with mean annual rainfall totals ranging from 500–1000 mm yr^–1, fallout records were generally satisfactory and it was possible to develop independent sediment chronologies based on the radiometric data alone. At the Egyptian sites, rainfall was less than 200 mm yr^–1 and fallout records were much less distinct. At these sites the radiometric data could only be used to give an indication of mean sedimentation rates during the past 30–40 years. By using a combination of fallout radionuclide, pollen, and macrofossil stratigraphic records it was however possible to determine a credible sediment chronology spanning the major part of the 20th century. Applying this chronology to records of spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCP) from the same sediment cores, the onset of significant levels of atmospheric pollution in the Nile Delta is dated in all three cores to the mid 1950s. Results from a number of lakes (Sidi Bou Rhaba, Ichkeul and Korba) revealed high and accelerating siltation rates, threatening their continued existence beyond the next few decades. In contrast, sedimentation rates at all three Nile Delta sites appear to have declined in recent decades, most probably due to the impact of the Nile barrages.     

Chronology of the major palaeohydrological events in NW Africa during the late Quaternary: PALHYDAF results

On the basis of African examples, the paper draws attention to some geochemical and sedimentological problems which commonly occur in the establishment of a reliable chronology from lacustrine sediments. New results are then provided on the ages of the successive wet climatic phases in NW Africa since 150 ka ago.     

高分一号宽幅多光谱影像辐射定标偏差及其植被指数影响

自2013年4月在轨运行以来,高分一号(GF-1)宽幅(WFV)多光谱相机已实现持续对地观测,为包括生态学在内的相关研究领域与行业应用提供了丰富的数据源。当前场地定标频次偏低以及定标参数更新、发布滞后的现状,一定程度上影响了GF-1 WFV多光谱数据的定量应用。然而,现有文献仅在数据预处理流程中谈及对GF-1 WFV影像的辐射定标处理,很少讨论定标参数选取不当甚至误用产生的可能影响。基于已公布的辐射定标参数(2014—2021年)和4景GF-1 WFV Level1A级影像产品数据,重点围绕辐射定标偏差及其对多光谱波段星上反射率和常用植被指数的影响等展开模型分析和讨论。结果显示：即使两个相邻年份间,在多数情况下误用辐射定标参数会导致不可忽视的波段星上反射率相对偏差;进而给不同类型植被指数的实际应用带来不同程度的挑战。因辐射定标偏差的影响,常用的两波段归一化型植被指数在监测稀疏植被覆盖区时会存在明显的误差;而对高植被覆盖区的监测时采用两波段简单比值型植被指数将面临更大的挑战。针对存档GF-1 WFV Level1A数据的应用需求,提出利用时间距离加权的线性内插法来修正基于公开定标参数的辐...     

Quantitation of the endopeptidase activity generating gamma-endorphin from beta-endorphin in rat brain synaptic membranes by a radiometric assay

gamma-Endorphin is a naturally occurring biologically active peptide that is produced by an endopeptidase activity cleaving its precursor beta-endorphin. This enzyme was termed gamma-endorphin generating enzyme (gamma-EGE). In order to quantitate gamma-EGE activity by means of a simple and sensitive assay two synthetic peptides derived from the sequence surrounding the gamma-EGE cleavage site in beta-endorphin were tested as substrates. One of these peptides Ac-Val-Thr-Leu-Phe-Lys-NHCH3 fulfilled all criteria for a suitable gamma-EGE substrate. The peptide was exclusively cleaved at the correct bond for gamma-EGE upon incubation with brain synaptic membranes, and this cleavage was inhibited by the naturally occurring substrate beta-endorphin. The peptide was insensitive to cleavage by exopeptidases and cathepsin D. Addition of a 14C-labeled methyl group at the lysine residue of this peptide by reductive methylation did not alter its properties as a substrate for gamma-EGE activity. The use of the 14C-labeled peptide allowed sensitive quantitation of its radioactive products after simple separation by hydrophobic chromatography on minicolumns containing polystyrene beads. gamma-EGE activity increased linearly with a protein concentration and incubation time. This assay can be used for reliable quantitation of gamma-EGE activity and permits investigations on the regulation of gamma-endorphin production.     

山丘区苹果树花期冠层反射率的定量遥感反演

采用山东省栖霞市苹果树花期不同分辨率的TM和ALOS影像,充分考虑坡向系数和冠层花叶比,通过地形辐射校正获取地表反演反射率,再经混合像元分解获取苹果树冠层的反演反射率,将30个果园样方的反演结果与同时段实测反射率及表观反射率进行比较,分析反演效果和精度.结果表明:地形辐射校正有效减弱了地形和大气的影响,恢复了阴影处地物,地表反演反射率影像的解析力大幅提高;无论是TM还是ALOS影像,冠层反演反射率的绝对误差和相对误差均最小,所有波段的相对误差表现出一致性,且样方间变化趋势与实测值最一致,说明混合像元分解是必要的.反演方法应用于不同分辨率影像,表现出相似的反射率变化特点,高分辨率图像更具优势,但受波段限制,可与中分辨率影像结合使用.