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Selected AbstractsHigh abundance of larval rockfish over Cobb Seamount, an isolated seamount in the Northeast PacificFISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2001John F. Dower The larval fish community in the region of Cobb Seamount (500 km west of Oregon) is dominated by myctophid species commonly encountered in the subarctic North Pacific. However, during a survey in June 1992, the ichthyoplankton community within 30 km of the seamount summit was almost completely dominated by larvae of various rockfish (Sebastes) species. Given their very small size (and hence very young age) and the fact that they occurred only rarely in samples collected > 30 km from the seamount summit, we conclude that these Sebastes larvae were produced locally over Cobb Seamount. Previous studies have shown that the Cobb fish fauna is dominated by various Sebastes spp. and that, unlike other fish present on the seamount, the rockfish populations may be self-recruiting. We suggest that a persistent clockwise (i.e. downwelling) eddy, consistent with a stratified Taylor cone, plays a critical role in retaining larval rockfish over Cobb Seamount and may contribute to the process of self-recruitment. The key to the success of rockfish on Cobb and other shallow Northeast Pacific seamounts seems to be linked to their viviparous life history. [source] Multilevel analysis of effects of individual characteristics and household factors on self-rated health among older adults in rural VietnamGERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL, Issue 2 2010Hoang Van Minh Aim: This paper aims to describe self-rated health (SRH) status among older adults in a rural community of Vietnam, and examine individual and household-level factors associated with good health rating among the study populations. Methods: The study was carried out in the Bavi district, a rural community located 60 km west of Hanoi, the capital, within the Epidemiological Field Laboratory of Bavi (FilaBavi) in Vietnam in 2006. All people aged 50 years and over who lived within the district were surveyed. Face-to-face household interviews were conducted by trained surveyors using standard World Health Organization/INDEPTH network questionnaire,summary version. A logistic multilevel modeling approach was applied to analyze the association between SRH and both individual and household-level factors. Results: The proportion of people aged 50 years and older in FilaBavi reported having good/very good health and poor/very poor health was 15.1% and 24.8%, respectively. SRH status was reported to be better among: (i) men; (ii) younger people; (iii) people with higher education; (iv) people who were currently in marital a partnership; (v) those from wealthier households; and (vi) those who were living in riverside/island or highland areas compared to those of other categories of the same variable. Conclusion: The findings reveal that there exist problems of inequality in health among older adults in the study setting by sex, age, education, wealth status and place of residence. We also found a considerable contribution of the household-level factors to SRH of the study populations.. [source] PETROLEUM SEEPAGES AT ASUK, DISKO, WEST GREENLAND: IMPLICATIONS FOR REGIONAL PETROLEUM EXPLORATIONJOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 3 2007J. A. Bojesen-Koefoed Organic geochemical screening and biological marker analysis was carried out on a total of 45 Albian-Cenomanian sandstone and mudstone samples collected from a landslide block on thenorth coast of Disko island, central West Greenland. The landslide block covers an area of severalsquare kilometres, and originated approximately 400 m up-section from where it moved to itspresent position after the last glaciation. The mudstones are generally rich in organic carbon butshow no potential for petroleum generation. However, biodegraded oil stains were found in thepoorly lithified sandstones. Staining by undegraded or only slightly degraded oil in volcanic rocks iscommon in this region, but the occurrence described here is the only known outcrop where staining occurs in siliciclastic sediments, and also the only one known in which the oil is severely biodegraded. The oil stains appear to represent a biodegraded variety of the Cretaceous marine shale derived Itilli oil type which is known from many locations in the Disko-Nussusaq-Svartenhuk Halvř region. The oils entered the sandstones before the landslide event, probably during or beforethe extrusion of the volcanic succession in the Paleogene. This is the first time that a petroleum seepage has been found to the east of the Kuugannguaq-Qunnillik fault zone, which is located approximately 30 km west of Asuk. The presence of stainingby marine oil at Asuk demonstrates that marine petroleum source rocks were deposited muchfurther eastwards than was previously thought, thus expanding the area of potential explorationsignificantly. The presence of marine source rocks to the east of the Kuugannguaq-Qunnillik faultzone may explain the frequent observation of Direct Hydrocarbon Indicators in seismic datacollected in the Vaigat Sound. [source] Evolution rampant: house mice on MadeiraMOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 21 2009R. J. BERRY House mice are extra-ordinary animals ,extra -ordinary in the literal sense of that word. They are pests , but also a valued laboratory animal. They are generalized rodents , and successful in habitats from tundra to tropics and from sea-level to high altitudes. They have differentiated into a perplexity of taxa, yet differ little in their general morphology. They were long scorned by ecologists as recently arrived commensals, but are increasingly illuminating evolutionary processes as new techniques are applied to their study. Local forms, once valued only by taxonomists, are proving ever more interesting as their genetics are probed. In 1992, Mathias & Mira described the apparently unexciting characteristics of mice living on the two main islands of the Madeira group, 600 km west of continental Portugal. Then in 2000, Britton-Davidian et al. discovered that there were at least six chromosomal (Robertsonian) races on the main island. In the past decade, studies of molecular and mitochondrial genomes have shown an array of variables and posed questions about the origins and subsequent evolution of these island mice. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Förster et al. report on the mtDNA haplotypes found on the island and in mainland Portugal, discuss the probable source of the island colonizers, and consider data which might give information about the timing of the colonizing event(s). [source] Yerranderie a Late Devonian Silver,Gold,Lead Intermediate Sulfidation Epithermal District, Eastern Lachlan Orogen, New South Wales, AustraliaRESOURCE GEOLOGY, Issue 1 2007Peter M. Downes Abstract Felsic volcanic units of the Early Devonian Bindook Volcanic Complex host the Yerranderie epithermal silver,gold,lead district 94 km west,southwest of Sydney. Mineralization in the district forms part of a fault-controlled, intermediate sulfidation, epithermal silver,gold,base metal vein system that has significant mineral and alteration zonation. Stage 1 of the mineral paragenesis in the veins developed quartz and carbonate with early pyrite, whereas stage 2 is a crustiform banded quartz,pyrite,arsenopyrite assemblage. Stage 3, the main stage of sulfide deposition, comprises early sphalerite, followed by a tetrahedrite,tennantite,gold assemblage, then a galena,chalcopyrite,native silver,pyrite assemblage, and finally a pyrargyrite,polybasite,pearceite assemblage. Stage 4 involves the deposition of quartz veins with minor (late) pyrite and stage 5 is characterized by siderite that infilled remaining voids. Mineral zonation occurs along the Yerranderie Fault, with bornite being restricted to the Colon Peaks,Silver Peak mine area, whereas arsenopyrite, which is present in both the Colon Peaks,Silver Peak and Wollondilly mine areas, is absent in other lodes along the Yerranderie Fault. The Yerranderie Fault, which hosts the major lodes, is surrounded by a zoned alteration system. With increasing proximity to the fault the intensity of alteration increases and the alteration assemblage changes from an outer quartz,muscovite,illite,(ankerite) assemblage to a quartz,illite,(pyrite,carbonate) assemblage within meters of the fault. 40Ar/39Ar dating of muscovite from the alteration zone gave a 372.1 ± 1.9 Ma (Late Devonian) age, which is interpreted to be the timing of the quartz,sulfide vein formation. Sulfur isotope values for sulfides range from 0.1 to 6.2, with one outlier of ,5.6 ,34S,. The results indicate that the initial ore-forming fluids were reduced, and that sulfur was probably sourced from a magmatic reservoir, either as a direct magmatic contribution or indirectly through dissolution and recycling of sulfur from the host volcanic sequence. The sulfur isotope data suggest the system is isotopically zoned. [source] Oil industry, wild meat trade and roads: indirect effects of oil extraction activities in a protected area in north-eastern EcuadorANIMAL CONSERVATION, Issue 4 2009E. Suárez Abstract Starting in 1994, a wholesale wild meat market developed in north-eastern Ecuador, involving Waorani and Kichwa people in the area of influence of a road built to facilitate oil extraction within Yasuní National Park. Between 2005 and 2007, we recorded the trade of 11 717 kg of wild meat in this market, with pacas Cuniculus paca, white-lipped peccaries Tayassu pecari, collared peccaries Pecari tajacu and woolly monkeys Lagothrix poeppiggi accounting for 80% of the total biomass. Almost half of the wild meat brought to the market was transported by dealers for resale at restaurants in Tena, a medium-sized town 234 km west of the market. Prices of wild meat were 1.3,2 times higher than the price of meat of domestic animals, suggesting that it is a different commodity and not a supplementary protein source in the urban areas where it is consumed. The actual price of transportation between the local communities and the market was a significant predictor of the amount of meat sold in Pompeya. Based on this relationship the Waorani hunters sold exceptionally larger amounts of wild meat than would be expected if they would not have the transportation subsidies provided by the oil companies. Although the scale of this wild meat wholesale market is still relatively small, its dynamic reflects the complex interactions that emerge as the overriding influence of oil companies or other private industries modify the culture and subsistence patterns of marginalized indigenous groups, increasing their potential impacts on wildlife and natural ecosystems. [source] Short-term environmental changes in Lake Morenito (41°S, 71°W, Patagonia, Argentina) from the analysis of sub-fossil chironomidsAQUATIC CONSERVATION: MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS, Issue 1 2005Julieta Massaferro Abstract 1.A short sediment core from Lake Morenito was studied to assess the impact of environmental changes on chironomid communities occurring during the last ca 100 yr. 2.Lake Morenito (41°S, 71°W) is located 20 km west of the city of Bariloche, in northern Patagonia, Argentina. Before 1960, this lake was a branch of Lake Moreno; by that time, an artificial dam closed the system, establishing the new lake. Another human disturbance that took place during the time span of the core was the introduction of salmonids to the area ca 1910. 3.The most important natural events that occurred in the area during the last 100 yr were related to volcanic episodes. One of them, occured in Chile in 1960 affecting the Argentinian side, coincided with the dam's construction. 4.Changes in the chironomid community were recorded by studying the sub-fossil remains (the chitinized head capsule of the larvae) present in the sedimentary sequence. The results show that volcanic tephra layers deposited along the core led to a sharp instantaneous drop in the diversity and abundance of chironomid assemblages. Human activities are also associated with a change in chironomid community composition. 5.Chironomus reached its maximum abundance values in 1910 and 1960. The organic matter content also increased at the same time. The increase of Chironomus after 1910 is clearly related to an increase in the trophic status of the lake. However, owing to the synchronicity of events in 1960, i.e. the volcanic event and the dam's construction, it is difficult to establish whether the change in the chironomid assemblage was in response to an increase in trophic enrichment, to natural disturbance, or both. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Corrections to Morris and Mound (2004) ,Molecular relationships between populations of South African citrus thrips (Scirtothrips aurantii Faure) in South Africa and Queensland, Australia'AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2005W A Palmer Abstract, Contrary to the statements by Morris and Mound (2004), Scirtothrips aurantii were first found outside the quarantine facility on mother-of-million plants (Bryophyllum spp.) sourced from the western suburbs of Brisbane and in January 2003 the distribution of the thrips in south-eastern Queensland was from at least 20 km south-east and 70 km west of the detection site. Some records in South Africa of thrips from mother-of-million plants may not refer to this species. [source] Modern and ancient fluvial megafans in the foreland basin system of the central Andes, southern Bolivia: implications for drainage network evolution in fold-thrust beltsBASIN RESEARCH, Issue 1 2001B. K. Horton ABSTRACT Fluvial megafans chronicle the evolution of large mountainous drainage networks, providing a record of erosional denudation in adjacent mountain belts. An actualistic investigation of the development of fluvial megafans is presented here by comparing active fluvial megafans in the proximal foreland basin of the central Andes to Tertiary foreland-basin deposits exposed in the interior of the mountain belt. Modern fluvial megafans of the Chaco Plain of southern Bolivia are large (5800,22 600 km2), fan-shaped masses of dominantly sand and mud deposited by major transverse rivers (Rio Grande, Rio Parapeti, and Rio Pilcomayo) emanating from the central Andes. The rivers exit the mountain belt and debouch onto the low-relief Chaco Plain at fixed points along the mountain front. On each fluvial megafan, the presently active channel is straight in plan view and dominated by deposition of mid-channel and bank-attached sand bars. Overbank areas are characterized by crevasse-splay and paludal deposition with minor soil development. However, overbank areas also contain numerous relicts of recently abandoned divergent channels, suggesting a long-term distributary drainage pattern and frequent channel avulsions. The position of the primary channel on each megafan is highly unstable over short time scales. Fluvial megafans of the Chaco Plain provide a modern analogue for a coarsening-upward, > 2-km-thick succession of Tertiary strata exposed along the Camargo syncline in the Eastern Cordillera of the central Andean fold-thrust belt, about 200 km west of the modern megafans. Lithofacies of the mid-Tertiary Camargo Formation include: (1) large channel and small channel deposits interpreted, respectively, as the main river stem on the proximal megafan and distributary channels on the distal megafan; and (2) crevasse-splay, paludal and palaeosol deposits attributed to sedimentation in overbank areas. A reversal in palaeocurrents in the lowermost Camargo succession and an overall upward coarsening and thickening trend are best explained by progradation of a fluvial megafan during eastward advance of the fold-thrust belt. In addition, the present-day drainage network in this area of the Eastern Cordillera is focused into a single outlet point that coincides with the location of the coarsest and thickest strata of the Camargo succession. Thus, the modern drainage network may be inherited from an ancestral mid-Tertiary drainage network. Persistence and expansion of Andean drainage networks provides the basis for a geometric model of the evolution of drainage networks in advancing fold-thrust belts and the origin and development of fluvial megafans. The model suggests that fluvial megafans may only develop once a drainage network has reached a particular size, roughly 104 km2, a value based on a review of active fluvial megafans that would be affected by the tectonic, climatic and geomorphologic processes operating in a given mountain belt. Furthermore, once a drainage network has achieved this critical size, the river may have sufficient stream power to prove relatively insensitive to possible geometric changes imparted by growing frontal structures in the fold-thrust belt. [source] Green biorefinery demonstration plant in Havelland (Germany),BIOFUELS, BIOPRODUCTS AND BIOREFINING, Issue 3 2010Birgit Kamm Abstract The Green Biorefinery (GBR) is a complex and full-integrated system of environment- and resource-protecting technologies for comprehensive material and energetic use of green biomasses. GBR's are multiproduct systems and perform and produce in accordance with the physiology of the corresponding plant material preserving and using the diversity of the synthesis generated by nature. In addition to the general biorefinery concept, GBR's are based strongly on sustainable principles (sustainable land use, sustainable raw materials, gentle technologies, autarkic energy supply, etc.). Existing agricultural structures of the green crop processing industry, such as green crop drying plants, offer good opportunities for the implementation of biorefinery technologies that will help overcoming energy-intensive and partially obsolete technologies, such as the thermal drying of feedstock. Accordingly, the primary fractionation of green biomasses and the integrated production of proteins, fermentation media, animal feed, and biogas was projected and will be realized in a demonstration facility directly linked to the existing green crop drying plant, Selbelang, in Havelland (Germany, state Brandenburg, 50 km west of Berlin). The primary refinery will have an annual capacity of 20 000 tons alfalfa and grass biomass and can be diversified in modules for the production of platform chemicals and synthesis gas. We discuss the processes, products, operating costs and climate protection effects through examination of the basic engineering of the primary refinery. The production site and planned demonstration facility are also presented. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd [source] | |||||||||||||