Relation of lineaments to sulfide deposits: Bald Eagle Mountain, Centre County, Pennsylvania

The author has identified the following significant results. Discrete areas of finely-fractured and brecciated sandstone float are present along the crest of Bald Mountain and are commonly sites of sulfide mineralization, as evidenced by the presence of barite and limonite gossans. The frequency distributions of the brecciated float as the negative binomial distribution supports the interpretation of a separate population of intensely fractured material. Such zones of concentrated breccia float have an average width of one kilometer with a range from 0.4 to 1.6 kilometers and were observed in a quarry face to have subvertical dips. Direct spatial correlation of the Landsat-derived lineaments to the fractured areas on the ridge is low; however, the mineralized and fracture zones are commonly assymetrical to the lineament positions. Such a systematic dislocation might result from an inherent bias in the float population or could be the product of the relative erosional resistance of the silicified material in the mineralized areas in relation to the erosionally weak material at the stream gaps

Preliminary Skylab MSS channel evaluation

The author has identified the following significant results. A set of 18 channels which were considered of usable quality were identified. These were channels 1-14, 17, 19-21. Channels 15, 16, 18, and 22 were dropped out because they were of poor quality; channels 7 and 11 were dropped to limit the total channel number to 16. From these 16 channels, a total of 22 signatures were obtained. Eight were developed from uniform blocks of the UMAP, and 14 from use of the DCLUS program. These signatures fell into six basic categories and classified more than 90% of the five scenes mapped: agriculture land (6 signatures); forest aland (4); water (2); open nonagriculture land (2); urban (6); and disturbed land (2)

ERTS and aircraft multispectral scanner digital data users manual

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

A Geochemical Study of Marine Sediments from the Mac. Robertson Shelf, East Antarctica: Initial Results and Palaeoenvironmental Implications

Sediments from the Antarctic continental margin may provide detailed palaeoenvironmental records for Antarctic shelf waters during the late Quaternary. Here we present results from a palaeoenvironmental study of two sediment cores recovered from the continental shelf off Mac. Robertson Land, East Antarctica. These gravity cores were collected approximately 90 km apart from locations on the inner and outer shelf. Both cores are apparently undisturbed sequences of diatom ooze mixed with fine, quartz-rich sand. Core stratigraphies have been established from radiocarbon analyses of bulk organic carbon. Down-core geochemical determinations include the lithogenic components Al and Fe, biogenic components opal and organic carbon, and palaeo-redox proxies Mn, Mo and U. We use the geochemical data to infer past variations in the deposition of biogenic and lithogenic materials, and the radiocarbon dates to estimate average sediment accumulation rates. The Holocene record of the outer-shelf core suggests three episodes of enhanced diatom export production at about 1.8, 3.8 and 5.5 ka BP, as well as less pronounced bloom episodes which occurred over a shorter period. Average sediment accumulation rates at this location range from 13.7 cm ka-1 in the late Pleistocene-early Holocene to 82 cm ka-1 in the late Holocene, and suggest that the inferred episodes of enhanced biogenic production lasted 100- 1000 years. In contrast, data for the inner-shelf core suggest that there has been a roughly constant proportion of biogenic and lithogenic material accumulating during the middle to late Holocene, with a greater proportion of biogenic material relative to the outer shelf. Notably, there is an approximately 7-fold increase in average sediment accumulation rate (from 24.5 to 179 cm ka-1 ) at this inner-shelf location between the middle and late Holocene, with roughly comparable increases in the mass accumulation rates of both biogenic and lithogenic material. This may represent changes in sediment transport processes, or reflect real increases in pelagic sedimentation in this region during the Holocene. Our results suggest quite different sedimentation regimes in these two shelf locations during the middle to late Holocene

Flight test investigation of the vortex wake characteristics behind a Boeing 727 during two-segment and normal ILS approaches (A joint NASA/FAA report)

Flight tests were performed to evaluate the vortex wake characteristics of a Boeing 727 aircraft during conventional and two-segment instrument landing approaches. Smoke generators were used for vortex marking. The vortex was intentionally intercepted by a Lear Jet and a Piper Comanche aircraft. The vortex location during landing approach was measured using a system of phototheodolites. The tests showed that at a given separation distance there are no readily apparent differences in the upsets resulting from deliberate vortex encounters during the two types of approaches. The effect of the aircraft configuration on the extent and severity of the vortices is discussed

Holocene Sediment Records From the Continental Shelf of Mac. Robertson Land, East Antarctica

Geochemical records are presented for five sediment cores from basins on the continental shelf of Mac. Robertson Land, East Antarctica. The cores contain 2-4 m thick sequences of hemipelagic, siliceous mud and ooze (SMO) deposited under seasonally open marine conditions. The inner and middle shelf SMO sequences are massive dark olive green material, whereas the outer shelf SMO sequences are dark olive material interspersed with light olive green layers similar to1-10 cm thick. The biogenic material is dominated by marine diatoms including Fragilariopsis curta, Fragilariopsis cylindrus, and Chaetoceros spp. in the dark-colored SMO and Corethron criophilum in the light-colored layers. Radiocarbon dates suggest that the cores provide continuous accumulation records extending from \u3c 1 kyr before present (B.P.) back as far as 4-15 kyr B.P., with estimated accumulation rates of 0.07-5 mm yr(-1). The three core records from the middle and outer shelf suggest six episodes of increased accumulation of biogenic material at 5.5 kyr B.P. tall three cores), 1, 2, and 6.2 kyr B.P. (two of the three cores), and 3.8 and 10.8 kyr B.P. tone core), most of which coincide with Corethron layers. We interpret these features as the result of enhanced diatom production over the outer shelf, possibly related to climatic warm periods. The absence of such features in the inner shelf core records is thought to reflect a relatively constant level of seasonal diatom production in adjacent waters maintained by a coastal polynya

Use of polyethylene glycol coatings for optical fibre humidity sensing

Humidity induced change in the refractive index and thickness of the polyethylene glycol (PEG) coatings are in situ investigated for a range from 10 to 95%, using an optical waveguide spectroscopic technique. It is experimentally demonstrated that, upon humidity change, the optical and swelling characteristics of the PEG coatings can be employed to build a plastic fibre optic humidity sensor. The sensing mechanism is based on the humidity induced change in the refractive index of the PEG film, which is directly coated onto a polished segment of a plastic optical fibre with dip-coating method. It is observed that PEG, which is a highly hydrophilic material, shows no monotonic linear response to humidity but gives different characteristics for various ranges of humidity levels both in index of refraction and in thickness. It undergoes a physical phase change from a semi-crystal line structure to a gel one at around 80% relative humidity. At this phase change point, a drastic decrease occurs in the index of refraction as well as a drastic increase in the swelling of the PEG film. In addition, PEG coatings are hydrogenated in a vacuum chamber. It is observed that the hydrogen has a preventing effect on the humidity induced phase change in PEG coatings. Finally, the possibility of using PEG coatings in construction of a real plastic fibre optic humidity sensor is discussed. (C) 2008 The Optical Society of Japan

Upregulation of nitric oxide synthase in mice with severe hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension

BACKGROUND: The importance of nitric oxide (NO) in hypoxic pulmonary hypertension has been demonstrated using nitric oxide synthase (NOS) knockout mice. In that model NO from endothelial NOS (eNOS) plays a central role in modulating pulmonary vascular tone and attenuating hypoxic pulmonary hypertension. However, the normal regulation of NOS expression in mice following hypoxia is uncertain. Because genetically engineered mice are often utilized in studies of NO, we conducted the present study to determine how hypoxia alters NOS expression in wild-type mice. METHOD: Mice were exposed to sea level, ambient conditions (5280 feet) or severe altitude (17,000 feet) for 6 weeks from birth, and hemodynamics and lung NOS expression were assessed. RESULTS: Hypoxic mice developed severe pulmonary hypertension (right ventricular systolic pressure [RVsP] 60 mmHg) as compared with normoxic mice (27 mmHg). Using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR, it was found that expressions of eNOS and inducible NOS (iNOS) increased 1.5-fold and 3.5-fold, respectively, in the lung. In addition, the level of lung eNOS protein was increased, neuronal NOS (nNOS) protein was unchanged, and iNOS was below the limit of detection. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated no change in lung iNOS or nNOS staining in either central or peripheral areas, but suggested increased eNOS in the periphery following hypoxia. CONCLUSION: In mice, hypoxia is associated with increases in lung eNOS, possibly in iNOS, but not in nNOS; this suggests that the pattern of lung NOS expression following hypoxia must be considered in studies using genetically engineered mice

Verified and potential pathogens of predatory mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Several species of phytoseiid mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae), including species of the genera Amblyseius, Galendromus, Metaseiulus, Neoseiulus, Phytoseiulus and Typhlodromus, are currently reared for biological control of various crop pests and/or as model organisms for the study of predator¿prey interactions. Pathogen-free phytoseiid mites are important to obtain high efficacy in biological pest control and to get reliable data in mite research, as pathogens may affect the performance of their host or alter their reproduction and behaviour. Potential and verified pathogens have been reported for phytoseiid mites during the past 25 years. The present review provides an overview, including potential pathogens with unknown host effects (17 reports), endosymbiotic Wolbachia (seven reports), other bacteria (including Cardinium and Spiroplasma) (four reports), cases of unidentified diseases (three reports) and cases of verified pathogens (six reports). From the latter group four reports refer to Microsporidia, one to a fungus and one to a bacterium. Only five entities have been studied in detail, including Wolbachia infecting seven predatory mite species, other endosymbiotic bacteria infecting Metaseiulus (Galendromus, Typhlodromus) occidentalis (Nesbitt), the bacterium Acaricomes phytoseiuli infecting Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot, the microsporidium Microsporidium phytoseiuli infecting P. persimilis and the microsporidium Oligosproridium occidentalis infecting M. occidentalis. In four cases (Wolbachia, A. phytoseiuli, M. phytoseiuli and O. occidentalis) an infection may be connected with fitness costs of the host. Moreover, infection is not always readily visible as no obvious gross symptoms are present. Monitoring of these entities on a routine and continuous basis should therefore get more attention, especially in commercial mass-production. Special attention should be paid to field-collected mites before introduction into the laboratory or mass rearing, and to mites that are exchanged among rearing facilities. However, at present general pathogen monitoring is not yet practical as effects of many entities are unknown. More research effort is needed concerning verified and potential pathogens of commercially reared arthropods and those used as model organisms in research

Researchers Rapidly Respond to Submarine Activity at Loihi Volcano, Hawaii

The largest swarm of earthquakes ever observed at a Hawaiian volcano occurred at Loihi Seamount during July and early August 1996. The earthquake activity formed a large summit pit crater similar to those observed at Kilauea, and hydrothermal activity led to the formation of intense hydrothermal plumes in the ocean surrounding the summit. To investigate this event, the Rapid Response Cruise (RRC) was dispatched to Loihi in early August and two previously planned LONO cruises (named for a Hawaiian warrior god) sailed in September and October on the R/V Kaimikai-O-Kanaloa. Calm weather and a newly refurbished ship provided excellent opportunities for documenting the volcanic, hydrothermal plume, vent, and biological activities associated with the earthquake swarm