The speciation of inorganic carbon in estuarine and interstitial waters

A calculation procedure to obtain pH, total alkalinity and concentration of inorganic carbon, based on the application of Gran functions, is described. An iterative program was used to optimise the electrode standard potential (E₀) and inorganic carbon concentration. Alkalinities higher than 15 mM were detected in interstitial waters from sediments collected in Cadiz Bay. A contribution of 20 % was associated with those acid-based species other than inorganic carbon. Speciation of inorganic carbon in estuarine waters was characterised using laboratory simulation techniques. Total carbonate and alkalinity, as well as inorganic carbon concentration, present conservative behaviour in the mixing process of waters having different salinities.En este trabajo se presenta un procedimiento de cálculo para la obtención del pH, alcalinidad total y concentración de carbono inorgánico, basado en la aplicación de funciones de Gran. Para ello, se ha utilizado un programa iterativo que optimiza el potencial estándar del electrodo y la concentración de carbono inorgánico. Mediante la aplicación de este método se muestran algunas características del sistema del carbónico en el agua intersticial y en sistemas estuáricos. En el agua intersticial de los sedimentos de la bahía de Cádiz se han detectado alcalinidades superiores a 15 mM a profundidades mayores de 10 cm, existiendo una contribución de hasta un 20 % de especies con carácter ácido-base diferentes al carbono inorgánico. La especiación del carbono inorgánico en aguas estuáricas se ha caracterizado utilizando técnicas de simulación en el laboratorio. Se ha observado que tanto la alcalinidad total, como la alcalinidad de carbonato y la concentración de carbono inorgánico presentan un comportamiento conservativo en procesos de mezcla de aguas de diferentes salinidades.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Considering Fluctuation Energy as a Measure of Gyrokinetic Turbulence

In gyrokinetic theory there are two quadratic measures of fluctuation energy, left invariant under nonlinear interactions, that constrain the turbulence. The recent work of Plunk and Tatsuno [Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 165003 (2011)] reported on the novel consequences that this constraint has on the direction and locality of spectral energy transfer. This paper builds on that work. We provide detailed analysis in support of the results of Plunk and Tatsuno but also significantly broaden the scope and use additional methods to address the problem of energy transfer. The perspective taken here is that the fluctuation energies are not merely formal invariants of an idealized model (two-dimensional gyrokinetics) but are general measures of gyrokinetic turbulence, i.e. quantities that can be used to predict the behavior of the turbulence. Though many open questions remain, this paper collects evidence in favor of this perspective by demonstrating in several contexts that constrained spectral energy transfer governs the dynamics.Comment: Final version as published. Some cosmetic changes and update of reference

Perpendicular momentum injection by lower hybrid wave in a tokamak

The injection of lower hybrid waves for current drive into a tokamak affects the profile of intrinsic rotation. In this article, the momentum deposition by the lower hybrid wave on the electrons is studied. Due to the increase in the poloidal momentum of the wave as it propagates into the tokamak, the parallel momentum of the wave increases considerably. The change of the perpendicular momentum of the wave is such that the toroidal angular momentum of the wave is conserved. If the perpendicular momentum transfer via electron Landau damping is ignored, the transfer of the toroidal angular momentum to the plasma will be larger than the injected toroidal angular momentum. A proper quasilinear treatment proves that both perpendicular and parallel momentum are transferred to the electrons. The toroidal angular momentum of the electrons is then transferred to the ions via different mechanisms for the parallel and perpendicular momentum. The perpendicular momentum is transferred to ions through an outward radial electron pinch, while the parallel momentum is transferred through collisions.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figure

Kinetics of Cytokine mRNA Expression in the Central Nervous System Following Lethal and Nonlethal Coronavirus-Induced Acute Encephalomyelitis

AbstractThe potential role(s) of cytokines in the reduction of infectious virus and persistent viral infection in the central nervous system was examined by determining the kinetics of cytokine mRNA expression following infection with the neurotropic JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus. Mice were infected with an antibody escape variant which produces a nonlethal encephalomyelitis and compared to a clonal virus population which produces a fulminant fatal encephalomyelitis. Infection with both viruses induced the accumulation of mRNAs associated with Th1- and Th2-type cytokines, including IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-10. Peak mRNA accumulations were coincident with the clearance of virus and there was no obvious differences between lethally and nonlethally infected mice. TNF-α mRNA was induced more rapidly in lethally infected mice compared to mice undergoing a nonfatal encephalomyelitis. Rapid transient increases in the mRNAs encoding IL-12, iNOS, IL-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6 occurred following infection. Nonlethal infections were associated with increased IL-12, IL-1β, and earlier expression of IL-6, while lethal infections were associated with increased iNOS and IL-1α mRNA. These data suggest a rapid but differential response within the central nervous system cells to infection by different JHMV variants. However, neither the accumulation nor kinetics of induction provide evidence to distinguish lethal infections from nonlethal infections leading to a persistent infection. Accumulation of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines in the central nervous system of JHMV-infected mice is consistent with the participation of both cytokines and cell immune effectors during resolution of acute viral-induced encephalomyelitis

Landslide Risk: Economic Valuation in the North-Eastern Zone of Medellin City

Natural disasters of a geodynamic nature can cause enormous economic and human losses. The economic costs of a landslide disaster include relocation of communities and physical repair of urban infrastructure. However, when performing a quantitative risk analysis, generally, the indirect economic consequences of such an event are not taken into account. A probabilistic approach methodology that considers several scenarios of hazard and vulnerability to measure the magnitude of the landslide and to quantify the economic costs is proposed. With this approach, it is possible to carry out a quantitative evaluation of the risk by landslides, allowing the calculation of the economic losses before a potential disaster in an objective, standardized and reproducible way, taking into account the uncertainty of the building costs in the study zone. The possibility of comparing different scenarios facilitates the urban planning process, the optimization of interventions to reduce risk to acceptable levels and an assessment of economic losses according to the magnitude of the damage. For the development and explanation of the proposed methodology, a simple case study is presented, located in north-eastern zone of the city of Medellín. This area has particular geomorphological characteristics, and it is also characterized by the presence of several buildings in bad structural conditions. The proposed methodology permits to obtain an estimative of the probable economic losses by earthquake-induced landslides, taking into account the uncertainty of the building costs in the study zone. The obtained estimative shows that the structural intervention of the buildings produces a reduction the order of 21 % in the total landslide risk. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd

Iodoarene-Catalyzed Cyclizations of Unsaturated Amides

The cyclization of N-alkenylamides catalyzed by iodoarenes under oxidative conditions is presented. Five-, six-, and seven-membered rings with a range of substitutions can be prepared by this route. Preliminary data from the use of chiral iodoarenes as precatalysts show that enantiocontrol is feasible

The Genetic Structure and History of Africans and African Americans.

Africa is the source of all modern humans, but characterization of genetic variation and of relationships among populations across the continent has been enigmatic. We studied 121 African populations, four African American populations, and 60 non-African populations for patterns of variation at 1327 nuclear microsatellite and insertion/deletion markers. We identified 14 ancestral population clusters in Africa that correlate with self-described ethnicity and shared cultural and/or linguistic properties. We observed high levels of mixed ancestry in most populations, reflecting historical migration events across the continent. Our data also provide evidence for shared ancestry among geographically diverse hunter-gatherer populations (Khoesan speakers and Pygmies). The ancestry of African Americans is predominantly from Niger-Kordofanian (approximately 71%), European (approximately 13%), and other African (approximately 8%) populations, although admixture levels varied considerably among individuals. This study helps tease apart the complex evolutionary history of Africans and African Americans, aiding both anthropological and genetic epidemiologic studies

Perspectives of Liriomyza biological control in Brazil.

In this work the results of a ten - year research on Liriomyza parasitoids in Brazil are reported

Life table analysis of Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) infesting sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) in São Paulo

An ecological life table for eggs and nymphs of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) was constructed with data obtained from orange orchards (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) in 2 regions of the State of São Paulo, over 4 generations in the period from XI-2006 to V-2007, comprising spring, summer, and fall seasons. Young growing shoots with D. citri eggs present were identifed, and live individuals were counted until adult emergence. No predatory arthropods were observed in association with D. citri eggs and nymphs during the study. The mean parasitism of fourth- and ffth-instar nymphs by Tamarixia radiata Waterston (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was 2.3%. The durations of the egg–adult period were similar among the 4 generations, ranging from 18.0 to 24.7 d (at mean temperatures ranging from 21.6 to 26.0 °C) and followed the temperature requirement models obtained in the laboratory for D. citri. However, survival from the egg to the adult stage for the same period varied considerably from 1.7 to 21.4%; the highest mortalities were observed in the egg and small nymphal (frst- to thirdinstar) stages, which were considered to be key phases for population growth of the pest.Uma tabela de vida ecológica foi construída para ovos e ninfas de Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) com dados obtidos em pomares de laranja (Citrus sinensis Osbeck) em 2 regiões do estado de São Paulo, com 4 gerações, no período de novembro de 2006 a maio de 2007, compreendendo as estações de primavera, verão e outono. Ramos jovens em crescimento com a presença de ovos de D. citri foram identificados e os indivíduos vivos foram contados até a emergência dos adultos. Nenhum predador foi observado associado a ovos e ninfas de D. citri durante o estudo. A taxa média de parasitismo de ninfas de quarto e quinto ínstares por Tamarixia radiata Waterson (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) foi de 2.3%. A duração do período de ovo a adulto foi semelhante entre as quatro gerações, variando de 18.0 a 24.7 dias (com temperaturas médias de 21.6 a 26.0 °C) e seguiram os modelos de exigencias térmicas obtidas em laboratório para D. citri. Todavia, a sobrevivencia de ovo até o estágio adulto variou consideravelmente para o mesmo período, de 1.7 a 21.4%, sendo que as maiores mortalidades foram observadas nos estágios de ovos e ninfas pequenas (de primeiro a terceiro ínstares), as quais foram consideradas fases chaves para o crescimento populacional desta praga.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio