Evaluation of ecotoxicological effects of endocrine disrupters during a four-year survey of the Mediterranean population of swordfish (Xiphias gladius)     

M. Cristina Fossi  Silvia Casini  Letizia Marsili  Stefania Ancora  Gabriele Mori  Giovanni Neri  Teresa Romeo  Antonella Ausili 《Marine environmental research》2004,58(2-5):425

In this project we investigated the ecotoxicological effects of endocrine disrupters in a four-year survey of the Mediterranean population of swordfish (Xiphias gladius). In the Mediterranean environment, top predators, such as swordfish, accumulate high concentrations of polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs) and toxic metals, potentially incurring high toxicological risk. The effects of organochlorines and trace elements (Hg, Cd and Pb) in 192 swordfish specimens, caught in the Strait of Messina, Sicily, Italy, were investigated using vitellogenin (Vtg), zona radiata proteins (Zrp) and CYP1A (BPMO, EROD) activities. Vtg and Zrp were found to be dramatically induced in some adult male specimens, suggesting that this species is highly exposed to estrogens in the Mediterranean Sea. A role of organochlorines in this induction phenomenon is suggested by the statistically significant correlations between Zrp in plasma and PCB concentrations in muscle (p<0.032) and Vtg in plasma and PCB concentrations in liver (p<0.034) of male specimens. Levels of trace elements in liver were in the following ranges: Hg 1–22, Cd 1–28 and Pb 0–1.6 ppm d.w. These data indicate potential reproductive alterations in large pelagic fish and suggest the need for continuous monitoring to avoid reductions in the population of this fish species of high commercial and ecological interest.  相似文献   

Experimental investigation of the time-dependent response of unreinforced and reinforced tunnel faces in cohesive soils     

Claudio di Prisco  Luca Flessati  Gabriele Frigerio  Riccardo Castellanza  Marco Caruso  Andrea Galli  Pietro Lunardi 《Acta Geotechnica》2018,13(3):651-670

In spite of the increasing diffusion of tunnel boring machines, conventional tunnelling is still preferred for economic reasons in case of short tunnels, unconventional cross sections or irregular tunnel trajectories. In conventional tunnelling, the mechanical response of the tunnel front is a main concern and, when tunnels are excavated in cohesive soils, this is dominated by the time factor, related to geometry, to the mean excavation rate and to the hydro-mechanical properties of the materials involved. This is particularly evident during excavation standstill: front displacements progressively increase with time and, in many cases, the system response under long-term conditions becomes unstable. In conventional tunnelling, a common technique employed to improve the system response (under both short- and long-term conditions) is the installation of fibreglass tubes within the advance core. In this paper, the mechanical response of both unreinforced and reinforced deep tunnel fronts in cohesive soils is experimentally analysed. In particular, the results of a series of 1 g small-scale tests, taking into account both the influence of the excavation rate (the unloading time) on the system response and the evolution with time of the tunnel face displacements, induced by a rapid reduction in the horizontal stress applied on the tunnel face, are reported.  相似文献   

Mineralogy of new Antarctic achondrites with affinity to Lodran and a model of their evolution in an asteroid     

Hiroshi Takeda  Hiroshi Mori  Takahiro Hiroi  Jun Saito 《Meteoritics & planetary science》1994,29(6):830-842

Abstract— We studied five new Antarctic achondrites, MacAlpine Hills (MAC) 88177, Yamato (Y)74357, Y75274, Y791491 and Elephant Moraine (EET)84302 by mineralogical techniques to gain a better understanding of the mineral assemblages of a group of meteorites with an affinity to Lodran (stony-iron meteorite) and their formation processes. This group is being called lodranites. These meteorites contain major coarse-grained orthopyroxene (Opx) and olivine as in Lodran and variable amounts of FeNi metal and troilite etc. MAC88177 has more augite and less FeNi than Lodran; Y74357 has more olivine and contains minor augite; Y791491 contains in addition plagioclase. EET84302 has an Acapulco-like chondritic mineral assembladge and is enriched in FeNi metal and plagioclase, but one part is enriched in Opx and chromite. The EET84302 and MAC88177 Opx crystals have dusty cores as in Acapulco. EET84302 and Y75274 are more Mg-rich than other members of the lodranite group, and Y74357 is intermediate. Since these meteorites all have coarse-grained textures, similar major mineral assemblages, variable amounts of augite, plagioclase, FeNi metal, chromite and olivine, we suggest that they are related and are linked to a parent body with modified chondritic compositions. The variability of the abundances of these minerals are in line with a proposed model of the surface mineral assemblages of the S asteroids. The mineral assemblages can best be explained by differing degrees of loss or movements of lower temperature partial melts and recrystallization, and reduction. A portion of EET84302 rich in metal and plagioclase may represent a type of component removed from the lodranite group meteorites. Y791058 and Caddo County, which were studied for comparison, are plagioclase-rich silicate inclusions in IAB iron meteorites and may have been derived by a similar process but in a different body.  相似文献   

Observational Properties of Jets in Active Galactic Nuclei     

Gabriele Giovannini 《Astrophysics and Space Science》2004,293(1-2):1-13

Parsec scale jet properties are shortly presented and discussed. Observational data are used to derive constraints on the jet velocity and orientation, the presence of velocity structures, and the connection between the pc and kpc scale. Two peculiar sources with limb-brightened jets: 1144+35 and Mkn 501 are discussed in detail.  相似文献   

The polarization of afterglow emission reveals γ-ray bursts jet structure     

Elena M. Rossi  Davide Lazzati  Jay D. Salmonson  Gabriele Ghisellini 《Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society》2004,354(1):86-100

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The optical reflector system for the CANGAROO-II imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope     

A. Kawachi  Y. Hayami  J. Jimbo  S. Kamei  T. Kifune  H. Kubo  J. Kushida  S. LeBohec  K. Miyawaki  M. Mori  K. Nishijima  J. R. Patterson  R. Suzuki  T. Tanimori  S. Yanagita  T. Yoshikoshi  A. Yuki 《Astroparticle Physics》2001,14(4):1492-269

A new imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope with a light-weight reflector has been constructed. Light, robust, and durable mirror facets of containing carbon fiber reinforced plastic laminates were developed for the telescope. The reflector has a parabolic shape (f/1.1) with a 30 m² surface area, which consists of 60 spherical mirror facets. The image size of each mirror facet is 0°.08 (FWHM) on average. The attitude of each facet can be adjusted by stepping motors. After the first in situ adjustment, a point image of about 0°.14 (FWHM) over 3° field of view was obtained. The effect of gravitational load on the optical system was confirmed to be negligible at the focal plane. The telescope has been in operation with an energy threshold for γ-rays of 300 GeV since May 1999.  相似文献   

Flood frequency analysis for nonstationary annual peak records in an urban drainage basin   总被引：4，自引：0，他引：4  

Gabriele Villarini  James A. Smith  Francesco Serinaldi  Jerad Bales  Paul D. Bates  Witold F. Krajewski 《Advances in water resources》2009

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Optimal experimental design for reservoir property estimates in geothermal exploration     

Ralf Seidler  Kateryna Padalkina  H. Martin Bücker  Anozie Ebigbo  Michael Herty  Gabriele Marquart  Jan Niederau 《Computational Geosciences》2016,20(2):375-383

During geothermal reservoir development, drilling deep boreholes turns out to be extremely expensive and risky. Thus, it is of great importance to work out the details of suitable borehole locations in advance. Here, given a set of existing boreholes, we demonstrate how a sophisticated numerical technique called optimal experimental design helps to find a location of an additional exploratory borehole that reduces risk and, ultimately, saves cost. More precisely, the approach minimizes the uncertainty when deducing the effective permeability of a buried reservoir layer from a temperature profile measured in this exploratory borehole. In this paper, we (1) outline the mathematical formulation in terms of an optimization problem, (2) describe the numerical implementation involving various software components, and (3) apply the method to a 3D numerical simulation model representing a real geothermal reservoir in northern Italy. Our results show that optimal experimental design is conceptually and computationally feasible for industrial-scale applications. For the particular reservoir and the estimation of permeability from temperature, the optimal location of the additional borehole coincides with regions of high flow rates and large deviations from the mean temperature of the reservoir layer in question. Finally, the presentation shows that, methodologically, the optimization method can be generalized from estimating permeability to finding any other reservoir properties.  相似文献   

Back Analysis of the 2014 San Leo Landslide Using Combined Terrestrial Laser Scanning and 3D Distinct Element Modelling     

Margherita Cecilia Spreafico  Mirko Francioni  Federico Cervi  Doug Stead  Gabriele Bitelli  Monica Ghirotti  Valentina Alena Girelli  Claudio Corrado Lucente  Maria Alessandra Tini  Lisa Borgatti 《Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering》2016,49(6):2235-2251

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Monitoring desertification by remote sensing using the Tasselled Cap transform for long-term change detection   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

Zanchetta  Anna  Bitelli  Gabriele  Karnieli  Arnon 《Natural Hazards》2016,80(1):223-247

Sensitive areas like oases are threatened by climatic variations and human activities that can catalyze desertification processes. Remote sensing the Earth surface from satellites is a good tool to monitor such types of change through several techniques. In this paper a remote sensing method that has been widely used for vegetated areas is adapted to study dry regions. The method consists of a combination of the Change Vector Analysis and the Tasselled Cap (TC) transform. To adapt it to dryland conditions a new set of parameters for the TC transform is hereby calculated for the Landsat 8 OLI system. The new TC parameters are tested in the analysis of the surface change in Azraq Oasis, Jordan, over a time span of 30 years (1984–2013) for Landsat satellites images. Azraq is considered a good testing site since in the early 1990s it has been subject to a complete drying up of the superficial springs, mainly due to over-exploitation of the groundwater basin. Results show that the chosen technique is able to detect the expected change on the surface, consistent with photo-interpretation and historical information available.  相似文献