Cruise report: regional assessment of ecosystem condition and stressor impacts along the northwestern Gulf of Mexico Shelf. NOAA Ship 'Nancy Foster' NF-11-07-RACOW (August 8-16, 2011)

This cruise report is a summary of a field survey conducted along a portion of the U.S. continental shelf in northwestern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), at navigable depths along the coastline seaward to the shelf break (~100m) from about 89°30' W to 95°28' W longitude, August 8 – 16, 2011 on NOAA Ship Nancy Foster Cruise NF-11-07-RACOW. Synoptic sampling of multiple ecological indicators was conducted at each of 34 stations throughout these waters using a random probabilistic sampling design. The original study design consisted of 50 stations extending from the Mississippi delta all the way to the U.S./Mexican border, but vessel failures precluded sampling at 16 stations within the western-most portion of the study area. At each station samples were collected for the analysis of benthic community structure and composition; concentrations of chemical contaminants in sediments and target demersal biota; sediment toxicity; nutrient and chlorophyll levels in the water column; and other basic habitat characteristics such as salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH, sediment grain size, and organic carbon content. Other indicators, from a human-dimension perspective, were also recorded, including presence of vessels, oil rigs, surface trash, visual oil sheens in sediments or water, marine mammals, or noxious/oily sediment odors. The overall purpose of the survey was to collect data to assess the status of ecosystem condition and potential stressor impacts throughout the region, based on these various indicators and corresponding management thresholds, and to provide this information as a baseline for determining how such conditions may be changing with time. While sample analysis is still ongoing, some preliminary results and observations are reported here. A final report will be completed once all data have been processed.

Cruise report: regional assessment of ecosystem condition and stressor impacts along the northeastern Gulf of Mexico shelf; NOAA Ship Nancy Foster NF-10-09-RACOW (August 13-21, 2010)

This cruise report is a summary of a field survey conducted along the continental shelf of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico (GOM), encompassing 70,062 square kilometers of productive marine habitats located between the Mississippi Delta and Tampa Bay, August 13–21, 2010 on NOAA Ship Nancy Foster Cruise NF-10-09-RACOW. Synoptic sampling of multiple ecological indicators was conducted at each of 50 stations throughout these waters using a random probabilistic sampling design. At each station samples were collected for the analysis of benthic community structure and composition; concentrations of chemical contaminants (metals, pesticides, TPHs, PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs) in sediments and target demersal biota; sediment toxicity; nutrient and chlorophyll levels in the water column; and other basic habitat characteristics such as depth, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH, CDOM fluorescence, sediment grain size, and organic carbon content. Discrete water samples were collected just below the sea surface, in addition to any deeper subsurface depths where there was an occurrence of suspicious CDOM fluorescence signals, and analyzed for total BTEX/TPH and carcinogenic PAHs using immunoassay test kits. Other indicators of potential value from a human-dimension perspective were also recorded, including presence of any vessels, oil rigs, surface trash, visual oil sheens in sediments or water, marine mammals, or noxious/oily sediment odors. The overall purpose of the survey was to collect data to assess the status of ecosystem condition and potential stressor impacts throughout the region, based on these various indicators and corresponding management thresholds, and to provide this information as a baseline for determining how such conditions may be changing with time. In addition to the original project goals, both the scientific scope and general location of this project are relevant to addressing potential ecological impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. While sample analysis is still ongoing, a few preliminary results and observations are reported here. A final report will be completed once all data have been processed.

A numerical simulation of cool/wet and warm/wet episodes in the western United States

Wintertime precipitation in the mountains of the western United States during a warm or cool period has a pronounced influence on streamflow. During a warm year, streamflow at intermediate elevations responds more immediately to precipitation events; during a cold year, much of the discharge is delayed until the snow melts in spring and summer. Previous efforts at studying these extremes have been hampered by a limited number and length of observational analyses. In this study, we augment this limited observational record by analyzing a simplified general circulation model.

Decadal hydroclimatic variability over western North America [abstract]

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): Variability of precipitation over North America on ENSO and decadal time scales is examined from several decades of precipitation and snow course records.

Economic impacts of globalisation at the district, landing site and sub-sector enterprise levels on Lakes Kyoga, Albert and Victoria

The Globalisation and fish utilisation and marketing study is a collaboration between the Fisheries Resources Research Institute (FIRRI) and the Mike Dillon Associates Limited , with funding from the Department for International Development (DFID) of the Government of the United Kingdom. The study is designed to examine the impact of the development of the export fishery on the fish producers, processors, traders and consumers in the artisanal fishery in Uganda. FIRRI 's role is to collect field data relating to the livelihoods of artisanal fish producers, processors, traders and consumers. in particular data relating to income and revenue flow. The initial focus is on the eccnomic structure of fish landing sites. The purpose of this paper is to review the progress in implementation of the project and present the interim findings for discussion. During the first quarter, namely April to June, 2002, work was carried out on Lakes Kyoga and Albert and a report produced. During the second quarter, July to September, 2002, Lake Victoria was covered. In both phases, the focus has been on the economic structure of fish landings.

用ANUDEM建立水文地貌关系正确DEM的方法研究

针对区域尺度的径流、水土流失定量评价和植被适宜性评价等研究工作需要,利用1∶25万数字地形图和ANUDEM软件,对黄土丘陵区中等分辨率水文地貌关系正确DEM建立方法进行了研究。结果表明该方法所建立的DEM,可以正确反映地貌梁、沟结构及其与流水线网络的关系,对地形描述的能力优于TIN方法建立的DEM;利用ANUDEM和1∶25万地形图插值建立黄土丘陵区DEM的三个主要参数分别为分辨率50或100,计算迭代次数40,第二糙率系数0.8。

碳硅钙石的矿物学特征、晶体结构和晶体化学

碳硅钙石—Ca_7[Si_6O_(18)] [CO_3]·2H_2O是钙的碳酸盐硅酸盐矿物的第三个成员(Pluth and Smith, 1973)。前人曾做过某些碳硅钙石的一般矿物学研究(McConnell, 1955; Murdoch, 1955和曹正民等，1987)。Pluth和Smith (1973)利用X射线四园衍射仪进行结构测定，但未能确定其空间群，给出的结果是I2/m或Im。与此相关，他们未能确定该矿物结构中CO_3的有序或无序；对Ca的配位亦不明了。另外，前人对Ca的碳酸盐硅酸盐矿物未作系统比较。1972年在安徽省濉溪县邹楼铁矿床的钻钆岩芯中也发现了碳硅钙石。作者对该地碳硅钙石样品进行了矿物学、晶体结构和晶体化学研究。作者对采自安徽的碳硅钙品进行了一系列矿物学研究后发现，本文碳硅钙石的一般矿物学特征和前人研究结果基本相同。这说明：（1）本文样品确为碳硅钙石；（2）不同产地和产状的碳硅钙石的矿物学特征相同，由此进一步反映该矿物具有极苛刻的生成条件。作者发现前人对碳硅钙石X射线粉晶衍射线条的指标化有不少错误或不足，并予以纠正。通过晶体结构测定与修正，作用确认碳硅钙石的空间群应为Cm。结构中CO_3有序。它属于等腰三角形几何构型；并呈“受压”迹象。该结构中SiO_4四面体连成稳定的Si_6O_(18)六元环。碳硅钙石结构中水以结晶小的形式存在。该结构中存在氢键。该结构中共有四种Ca的配位多面体；Cal的配位数为8，Ca2, Ca3和Ca4配位数为6。Ca－0多面体相互以复杂的共棱方式连接成层。层间夹有CO_3, Si_6O_(18)和H_2O。Ca-0多面体畸变程度不同。碳硅钙石的晶体化学式应表示为Ca~([8])Ca~([6])_6[Si~([4])_6O_(18)] [C~([3])O_3]·2H_2O。作者发现，可以用配位中心原子（或离子）的键价和讨论配位多面体的结构畸变；并证明对于中心原子（或离子）、配位原子（或离子）、配位数及R（平均键长）均相同的几个配位多面体，畸变程度越强，中心原子（或离子）的键价和越大。此外，作者认识到，离子键和共价键的判别在键价和上也有所体现。根据晶体结构信息，作者对碳硅钙石的某些矿物学特征进行了满意的解释，从而使两者得到相互印证。通过认真全面的比较，作者发现碳硅钙石及其类似古物——Ca的碳酸盐硅酸盐矿物是复杂多样的。除去具有相同或相近的元素组成和地质产状外，它们几乎不再有共同点。碳硅钙石均产自火成岩和沉积岩的接触带。它的结晶温压范围是非常狭窄的。这也正是碳硅钙石等矿物在自然界比较罕见的重要原因。本文碳硅钙石结晶于较晚期的低温热液阶段；并且直接结晶于溶液环境。

Process control in agile supply chain network.

The work comprises a new theoretical development applied to aid decision making in an increasingly important commercial sector. Agile supply, where small volumes of high margin, short life cycle innovative products are offered, is increasingly carried out through a complex global supply chain network. We outline an equilibrium solution in such a supply chain network, which works through limited cooperation and coordination along edges (links) in the network. The links constitute the stochastic modelling entities rather than the nodes of the network. We utilise newly developed phase plane analysis to identify, model and predict characteristic behaviour in supply chain networks. The phase plane charts profile the flow of inventory and identify out of control conditions. They maintain quality within the network, as well as intelligently track the way the network evolves in conditions of changing variability. The methodology is essentially distribution free, relying as it does on the study of forecasting errors, and can be used to examine contractual details as well as strategic and game theoretical concepts between decision-making components (agents) of a network. We illustrate with typical data drawn from supply chain agile fashion products.

A general model of error-prone PCR

Pritchard, L., Corne, D., Kell, D.B., Rowland, J. & Winson, M. (2005) A general model of error-prone PCR. Journal of Theoretical Biology 234, 497-509.