Zircon and chromite crystals in a muong nong-type tektite

Chromite, zircon, and quartz crystals (identified by x-ray diffraction) have been recovered from a 2.07-gram sample of Muong Nong-type tektite. The absence of eskolaite (Cr(2)O(3)) and baddeleyite (ZrO(2)) supports a previous conclusion that Muong Nong-type tektites were not heated as intensely as other tektite groups. X-ray asterism studies indicate that the crystals are shocked, which supports an impact origin. The presence of chromite and zircon together suggests that the Muong Nong-type tektite was produced from sedimentary material.     

Chemical composition of sawdust from lunar rock 12013 and comparison of a java tektite with the rock

Abundances of 11 major and minor elements and 11 trace elements have been determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis of two Apollo 12013 rock fragments, a sample of rock 12013,17 sawdust, and a Java tektite (J2). Although the abundances of major elements in tektite J2 are similar to those of rock 12013, comparison of the minor and trace elements shows that no fragment or sawdust of rock 12013 that has been analyzed to date is chemically similar to tektite glass. Rock sawdust is representative of "whole rock" composition only if the amount of contamination from the sawing process is known. After appropriate correction for saw wire contamination, analyses of sawdust yield fairly accurate averaged elemental compositions of complex clastic lunar and other rocks.     

A possible primordial peptide cycle

alpha-Amino acids can undergo peptide formation by activation with carbon monoxide (CO) under hot aqueous conditions in the presence of freshly coprecipitated colloidal (Fe,Ni)S. We now show that CO-driven peptide formation proceeds concomitantly with CO-driven, N-terminal peptide degradation by racemizing N-terminal hydantoin and urea derivatives to alpha-amino acids. This establishes a peptide cycle with closely related anabolic and catabolic segments. The hydantoin derivative is a purin-related heterocycle. The (Fe,Ni)S-dependent urea hydrolysis could have been the evolutionary precursor of the nickelenzyme urease. The results support the theory of a chemoautotrophic origin of life with a CO-driven, (Fe,Ni)S-dependent primordial metabolism.     

Polarized magnetic field fluctuations at the apollo 15 site: possible regional influence on lunar induction

High-frequency (5 to 40 millihertz) induced lunar magnetic fields, observed at the Apollo 15 site near the southeastern boundary of Mare Imbrium and the southwestern boundary of Mare Serenitatis, show a strong tendency toward linear polarization in a direction radial to the Imbrium basin and circumferential to the Serenitatis basin, a property that could be indicative of a possible regional influence on the induction.     

A possible younger dryas record in southeastern alaska

A stratigraphic record of climatic cooling equal in timing and severity to the Younger Dryas event of the North Atlantic region has been obtained from lacustrine sediments in the Glacier Bay area of southeastern Alaska. Fossil pollen show that a late Wisconsin pine parkland was replaced about 10,800 years ago by shrub- and herb-dominated tundra, which lasted until about 9,800 years ago. This vegetational change is matched by geochemical evidence for loss of organic matter from catchment soils and increased mineral erosion. If this event represents the Younger Dryas, then an explanation for a hemisphere-wide propagation of a North Atlantic climatic perturbation must be sought.     

A 3.3-Ma impact in argentina and possible consequences

Enigmatic glassy materials (escorias) and red bricklike materials (tierras cocidas) occur at a restricted stratigraphic level (the top of the Chapadmalal Formation). Materials from one locality near Mar del Plata are attributed to a mid-Pliocene impact event with a radiometric and magnetostratigraphic age of 3.3 million years ago (Ma). An extinction of endemic fauna (including the glyptodonts and flightless cariamid birds) correlates with the unit containing the impact glasses. Moreover, the age of the glasses is coincident within dating uncertainties with a pulselike change in the oxygen isotope marine record in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans just before the late Pliocene deterioration of the climate.     

Heavy nitrogen in carbonatites of the kola peninsula: A possible signature of the deep mantle

Nitrogen and argon isotopes were measured in carbonatites and associated rocks from the Kola Peninsula in Russia. The Kola mantle source, which is thought to be located in the deep mantle, is enriched in heavy nitrogen (+3 per mil relative to air) as compared to Earth's surface (atmosphere and crust, +2 per mil) and the shallow mantle (-4 per mil). Recycling of oceanic crust (+6 per mil) or metal-silicate partitioning may account for the nitrogen isotopic composition of the deep mantle.     

Ethanol inhibition of vitamin A metabolism in the testes: possible mechanism for sterility in alcoholics

Vitanin A (retinol) is essential for spermatogenesis. Alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme responsible for ethanol metabolism, is also required for the conversion of retinol to bioactive retinal at the end organ site. Ethanol inhibits the oxidation of retinol by testicular homogenates containing alcohol dehydrogenase. Thus, a possible biochemnical mechanism for the sterility of chronic alcoholics is identified.     

A serpentinite-hosted ecosystem: the Lost City hydrothermal field

The serpentinite-hosted Lost City hydrothermal field is a remarkable submarine ecosystem in which geological, chemical, and biological processes are intimately interlinked. Reactions between seawater and upper mantle peridotite produce methane- and hydrogen-rich fluids, with temperatures ranging from <40 degrees to 90 degrees C at pH 9 to 11, and carbonate chimneys 30 to 60 meters tall. A low diversity of microorganisms related to methane-cycling Archaea thrive in the warm porous interiors of the edifices. Macrofaunal communities show a degree of species diversity at least as high as that of black smoker vent sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, but they lack the high biomasses of chemosynthetic organisms that are typical of volcanically driven systems.     

螯合态牌甘蔗专用肥田间肥效试验

甘蔗喷施螯合态牌甘蔗专用肥可促进甘蔗生长,蔗茎长粗,提高蔗苗的成茎率,增加有效茎,从而增加蔗茎产量;同时还可改善蔗汁品质,提高甘蔗蔗糖分含量,有利于企业降低成本,提高经济效益。施用量以300-450g·667m-2为宜。     

The dynamics of zooxanthellae populations: A long-term study in the field

Coral bleaching characterized by the expulsion of symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) is an increasing problem worldwide. Global warming has been implicated as one cause, but the phenomenon cannot be fully comprehended without an understanding of the variability of zooxanthellae populations in field conditions. Results from a 6-year field study are presented, providing evidence of density regulation but also of large variability in the zooxanthellae population with regular episodes of very low densities. These bleaching events are likely to be part of a constant variability in zooxanthellae density caused by environmental fluctuations superimposed on a strong seasonal cycle in abundance.     

A possible bedrock source for obsidian found in archeological sites in northwestern alaska

Recently discovered deposits of obsidian in the Koyukuk valley may be the long-sought-for source of obsidian found in archeological sites in northwestern Alaska. Obsidian from these deposits compares favorably in physical characteristics and sodium-manganese ratio with the archeological obsidian, and there is evidence that the deposits have been "mined" in the past.     

A remote field data logging system

This note describes hardware and software components for automatically collecting data from remote sites and then uploading them to a host computer. The remote hardware consists of a Campbell Scientific CR21 micrologger, a Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 100 portable computer, a tape cassette recorder, and a telephone cable.     

Notes from the field: A “countryside parliament”

Organizing to promote sustainable rural development requires activists to connect social, economic, and environmental issues and to bring together disparate rural interest groups. This note describes a Swedish event — the 1994 Countryside Parliament (Landsbygds Riksdag) — that provides food for thought about how rural issues and organizations might be more effectively integrated in the northeastern USA. Rural movement building, Swedish style, entails a strong emphasis on cultural rituals, open dialogue, inclusiveness, and a spirit of compromise.