The 2011 magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake: mosaicking the megathrust from seconds to centuries

Geophysical observations from the 2011 moment magnitude (M(w)) 9.0 Tohoku-Oki, Japan earthquake allow exploration of a rare large event along a subduction megathrust. Models for this event indicate that the distribution of coseismic fault slip exceeded 50 meters in places. Sources of high-frequency seismic waves delineate the edges of the deepest portions of coseismic slip and do not simply correlate with the locations of peak slip. Relative to the M(w) 8.8 2010 Maule, Chile earthquake, the Tohoku-Oki earthquake was deficient in high-frequency seismic radiation--a difference that we attribute to its relatively shallow depth. Estimates of total fault slip and surface secular strain accumulation on millennial time scales suggest the need to consider the potential for a future large earthquake just south of this event.     

Titan: discovery of carbon monoxide in its atmosphere

The 3-0 rotation-vibration band of carbon monoxide in the near-infrared spectrum of Titan has been identified, and a reflecting layer model mixing ratio of carbon monoxide to molecular nitrogen of 6 x 10(-5) has been determined. This result supports the probable detection of carbon dioxide by Samuelson and his co-workers and strengthens possible analogies between the atmosphere of Titan and conditions on primitive Earth.     

X-ray structure of the EmrE multidrug transporter in complex with a substrate

EmrE is a prototype of the Small Multidrug Resistance family of efflux transporters and actively expels positively charged hydrophobic drugs across the inner membrane of Escherichia coli. Here, we report the x-ray crystal structure, at 3.7 angstrom resolution, of one conformational state of the EmrE transporter in complex with a translocation substrate, tetraphenylphosphonium. Two EmrE polypeptides form a homodimeric transporter that binds substrate at the dimerization interface. The two subunits have opposite orientations in the membrane and adopt slightly different folds, forming an asymmetric antiparallel dimer. This unusual architecture likely confers unidirectionality to transport by creating an asymmetric substrate translocation pathway. On the basis of available structural data, we propose a model for the proton-dependent drug efflux mechanism of EmrE.     

Organochlorine Pesticides and Heavy Metals in Green Mussel,Perna Viridis in Singapore

A statewide total gaseous mercury (TGM) monitoring campaign was conducted from January 1997 to December 1999 in the State of Connecticut, U.S.A. Eight monitoring sites with different characteristics of geographical location (coastal vs. interior) and land use (rural vs. urban) were included in the monitoring program. Statistical procedures were utilized to evaluate the temporal trend and spatial distribution of the TGM concentration in the State, and the influence of long-range transport from non-local sources. The statewide mean TGM concentration was 2.08 ng m^-3. The annual mean concentration had no significant differences among the three years of measurements for all the sites. Weak seasonal variations were detected in the State with higher ambient TGM concentration found in warmer seasons. Urban areas in general had higher TGM concentrations than rural areas. The effect of site location of the monitoring sites on TGM concentration was interacted with land use characteristics. Waterbury site with extremely high concentration measurements was the major cause for this interaction. The long-range transport of TGM from remote sources showed an important influence on local ambient concentrations, by explaining over 45% of the total variance of the ambient TGM concentration for most sites. Local sources were responsible for the extremely high TGM concentration in the Waterbury site. The TGM concentrations at Voluntown, Hammonasset and Avery Point in southeast Connecticut were likely to be affected by some local sources.     

Measuring the cost of risk avoidance in brown bears: Further evidence of positive impacts of ecotourism

The objective of this study was to determine the cost to female brown bears with cubs of avoiding risk, or perceived risk, from both large adult male bears and ecotourists. We measured salmon consumption by brown bears in British Columbia under different risk scenarios (the presence and absence of large male bears and people). Declines occurred despite superabundant food where consumption was never limited by salmon abundance.While there were significant changes in the proportion of time spent foraging and in the consumption of captured fish between periods with and without ecotourists present, there was no change in foraging effectiveness, catch per unit effort.Selection of sub-optimal habitats to reduce predation risk incurs energy costs. Risk avoidance reduced daily salmon consumption by females with cubs by more than one third. By associating with people, females with cubs were able to avoid encounters with large, potentially aggressive males, which avoided people in both time and space. Controlled human activity at feeding sites can provide a temporal feeding refuge for vulnerable age/sex classes. This is the first study to quantify the energetic cost of intra-specific risk-avoidance for a large carnivore.     

Local knowledge surveys with small-scale fishers indicate challenges to sawfish conservation in southern Papua New Guinea

1. Sawfish (Pristidae) are considered to be among the most threatened families of elasmobranch (sharks and rays). There is a need to gather information on the status of poorly known sawfish populations to assist in global recovery initiatives.
2. This study used interviews with local fishers to investigate the presence of sawfish in southern Papua New Guinea (PNG) and their interactions with and uses and values for small-scale fishers.
3. A range of sawfish size classes are still encountered throughout southern PNG, while juvenile largetooth sawfish Pristis pristis were additionally reported in the freshwater reaches of all rivers surveyed. Reports of large size classes in estuarine and marine environments provide an optimistic outlook that sawfish populations persist throughout southern PNG.
4. Most fishers that catch sawfish retain them for various uses including consumption and for the sale of meat, fins and occasionally rostra. Negative population trends including decreases in catch frequency and/or size classes were reported by 66% of interviewees, with the largest declines being reported in the Kikori River. The increasing technical capacity of small-scale fishers, their preference for gillnetting and the emerging market for teleost swim bladder (a high-value fishery product) present a major ongoing threat to sawfish in southern PNG. Furthermore, the tendency of fishers to kill or remove rostra from entangled sawfish results in high fishing mortality regardless of any use by the fisher.
5. This study indicates that considerable community engagement will be necessary to manifest any legislative actions or increased enforcement on international trade regulations for sawfish in PNG. This is due to traditional land and waterway ownership values throughout PNG and the local perception of sawfish as a traditional food resource rather than an animal of intrinsic biodiversity value as perceived by global conservationists. Future research should consider exploring culturally appropriate conservation initiatives that are likely to achieve engagement and participation from local fishers.

     

Enhancing Environmental Performance with Winter Cover Cropping after Potato Harvest in Eastern Canada

ABSTRACT

In humid climates, the risk of nitrate leaching and topsoil loss due to erosion is high on bare soil in the fall after potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) harvest and in the spring with snowmelt. This 2-year study (2016–2017) compared three winter cover crops. Two of these are used as cash crops (winter rye [Secale cereale L.], winter wheat [Triticum aestivum L.]), and one is a winter-killed cover crop (spring barley, Hordeum vulgare L.). They were all seeded on two dates after potato harvest (end of September or first week of October) in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The measured parameters included soil nitrate measured at different times in fall and in the following spring and summer, splash detachment, C and N contents in splashed sediments, cereal straw dry matter yield, and cereal grain yield. In both years, all winter cover crops decreased splash detachment compared with the no winter cover control, with winter rye having the greatest reduction. A similar trend was observed for C and N contents in splashed sediments. There was a trend toward lower soil nitrate following winter cover crops in comparison with bare soil, but the trend was not consistent across trials and sampling dates. Winter wheat grain yield ranged from 4.5 to 7.6 Mg ha^?1, while that associated with winter rye ranged from 3.2 to 5.1 Mg ha^?1. Therefore, winter cereal seeded after potato harvest can constitute a good source of revenue while mitigating the risk of soil erosion and reducing nitrate leaching in some cases.     

Effect of low light and high noise on behavioural activity, physiological indicators of stress and production in laying hens

1. Commercial laying hens are commonly housed in noisy and dim environments, yet relatively little is known about whether these conditions, particularly in combination, have any effect on welfare or egg production.

2. The study was designed to investigate whether chronic exposure to continuous noise (60?dB(A) vs. 80?dB(A)) and/or light intensity (150?lux vs. 5?lux) during the critical period of coming into lay (16–24 weeks of age) influenced behaviour (activity, resting and feather maintenance), physiological stress (plasma corticosterone and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio) and production (number and weight of eggs laid) in laying hens.

3. Hens in the low light pens were less active and preened and dust-bathed more than those housed in 150?lux; hens in the high noise pens rested more frequently than those in quieter pens.

4. There was no evidence that chronic exposure to low light or high noise caused appreciable physiological stress but egg production was affected by these conditions. Hens kept in pens with low light or high noise laid fewer eggs per day than those kept in high light or low noise pens. These effects were additive, so that the fewest eggs were laid by hens subject to both low light and high noise.

5. These results show that low light intensity and continual high background noise have a detrimental effect on egg production in the early laying phase as well as influencing the time allocated to different behaviours. However there was no strong evidence for a physiological stress response to either of these conditions or their combination.