Assessing Earthquake Forecast Performance Based on b Value in Yunnan Province,China

Many studies have shown that b values tend to decrease prior to large earthquakes. To evaluate the forecast information in b value variations, we conduct a systematic assessment in Yunnan Province, China, where the seismicity is intense and moderate–large earthquakes occur frequently. The catalog in the past two decades is divided into four time periods (January 2000–December 2004, January 2005–December 2009, January 2010–December 2014, and January 2015–December 2019). The spatial b values are calculated for each 5-year span and then are used to forecast moderate-large earthquakes (M ≥ 5.0) in the subsequent period. As the fault systems in Yunnan Province are complex, to avoid possible biases in b value computation caused by different faulting regimes when using the grid search, the hierarchical space–time point-process models (HIST-PPM) proposed by Ogata are utilized to estimate spatial b values in this study. The forecast performance is tested by Molchan error diagram (MED) and the efficiency is quantified by probability gain (PG) and probability difference (PD). It is found that moderate–large earthquakes are more likely to occur in low b regions. The MED analysis shows that there is considerable precursory information in spatial b values and the forecast efficiency increases with magnitude in the Yunnan Province. These results suggest that the b value might be useful in middle- and long-term earthquake forecasts in the study area.     

原子荧光光谱法测定皮革中9种重金属元素的含量

皮革样品经硝酸-高氯酸（4+1）混合酸湿法消解后,用氢化物发生-原子荧光光谱法测定其中砷、锑、汞、铅和镉的含量;样品经干法灰化后,用火焰原子荧光光谱法测定其中铬、钴、铜和镍的含量。对各元素的稀释介质、还原剂和仪器工作条件作了详细的叙述。9种元素的质量浓度与吸光度分别在一定的范围内呈线性关系;砷、锑、铅、钴和镍的检出限（3S/N）为0.5 mg·kg^-1,汞、镉和铜的检出限（3S/N）为0.05 mg·kg^-1,铬的检出限（3S/N）为5.0 mg·kg^-1。应用此法分析了皮革样品,以标准加入法做回收试验,回收率在89.2%～106%之间。     

A PLIF and PIV study of liquid mixing enhanced by a lateral synthetic jet pair

In this paper, enhancement of mixing between two water streams of the same flow rate in a planar channel by means of a lateral synthetic jet pair is studied at a net flow Reynolds number of 83 using PLIF and PIV. The synthetic jet pair is operated 180° out-of-phase at a range of actuation frequencies and displacements, with the latter being characterized by the dimensionless stroke length. The extent of mixing is evaluated using PLIF data at a location further downstream in the mixing channel. It is found that at a fixed actuation frequency a higher dimensionless stroke length produces a better mixing, and as the actuation frequency increases a lower dimensionless stroke length is required to achieve a given mixing degree. At a sufficiently high frequency or dimensionless stroke length, a nearly homogenous mixing with a mixing degree greater than 0.9 can be obtained. A functional relationship between actuation frequency and dimensionless stroke length is also obtained by best fitting the experimental data, which can be used for selecting the synthetic jet operating conditions to ensure a good mixing. Furthermore, both PLIF and PIV results show that each synthetic jet actuation cycle produce two opposing vortex pairs, which play an important role in prompting mixing between the two fluid streams. The excellent mixing obtained at a high frequency or a high dimensionless stroke length is found to be largely caused by a strong interaction between these opposing vortex pairs.     

Techniques to investigate the characteristic of CR-39 detectors using Am---Be neutron source

Two techniques have been developed to investigate the characteristic of the sensitivity of CR-39 (polyallyldiglycol carbonate) track detector using Am---Be neutron source. The firstis to measure volume track density created by fast neutrons in CR-39 detectors. The second is to measure areal asymptotic track density on the surface of CR-39 sheets. Two types of CR-39—SY-2 CR-39 made in China and another made in USA were calibrated using the techniques. It shows that the two types of CR-39 detectors have nearly the same sensitivity to detect fast neutrons. The techniques developed in this work can be applied to calibration of other track detectors.     

Stability of all-trans-β-carotene under ultrasound treatment in a model system: Effects of different factors,kinetics and newly formed compounds

The effects of factors and kinetics of all-trans-β-carotene degradation under ultrasound treatment in a model system were investigated. The compounds of degradation were also tentatively identified by HPLC-DAD, Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy. The type of solvents and temperature were important factors in determining the degradation reaction. Liquid height, ultrasonic intensity and duty cycle of ultrasound exposure only affected the rate of degradation but did not change the nature of degradation. Degradation rate of β-carotene in dichloromethane was the highest. Degradation rate of β-carotene decreased with increasing of temperature. Degradation kinetics of all-trans-β-carotene under ultrasound fitted first-order reaction at ?5 to 15 °C, and fitted second-order reaction at 25 °C. Degradation products included isomers: 15-cis-β-carotene, di-cis-β-carotene and other compounds with function group of C–O.     

Valuation of futures options with initial margin requirements and daily price limit

The paper presents a valuation model of futures options trading at exchanges with initial margin requirements and daily price limit, and this result gives an academic guidance to design trading rules at exchanges. Unlike the leading work of Black, certain trading rules are considered so as to be more fit for practical futures markets. The paper prices futures options with initial margin requirements and daily price limit by duplicating them with the help of the theory of backward stochastic differential equations （BSDEs, for short）. Furthermore, an explicit expression of the price Of the call （or the put） futures option is given and also is shown to be the unique solution of the associated nonlinear partial differential equation.     

Self-absorption model in quantitative laser induced breakdown spectroscopy measurements on soils and sediments

Application of laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) in the quantitative analysis of elemental composition of soils with different origins and Antarctic marine sediments has been considered. The analytical method followed includes the usual plasma modeling at local thermal equilibrium (LTE) based on average temperature and electron density values, as well as spectra normalization, introduced in order to reduce the effects related both to the substrate optical and thermal properties and to the influence of laser parameters on quantitative data. The computational algorithm takes into account only atomic species and their first ionization states, which is sufficient at the plasma temperature measured in the experiments. Calibration curves are finally generated for each element of interest measured on certified samples with different provenience and matrix composition. In this paper a model is developed which takes into account the effects responsible for non-linearities in the relationship between line intensity and elemental concentration. The model properly includes line re-absorption and contributions from space regions with different plasma densities. Its application permits us to obtain the correlation coefficients between the LIBS measured and certified concentration of each element analyzed. These coefficients, specific for a given experimental layout and atomic lines data base, are successively applied in analytical LIBS measurements allowing for the direct determination of a single element concentration in any sample, regardless of its unknown matrix composition. The LIBS method presented here was tested on a priori unknown samples, and gave uncertainties in concentration varying from 15 to 40% over a large concentration range covering several orders of magnitude. The measuring error depends on element type, on the concentration value and also on the number of certified samples used for the initial calibration. The present results are already significant for some field application, such as on-board marine sediment analysis where a significant matrix variation with layer depth is common.     

Shelf-life extension of convenience meat products sold in Indian supermarkets by radiation processing

A variety of ready-to-cook meat products available in Indian supermarkets (mutton mince, chicken mince, chicken chunks, and chicken legs) were studied. The samples were irradiated (2.5 kGy), or left untreated as control, and stored at 0–3 °C for up to 21 days. The effect of irradiation on the microbiological, chemical, and sensory properties was evaluated at intervals during the storage period. Irradiated samples had a longer shelf-life at 0–3 °C compared with the corresponding non-irradiated samples. Fecal coliforms were eliminated by irradiation treatment. Radiation processed samples had lower counts of Staphylococcus spp. There were no significant organoleptic changes in irradiated samples stored at chilled temperatures.     

一种突出目标的多光谱遥感信息提取方法

为了突出目标在多光谱遥感图像中的信息,克服由阈值法所带来的人为误差,提出了一种突出遥感目标信息的方法。利用光谱能级匹配法提取目标在图像中的相似度,并将其作为目标信息波段加入到原始数据中去,进行波段归一化处理,以减少不同波段数据的量纲或数量级的影响,进行MNF变换并合成RGB假彩色图像。以新疆哈图地区的重点成矿岩性——凝灰质粉砂岩为例,进行重点目标突出的结果表明,信息增强后的图像颜色更加丰富,与原始假彩色合成图像相比,可以识别出更多的岩石类型,比原始图像的MNF变换划分出更多地物类型。     

Open tubular capillary electrochromatography with block co-polymer coating for separation of β-lactam antibiotics

Unique block co-polymer P(MAn-St-NIPAm) has been successfully synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer radical polymerization protocol. Based on the tunable hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of the block co-polymer, a new open tubular capillary electrochromatography (OT-CEC) system has been constructed with the prepared block co-polymer as the coating and applied in analysis of β-lactam antibiotics in serum samples.