Computer modelling and estimation of recruitment patterns of non-branching coral colonies at three sites in the Wakatobi Marine Park, S.E. Sulawesi, Indonesia; implications for coral reef conservation

We have studied growth and estimated recruitment of massive coral colonies at three sites, Kaledupa, Hoga and Sampela, separated by about 1.5 km in the Wakatobi Marine National Park, S.E. Sulawesi, Indonesia. There was significantly higher species richness (P<0.05), coral cover (P<0.05) and rugosity (P<0.01) at Kaledupa than at Sampela. A model for coral reef growth has been developed based on a rational polynomial function:

where dx/dt is an index of coral growth with time; W is the variable (for example, coral weight, coral length or coral area), up to the power of n in the numerator and m in the denominator; a₁……a_n and b₁…b_m are constants. The values for n and m represent the degree of the polynomial, and can relate to the morphology of the coral. The model was used to simulate typical coral growth curves, and tested using published data obtained by weighing coral colonies underwater in reefs on the south-west coast of Curaçao [‘Neth. J. Sea Res. 10 (1976) 285’]. The model proved an accurate fit to the data, and parameters were obtained for a number of coral species. Surface area data was obtained on over 1200 massive corals at three different sites in the Wakatobi Marine National Park, S.E. Sulawesi, Indonesia. The year of an individual's recruitment was calculated from knowledge of the growth rate modified by application of the rational polynomial model. The estimated pattern of recruitment was variable, with little numbers of massive corals settling and growing before 1950 at the heavily used site, Sampela, relative to the reef site with little or no human use, Kaledupa, and the intermediate site, Hoga. There was a significantly greater sedimentation rate at Sampela than at either Kaledupa (P<0.0001) or Hoga (P<0.0005). The relative mean abundance of fish families present at the reef crests at the three sites, determined using digital video photography, did not correlate with sedimentation rates, underwater visibility or lack of large non-branching coral colonies. Radial growth rates of three genera of non-branching corals were significantly lower at Sampela than at Kaledupa or at Hoga, and there was a high correlation (r=0.89) between radial growth rates and underwater visibility. Porites spp. was the most abundant coral over all the sites and at all depths followed by Favites (P<0.04) and Favia spp. (P<0.03). Colony ages of Porites corals were significantly lower at the 5 m reef flat on the Sampela reef than at the same depth on both other reefs (P<0.005). At Sampela, only 2.8% of corals on the 5 m reef crest are of a size to have survived from before 1950. The Scleractinian coral community of Sampela is severely impacted by depositing sediments which can lead to the suffocation of corals, whilst also decreasing light penetration resulting in decreased growth and calcification rates. The net loss of material from Sampela, if not checked, could result in the loss of this protective barrier which would be to the detriment of the sublittoral sand flats and hence the Sampela village.     

应用多传感器时间融合的塞状流测量研究

气液两相流由于其自身的复杂性,流型、流量等流动参数的测量一直是研究的重点和难点.应用多传感器数据融合技术测量气液两相流可以从多角度揭示流体信息,提高流动参数的测量精度.多传感器系统主要由截面信息测量系统和V型内锥式流量计构成,在利用相关技术对截面测量信息与V型内锥式流量计的测量数据进行时间融合的基础上,对水平管气液塞状流经行了分段式的流量测量.测量中将气塞和液塞分开计算,并引入了等效干度的计算,通过对实验结果进行的误差比较,验证了该方法是可行的,而且能一定程度上提高测量精度.     

Personal Glucose Meter for α-Glucosidase Inhibitor Screening Based on the Hydrolysis of Maltose

As a key enzyme regulating postprandial blood glucose, α-Glucosidase is considered to be an effective target for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. In this study, a simple, rapid, and effective method for enzyme inhibitors screening assay was established based on α-glucosidase catalyzes reactions in a personal glucose meter (PGM). α-glucosidase catalyzes the hydrolysis of maltose to produce glucose, which triggers the reduction of ferricyanide (K₃[Fe(CN)₆]) to ferrocyanide (K₄[Fe(CN)₆]) and generates the PGM detectable signals. When the α-glucosidase inhibitor (such as acarbose) is added, the yield of glucose and the readout of PGM decreased accordingly. This method can achieve the direct determination of α-glucosidase activity by the PGM as simple as the blood glucose tests. Under the optimal experimental conditions, the developed method was applied to evaluate the inhibitory activity of thirty-four small-molecule compounds and eighteen medicinal plants extracts on α-glucosidase. The results exhibit that lithospermic acid (52.5 ± 3.0%) and protocatechualdehyde (36.8 ± 2.8%) have higher inhibitory activity than that of positive control acarbose (31.5 ± 2.5%) at the same final concentration of 5.0 mM. Besides, the lemon extract has a good inhibitory effect on α-glucosidase with a percentage of inhibition of 43.3 ± 3.5%. Finally, the binding sites and modes of four active small-molecule compounds to α-glucosidase were investigated by molecular docking analysis. These results indicate that the PGM method is feasible to screening inhibitors from natural products with simple and rapid operations.     

用于高压电能表的新型电源管理单元设计

新型高压电能表具有计量精度高、低功耗、信息化、智能化等优点,获得了越来越多的应用。论文对新型电能表计量装置的供电需求进行了探讨,在此基础上设计了一基于感应电流取能的新型电源管理单元,在稳压器输入端增加了电能智能存储功能,确保在极端工作条件下,电能表仍具有计量、数据存储、无线抄收等功能,避免了因利用该技术出现断电及断电重启时刻导致的计量损失。测试结果表明,电源管理单元能够确保电能表在极端情况下稳定工作4.5小时。     

在线超声波流量监测系统设计及其应用

为解决地源热泵系统中的进出水流量测量,设计研究基于超声波时差法原理的非接触式在线流量监测装置。系统以STM32F407 ZE为主控制器,定时采集流量、完成数据封包、加密和远端服务器交互任务;以MSP430F2618为流量测量控制器,采用时差法以TDC-GP22精准测量超声波在介质中传播时间,实现管道流体流速、流量实时监测。系统测试结果实现流量数据测量及上传存储到远端服务器,满足地源热泵系统流量监测需求。     

Observation and analysis of near-surface atmospheric aerosol optical properties in urban Beijing

Year-round measurements of the mass concentration and optical properties of fine aerosols (PM_2.5) from June 2009 to May 2010 at an urban site in Beijing were analyzed. The annual mean values of the PM_2.5 mass concentration, absorption coefficient (Ab), scattering coefficient (Sc) and single scattering albedo (SSA) at 525 nm were 67 ± 66 μg/m³, 64 ± 62 Mm⁻¹, 360 ± 405 Mm⁻¹ and 0.82 ± 0.09, respectively. The bulk mass absorption efficiency and scattering efficiency of the PM_2.5 at 525 nm were 0.78 m²/g and 5.55 m²/g, respectively. The Ab and Sc showed a similar diurnal variation with a maximum at night and a minimum in the afternoon, whereas SSA displayed an opposite diurnal pattern. Significant increases in the Ab and Sc were observed in pollution episodes caused by the accumulation of pollutants from both local and regional sources under unfavorable weather conditions. Aerosol loadings in dust events increased by several times in the spring, which had limited effects on the Ab and Sc due to the low absorption and scattering efficiency of dust particles. The frequency of haze days was the highest in autumn because of the high aerosol absorption and scattering under unfavorable weather conditions. The daily PM_2.5 concentration should be controlled to a level lower than 64 μg/m³ to prevent the occurrence of haze days according to its exponentially decreased relationship with visibility.     

浆氮电容式密度计及液位计的实验研究

采用电容式密度计及液位计来测量浆氮密度及液位的变化,使用整体屏蔽法对测量系统进行保护以减小寄生电容并提高其抗干扰能力。从理论上分析整体屏蔽法在提高测量系统性能上的作用,并通过实验加以验证。在实验中对密度计和液位计进行标定以提高其测量的精度,并使用密度计测量制备过程中浆氮密度的变化情况。     

The Optical Frequency Standards for the Realization of the Meter

Optical‐frequency standards with various levels of performance are indispensable in metrology and have many applications from length measurement to atomic clocks and much more. The evolution of optical‐frequency standards has been considerable. Originally introduced as primary realizations for the meter, they have evolved to optical clocks, which surpass the uncertainty and stability of microwave clocks. Herein, the status of the development of optical‐frequency standards as far as length metrology is concerned is reviewed, giving a broad overview of the historical context, as well as an outlook about future evolution.     

Effect of chemical composition of PM_(2.5) on visibility in Guangzhou,China,2007 spring

The object of this study was to investigate the correlation of visibility with chemical composition of PM2.5 in Guangzhou. In April 2007, 28 PM2.5 samples were collected daily at the monitoring station of the South China Institute of Environmental Sciences (SCIES), in urban Guangzhou. Water-soluble ionic species (Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, NH4+, K+, Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+) and carbonaceous contents (OC and EC) of the PM2.5 samples were determined to characterize their impact on visibility impairment. The results showed that sulfate was the dominant species that affected both light scattering and visibility. The average percentage contributions of the visibility-degrading species to light scattering coefficient were 40% for sulfate, 16% for nitrate, 22% for organics, and 22% for elemental carbon. Because of its foremost effect on visibility, sulfate reduction in PM2.5 would effectively improve the visibility of Guangzhou.     

Effect of chemical composition of PM2.5 on visibility in Guangzhou,China, 2007 spring

The object of this study was to investigate the correlation of visibility with chemical composition of PM2.5 in Guangzhou. In April 2007, 28 PM2.5 samples were collected daily at the monitoring station of the South China Institute of Environmental Sciences （SCIES）, in urban Guangzhou. Water-soluble ionic species （CI^-, NO3^-, SO4^2-, NH4^＋, K^＋, Na^＋, Ca^2＋, and Mg^2＋） and carbonaceous contents （OC and EC） of the PM2.5 samples were determined to characterize their impact on visibility impairment. The results showed that sulfate was the dominant species that affected both light scattering and visibility. The average percentage contributions of the visibility-degrading species to light scattering coefficient were 40% for sulfate, 16% for nitrate, 22% for organics, and 22% for elemental carbon. Because of its foremost effect on visibility, sulfate reduction in PM2.5 would effectively improve the visibility of Guangzhou.