Effects of the Resolution and Kinematics of Olfactory Appendages on the Interception of Chemical Signals in a Turbulent Odor Plume

A variety of animals use olfactory appendages bearing arrays of chemosensory neurons to detect chemical signatures in the water or air around them. This study investigates how particular aspects of the design and behavior of such olfactory appendages on benthic aquatic animals affect the patterns of intercepted chemical signals in a turbulent odor plume. We use virtual olfactory `sensors' and `antennules' (arrays of sensors on olfactory appendages) to interrogate the concentration field from an experimental dataset of a scalar plume developing in a turbulent boundary layer. The aspects of the sensors that we vary are: (1) The spatial and temporal scales over which chemical signals arriving at the receptors of a sensor are averaged (e.g., by subsequent neural processing), and (2) the shape and orientation of a sensor with respect to ambient water flow. Our results indicate that changes in the spatial and temporal resolution of a sensor can dramatically alter its interception of the intermittency and variability of the scalar field in a plume. By comparing stationary antennules with those sweeping through the flow (as during antennule flicking by the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus), we show that flicking alters the frequency content of the scalar signal, and increases the likelihood that the antennule encounters peak events. Flicking also enables a long, slender (i.e., one-dimensional) antennule to intercept two-dimensional scalar patterns.     

Nitrogen accumulation and plant species replacement in three salt marsh systems in the Wadden Sea

Salt marsh development on the coastal barrier island of Schiermonnikoog (The Netherlands) was compared with two other salt marsh systems in the Wadden Sea. Accretion rate, nitrogen accumulation and changes in plant species composition were investigated using chronosequences. The age of the marsh was estimated from aerial photographs and old maps. In 7230 plots, the elevation of the marsh surface, the thickness of the sediment layer (clay) and the presence of plant species was recorded. In addition, the nitrogen pool was measured at each successional stage. Accretion rates were similar in the three salt marshes. Higher accretion rates were found at younger marshes. A strong linear relationship between nitrogen pool size and thickness of the clay layer was found for the three marshes. The accumulation rate of nitrogen is therefore strongly related to the accretion rate. Thus, more nitrogen is present in the sediment of later successional stages where more clay has accumulated. On the high salt marsh (55 cm+MHT),Ameria maritima disappeared andArtemisia maritima, Juncus gerardi andElymus athericus established at sites with a thicker clay layer. On the low salt marsh (25 cm+MHT),Plantago maritima, Puccinellia maritima andLimonium vulgare disappeared andAtriplex (Halimione) portulacoides established. Apparently, with the accumulation of clay and therefore of nitrogen, tall growing species take over in salt marshes not grazed by livestock.     

STORM RUNOFF CHARACTERISTICS OF GRAZED WATERSHEDS IN EASTERN OREGON1

ABSTRACT: Rainfall and runoff data from 485 storms during the summers of 1979–84 were evaluated to characterize storm runoff volumes (SF) and peak flows (QP) for 13 small watersheds in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon and to determine differences among grazing intensities and vegetation types. Storm hydrographs were separated by using watershed-specific baseflow rise rates of 0.002–0.013 cfsm/hr. Median SF and QP were 0.0014 in and 0.43 cfsm, respectively, for all storms. Total storm rainfall (PPT) and initial flow (QI) were important stepwise regression variables in accounting for the variation in SF and peak flow above initial flow (QPI); 30- and 60-mm rainfall intensities and rainfall duration were relatively unimportant. Two classes of vegetation were evaluated: (1) western larch-Douglas-fir (nine watersheds), and (2) other (four watersheds representing fir-spruce, lodgepole pine, mountain meadow, and ponderosa pine). Mean SF and QP did not differ (P=0.05) among vegetation classes but significant differences were apparent in the relation of SF to PPT and QI, and QPI to PPT and QI. As PPT and QI increased, SF and QPI from larch-Douglas-fir watersheds increased at a slower rate than they did from the other watersheds. Four levels of grazing intensity had no effect on storm runoff.     

水平管道内铝粉爆炸特性的试验研究

为研究铝粉在密闭空间内爆炸特性,降低其爆炸造成的损害,利用自行设计的水平管道式可燃气体-粉尘爆炸装置,在室温下对粒度为6～8μm,9～12μm,15～17μm的铝粉在100～800 g/m3浓度范围内的爆炸特性进行试验研究。结果表明:铝粉在浓度为600 g/m3时,最大爆炸压力和最大压力上升速率最大,爆炸时间最小;铝粉浓度较低时,由于氧气充足,随着铝粉浓度增大,最大爆炸压力和最大压力上升速率增大,爆炸时间减小;当铝粉浓度超过600 g/m3,受到氧气浓度限制,最大爆炸压力和最大压力上升速率随浓度增大而减小,爆炸时间增大;相同浓度的铝粉,粒度越小,最大爆炸压力和最大压力上升速率越大,爆炸时间越小。粒度越小的铝粉,爆炸的可能性和危险性越大。     

确定大气环境承载力的烟云足迹法

本文讨论了大气承载力的定义,同时也给出了计算大气承载力的烟云足迹法的原理和计算公式,此外还给出了根据区域气象条件计算烟云足迹函数的具体算式和大气环境承载力的计算实例,烟云足迹分析法可为区域间的排污权交易提供技术基础.     

螺旋形障碍物对瓦斯爆炸影响的研究

瓦斯爆炸事故给煤矿生产、国家经济发展以及人民的生命财产造成了巨大损失,因此,在置障条件下研究瓦斯爆炸特性,对预防和减少瓦斯爆炸事故具有重要意义。利用水平管道式气体爆炸实验装置,研究了螺旋形障碍物对瓦斯最大爆炸压力以及最大爆炸压力上升速率的影响。结果表明:螺旋形障碍物的存在对瓦斯爆炸的爆炸压力和最大压力上升速率有明显促进的影响,随螺旋形障碍物螺旋的增加,对最大爆炸压力和最大压力上升速率的激励作用越明显。     

Explosion of lycopodium-nicotinic acid–methane complex hybrid mixtures

With the terms “complex hybrid mixtures”, we mean mixtures made of two or more combustible dusts mixed with flammable gas or vapors in air (or another comburent).In this work, the flammability and explosion behavior of selected complex hybrid mixtures was studied. In particular, we investigated mixtures of nicotinic acid, lycopodium and methane. We performed explosion tests in the 20-L explosion vessel at different overall (nicotinic plus lycopodium) dust concentrations, nicotinic acid/lycopodium ratios, and methane concentrations.An exceptional behavior (in terms of unexpected values of rate of pressure rise and pressure) was found for the complex hybrid mixtures containing lycopodium and nicotinic acid in equal amounts. This mixture was found to be much more reactive than all the other dust mixtures, whatever the dust concentration and the methane content.     

矿井突水路径搜索算法与应用

为了实现对矿井突水路径的搜索以及突水范围的预测,基于图论与网络理论,以巷道交叉点的标高为搜索权重,将水流流向分成下向蔓 延和上向升涨两个突水阶段,提出了水流下向、上向蔓延路径搜索算法。实现了对突水路径的搜索,并在已知巷道突水点的情况下,通过两个 时刻的巷道水位变化,计算得出了单位时间的突水量,结合给定的矿井巷道拓扑结构信息,对未来时间段的突水范围和水位标高点进行预测。 研究结果表明:在已知矿井突水点和矿井基础数据信息的情况下,应用无向图宽度优先搜索法生成矿井突水路径, 并结合得出的单位时间的突 水量,对下一时间段的突水量进行计算并对突水范围进行预测。     

发展生态经济 促进绿色崛起

2012年7月19—23日在江西农业大学隆重举行"中国生态经济建设2012.南昌论坛",与会代表围绕绿色经济、循环经济、低碳经济主题,达成4个方面的共识:一是正确认识人类文明发展出现的绿色新特征和世界绿色发展的新态势,主动顺应全球绿色经济与绿色发展的时代潮流;二是首次提出中国绿色崛起的重要引擎:绿色经济与绿色发展、循环经济与循环发展、低碳经济与低碳发展;三是对《中华人民共和国循环经济促进法》颁布实施4年来的反思;四是充分交流上升为国家战略的鄱阳湖生态经济区建设经验。