Preface: Stars and interstellar medium

This issue presents proceedings of the "Stars and Interstellar Medium" section of the AllRussian Astronomical Conference VAK-2017. Sixteen papers(selected from about 70 talks) cover different problems related to stars, pulsars, interstellar gas and dust, and star formation. The preface briefly reviews these papers.     

Antenna design and implementation for the future space Ultra-Long wavelength radio telescope

In radio astronomy, the Ultra-Long Wavelengths (ULW) regime of longer than 10 m (frequencies below 30 MHz), remains the last virtually unexplored window of the celestial electromagnetic spectrum. The strength of the science case for extending radio astronomy into the ULW window is growing. However, the opaqueness of the Earth’s ionosphere makes ULW observations by ground-based facilities practically impossible. Furthermore, the ULW spectrum is full of anthropogenic radio frequency interference (RFI). The only radical solution for both problems is in placing an ULW astronomy facility in space. We present a concept of a key element of a space-borne ULW array facility, an antenna that addresses radio astronomical specifications. A tripole–type antenna and amplifier are analysed as a solution for ULW implementation. A receiver system with a low power dissipation is discussed as well. The active antenna is optimized to operate at the noise level defined by the celestial emission in the frequency band 1 ? 30 MHz. Field experiments with a prototype tripole antenna enabled estimates of the system noise temperature. They indicated that the proposed concept meets the requirements of a space-borne ULW array facility.     

强光照和黑暗条件下刺参体壁的基因表达差异

参对光照变化非常敏感，研究刺参对光照的分子响应非常重要。本研究应用RNA测序获取了刺参暴露于强光（“强光”）、正常光照（“对照”）和完全黑暗（“黑暗”）环境下体壁的基因表达谱情况，通过“对照”与“黑暗”，“对照”与“强光”和“黑暗”与“强光”的比较，在|log₂ ratio|≥1和FDR≤0.001的标准下分别发现了1161、113和1705个差异表达基因（DEGs）。基因本体分析表明，“cellular process”和“binding”在“生物过程”和“分子功能”类别中的DEGs富集最多，而“cell”和“cell part”在“细胞组分”类别中的DEGs富集最多。将DEGs与Kyoto Encyclopedia基因和基因组数据库上的于214、41和229条通路进行比对，发现了51、2和57条通路分别显著富集。本研究发现的光特异性DEGs可作为深入研究刺参对光照变化的生化适应机制的重要目标基因。     

我国海洋环境保护标准化的现状、需求和建议

海洋环境保护标准化对我国海洋环境保护事业的发展具有重要的技术支撑作用。文章从海洋环境保护标准体系、标准发布和制修订以及标准类别特征等方面,概述我国海洋环境保护标准化的发展现状;分析海洋环境保护标准化的需求,主要包括标准的适用性和有效性有待评估和提升、标准制修订的进程有待加快、监测方法标准的体例和结构有待规范和统一、海洋高新技术标准体系有待建立以及与多学科和其他行业标准有待统筹5个方面。基于此,提出促进和保障海洋环境保护标准化工作发展的4点建议,即建立海洋环境保护标准化工作专家库、健全海洋环境保护标准体系、加强多部门合作和积极参与海洋国际标准化工作。     

基于纹理特征的围填海SAR图像分水岭分割方法

本文提出了一种基于纹理特征的围填海SAR图像分水岭分割方法,首先对机载MiniSAR图像进行灰度共生矩阵纹理滤波,获得纹理特征图像,再对纹理特征图像进行分水岭算法分割,将获得的形态学重建图像进行门限阈值分割,得到最后的二值化分割结果。该方法一方面通过调整灰度共生矩阵纹理滤波的窗口大小,抑制了斑点噪声的影响;另一方面,利用分水岭算法对边缘模糊杂乱图像的优势,提高了围填海信息提取的准确性。实验结果表明,本方法对高分辨率SAR图像围填海监测图像的分割效果良好。     

Walking Access Distance of Metro Passengers and Relationship with Demographic Characteristics: A Case Study of Nanjing Metro

In the metropolises of China, the metro plays an increasingly important role in commuting because of its efficiency, affordability, and cleanliness. This paper attempts to explore the relationship between walking access distance to metro stations and the demographic characteristics of passengers, such as age, monthly income, travel frequency, gender, and travel purpose, as well as the influence of the urban context. Nanjing Metro Line 2 is selected as the case study. By using different methods such as a questionnaire survey, spatial decay function, analysis of covariance (ANOVA), network analysis of routes, and K-means cluster analysis, it is suggested that demographic characteristics have a significant impact on the pedestrian walking distance, with the exception of gender. Furthermore, the paper finds a spatial decay effect in walking access distance, the decay rate of which, however, varies across stations. Terminal stations have a larger pedestrian catchment area than in regular and exchange stations. Moreover, the passengers of Nanjing Metro Line 2 can be classified into six groups according to their demographic characteristics, among which education and occupation are vital indicators in determining their willingness to walk to the stations. Middle-class passengers have a higher dependence on the metro and tend to walk longer than other groups do. This study provides an important reference for planners and transport sectors to optimize land-use and transport infrastructures.     

烟台市地质灾害发育现状及影响因素分析

2016年山东省开展各市地质灾害排查工作,烟台市作为地质灾害较发育区,是该次排查重点工作区之一。该文以现状调查为基础,查明了烟台市共发育471处地质灾害隐患点,地质灾害规模以小型为主,主要类型为崩塌、滑坡、泥石流、采空塌陷和岩溶塌陷,其中崩塌隐患点占地质灾害总数的68%,数量最多,其次为泥石流和采空塌陷,各占总数的15%和14%,滑坡数量最少,仅占总数的1%,并介绍了各类地质灾害分布特征。在此基础上,对地质灾害的主要影响因素——地形地貌、岩土体类型、地质构造、降水和人类工程活动等进行了分析。最后提出了在进行工程建设活动的同时重视其引发的地质灾害问题,以减少和预防其带来的次生地质灾害。     

Regional Characteristics and Causes of Haze Events in Northeast China

Northeast China experiences severe atmospheric pollution, with an increasing occurrence of heavy haze episodes. However, the underlying forces driving haze formation during different seasons are poorly understood. In this study, we explored the spatio-temporal characteristics and causes of haze events in Northeast China by combining a range of data sources(i.e., ground monitoring, satellite-based products, and meteorological products). It was found that the ‘Shenyang-Changchun-Harbin(SCH)'city belt was the most polluted area in the region on an annual scale. The spatial distribution of air quality index(AQI) values had a clear seasonality, with the worst pollution occurring in winter, an approximately oval-shaped polluted area around western Jilin Province in spring, and the best air quality occurring in summer and most of the autumn. The three periods that typically experienced intense haze events were Period I from mid-October to mid-November(i.e., late autumn and early winter), Period II from late-December to February(i.e., the coldest time in winter), and Period III from April to mid-May(i.e., spring). During Period I, strong PM_(2.5) emissions from seasonal crop residue burning and coal burning for winter heating were the dominant reasons for the occurrence of extreme haze events(AQI 300). Period II had frequent heavy haze events(200 AQI 300) in the coldest months of January and February, which were due to high PM_(2.5) emissions from coal burning and vehicle fuel consumption, a lower atmospheric boundary layer, and stagnant atmospheric conditions. Haze events in Period III, with high PM_(10) concentrations, were primarily caused by the regional transportation of windblown dust from degraded grassland in central Inner Mongolia and bare soil in western Jilin Province. Local agricultural tilling could also release PM_(10) and enhance the levels of windblown dust from tilled soil. Better control of coal burning, fuel consumption, and crop residue burning in winter and autumn is urgently needed to address the haze problem in Northeast China.     

On the electron density diagnostics of silicon <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">viii</Emphasis> ion in solar transition region

The conditions for accurate electron density diagnostics in the solar transition region are discussed, and result shows that lines from Si?viii can provide an excellent tool for electron density diagnostics of the emitting plasma. For the Si?viii 1440.50 Å and 1445.75 Å lines, the principle of the electron density diagnostics is discussed for any intensity ratio. By the observed intensity ratio, the diagnostic results of the electron density for the quiet sun and the active region are calculated, and results indicate that in the quiet sun, the averaged electron density is \(\log (N_{e}) = 8.63\); while in the active region, the averaged density gets the maximum \(\log (N_{e}) = 8.86\) in the active region (B), and gets the minimum \(\log (N_{e}) = 8.38\) in the active region (E), where the electron density is in the unit of cm^?3. Finally, the relationship of intensity ratio and electron density is discussed, in the case of lower and higher electron density limits. This discussion is significant in the electron density diagnostics, which will be important for study on coronal heating and acceleration of solar wind.     

秦皇岛近岸海域绿藻微观繁殖体的分布以及在绿潮形成中的作用

2015年以来，秦皇岛近岸海域暴发了绿潮，对北戴河旅游区的环境和生态系统造成了严重影响。绿藻微观繁殖体在绿潮的形成过程中起到重要作用，主要包括孢子、配子、幼苗和营养片段。绿藻微观繁殖体作为绿潮的“种源”，其分布规律可以反映绿潮的“藻源”位置。本研究于2016年4-9月和2017年1月对秦皇岛近岸海域绿藻微观繁殖体的调查，探究了其分布规律以及生物量变化。结果显示，绿藻微观繁殖体主要分布在近岸海域，由近岸向远岸海域逐渐降低。绿藻微观繁殖体的数量在7、8月份最高，在冬季最低。受绿潮影响严重的海域微观繁殖体数量高于其它海域。秦皇岛近岸海域的绿藻微观繁殖体为该海域绿潮的种源，其分布规律表明秦皇岛近岸海域绿潮起源于本地。