Radar-based collision avoidance for unmanned surface vehicles

Unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) have become a focus of research because of their extensive applications. To ensure safety and reliability and to perform complex tasks autonomously, USVs are required to possess accurate perception of the environment and effective collision avoidance capabilities. To achieve these, investigation into realtime marine radar target detection and autonomous collision avoidance technologies is required, aiming at solving the problems of noise jamming, uneven brightness, target loss, and blind areas in marine radar images. These technologies should also satisfy the requirements of real-time and reliability related to high navigation speeds of USVs. Therefore, this study developed an embedded collision avoidance system based on the marine radar, investigated a highly real-time target detection method which contains adaptive smoothing algorithm and robust segmentation algorithm, developed a stable and reliable dynamic local environment model to ensure the safety of USV navigation, and constructed a collision avoidance algorithm based on velocity obstacle (V-obstacle) which adjusts the USV’s heading and speed in real-time. Sea trials results in multi-obstacle avoidance firstly demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed avoidance system, and then verify its great adaptability and relative stability when a USV sailing in a real and complex marine environment. The obtained results will improve the intelligent level of USV and guarantee the safety of USV independent sailing.     

Paratacamite from Gypsum Veins in Sandstones of the Kuqa Basin,Xinjiang, China: Implications for a New Epigenetic Cu Enrichment Mechanism

The Kuqa Basin filled with Paleogene evaporite series is located in the northeast of the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China. It is famous for sandstone‐hosted Cu deposits formed by synsedimentary processes. However, our recent studies reveal that there has been another Cu mineralization mechanism in this basin. Field investigations show that there is a close relationship among faults, salt domes, and brine. Cu deposits are mainly located in two east–west‐trending anticlinal belts in the basin, adjacent to salt domes in the belts. Cu minerals in gypsum veins of the Jidike and Kangcun formations have been investigated by SEM, EDS, and X‐ray diffraction methods. The occurrence of paratacamite in gypsum veins has been reported to coexist with glauberite and halite in the joint planes of sandstones. In addition, it occurs accompanying residual crystal salt encrustation in limestone fractures, or in sandstones in dendritic form. These features indicate that the surface‐Cu enrichment in the Kuqa Basin might have originated from Cu‐bearing brine in the underlying evaporite units, which migrated upward along fractures. In addition, the presence of H₂S in the east–west fault belt in the Kuqa Basin, and the discovery of surface sulfur, calcium carbonate, and covellite, suggest thermochemical sulfate reduction near salt domes in the deeper parts of the rock units. This process resulted in the generation of reduced brine and provided a favorable environment for Cu enrichment. Therefore, the surface‐Cu mineralization near salt domes is interpreted to be the result of Cu‐bearing brine migrating upward to the surface along faults (or joints) following the intrusion of deep salt domes. The geological evidence indicates the presence of reducing brine and Cu‐bearing brine near the salt dome in the deeper rocks of the Kuqa Basin, thus making the intrusive contact zone of the salt dome a favorable site for the epigenetic enrichment of Cu. Our study demonstrates that Cu enrichment in the Kuqa Basin resulted not only from synsedimentary deposition but also through epigenetic enrichment associated with salt dome intrusion and brine‐rich fluids.     

Molybdenum Mass Fractions and Isotopic Compositions of International Geological Reference Materials

The double‐spike method with multi‐collector inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry was used to measure the Mo mass fractions and isotopic compositions of a set of geological reference materials including the mineral molybdenite, seawater, coral, as well as igneous and sedimentary rocks. The long‐term reproducibility of the Mo isotopic measurements, based on two‐year analyses of NIST SRM 3134 reference solutions and seawater samples, was ≤ 0.07‰ (two standard deviations, 2s, n = 167) for δ^98/95Mo. Accuracy was evaluated by analyses of Atlantic seawater, which yielded a mean δ^98/95Mo of 2.03 ± 0.06‰ (2s, n = 30, relative to NIST SRM 3134 = 0‰) and mass fraction of 0.0104 ± 0.0006 μg g^?1 (2s, n = 30), which is indistinguishable from seawater samples taken world‐wide and measured in other laboratories. The comprehensive data set presented in this study serves as a reference for quality assurance and interlaboratory comparison of high‐precision Mo mass fractions and isotopic compositions.     

青藏高原东北部降尘通量及粒度特征分析

青藏高原东北缘是柴达木沙尘暴东移的必经之道和沉降区,对青藏高原东北部降尘时空分异特征进行分析,有助于认识青藏高原区域粉尘输送的现代过程和机制。2013年12月至2015年5月分别在青海湖小泊湖(XBH)、西宁多巴(DB)、西宁青海师大科技楼顶(KJLD)设置降尘缸,进行湿法收集。对其降尘通量和粒度特征进行了时空分异特征分析,结果显示,1)西宁地区2014年降尘通量为442~542 g/m~2·a,青海湖XBH采集点指示的2014年降尘通量为415 g/m~2·a,降尘通量年际变化较大,各站点降尘通量季节变化趋势一致,降尘主要集中在冬春季,夏季降尘通量最低;2)各站点降尘粒度组成特征非常相似,以粉砂为主(4~63μm),西宁地区尘暴与非尘暴降尘粒度频率曲线呈近似正态分布,尘暴期间降尘粒径较非尘暴时段大;3)XBH、DB和KJLD 3点所有样品平均粒径分别为37μm、34μm和31μm,中值粒径分别为31μm、27μm和26μm;对比低海拔兰州尘暴粒径特征,发现降尘粒径存在一定的海拔依赖性,即粒度随海拔增高逐渐变粗。     

Non-capacity transport of non-uniform bed load sediment in alluvial rivers

Rivers often witness non-uniform bed load sediment transport. For a long time, non-uniform bed load transport has been assumed to be at capacity regime determined exclusively by local flow. Yet whether the capacity assumption for non-uniform bed load transport is justified remains poorly understood. Here, the relative time scale of non-uniform bed load transport is evaluated and non-capacity and capacity models are compared for both aggradation and degradation cases with observed data. As characterized by its relative time scale, the adaptation of non-uniform bed load to capacity regime should be fulfilled quickly. However, changes in the flow and sediment inputs from upstream or tributaries hinder the adaptation. Also, the adaptation to capacity regime is size dependent, the finer the sediment size the slower the adaptation is, and vice versa. It is shown that the capacity model may entail considerable errors compared to the non-capacity model. For modelling of non-uniform bed load, noncapacity modelling is recommended, in which the temporal and spatial scales required for adaptation are explicitly appreciated.     

Advanced glycation endproducts in 35 types of seafood products consumed in eastern China

Advanced glycation endproducts(AGEs) have been recognized as hazards in processed foods that can induce chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and diabetic nephropathy. In this study, we investigated the AGEs contents of 35 types of industrial seafood products that are consumed frequently in eastern China. Total fluorescent AGEs level and Nε-carboxymethyl-lysine(CML) content were evaluated by fluorescence spectrophotometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS), respectively. The level of total fluorescent AGEs in seafood samples ranged from 39.37 to 1178.3 AU, and was higher in canned and packaged instant aquatic products that were processed at high temperatures. The CML content in seafood samples ranged from 44.8 to 439.1 mg per kg dried sample, and was higher in roasted seafood samples. The total fluorescent AGEs and CML content increased when seafood underwent high-temperature processing, but did not show an obvious correlation. The present study suggested that commonly consumed seafood contains different levels of AGEs, and the seafood processed at high temperatures always displays a high level of either AGEs or CML.     

西藏谢通门地区中侏罗世花岗岩的地球化学特征及时代依据

西藏谢通门县一带区域上属于冈底斯花岗岩带南亚带,侵入岩极其发育,目前填绘有白垩纪、古近纪和新近纪岩体。通过同位素年代学研究,获得12个锆石的U-Pb同位素年龄数据,在原划归白垩纪、古近纪和新近纪岩体中解体出侏罗纪侵入体,按其岩石类型特征,归并为早侏罗世东热村序列和中侏罗世东嘎乡序列。其中,在约拉嘎莫岩体中获得锆石U-Pb同位素年龄166.9±2.8Ma,时代为中侏罗世巴柔期。