Close range radar remote sensing of concrete degradation in a textile factory floor

This paper describes a GPR study carried out with the aim of evaluating deterioration of concrete floors in a textile factory. In the past, production process waste was spilt onto the floor of the factory. A slow but continuous action from this waste on the concrete caused a significant variation in its porosity that can be detected by studying changes in the GPR reflected pulse. A simple synthetic model was developed in order to obtain information about how the response of the GPR antenna pulse is affected by changes in the porosity of concrete. It should also be taken into account the different conditions of the factory floor at the time of testing, as it had been isolated from the action of waste for many years. The heterogeneous conditions of the floor and the simplicity of the model used did not allow for an accurate estimate of the porosity; however, it was possible to map degraded areas of the floor in relationship to changes in the reflected signal. Core samples taken showed that some areas had concrete porosity of 15% and up to 25%, which is closer to that of sand than to concrete.     

有序性分析与新疆7级强震预测

自然数可以视为反映世界客观本质的一种重要秩序，即信息，它不因加法处理而失真［１］。强地震在一定的时空范围内重复出现的现象称为有序性。自１７１６年以来，新疆及其邻区７级以上强震在时间上具有良好的有序性，有些强震在空间上亦表现出一定的有序性。强地震时间间隔值以６０、３０、４１、１９和１１年占据主导分布，并且相互之间关系密切。根据强震活动的有序性结构可进行预测：该地区未来Ｍ≥７强震可能发生在２００４年和２０１５年前后。     

Finding regions of influence on SO2 and SO= 4 daily concentration measurements at four sites in Spain

Contamination by the pollutants SO₂ and SO⁼₄ was analyzed for the 1989–1992 period at four regional stations in Spain under the auspices of the EMEP-BAPMON program. The evolution of the time series of the daily pollution has also been assessed, and high mean concentrations at La Cartuja and Logroño observed, with values of 3.8 and 4.5 g m⁻³ for SO₂, respectively. Maximum annual concentrations were recorded in 1989, when SO₂ reached values of 6.24, 5.39, 5.71, and 9.30 g m⁻³ for the stations of La Cartuja, San Pablo de los Montes, Roquetas, and Logroño, respectively. This work attempts to establish a relationship between the concentrations of the pollutants - both SO₂ gas and SO⁼₄ aerosol - and the zones of emission or persistence of these long-range transported pollutants. In this way, those regions showing a greater impact on the air quality in each season have been determined. To achieve this, the trajectories of the air masses carrying away the pollution to each of the receiving stations were considered and followed by a sectorial analysis. Nonparametric statistical methods were implemented to contrast the chemical homogeneity among the different sectors. The criterion that several homogeneous sectors form a chemically homogeneous region was used. To improve this sectorial analysis, we have proposed a new technique based on the Potential-Source-Contribution Function (PSCF). Starting out from a set of specified regions, considered to be chemically homogeneous domains, it is possible to determine the likelihood that an air mass with particular characteristics (e.g., that a value of the daily concentration higher than the mean recorded at the station has been obtained) will arrive at a given station after having crossed one of the previously defined regions. Using this technique, it is possible to determine the source regions through which the air masses circulate and bring high pollution concentrations to the studied stations. Thanks to the PSCF, these statistical methods offer, through a sectorial analysis, the possibility to pass from a qualitative to a more quantitative view.     

发头裸腹溞休眠卵发育的温度因子分析

测定了不同温度下发头裸腹溞(Moina irrasa)体眠卵的孵化时间及孵化率;取最先孵出和过半数孵出的两组数据依莱奥姆积温法则求得种群休眠卵最低临界温度为12.00℃,最低有效积温为441.61℃·h;最低亚致死高温点(即最适温度)为35.16℃,以及最低死亡高温点39.44℃。种群中过半数的临界温度为12.88℃,过半数有效积温为557.10℃·h,过半数的亚致死高温点为35.56℃以及过半数死亡高温点为39.49℃。讨论了这些参数在枝角类集约化培养中休眠卵的有效保存与启用所具有的实践意义。     

Scattering of plane sh waves by a semi-cylindrical hill

A new analytical method is presented to study the problem of scattering of plane SH waves by a semi-cylindrical hill in an otherwise homogeneous, isotropic and elastic two-dimensional half-space, using the series of wave functions and a new expansion technique. The results obtained show that (1) the hill has quite considerable effects on ground motions for both the points on the hill and its environs, (2) these effects depend mainly on the frequency, the angle of wave incidence and the ratio of radius of hill to one-half the wave length of incident waves, and (3) prominent and depression topographies having equal form and radius for the same incident waves would cause quite different mechanisms of wave propagation in both response performance and magnitude. The results, doubtless, would be useful for further deepening knowledge of the effects of prominent topography on seismic ground motion and for testing the accuracy of various approximate methods so far available.     

Artificial Maturation of Organic Matter from Recent Venezuelan Sediments

Laboratory simulation of the catagenesis of organic matter in sedimentary rocks has been used to provide an understanding of the processes involved in petroleum generation. Several of these studies have focused on the thermal evolution of organic matter (OM) present in Recent sediments. This study examines the geochemical characteristics and experimental thermal evolution of primary organic matter from two organic facies that are thought to be major contributors to Venezuelan hydrocarbon source rocks. A third facies, generally considered unimportant for petroleum formation, is used to contrast the experimental results. Hydrous pyrolysis maturation experiments were performed for three intermediate temperatures. The products of the final 330°C stage are shown in this paper because they best illustrate the changes in the OM during catagenesis. Results from the hydrous pyrolysis experiments show that at 280°C and higher all three samples yield liquid hydrocarbons similar in composition to natural crudes and the transformed organic matter is similar to kerogen that occurs in natural source rocks. Chromatograms from the saturated fraction of extracts at 330°C are similar to natural crudes with respect to n-alkane distribution and abundance of beta; and beta;alpha; hopanes. The only difference seems to be the relative abundance of 22R over 22S isomers, which indicates immature oil. This is in contrast to indications from the R _o and T _max parameters measured on the accompanying kerogen.     

Spatially explicit measures of production of young alewives in Lake Michigan: Linkage between essential fish habitat and recruitment

The identification and protection of essential habitats for early life stages of fishes are necessary to sustain fish stocks. Essential fish habitat for early life stages may be defined as areas where fish densities, growth, survival, or production rates are relatively high. To identify critical habitats for young-of-year (YOY) alewives (Alosa pseud oharengus) in Lake Michigan, we integrated bioenergetics models with GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to generate spatially explicit estimates of potential population production (an index of habitat quality). These estimates were based upon YOY alewife bioenergetic growth rate potential and their salmonine predators’ consumptive demand. We compared estimates of potential population production to YOY alewife yield (an index of habitat importance). Our analysis suggested that during 1994–1995, YOY alewife habitat quality and yield varied widely throughout Lake Michigan. Spatial patterns of alewife yield were not significantly correlated to habitat quality. Various mechanisms (e.g., predator migrations, lake circulation patterns, alternative strategies) may preclude YOY alewives from concentrating in areas of high habitat quality in Lake Michigan.     

Solar rotation in the subphotospheric layers

The solar rotation rate at latitudes 0°, 15° and 30° has been inferred by averaging the results of 120 regions of 15°×15°, which have been studied over a total area of about 75° in latitude and 360° in longitude. A local helioseismology technique, the ring diagram analysis method, has been used to analyse the horizontal velocity vectors from about 0.95 R up to the surface. Our results are in very good agreement with those of other authors over most of the depth range. However, near the surface we find sharp local features which are not reported in other studies. The independent measurements of the rotation rate in the north and south hemispheres show asymmetries below 0.975 R . The data used are full-disc dopplergrams taken by Solar Oscillation Investigation/Michelson Doppler Imager (SOI/MDI) on board of the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) during its first Dynamic Program, between 1996 May and June.