A Measurement of Omega from the North American Test Flight of Boomerang

We use the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background, measured during the North American test flight of the Boomerang experiment, to constrain the geometry of the universe. Within the class of cold dark matter models, we find that the overall fractional energy density of the universe Omega is constrained to be 0.85相似文献   

基于网络的煤田地质资料信息管理系统的设计与开发

煤田地质资料是地质信息资源的载体，传统的资料管理模式已不能满足当代数字化和信息化社会的发展需求。利用SqlServer数据库，在ASP．net技术的支持下，借助MapXtreme2004平台，建立了青海省煤田地质资料信息管理系统。该系统采用B／S结构，实现了煤田地质资料的属性和图形的联合查询，以及各种类型的资料在Web浏览器中查阅。     

滇东南喀斯特山区生态系统服务时空格局及功能分区

明晰生态系统服务时空格局,划分生态系统服务功能区,将有助于实现土地资源精细化管理。本文以滇东南喀斯特山区典型区域文山市为例,分析2000—2017年食物供给、产水量、植被净初级生产力、土壤保持、生境质量和旅游文化6项生态系统服务的时空格局及其分异特征;运用K-means聚类法识别生态系统服务簇,划分生态系统服务功能区,并提出差异化生态管控措施。结果表明：① 2000—2017年间,除生境质量服务下降外,文山市其他5项服务均呈上升趋势。② 空间分布上,文山市6项生态系统服务高值区集中分布在西部和南部,低值区集中分布在北部和中部;6项服务的冷热点区域空间分布有差异,但整体上具有重叠性。除旅游文化服务的热点和冷点区分布面积占比分别为2.56%和0以外,其他5项服务的冷热点区面积占比均在21%~32%;能够同时提供3项及以上高值生态系统服务功能的区域较少,85.50%的区域只能同时提供2项及以下高值服务功能。③ 根据服务簇聚类结果,文山市划分为生态保护区、生态过渡区、农业主产区和人类生产生活区4类功能区,针对各分区提出差异化生态管控建议。研究结果可为喀斯特山区城市资源利用和国土空间管控提供参考。     

Geomasking sensitive health data and privacy protection: an evaluation using an E911 database

Geomasking is used to provide privacy protection for individual address information while maintaining spatial resolution for mapping purposes. Donut geomasking and other random perturbation geomasking algorithms rely on the assumption of a homogeneously distributed population to calculate displacement distances, leading to possible under-protection of individuals when this condition is not met. Using household data from 2007, we evaluated the performance of donut geomasking in Orange County, North Carolina. We calculated the estimated k-anonymity for every household based on the assumption of uniform household distribution. We then determined the actual k-anonymity by revealing household locations contained in the county E911 database. Census block groups in mixed-use areas with high population distribution heterogeneity were the most likely to have privacy protection below selected criteria. For heterogeneous populations, we suggest tripling the minimum displacement area in the donut to protect privacy with a less than 1% error rate.     

Environmental impacts of dredging and other sediment disturbances on corals: A review

A review of published literature on the sensitivity of corals to turbidity and sedimentation is presented, with an emphasis on the effects of dredging. The risks and severity of impact from dredging (and other sediment disturbances) on corals are primarily related to the intensity, duration and frequency of exposure to increased turbidity and sedimentation. The sensitivity of a coral reef to dredging impacts and its ability to recover depend on the antecedent ecological conditions of the reef, its resilience and the ambient conditions normally experienced. Effects of sediment stress have so far been investigated in 89 coral species (～10% of all known reef-building corals). Results of these investigations have provided a generic understanding of tolerance levels, response mechanisms, adaptations and threshold levels of corals to the effects of natural and anthropogenic sediment disturbances. Coral polyps undergo stress from high suspended-sediment concentrations and the subsequent effects on light attenuation which affect their algal symbionts. Minimum light requirements of corals range from <1% to as much as 60% of surface irradiance. Reported tolerance limits of coral reef systems for chronic suspended-sediment concentrations range from <10mgL(-1) in pristine offshore reef areas to >100mgL(-1) in marginal nearshore reefs. Some individual coral species can tolerate short-term exposure (days) to suspended-sediment concentrations as high as 1000mgL(-1) while others show mortality after exposure (weeks) to concentrations as low as 30mgL(-1). The duration that corals can survive high turbidities ranges from several days (sensitive species) to at least 5-6weeks (tolerant species). Increased sedimentation can cause smothering and burial of coral polyps, shading, tissue necrosis and population explosions of bacteria in coral mucus. Fine sediments tend to have greater effects on corals than coarse sediments. Turbidity and sedimentation also reduce the recruitment, survival and settlement of coral larvae. Maximum sedimentation rates that can be tolerated by different corals range from <10mgcm(-2)d(-1) to >400mgcm(-2)d(-1). The durations that corals can survive high sedimentation rates range from <24h for sensitive species to a few weeks (>4weeks of high sedimentation or >14days complete burial) for very tolerant species. Hypotheses to explain substantial differences in sensitivity between different coral species include the growth form of coral colonies and the size of the coral polyp or calyx. The validity of these hypotheses was tested on the basis of 77 published studies on the effects of turbidity and sedimentation on 89 coral species. The results of this analysis reveal a significant relationship of coral sensitivity to turbidity and sedimentation with growth form, but not with calyx size. Some of the variation in sensitivities reported in the literature may have been caused by differences in the type and particle size of sediments applied in experiments. The ability of many corals (in varying degrees) to actively reject sediment through polyp inflation, mucus production, ciliary and tentacular action (at considerable energetic cost), as well as intraspecific morphological variation and the mobility of free-living mushroom corals, further contribute to the observed differences. Given the wide range of sensitivity levels among coral species and in baseline water quality conditions among reefs, meaningful criteria to limit the extent and turbidity of dredging plumes and their effects on corals will always require site-specific evaluations, taking into account the species assemblage present at the site and the natural variability of local background turbidity and sedimentation.     

Coastal habitat degradation and green sea turtle diets in Southeastern Brazil

To show the influence of coastal habitat degradation on the availability of food for green turtles (Chelonia mydas), we assessed the dietary preferences and macroalgae community at a feeding area in a highly urbanized region. The area showed low species richness and was classified as degraded. We examined stomach contents of 15 dead stranded turtles (CCL = 44.0 cm (SD 6.7 cm)). The diet was composed primarily of green algae Ulva spp. (83.6%). In contrast, the macroalgae community was dominated by the green alga Caulerpa mexicana. We found a selection for red algae, seagrass and Ulva spp., and avoidance for C. mexicana and brown alga Dictyopteris delicatula. The low diversity of available food items, possibly a result of environmental degradation, likely contributed to the low dietary diversity. The nutritional implications of this restricted diet are unclear.     

Estrogen pollution in a highly productive ecosystem off central-south Chile

While the presence of steroid estrogens in the environment has become a major environmental and health concern, their occurrence in coastal sediments remains poorly characterized. In this study, we measured the levels of three natural (estrone, 17β-estradiol, estriol) and one synthetic (17α-ethinylestradiol) estrogens in 54 coastal sediment samples collected from nine locations off central-southern Chile. Steroid estrogens were found in every sample. Remarkably high levels of 17α-ethinylestradiol were detected, reaching up to 48.14 ng/g dry weight. As a result, the global estrogenic loads were estimated to be high at all sites. Interestingly, they were found to correlate with the size of human populations served by sewage plants. Our study indicates that 17α-ethinylestradiol may accumulate in coastal sediments. The possible impact of this highly potent synthetic estrogen on the biota of the marine ecosystem off central-south Chile and on human health remains an open question.     

On cavity flow permeability testing of a sandstone

This paper describes a laboratory experiment designed to measure the bulk permeability of a cuboidal sample of sandstone measuring approximately 450 mm(2) in plan area and 508 mm in height. The relatively large dimensions of the sandstone specimen allow the determination of the permeability of the material by creating a central cavity that can be pressurized to maintain a constant flow rate. The paper describes the experimental details and the test procedure, and discusses the computational and analytic approaches that have been used to interpret the test results.