Concentrations and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in topsoil of Benxi City,Northeast China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contamination of topsoil in Benxi City, Northeast China was investigated in this study, and sampling sites were located in industrial area and residential area. Results demonstrate that there is high variability in the total PAHs concentrations, ranging from 783.00 ng/g to 729 076.29 ng/g dry weight in the topsoil of Benxi City and the pollution in industrial area is the most serious. The results also present that higher molecular weight PAHs (4–6 rings) contribute substantially (79.03%) to the overall content of PAHs. The PAHs sources were determined with factor analysis by nonnegative constraints, and the results show that PAHs originating from traffic tunnel, power plant, coke oven and residential emission sources, account for 27.10%, 40.81%, 20.11% and 11.98%, respectively, of the total. The PAHs pollution is the most serious around Benxi Iron and Steel Group Corporation, and the PAHs mainly originate from coke oven and traffic tunnel, with the average contribution rate of 57.40% and 42.60%, respectively. The source apportionment results are basically consistent with the industry distribution, and the geographical and climatic characteristics of the study area.     

Corrosion behavior of anodic oxidized TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> film in seawater

TiO₂ films were formed on metallic titanium substrates by the anodic oxidation method in H₂SO₄ solution under the 80V D.C.. Phase component and microstructure were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Water contact angles on titanium oxide film surface were measured under both dark and sunlight illumination conditions. Corrosion tests were carried out in seawater under different illumination conditions by electrochemistry impedance spectrum (EIS) and polarization curves. The result showed that the TiO₂ film prepared by the anodic oxidation method was anatase with a uniform structure and without obvious pores or cracks on its surface. The average water contact angle of the film was 116.4° in dark, in contrast to an angle of 42.7° under the UV illumination for 2 hours, which demonstrates good hydrophobic property. The anti-corrosion behavior of the TiO₂ film was declining with the extended immersion time. Under dark conditions, however, the hydrophobic TiO₂ film retarded the water infiltrating into the substrate. The impedance changed slowly and the corrosion current density was 2 orders of magnitude lower than that with the film illuminated by sunlight. All of those mentioned above indicate that the TiO₂ film possesses much better performance under dark condition, and it can be applied as an engineering material under dark seawater environment.     

Effects of dietary β-glucan and glycyrrhizin on non-specific immunity and disease resistance of the sea cucumber (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apostichopus japonicus</Emphasis> Selenka) challenged with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Vibrio splendidus</Emphasis>

Sea cucumbers, Apostichopus japonicus Selenka, were fed diets containing non-immunostimulant (basal diet), 0.2% β-glucan and 0.02% glycyrrhizin in a recirculatory water system for 45 days, and subsequently challenged with Vibrio splendidus by injection at 1.0×10⁸ cfu / sea cucumber for 15 days. Phagocytic capacity (PC), intracellular superoxide anion production (ISAP), lysozyme (LSZ) activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the coelomic fluid were analyzed on the 0^th, 5^th, 10^th and 15^th days after injection. Results showed that after the 45-day feeding period, PC, ISAP, LSZ activity and SOD activity in sea cucumbers fed with dietary β-glucan or glycyrrhizin were significantly higher than in those fed with the basal diet. On the 5th day after infection, all the immune parameters examined in the sea cucumbers injected with V. splendidus decreased in value significantly. On the 15^th day, PC, ISAP and LSZ activity returned to levels similar to those on the 0^th day. For the sea cucumbers injected with saline, there were no significant differences in all the immune parameters examined and in the cumulative morbidity during the 15-day challenging trial. After injecting with V. splendidus, the cumulative morbidity of sea cucumbers fed with the basal diet was significantly higher than those fed with dietary β-glucan or glycyrrhizin when challenged with V. splendidus challenged sea cucumber fed with the basal diet was significantly higher than those fed with dietary β-glucan or glycyrrhizin. There was no significant difference in cumulative morbidity between the dietary β-glucan and glycyrrhizin treatments over time.     

Fault type analysis along the San Andreas Fault zone: A numerical approach

Finite Element (FE) modeling under plane stress condition is used to analyze the fault type variation with depth along and around the San Andreas Fault (SAF) zone. In this simulation elastic rheology was used and was thought justifiable as the variation in depth from 0.5 km to 20 km was considered. Series of calculations were performed with the variation in domain properties. Three types of models were created based on simple geological map of California, namely, 1) single domain model considering whole California as one homogeneous domain, 2) three domains model including the North American plate, Pacific plate, and SAF zone as separate domains, and 3) Four domains model including the three above plus the Garlock Fault zone. Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion and Byerlee's law were used for the calculation of failure state. All the models were driven by displacement boundary condition imposing the fixed North American plate and Pacific plate motion along N34°W vector up to the northern terminus of SAF and N50°E vector motion for the subducting the Gorda and Juan de Fuca plates. Our simulated results revealed that as the depth increased, the fault types were generally normal, and at shallow depth greater strike slip and some thrust faults were formed. It is concluded that SAF may be terminated as normal fault at depth although the surface expression is clearly strike slip.     

Micromorphological features of diagnostic horizons in several soils in southwest China: Implication for soil taxonomic classification

The comparative studies on micromorphological features in diagnostic horizons of Stagnic Anthrosols, Ustic Ferrosols and Ustic Vertosols in southwestern China were conducted to underpin the rationale for Chinese Soil Taxonomy. The following findings were explored: (1) Stagnic Anthrosols had the specific micromorphological features, e.g., the humic formation in anthrostagnic epipedon, the platy structures in plow subhorizon, the secondary formation of ferromanganese and the weakly optical-orientation clay do...     

Relative abundance of biotic communities of plankton and zoobenthos in three ox-bow lakes of Eastern India

We made comparative studies of three tropical ox-bow lakes in India with different trophic states. The species number of zooplanktons was negatively correlated with the degree of water eutrophication, and lakes of similar trophic status had higher similarity of species. The most significant differences of species composition were observed with rotifers and zoobenthos. The density and biomass of phytoplankton, rotifers, oligochaetes and chironomids tended to increase with increasing nutrients. We observed a significant difference of dominant species in different waters, especially the eutrophic lake, which was dominated by a few species of oligochaetes. The abundance of Tanypus bilobatus showed a highly significant correlation with the degree of eutrophication. Rotifers and zoobenthos showed considerably lower biodiversity in the eutrophic lake.     

Technique for Controlling Spread of Limnotic Oncomelania

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease mostly found in areas along the Changjiang River of China. The disease is spread solely through an intermediary named oncomelania, so its spread of schistosomiasis can be controlled by properly designing water intakes which prevent oncomelania from entering farming land or residential areas. This paper reports a successful design process and a new oncomelania-free intake device. The design of the new intake is based on a sound research program in which extensive experimental studies were carried out to gain knowledge of oncomelania eco-hydraulic behavior and detailed flow field information through CFD simulation.     

Is Precipitation the Dominant Controlling Factor of High Inorganic Nitrogen Content in the Changjiang River and Its Mouth？

The main reasons for the high content of inorganic N and its increase by several times in the Changjiang River and its mouth during the last 40 years were analysed in this work. The inorganic N in precipitation in the Changjiang River catchment mainly comes from gaseous loss of fertilizer N, N resulting from the increases of population and livestock, and from high temperature combustions of fossil fuels. N from precipitation is the first N source in the Changjiang River water and the only direct cause of high content of inorganic N in the Changjiang River and its mouth. The lost N in gaseous form and from agriculture non-point sources fertilizer comprised about 60% of annual consumption of fertilizer N in the Changjiang River catchment and were key factors controlling the high content of inorganic N in the Changjiang River mouth. The fate of the N in precipitation and other N sources in the Changjiang River catchment are also discussed in this paper.     

ANALYSIS OF DRIVING FORCES ON THE CHANGE OF HISTORICAL FARMLAND USE IN SHANDONG PROVINCE DURING THE QING DYNASTY （1644-1911）

How land-cover has been changed by human use over the last 300 years is one of the five overarching questions guiding the Land-use/Cover Change (LUCC) Science/Research Plan. China has variety of historical docu-ments providing unique data superiority. So the characteristics of farmland area in Shandong Province during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) are summarized firstly: 1) the rising trend of farmland area was striking; 2) farmland area had re-markable fluctuation; 3) farmland area per capita decreased dramatically; 4) wasteland reclamation index increased rapidly. Then, the driving forces of farmland area change are analyzed. It is concluded that natural and human factors are jointly influential. Among the driving forces, human dimensions are the main factors of farmland area change,which direct the general tendency of the changes mentioned above. And the natural factors influence the stability of farmland area as well. Variation of the natural factors would act as the major contributory factor to farmland area change during years or periods of abrupt climatic changes, or during the intensive occurring periods of natural hazards.Besides, the passive aspects of human factors, such as war chaos also influenced the fluctuation of the farmland area.This research indicates that it is feasible to study the land-use/cover change by Chinese historical literatures, which has huge potential to provide a comprehensive picture of the growing dominance of human land-use and land-cover pat-terns that can be used in many global change research oroiects.     

APPLICATION OF GEOGRAPHICAL PARAMETER DATABASE TO ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIT POPULATION DATABASE

Now GIS is turning into a good tool in handling geographical, economical, and population data, so we can obtain more and more information from these data. On the other hand, in some cases, for a calamity, such as hurricane, earthquake, flood, drought etc., or a decision-making, such as setting up a broadcasting transmitter, building a chemical plant etc., we have to evaluate the total population in the region influenced by a calamity or a project. In this paper, a method is put forward to evaluate the population in such special region. Through exploring the correlation of geographical parameters and the distribution of people in the same region by means of quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis, unit population database (1km× 1km) is established. In this way, estimating the number of people in a special region is capable by adding up the population in every grid involved in this region boundary. The geographical parameters are obtained from topographic database and DEM database on the scale of