Size distributions and source function of sea spray aerosol over the South China Sea

The number concentrations in the radius range of 0.06 – 5 μm of aerosol particles and meteorological parameters were measured on board during a cruise in the South China Sea from August 25 to October 12, 2012. Effective fluxes in the reference height of 10 m were estimated by steady state dry deposition method based on the observed data, and the influences of different air masses on flux were discussed in this paper. The number size distribution was characterized by a bimodal mode, with the average total number concentration of(1.50 ± 0.76)×10~3 cm~(-3). The two mode radii were 0.099 μm and 0.886 μm, both of which were within the scope of accumulation mode. A typical daily average size distribution was compared with that measured in the Bay of Bengal. In the whole radius range, the number concentrations were in agreement with each other; the modes were more distinct in this study than that abtained in the Bay of Bengal. The size distribution of the fluxes was fitted with the sum of log-normal and power-law distribution. The impact of different air masses was mainly on flux magnitude, rather than the shape of spectral distribution. A semiempirical source function that is applicable in the radius range of 0.06 μmr_(80)0.3 μm with the wind speed varying from 1.00 m s~(-1) to 10.00 m s~(-1) was derived.     

Development of three multiplex PCR primer sets for ark shell (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Scapharca broughtonii</Emphasis>) and their validation in parentage assignment

Scapharca broughtonii is a commercially important and over-exploited species. In order to investigate its genetic diversity and population structure, 43 novel polymorphic microsatellites were isolated and characterized. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 22 with an average of 6.93, and the observed and expected heterozygosities varied between 0.233 and 1.000, and 0.250 and 0.953, with an average of 0.614 and 0.707, respectively. Three highly informative multiplex PCRs were developed from nine of those microsatellites for S. broughtonii. We evaluated and validated these multiplex PCRs in 8 full-sib families. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.539. The frequency of null alleles was estimated as 3.13% of all the alleles segregation based on a within-family analysis of Mendelian segregation patterns. Parentage analysis of real offspring demonstrated that 100% of all offspring were unambiguously allocated to a pair of parents based on 3 multiplex sets. Those 43 microsatellite loci with high variability will be helpful for the analysis of population genetics and conservation of wild stock of S. broughtonii. The 3 sets of multiplex PCRs could be an important tool of pedigree reconstruction, population genetic analysis and brood stock management.     

Antialgal and antilarval activities of bioactive compounds extracted from the marine dinoflagellate <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amphidinium carterae</Emphasis>

With the global ban on the application of organotin-based marine coatings by the International Maritime Organization, the development of environmentally friendly, low-toxic and nontoxic antifouling compounds for marine industries has become an urgent need. Marine microorganisms have been considered as a potential source of natural antifoulants. In this study, the antifouling potential of marine dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae, the toxic and red-tide microalgae, was investigated. We performed a series of operations to extract the bioactive substances from Amphidinium carterae and tested their antialgal and antilarval activities. The crude extract of Amphidinium carterae showed significant antialgal activity and the EC₅₀ value against Skeletonema costatum was 55.4 μg mL^?1. After purification, the isolated bioactive substances (the organic extract C) exhibited much higher antialgal and antilarval activities with EC₅₀ of 12.9 μg mL^?1 against Skeletonema costatum and LC₅₀ of 15.1 μg mL^?1 against Amphibalanus amphitrite larvae. Subsequently, IR, Q-TOFMS, and GC-MS were utilized for the structural elucidation of the bioactive compounds, and a series of unsaturated and saturated 16- to 22-carbon fatty acids were detected. The data suggested the bioactive compounds isolated from Amphidinium carterae exhibited a significant inhibiting effect against the diatom Skeletonema costatum and Amphibalanus amphitrite larvae, and could be substitutes for persistent, toxic antifouling compounds.     

Preparation of iron phosphate from sludge sourced from the electrocoagulation treatment of source-separated urine

In order to prepare iron phosphate by waste sludge, we report a method for effective utilization of the sludge obtained from the electrocoagulation treatment of source-separated urine. The sludge was dissolved with hydrochloric acid and pretreated with H₂O₂ and Na₃PO₄; finally, NaOH was added to precipitate iron phosphate from the solution. Thermal treatment of the precipitate at 750 °C in air yielded crystalline quartz-like anhydrous FePO₄. The precipitate was characterized by a number of thermal techniques such as thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction.     

Assessing suitability of rural settlements using an improved technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution

Land suitability assessment is a prerequisite phase in land use planning; it guides toward optimal land use by providing information on the opportunities and constraints involved in the use of a given land area. A geographic information system-based procedure, known as rural settlement suitability evaluation (RSSE) using an improved technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), was adopted to determine the most suitable area for constructing rural settlements in different geographical locations. Given the distribution and independence of rural settlements, a distinctive evaluation criteria system that differed from that of urban suitability was established by considering the level of rural infrastructure services as well as living and working conditions. The unpredictable mutual interference among evaluation factors has been found in practical works. An improved TOPSIS using Mahalanobis distance was applied to solve the unpredictable correlation among the criteria in a suitability evaluation. Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses obtained via Monte Carlo simulation were performed to examine the robustness of the model. Daye, a resource-based city with rapid economic development, unsatisfied rural development, and geological environmental problems caused by mining, was used as a case study. Results indicate the following findings: 1) The RSSE model using the improved TOPSIS can assess the suitability of rural settlements, and the suitability maps generated using the improved TOPSIS have higher information density than those generated using traditional TOPSIS. The robustness of the model is improved, and the uncertainty is reduced in the suitability results. 2) Highly suitable land is mainly distributed in the northeast of the study area, and the majority of which is cultivated land, thereby leading to tremendous pressure on the loss of cultivated land. 3) Lastly, 12.54% of the constructive expansion permitted zone and 8.36% of the constructive expansion conditionally permitted zone are situated in an unsuitable area, which indicates that the general planning of Daye lacks the necessary verification of suitability evaluation. Guidance is provided on the development strategy of rural settlement patches to support decision making in general land use planning.     

Porosity and wave velocity evolution of granite after high-temperature treatment: a review

The evolution of porosity and changes in wave velocity in granite after high-temperature treatment has been experimentally investigated in different studies. Statistical analysis of the test results shows that there is a temperature threshold value that leads to variations in porosity and wave velocity. At a temperature that is less than 200 °C, the porosity of granite slowly increases with increases in temperature, while the wave velocity decreases. When the temperature is greater than 200 °C (especially between 400 and 600 °C), the porosity quickly increases, while the wave velocity substantially decreases. The temperature ranges of room temperature to 200 and 200–400 °C correspond to the undamaged state and the micro-damage state, respectively. The results confirm that there is an important link between the variations of physical and mechanical properties in response to thermal treatment. By studying the relationships among rock porosity, wave velocity and temperature, this provides the basis for solving multi-variable coupling problems under high temperatures for the thermal exploitation of petroleum and safe disposal of nuclear waste.     

车排子凸起与沙湾凹陷过渡带的构造模型

车排子凸起位于准噶尔盆地扎伊尔山前,是夹持在南部四棵树凹陷和东部沙湾凹陷之间的三角构造带。然而对这个三角构造带是原地掩伏构造,山前推覆构造,还是走滑构造控制形成的认识存在争议。目前对于车排子凸起与沙湾凹陷过渡带的构造变形特征以及变形机制的认识尚不清楚。而过渡带是研究该区构造变形与演化的良好区域,精细研究该区域构造几何学与运动学对于揭示其构造变形机制以及认识盆山之间的关系具有积极作用,并对于该区油气勘探具有重要意义。本文以研究区的连片三维地震资料为基础,运用不整合面识别、轴面分析及平衡剖面等方法,对车排子凸起与沙湾凹陷过渡带进行精细的构造解析、建模与构造复原。研究表明,过渡带发育下二叠统（P₁j-P₁f）,中二叠统（P₂x-P₂w）,上二叠统（P₃w）,三叠系（T）,侏罗系（J）,白垩系（K）与古近系-第四系（E-Q）7个构造变形层序。发育佳木河组底部及石炭系内部滑脱层。深部（前二叠系）构造楔发育于整个过渡带,其个数和几何学形态的变化直接影响了上覆背斜形态。构造楔在早二叠世开始楔入,挤压作用持续至三叠纪末期。晚三叠世发育生长地层,显示了P-T构造层褶皱变形的时间,随后三叠纪末期,过渡带受到来自西北缘造山带方向的逆冲推覆构造的叠加作用,表现在后缘发育一系列叠瓦构造,推覆距离约为8 km,南部逆冲断层上盘二叠系-三叠系被剥蚀完全,北部残余少量下二叠统佳木河组。     

A modified three-dimensional ionospheric tomography algorithm with side rays

The three-dimensional ionospheric tomography (3DCIT) algorithm based on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations have been developed into an effective tool for ionospheric monitoring in recent years. However, because the rays that come into or come out from the side of the inversion region cannot be used, the distribution of the rays in the edge and bottom part of the inversion region is scarce and the electron density cannot be effectively improved in the inversion process. We present a three-dimensional tomography algorithm with side rays (3DCIT-SR) applying the side rays to the inversion. The partial slant total electron content (STEC) of side rays in the inversion region is obtained based on the NeQuick2 model and GNSS-STEC. The simulation experiment results show that the algorithm can effectively improve the distribution of GNSS rays in the inversion region. Meanwhile, the iteration accuracy has also been significantly improved. After the same number of iterations, the iterative results of 3DCIT-SR are closer to the truth than 3DCIT, in particular, the inversion of the edge regions is improved noticeably. The GNSS data of the International GNSS Service (IGS) stations in Europe are used to perform real data experiments, and the inversion results show that the electron density profiles of 3DCIT-SR are closer to the ionosonde measurements. The accuracy improvement of 3DCIT-SR is up to 56.3% while the improvement is more obvious during the magnetic storm compared to the case of a calm ionospheric state .