A navigational primitive: biorobotic implementation of cycloptic helical klinotaxis in planar motion

A broad diversity of microorganisms and larval aquatic animals swim along a helical trajectory. Helical movement toward or away from stimuli involves the detection of gradients, alteration of the helical trajectory, and gradient tracking. Using sensory and neural circuitry models from swimming simulations of tadpole-like ascidian larvae (Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Urochordata), we built and tested a single-sensor, surface-swimming, tail-flapping robot that swims up a light gradient and holds station at an orbital around an area of high intensity. We implemented the same neural circuitry in a terrestrial, wheeled robot with a single photoresistor; it exhibited similar navigational behavior. We also mathematically modeled single-sensor robots navigating in plane. The simulated robots showed the importance of sensor placement and excitation field on navigational behavior. When the sensor placement and excitation field of the simulated robot matched that of the embodied robots, navigational behavior was similar. These results 1) tested and supported a proposed neural circuitry model, 2) showed the simplicity and effectiveness of using a single light sensor for navigation, and 3) demonstrated the use of helical motion in two dimensions.     

Broadband Radio Bursts and Fine Structures during the Great Solar Event on 14 July 2000

25 MHz–7.6 GHz global and detailed (fine structure – FS) radio spectra are presented, which were observed in the NOAA 9077 active region for the Bastille Day (14 July 2000) flare at 10:10–11:00 UT. Besides broadband radio bursts, high-resolution dynamic spectra reveal metric type II burst, decimetric type IV burst and various decimetric and microwave FSs, such as type III bursts, type U bursts, reverse-slope (RS)-drifting burst, fiber bursts, patch and drifting pulsation structure (DPS). The peak-flux-density spectrum of the radio bursts over the range 1.0–7.6 GHz globally appears as a U-shaped signature. Analyzing the features of backbone and herringbones of the type II burst, the speeds of shock and relevant energetic electron beams were estimated to be 1100 km s⁻¹ and 58 500 km s⁻¹, respectively. Also the time sequence of the radio emission is analyzed by comparing with the hard X-rays (HXRs) and the soft X-rays (SXRs) in this flare. After the maxima of the X-rays, the radio emission in the range 1.0–7.6 GHz reached maxima first at the higher frequency, then drifted to the lower frequency. This comparison suggested that the flare included three successive processes: firstly the X-rays rose and reached maxima at 10:10–10:23 UT, accompanied by fine structures only in the range 2.6–7.6 GHz; secondly the microwave radio emission reached maxima accompanied by many fine structures over the range 1.0–7.6 GHz at 10:23–10:34 UT; then a decimetric type IV burst and its associated FSs (fibers) in the range 1.0–2.0 GHz appeared after 10:40 UT.     

TRENDS IN LATIN AMERICANIST GEOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

The question of what lies ahead is of particular concern for Latin Americanists. The last decade has witnessed a serious erosion of both the popularity of their specialty, and an equally troublesome reduction in employment opportunities. This paper uses Association of American Geographers (AAG) data bases to document the age-gender structure of contemporary Latin Americanist geographers, and projects likely compositional changes through the end of the century.     

旅游规划设计的内涵本质与核心理论研究

随着旅游业在吸纳就业、调整产业结构、带动区域经济发展等诸多方面作用日益凸显,旅游规划市场呈现出蓬勃发展的趋势.然而,从学科来看旅游规划不仅缺乏独有的核心理论和关键技术作为支撑,而且其与其他规划设计在本质上的区别也尚未能予以清晰地界定.为此,在前人研究和多年规划实践基础上,就若干基础性问题进行探讨:一是提出了旅游规划设计的六大本质特征;二是提出了旅游规划设计师的四大看家本领;三是提出了旅游规划设计的“12345”核心理论框架;四是提出了旅游规划设计的综合诊断技术、创造体验技术、综合匹配技术、时空设计技术和综合集成技术五大关键技术方法;五是讨论了旅游规划设计的学科性质和地位.     

精细化监测资料在山西暴雨预报模型改进中的应用

利用近3年5—9月山西63个GPS/MET临测站反演的逐时气柱水汽总量空间分布图与对应的459天气象观测资料、12个暴雨日的暴雨落区以及对应的流型配置图,对比分析发现:(1)当气柱水汽总量空间分布的水平梯度在25～40 mm/l经(纬)度时,未来12～36小时,在水平梯度的大值区及其南北(东西)0.5～1.0个经(纬)度的范围内,暴雨及其以上天气出现的概率达100%,当气柱水汽总量空间分布的水平梯度≥40 mm/l经(纬)度时,在水平梯度的大值区及其南北(东西)0.5个经(纬)度的范围内出现大暴雨的慨率为63.6%;(2)暴雨落区在气柱水汽总量空间分布图中水汽含量水平梯度大值区及其以北(西)还是以南(东)0.5～1.0)个经(纬)度的范围出现,不同的流型配置会出现不同的结果。应用逐时GPS/MET资料和逐时自动气象站极大风速风场资料,依据暴雨出现在气柱水汽总量空间分布图中水汽含量水平梯度大值区的不同位置,建立不同流型配置下的多种暴雨概念模型;采用轮廓识别技术在C/S架构下,对12～36小时暴雨落区预报模型进行改进并实现了自动化运行,2011年进行准业务使用证明效果良好。     

广西灵川发展优质桃种植中的气象问题研究

优质桃种植是近几年来灵川县海洋乡的支柱型产业。种植优质桃是当地农民致富的有效途径。本文通过走访调查有着“广西桃子村“的海洋小平乐优质桃生长时期所需的光、温、水等气象条件以及桃子的病害与气象条件的关系,以期在日后的日常气象服务中有针对性地为农民提供精细化的气象预报服务,为桃农的日常管理提供气象参考。     

3维直角坐标系直接转换算法的研究与实现

测绘工作中经常碰到3维直角坐标系的3维转换问题,本文通过简单的几何平移旋转缩放算法,对3维十六参数的直角坐标系变换,进行了理论描述和几何证明以及数据验证。     

A Note on Reviving the Goddard Satellite-Based Surface Turbulent Fluxes （GSSTF） Dataset

Accurate sea surface flux measurements are crucial for understanding the global water and energy cycles. The oceanic evaporation, which is a major component of the global oceanic fresh water flux, is useful for predicting oceanic circulation and transport. The global Goddard Satellite-based Surface Turbulent Fluxes Version-2 (GSSTF2; July 1987--December 2000) dateset that was officially released in 2001 has been widely used by scientific community for global energy and water cycle research, and regional and short period data analyses. We have recently been funded by NASA to resume processing the GSSTF dataset with an objective of continually producing a uniform dataset of sea surface turbulent fluxes, derived from remote sensing data. The dataset is to be reprocessed and brought up-to-date (GSSTF2b) using improved input datasets such as a recently upgraded NCEP/DOE sea surface temperature reanalysis, and an upgraded surface wind and microwave brightness temperature V6 dataset (Version 6) from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) produced by Remote Sensing Systems (RSS). A second new product (GSSTF3) is further proposed with a finer temporal (12-h) and spatial (0.25^ox0.25^o) resolution. GSSTF2b (July 1987--December 2008) and GSSTF3 (July 1999--December 2009) will be released for the research community to use by late 2009 and early 2011, respectively.     

Aerosols and their influence on radiation partitioning and savanna productivity in northern Australia

Aerosols have been shown to affect the quantity and quality of solar radiation on the Earth’s surface. Savanna regions are subject to frequent burning and release of aerosols that may impact on radiation components and possibly vegetation productivity in this region. Therefore, in this study, we have analyzed the optical properties of aerosols (aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Angstrom coefficient) from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement site in Darwin for the periods from April 2002 to June 2005 as measured by a multifilter rotating shadowband radiometer. The influence of aerosols and their effect on surface shortwave incoming solar radiation and savanna productivity were examined for the dry season using sky radiation collection of radiometers and eddy covariance measurements from the Howard Springs flux site. Results indicated that aerosol concentrations in the region were relatively low compared to other savanna regions with the maximum monthly average AOD over the period being the greatest in October (0.29?±?0.003 standard error at 500 nm). The highest monthly average Angstrom exponent was also found in October (1.38?±?0.008). The relatively low aerosol concentration in this region can be attributed to the mixture of smoke aerosols with humidity haze and local circulations. Over a range of AODs from 0.1 to 0.4, we found a modest increase in the fraction of diffuse radiation to total radiation from 11% to 21%. This small increase in diffuse fraction did not affect the carbon flux significantly. However, because the current range of AOD in the region is relatively low, the region could be sensitive to increases in aerosols and diffuse fraction in the future.