Thinking critically and creatively about focus groups

Focus groups are now widely used by human geographers conducting qualitative research, and are clearly recognised as an established research method within the discipline. Despite this, there is a lack of discussion about the various methodological issues involved in using focus groups. This paper aims to open up discussion by suggesting that there is a need to think critically and creatively about using focus groups in human geography. I draw upon my experience of conducting focus groups with young Muslim men in order to suggest some of the ways in which human geographers might think critically about using focus groups. Some of the issues discussed include group size, location, context and timing, sensitivity of topic, the age of research participants and the positionalities of the researcher.     

桉树腐殖酸(HA)专用肥区域试验与配方的优选

采用随机区组设计,以等价投入的常规化肥为对照,开展专用肥多点施肥试验研究.通过专用肥对林木生长量、林相特征的影响分析,结果表明:与等价投入(肥料成本)的常规化肥相比,施用系列专用肥的林分生长量均显著或极显著地高于常规化肥处理,且叶片浓绿、树势强壮,施后19个月内,树高、胸径、材积分别提高了7.8%~51.8%、9.8%~53.0%和30%以上,叶片叶绿素含量提高26.3%~94.2%,叶面积指数提高41.0%~172.8%.经对HA桉树专用肥的增产性、适应性和稳定性的综合分析与评定,选出基肥专用的优化配方为:有机质≥30.0%、N P2O5 K2O≥6.0%(2.5-2.0-1.5)、腐殖酸总量≥8.0%,并加上适量的"绿滴"复合微生物菌剂(于施用时和基肥按每50 kg∶1 kg的量掺入);追肥专用的优化配方为:有机质≥20.0%、N P2O5 K2O≥20.0%(9-8-3)、腐殖酸总量≥6.0%.     

Non‐linear system identification of the versatile‐typed structures by a novel signal processing technique

Non‐linear structural identification problems have raised considerable research efforts since decades, in which the Bouc–Wen model is generally utilized to simulate non‐linear structural constitutive characteristic. Support vector regression (SVR), a promising data processing method, is studied for versatile‐typed structural identification. First, a model selection strategy is utilized to determine the unknown power parameter of the Bouc–Wen model. Meanwhile, optimum SVR parameters are selected automatically, instead of tuning manually. Consequently, the non‐linear structural equation is rewritten in linear form, and is solved by the SVR technique. A five‐floor versatile‐type structure is studied to show the effectiveness of the proposed method, in which both power parameter known and unknown cases are investigated. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prediction of the median IDA curve by employing a limited number of ground motion records

A methodology has been proposed which can be used to reduce the number of ground motion records needed for the reliable prediction of the median seismic response of structures by means of incremental dynamic analysis (IDA). This methodology is presently limited to predictions of the median IDA curve only. The reduction in the number of ground motion records needed to predict the median IDA curve is achieved by introducing a precedence list of ground motion records. The determination of such a list is an optimization problem, which is solved in the paper by means of (1) a genetic algorithm and (2) a proposed simple procedure. The seismic response of a simple, computationally non‐demanding structural model has been used as input data for the optimization problem. The presented example is a three‐storey‐reinforced concrete building, subjected to two sets of ground motion records, one a free‐field set and the other a near‐field set. It is shown that the median IDA curves can be predicted with acceptable accuracy by employing only four ground motion records instead of the 24 or 30 records, which are the total number of ground motion records for the free‐field and near‐field sets, respectively. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

地下储气库评价设计方法及应用

地下储气库对调节冬夏季节天然气供需矛盾，保障用户需求、优化集输系统功能有重要作用。在对地下储气库概念及原理进行阐述的基础上，提出了建立地下储气库应具备的首要条件，同时对地下储气库设计过程中应重点解决的回顾及指标设计进行了详细论述。通过建设实践，证实了文中提出的设计及评价方法的可靠性。     

隧（巷）道测量瞄准误差与觇标选取

根据隧（巷）道双欠观测值的统计资料，分析觇标对瞄准误差的影响，提出觇标的选取方法的观测中注意的问题。     

常规电法在桥基勘察中的应用与效果

以某高速公路桥基勘察为例，介绍了常规电法在桥基选址－初步勘察中的应用，并认为对具备一定地球物理前提的岩（土）体，该法效果明显，值得推广。     

浑江市幅区域化探异常遥感评价筛选研究

本文介绍了根据国家计委和地矿部的要求,应用遥感地质方法,即主要通过航卫片解译,结合本区已有地质矿产分布和物化探资料的综合分析,对吉林省浑江市幅区域化探异常进行遥感评价、筛选研究的概况。文中主要阐述了区内金、多金属矿成矿地质特征,论述了断裂构造和环状构造与金、多金属矿及化探异常的关系,简介了区域化探异常遥感评价筛选和野外验证结果以及圈定的若干找矿靶区的情况。     

工程地质勘察钻机选型的几个问题

根据工程地质勘察工艺方法的特点，对现用的钻探设备进行性能对比，就钻机选型谈了几点看法。     

Intraspecific crossings ofUndaria pinnatifida (Harv.) Sur.—A possible time-saving way of strain selection

Unicellular gametophytes ofUndaria pinnatifida (Harv.) Sur. were isolated in Qingdao, P. R. China in April 1993 and in Tokushima, southern Japan in March 1995. Different intraspecific crossings by using unicellular male and female gametophytes were successfully undertaken in Sept. of 1995 in Qingdao. Sporophytes were transplanted to two different locations for open sea cultivation. One was at Zhanqiao (ZQ) Bay where the water current was slower than that of another location—Taipingjiao(TPJ). A total of 218 adult sporophytes were harvested on January 12 and 18 from TPJ and ZQ respectively. For eacn combination, 10 sporophytes were cultivated. Analysis of the morphological characteristics of adult sporophytes indicated that the longest length between two bases of the serration of pinnate blades (W2) is a morphological characteristic that can be transferred from the parent plant to the next generations regardless of environmental variations. There was evidence that W2 was apparently determined by sex-linked factors, i.e., by male parental gametophyte. Sporophytes from certain crossing combinations showed more vigorous growth than those from other crossing combinations. It is therefore possible to select gametophyte strains which can be used as parental gametophytes for the seedling production of sporophytes with more vigorous growth within shorter cultivation period. The morphology of hybrids from a Qingdao strain and a Tokushima cultivated strain resembled that of both parental plants in frond features (wrinkled or smooth) and W2. Sporophyll formation also varied with strains. The fact that adult sporophytes resulting from the same crossing combinations have identical morphological characteristics under the same environmental conditions indicates the possibility of a new way to select strains which are expected to be ideal for commerical production by purposely selecting, propagating, and seeding unicellular gametophytes for sporeling production through freeliving techniques of gametophytes. Project 39400102 supported by NSFC, also supported by National Climbing Plan B (PD-B642); and Bioengineering Center, SSTC.