Soluble organic compounds in fog and cloud droplets: what have we learned over the past few years?

We have recently set up a new procedure for characterising the water soluble organic compounds (WSOC) in fog water, for which information is still rather limited. Fog samples collected during the 1998–1999 fall–winter season in the Po Valley (Italy) were analysed following this procedure, which allows a quantitative determination of three main classes of organic compounds (neutral species, mono- and di-carboxylic acids, polycarboxylic acids), together accounting for ca. 85% of the total WSOC. This procedure also provides information on the main chemical characteristics of these three classes of compounds (functional groups, aliphatic vs. aromatic character, etc.). The enhanced chemical knowledge on fog/cloud chemical composition opens new scenarios as far as chemical and microphysical processes in clouds and fogs are concerned.     

中原地区M≥6级地震后的减(增)震效应

通过对中原地区1500年－2000年所有19次M≥6级地震后空间图像的分析，初步认为M≥6级地震发生后平均63年内，在距原震中平均176km内无M≥5级地震发生，全部19次震例均呈现出内部减震效应，而在其外围出现地震增强的活动图像特征，增震效应对应率为72％。这种强震后的减（增）震效应，不仅对地震危险性分析，而且对1年尺度以上的地震趋势预测均有一定的意义。     

The El Salvador earthquakes of January and February 2001: context, characteristics and implications for seismic risk

The small Central American republic of El Salvador has experienced, on average, one destructive earthquake per decade during the last hundred years. The latest events occurred on 13 January and 13 February 2001, with magnitudes M_w 7.7 and 6.6, respectively. The two events, which were of different tectonic origin, follow the patterns of the seismicity of the region although neither event has a known precedent in the earthquake catalogue in terms of size and location. The earthquakes caused damage to thousands of traditionally built houses and triggered hundreds of landslides, which were the main causes of fatalities. The earthquakes have clearly demonstrated trends of increasing seismic risk in El Salvador due to rapid population expansion in areas of high shaking and landslide hazard, exacerbated by deforestation and uncontrolled urbanisation. The institutional mechanisms required for the control of land use and building practice are very weak and present a major obstacle to risk mitigation.     

数字地震仪的发展历史及展望

地震仪经历了光点，模拟和数字的变化，数字地震仪本身由16位发展到24位，其附属设备（电缆，检波器）也是到了不同程度的发展。近年来，I／O等公司利用MEMS技术研制了新型地震检波器，这一新的发展对于地震采集尤其是多分量采集带来重要影响。     

山西北部至晋冀蒙交界地区几次中强地震前4.0级地震活动的研究

对山西北部至晋冀蒙交界地区中强地震前的 4 .0级地震进行了研究 ,得出其特征为异常增强—异常平静—信号地震的结论 ,认为该区某些 4 .0级地震活动似可作为某些中强地震的前兆地震而进行进一步的研究。     

Velocity profile of a sand cloud blowing over a gravel surface

Particle dynamic analyzer (PDA) measurement technology was used to study the turbulent characteristics and the variation with height of the mean horizontal (in the downwind direction) and vertical (in the upward direction) particle velocity of a sand cloud blowing over a gravel surface. The results show that the mean horizontal particle velocity of the cloud increases with height, while the mean vertical velocity decreases with height. The variation of the mean horizontal velocity with height is, to some extent, similar to the wind profile that increases logarithmically with height in the turbulent boundary layer. The variation of the mean vertical velocity with height is much more complex than that of the mean horizontal velocity. The increase of the resultant mean velocity with height can be expressed by a modified power function. Particle turbulence in the downwind direction decreases with height, while that in the vertical direction is complex. For fine sands (0.2–0.3 mm and 0.3–0.4 mm), there is a tendency for the particle turbulence to increase with height. In the very near-surface layer (<4 mm), the movement of blown sand particles is very complex due to the rebound of particles on the bed and the interparticle collisions in the air. Wind starts to accelerate particle movement about 4 mm from the surface. The initial rebound on the bed and the interparticle collisions in the air have a profound effect on particle movement below that height, where particle concentration is very high and wind velocity is very low.     

Alpine medicinal plant trade and Himalayan mountain livelihood strategies

Commercial alpine medicinal plants are collected from the wild by local rural households throughout the Himalaya and sold in order to increase household incomes. Recent studies indicate that this annual trade amounts to thousands of tonnes of roots, rhizomes, tubers, leaves, etc., worth millions of US dollars. The main market is in India. Based on a national survey, including the most commonly traded species, and a village study this paper investigates the importance of the alpine medicinal plant trade at national and local levels in Nepal. The national survey included standardized open-ended interviews with 232 harvesters, 64 local traders, 66 central wholesalers, 47 regional wholesalers, and 16 production companies. The village survey is based on the daily records of household activities in 15 households in a one-year period. The annual Nepalese alpine and sub-alpine medicinal plant trade is conservatively estimated to vary from 480 to 2500 t with a total harvester value of US$0.8–3.3 million; the average harvester value is estimated at US$66.0 ± 99.0. The trade in 1997/98 amounted to 1600 t with a harvester value of US$2.3 million and an export value equivalent to 2.5% of total export from Nepal. Medicinal plant harvesting was found to constitute an integrated part of local livelihood strategies, contributing from 3 to 44% (average of 12%) of the annual household income. Importance at household level depended on land and animal holdings, and the availability of adult male labour. The validity and reliability of methods and analyses is evaluated, and issues of conservation and management of alpine medicinal plant species under the community forestry scheme are discussed.     

我国制造业集群分布现状及其发展特征

目前，在我国很多地区，例如长江三角洲和珠江三角洲，以个别市、县、镇或村为范围，集中某种产品的生产所形成的制造业集群表现出极强的活力和竞争力。集群中的很多企业根据不同技术能力，纷纷进入了全球价值链，已经使中国成为跨国公司控制之下的“世界工厂”。文章从目前局限性的资料出发，将这一现象的分布现状进行了分析，并对其发展特征进行了描述。认为，在新型工业化道路中，企业只有在本地舍作和结网，加强创新，才能有效地插入全球价值链，参与国际竞争。为此，需要通过政策的支持，鼓励合作的信用环境，使价值链上的各级企业以及利益相关者进行合作。     

浙江原发性产业集群的形成机制与持续发展

原发性产业集群是浙江省产业发展的主要模式，是在开放的环境中自发形成的。独特的区域“文化基因”，产业特定性知识，产业氛围与地方政府的促进作用是原发性产业集群形成的主要因素；小企业大群落，区内企业的分工协作与竞争，产品的多样化与差别化及集体学习是其主要特点；生产要素的培育和创造，区域品牌树立，学习型企业群落创建及特色制造业基地的培育是产业集群区持续发展的主要措施。     

添加剂对聚乙二醇辛基苯基醚浊点的影响

浊点是非离子表面活性剂的一个特性参数，它是非离子表面活性荆溶液由透明变浑浊，和由浑浊变透明的平均温度。聚乙二醇辛基苯基醚是一种非离子表面活性剂，通过实验测定了有机酸、醇、无机盐、聚合物等添加剂对聚乙二醇辛基苯基醚浊点的影响。结果表明，不加任何添加剂时，聚乙二醇辛基苯基醚的浊点为89℃；添加有机酸时，浊点随浓度升高先下降后上升；添加醇时，碳链短的随浓度升高浊点升高，碳链长的随浓度升高而下降；添加无机钠盐时，浊点随浓度升高而下降；添加聚合物时。浊点超过100℃。