Optimum Sample Size to Detect Perturbation Effects: The Importance of Statistical Power Analysis – A Critique

Abstract. The current article describes statistical power analysis as an efficient strategy for the estimation of the optimum sample size. The principle aim is constructively to criticise and enrich the results presented by Mouillot et al. (1999) , who estimate the optimum sample size for evaluating possible perturbations. The authors did not make any reference to statistical power analysis, even though their objective clearly went beyond a simple stock evaluation to assess management strategies in a particular marine ecosystem. Surprisingly, they proposed (a priori) an ANOVA design to test a hypothesis considering both space and temporal scales. However, the authors did not cover important topics related with power analysis and the precautionary principle, both used into environment impact assessment programmes for marine ecosystems. Based on their results and on statistical power analysis, it is demonstrated that the variability (dispersion statistics), a key factor they used to estimate the sample size, is less relevant than the magnitude of perturbation (effect size). Therefore, a greater effort must be devoted to estimate the effect size of a particular phenomenon rather than a desired variability.     

Spatial variability in the partial pressures of CO2 in the northern Bering and Chukchi seas

In the summers of 1999 and 2003, the 1st and 2nd Chinese National Arctic Research Expeditions measured the partial pressure of CO₂ in the air and surface waters (pCO₂) of the Bering Sea and the western Arctic Ocean. The lowest pCO₂ values were found in continental shelf waters, increased values over the Bering Sea shelf slope, and the highest values in the waters of the Bering Abyssal Plain (BAP) and the Canadian Basin. These differences arise from a combination of various source waters, biological uptake, and seasonal warming. The Chukchi Sea was found to be a carbon dioxide sink, a result of the increased open water due to rapid sea-ice melting, high primary production over the shelf and in marginal ice zones (MIZ), and transport of low pCO₂ waters from the Bering Sea. As a consequence of differences in inflow water masses, relatively low pCO₂ concentrations occurred in the Anadyr waters that dominate the western Bering Strait, and relatively high values in the waters of the Alaskan Coastal Current (ACC) in the eastern strait. The generally lower pCO₂ values found in mid-August compared to at the end of July in the Bering Strait region (66–69°N) are attributed to the presence of phytoplankton blooms. In August, higher pCO₂ than in July between 68.5 and 69°N along 169°W was associated with higher sea-surface temperatures (SST), possibly as an influence of the ACC. In August in the MIZ, pCO₂ was observed to increase along with the temperature, indicating that SST plays an important role when the pack ice melts and recedes.     

Seasonal methyltin and (3-dimethylsulphonio)propionate concentrations in leaf tissue of Spartina alterniflora of the Great Bay estuary (NH)

Concentrations of total recoverable inorganic tin (TRISn), monomethyltin (MeSn³⁺), dimethyltin (Me₂Sn²⁺), trimethyltin (Me₃Sn⁺) and (3-dimethylsulphonio)propionate (DMSP) were determined in leaves of Spartina alterniflora from three sites in the Great Bay estuary (NH) from 8 May to 15 September 1989. Total methyltin concentration increased from 8·9 ng g⁻¹ (fresh weight) on 8 May to 472 ng g⁻¹ on 23 May, decreased to 52 ng g⁻¹ on 7 June and 16ng g⁻¹ on 20 June, and remained low until the last sample on 18 September. Statistical calculations showed that methyltin concentrations varied significantly with sampling week, but not with site. DMSP concentrations showed very different behaviour. During the same sampling period DMSP concentrations varied only from 7·5 to 26 μmol g⁻¹ (fresh weight). DMSP concentrations varied significantly for site, but not sampling week.     

Use of an optical oxygen sensor to measure dissolved oxygen in seawater

The use of an optical oxygen sensor to measure dissolved oxygen in seawater was investigated. The sensor is based on the dynamic quenching of an oxygen-sensitive fluorochrome embedded in the tip. Dissolved oxygen in seawater samples collected from eight stations at depths ranging from 3000 to 6000 m was analyzed both with the optical sensor and by the Winkler titration method. The two sets of data did not differ significantly. The stability and simplicity of the method and the good agreement of the results with those of the titration method indicate that the sensor would be useful for fieldwork.     

添加纳米TiO2的氯醚树脂的XPS分析

在紫外线老化前后,利用光电子能谱(XPS)研究了分别添加金红石型和锐钛型纳米TiO2的氯醚树脂。研究发现,氯醚树脂中氯、氧元素具有表面富积现象——趋肤效应,而钛和碳元素在内层聚集;添加颜料粒子越小,在表面含量越大;金红石型纳米二氧化钛紫外屏蔽性好,减缓树脂老化;而锐钛型纳米二氧化钛具有显著的光催化活性,加速树脂老化。因此,金红石型纳米二氧化钛将是一种有前途的紫外线吸收剂。     

氨基酸在粘土高岭石上吸附等温线的研究

研究了4种氨基酸（甘氨酸，赖氨酸，天冬氨酸，谷氨酸）在粘土高岭石上的吸附等温线以及金属铜离子对其等温线的影响。研究表明，氨基酸在高岭石上的吸附等温线以及金属铜离子存在时的吸附等温线均属Langmuir型等温线；铜离子浓度增加时，其等温线斜率也增加，并认为体系可形成Ⅰ型三元表面络合物，铜离子对氨基酸在高岭石上等温线影响的规律和在相同体系中它对氨基酸在高岭石上交换吸附百分率E（%）-pH曲线的影响规律相一致。     

LAPP对中国对虾(Penaeus chinensis)生长、缺氧耐受力及免疫抵抗力的影响

实验研究维生素C多聚磷酸酯（LAPP）添加在对虾饲料中，对中国对虾的生长、缺氧耐受力及免疫抵抗力的影响；实验进一步证明了中国对虾饲料中LAPP的最适添加量为400mg／100g饲料;本文还提出饲料中的LAPP能够提高中国对虾的缺氧耐受力，在溶氧超过3．1mg／kg海水的情况下，效果显著，在降低到2．3mg／kg海水时，作用减弱；用副溶血弧菌（Vibroparahaemolyticus）注射入虾体内，12小时内记录发现，饲料中不含LAPP的一组中国对虾，死亡率高于其它组，并且，LAPP含量最高的一组，死亡率明显低，死亡时间也出现较晚，这证明LAPP能够提高中国对虾的免疫抵抗力；本实验用注射金黄色葡萄球菌后细胞的吞噬百分率作指标，研究对虾细胞的吞噬作用，发现饲料中不含LAPP的对虾的吞噬百分率较低，随着饲料中LAPP浓度的提高，对虾血细胞的吞噬百分率逐渐升高，说明中国对虾细胞的吞噬作用逐步增强。     

二阶不稳定型中立型微分方程解的振动准则

改进不稳定型二阶中立型微分方程的最后结果,进一步研究该类方程解的振动条件。     

鲁苏榴辉岩套的特征及其动力学演化

鲁苏榴辉岩套以广泛分布各类榴辉岩、密切伴生石榴石橄榄岩、石榴石麻粒岩等高压岩石组合 ,普遍发育韧性变形带 ,大量出露燕山晚期碱性花岗岩及深源脉岩为特征。它已经历三迭纪早期华南陆块与华北陆块的碰撞事件、大陆逆掩推覆构造事件及后期白垩纪早期开始的大陆伸展构造事件 ,是我国华南陆块与华北陆块之间的重要过渡单元。     

南海西南部新生代盆地类型及演化历史

南海西南部地区发育了多种类型的新生代沉积盆地，各种类型的盆地具有各自的结构特征和演化历史，走滑－周缘前陆盆地－曾母盆地发育了渐新－中中新统层系，晚中新统层系和上新－第四系层系第三套地层，曾母盆地经历了三个发育阶段，拉张剪切盆地－万安盆地发育下第三系－下渐新统层系，上渐新统一中中新统层系和上中新统一第四系层系三套地层，万安盆地经历了四个发育阶段。