Formation and evolution of the modern warm current system in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea since the last deglaciation

To reconstruct the formation and evolution process of the warm current system within the East China Sea (ECS) and the Yellow Sea (YS) since the last deglaciation, the paleoceangraphic records in core DGKS9603, core CSH1 and core YSDP102, which were retrieved from the mainstream of the Kuroshio Current (KC), the edge of the modern Tsushima Warm Current (TWC) and muddy region under cold waters accreted with the Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC) respectively, were synthetically analyzed. The results indicate that the formation and evolution of the modern warm current system in the ECS and the YS has been accompanied by the development of the KC and impulse rising of the sea level since the last deglaciation. The influence of the KC on the Okinawa Trough had enhanced since 16 cal kyr BP, and synchronously the modern TWC began to develop with the rising of sea level and finally formed at about 8.5 cal kyr BP. The KC had experienced two weakening process during the Heinrich event 1 and the Younger Drays event from 16 to 8.5 cal kyr BP. The period of 7-6 cal kyr BP was the strongest stage of the KC and the TWC since the last deglaciation. The YSWC has appeared at about 6.4 cal kyr BP. Thus, the warm current system of the ECS and the YS has ultimately formed. The weakness of the KC, indicated by the occurrence of Pulleniatina minimum event (PME) during the period from 5.3 to 2.8 cal kyr BP, caused the main stream of the TWC to shift eastward to the Pacific Ocean around about 3 cal kyr BP. The process resulted in the intruding of continent shelf cold water mass with rich nutrients. Synchronously, the strength of the YSWC was relatively weak and the related cold water body was active at the early-mid stage of its appearance against the PME background, which resulted in the quick formation of muddy deposit system in the southeastern YS. The strength of the warm current system in the ECS and the YS has enhanced evidently, and approached to the modern condition gradually since 3 cal kyr BP.

Immune condition of Apostichopus japonicus during aestivation

Aestivation is an indispensable state in the life history of sea cucumbers, Apostichopus japonicus. The immune characteristics of the coelomic fluid of A. japonicus, were investigated during aestivation. Samples were collected between July and November 2006 from a coastal pond located off the Yellow Sea in Jiaonan, Shandong Province, China. The total coelomocytes counts (TCC), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), catalase (CAT), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and lysozyme (IZM) in the coelomic fluid were measured. The activities of catecholamines, [adrenaline (AD), noradrenaline (NA), and dopamine (DOP)] were estimated. TCC decreased from July to September, indicating weakness of the cellular immune activity at that time. Activities of SOD, CAT, MPO, and LZM changed significantly from July to October. Catecholamines AD and NA in coelomic fluid were significantly higher on August 21 and November 27. There was no significant variation in DOP during the sampling period. Thus, immune characters in coelomic fluid of A. japonicus changed significantly during aestivation. Water temperature was significantly and negatively correlated with TCC, and salinity was significantly and positively correlated with AD and NA. The mechanism of aestivation in A. japonicus is complex and might not be attributed only to environmental changes, such as temperature and salinity, as shown in previous studies. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

东海陆架盆地复杂天然气藏地震勘探判别技术研究

Exploration study proves that East sea shelf basin embeds abundant hydrocarbon resources. However, the exploration knowledge of this area is very low. Many problems in exploration are encountered here. One of them is that the gas reservoir of this area, with rapid lateral variation, is deeply buried. Correlation of Impendence between sandstone, gas sand and shale is very poor. Another problem is that the S/N ratio of the seismic data is very low and multiples are relatively productive which seriously affect reservoir identification. Resolution of the seismic data reflected from 2500-3000 meter is rather low, which seriously affects the application of hydrocarbon direct identification (HDI) technology. This research established a fine geological & geophysical model based on drilling、well logging、geology&seismic data of East sea Lishui area. A Q value extraction method from seismic data is proposed. With this method, Q value inversion from VSP data and seismic data is performed to determine the subsurface absorption of this area. Then wave propagation and absorption rule are in control. Field acquisition design can be directed. And at the same time, with the optimization of source system, the performance of high resolution seismic acquisition layout system is enhanced. So the firm foundation is ensured for east sea gas reservoir exploration. For solving the multiple and amplitude preserving problems during the seismic data processing, wave equation pre-stack amplitude preservation migration and wave equation feedback iteratively multiple attenuation technologies are developed. Amplitude preservation migration technology can preserve the amplitude of imaging condition and wave-field extrapolation. Multiple removing technology is independent of seismic source wavelet and velocity model, which avoiding the weakness of Delft method. Aiming at the complicated formation condition of the gas reservoir in this area, with dissecting typical hydrocarbon reservoir, a series of pertinent advanced gas reservoir seismic identification technologies such as petrophysical properties analyzing and seismic modeling technology、pre-stack/post-stack joint elastic inversion, attribute extraction technology based on seismic non-stationary signal theory and formation absorption characteristic and so on are studied and developed. Integrated analysis of pre-stack/post-stack seismic data, reservoir information, rock physics and attribute information is performed. And finally, a suit of gas reservoir identification technology is built, according to the geological and geophysical characteristics of this area. With developed innovative technologies, practical application and intergrated interpretation appraisal researches are carried out in Lishui 36-1.The validity of these technologies is tested and verified. Also the hydrocarbon charging possibility and position of those three east sea gas exploration targets are clearly pointed out.

地磁场的长期变化

In this paper, we studied the secular variations of the main geomagnetic field during 1900-2000 in details. Emphasis is put on three aspects of the secular variations, i.e. westward drifts and intensity variations of non-dipole part, the decay of the dipole field. Firstly, we introduced the method of correlation analysis of moving random pattern into Geomagnetism in order to overcome the weakness of available methods on westward drift studies. We had committed testing and modifying the method, and analyzed the westward drifts and intensity variations of the non-dipole parts of geomagnetic field and 6 planetary-scale geomagnetic anomalies by this way. The globe and area characters of the westward drifts and intensity variations were discussed in detail. Second, the lat-dependence and dispersion of drift velocities were examined carefully. The results showed the velocities of the different wavelengths (from m = 1 to m = 10) geomagnetic potential were changing with the latitude. The lat-dependence of drift velocities is related to the latitude distributing of the geomagnetic potential. There was a negative dispersion in the westward drift, namely, the components of long wavelength drift faster than that of short wavelengths. Finally, we calculated the moments of the geomagnetic dipole, and found that the intensity of the dipole fields has been decreasing. Linking to the results in paleomagnetism, we draw a conclusion that the geomagnetic polarities may be reversed in 700 years.

大城市内部商业环境满意度评价与消费区位决策研究-以北京市西城区和海淀区为例

Since 1990s, commercial conditions in China including commercial environment, retail types, scale of retail enterprises, spatial structure of retail and shopping decision making factors have changed. In order to keep up with these changes, commercial geography should set up new perspectives, theories and methods to analyze its internal mechanism and changing rules, and thus provide reasonable and practical scientific basis to commercial planning, location decision of retail enterprises and commercial environment construction. Taking Xicheng and Haidian District of Beijing as research case, which is a sector region from city center to rural region, this paper selects 12 commercial centers as most important study objects of this sector. This paper mainly makes use of the methods of Modeling, Pearson Bivaiiate Correlations Analysis, Factor Analysis and Logit model. Based on 1300 questionnaires and fieldwork, this paper focuses on modeling of Consumer Satisfaction of Commercial Environment (CSCE), evaluation of commercial environment and driving factors of consumers' shopping location decision. Firstly, this paper discusses the development of commercial geography and commercial environment evaluation, the new characteristics and trends of commercial development in Beijing and physical commercial environment of Xicheng and Haidian District of Beijing from chapter 1 to chapter 4. Secondly, this paper summarizes characteristics of residents' shopping behavior in chapter 5. Thirdly, this paper sets up an evaluative model of CSCE, and analyzes consumer satisfaction indexes of commercial environment and their spatial features in chapter 6. Fourthly, this paper infers how residents' attributes and shopping behaviors affect their preferences of shopping location and what are residents' shopping location decisions and their influencing factors in chapter 7. Fifthly, this paper constructs a significant index model and a pyramidal framework of CSCE, and further analyzes the diversity and competitive advantage of commercial environment in chapter 8. Finally, some conclusions are drawn as follows: 1. Characteristics of residents' shopping behavior mostly embody residents' time distance preference, commodity consumption preference, shopping time distribution and shopping activity characteristics. The important factors that influence shopping location choice of residents are distance, transportation, commodity price, commodity types and commodity quality. However, the important factors, which influence shopping location re-choice of residents, are commodity price, commodity quality, commodity types and transportation. 2. CSCE indexes of 12 commercial centers show us significant spatial characteristics, such as spatial differences of "Center-fringe region", spatial characteristics of axes, spatial diversity of ring roads and so on. 3. Influencing factors including factor endowments, relative establishment factor and location and transportation factor of commercial environment are of importance for CSCE. 4. Logit model 1 indicates that shopping behavior of residents is significantly and positively related to working in high-tech companies, high income and by car and positively related to high school diploma, by bus and subway. 5. Logit model 2 indicates that residents' shopping location decision is significantly and positively related to leisure establishment and relative restaurant and entertainment establishment and negatively related to commercial location, commodity price, service quality, parking site. 6. The significant index model and the pyramidal framework of CSCE indicate competitive advantages are crucial to attractive capability of commercial center, and competitive weakness limits development of commercial centers, in particular the weakness of service quality and parking site now is the chief factors restricting development of commercial centers

Model-Based Reasoning: A Principled Approach for Software Engineering

Lee M.H., Model-Based Reasoning: A Principled Approach for Software Engineering, Software - Concepts and Tools,19(4), pp179-189, 2000.

Parameter sensitivity in simulations of snowmelt

Essery, RLH & P, Etchevers, (2004). Parameter sensitivity in simulations of snowmelt. Journal of Geophysical Research, 109, doi:10. 1029/2004JD005036.

Kontakty społeczności Europy środkowej i strefy egejskiej w drugim tysiącleciu przed Chr. Próba analizy archeologiczno-chronometrycznej

Wydział Historyczny: Instytut Prahistorii

Rondom de Ander in "Na die geliefde land" van Karel Schoeman

The aim of this article is to analyse the novel "Na die geliefde land" (1972) by Karel Schoeman, by interpreting the function of 'hulle' ('they') as a category of alienation/distancing. Schoeman presented a future vision of South Africa controlled by an unidentified group of 'them' and showed Afrikaners as a marginalized group, forced to live on farms. A narrow political interpretation dominated in the reception of this book, which was treated as a simulation of the development of the political situation in South Africa. The key argument of this article is that the indeterminate representation of the situation after the revolution is not a weakness of this novel, but a conscious strategy of the author. The article argues that problems concerning political revolution ('Who', 'Why', 'When') are not that relevant in a reading of the novel because "Na die geliefde land" deals mainly with an Afrikaner community’s reactions to a changed situation.

Modelo de engenharia de software para o desenvolvimento de jogos e simulações interactivas

Dissertação apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como partes dos requisitos para a obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Informática, ramo de Computação Móvel

Abuso infantil

Projeto de Pós-Graduação/Dissertação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Medicina Dentária

Clergy, crusified within the body of Christ - a challenge to pastoral care

M.A. Thesis / University of Pretoria / Department of Practical Theology / Advised by Prof M Masango

Occupational lead neurotoxicity: A behavioural and electrophysiological evaluation. study design and year one results.

To evaluate the effects of chronic lead exposure on the nervous system in adults, a set of neurobehavioural and electrophysiological tests was administered to 99 lead exposed foundry employees and 61 unexposed workers. Current and past blood lead concentrations were used to estimate the degree of lead absorption; all previous blood lead concentrations had been less than or equal to 90 micrograms/100 ml. Characteristic signs (such as wrist extensor weakness) or symptoms (such as colic) of lead poisoning were not seen. Sensory conduction in the sural nerve was not affected. By contrast, various neurobehavioural functions deteriorated with increasing lead burden. Workers with blood lead concentrations between 40 and 60 micrograms/100 ml showed impaired performance on tests of verbal concept formation, visual/motor performance, memory, and mood. Thus impairment in central nervous system function in lead exposed adults occurred in the absence of peripheral nervous system derangement and increased in severity with increasing lead dose.

Initial losses, corporate governance and earnings management

This thesis examines the relationship between initial loss events and the corporate governance and earnings management behaviour of these firms. This is done using four years of corporate governance information spanning the report of an initial loss for companies listed on the UK Stock Exchange. An industry- and sizematched control sample is used in a difference-in-difference analysis to isolate the impact of the initial loss event during the period. It is reported that, in general, an initial loss motivates an improvement in corporate governance in those loss firms where a relative weakness existed prior to the loss and that these changes mainly occur before the initial loss is announced. Firms with stronger (i.e. better quality) corporate governance have less need to alter it in response to the loss. It is also reported that initial loss firms use positive abnormal accruals in the year before the loss in an attempt to defer/avoid the loss — the weaker corporate governance the more likely is it that loss firms manage earnings in this manner. Abnormal accruals are also found to be predictive of an initial loss and when used as a conditioning variable, the quality of corporate governance is an important mitigating factor in this regard. Once the loss is reported, loss firms unwind these abnormal accruals although no evidence of big-bath behaviour is found. The extent to which these abnormal accruals are subsequently unwound are also found to be a function of both the quality of corporate governance as well as the severity of the initial loss.

Redox remodelling in diaphragm muscle adaptation to chronic sustained hypoxia

Chronic sustained hypoxia (CH) induces functional weakness, atrophy, and mitochondrial remodelling in the diaphragm muscle. Animal models of CH present with changes similar to patients with respiratory-related disease, thus, elucidating the molecular mechanisms driving these adaptations is clinically important. We hypothesize that ROS are pivotal in diaphragm muscle adaptation to CH. C57BL6/J mice were exposed to CH (FiO2=0.1) for one, three, and six weeks. Sternohyoid (upper airway dilator), extensor digitorum longus (EDL), and soleus were studied as reference muscles as well as the diaphragm. The diaphragm was profiled using a redox proteomics approach followed by mass spectrometry. Following this, redox-modified metabolic enzyme activities and atrophy signalling were assessed using spectrophotometric assays and ELISA. Diaphragm isotonic performance was assessed after six weeks of CH ± chronic antioxidant supplementation. Protein carbonyl and free thiol content in the diaphragm were increased and decreased respectively after six weeks of CH – indicative of protein oxidation. These changes were temporally modulated and muscle specific. Extensive remodelling of metabolic proteins occurred and the stress reached the cross-bridge. Metabolic enzyme activities in the diaphragm were, for the most part, decreased by CH and differential muscle responses were observed. Redox sensitive chymotrypsin-like proteasome activity of the diaphragm was increased and atrophy signalling was observed through decreased phospho-FOXO3a and phospho-mTOR. Phospho-p38 MAPK content was increased and this was attenuated by antioxidant treatment. Hypoxia decreased power generating capacity of the diaphragm and this was restored by N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) but not by tempol. Redox remodelling is pivotal for diaphragm adaptation to chronic sustained hypoxia. Muscle changes are dependent on duration of the hypoxia stimulus, activity profile of the muscle, and molecular composition of the muscle. The working respiratory muscles and slow oxidative fibres are particularly susceptible. NAC (antioxidant) may be useful as an adjunct therapy in respiratory-related diseases characterised by hypoxic stress.