Field emission vacuum power switch using vertically aligned carbon nanotubes

The best field emission properties from carbon nanotube cathodes were obtained when their heights, diameters and spacings were optimized. Field emission currents as high as 10 mA were obtained from 1 cm × 1 cm vertically aligned CNT cathode with optimized parameters grown using dc plasma CVD in situ. It was found that in order to obtain large emission current of >10 mA, space charge effects within the electron beam must be taken into account.

Internal models in the cerebellum.

This review will focus on the possibility that the cerebellum contains an internal model or models of the motor apparatus. Inverse internal models can provide the neural command necessary to achieve some desired trajectory. First, we review the necessity of such a model and the evidence, based on the ocular following response, that inverse models are found within the cerebellar circuitry. Forward internal models predict the consequences of actions and can be used to overcome time delays associated with feedback control. Secondly, we review the evidence that the cerebellum generates predictions using such a forward model. Finally, we review a computational model that includes multiple paired forward and inverse models and show how such an arrangement can be advantageous for motor learning and control.

Long-term monitoring of habitats and reef fish found inside and outside the U.S. Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument: a comparative assessment

The primary objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument (VICR), a marine protected area in St John, US Virgin Islands. Surveys of habitat and fishes inside and outside of VICR were conducted in 2003-2008. Areas outside the VICR had significantly more scleractinian corals, greater habitat complexity, and greater species richness and density of reef fishes than areas inside., Areas inside and outside the VICR exhibited significant decreases in percent scleractinian coral coverage over the study period. A contrasting trend of increasing macroalgal cover was also observed. No clear effect of the severe 2005 coral bleaching event was observed suggesting other causal factors. No obvious trends in the fish community were observed across the study period. The significant decline in habitat condition, coupled with the initial incorporation of some of the more degraded reefs into the marine protected area may result in a longer time period necessary to detect positive changes in the St. John coral reef ecosystem and associated reef fish abundance and community structure.

Diet of the minimal armhook squid (Berryteuthis anonychus) (Cephalopoda: Gonatidae) in the northeast Pacific during spring

The stomach contents of the minimal armhook squid (Berryteuthis anonychus) were examined for 338 specimens captured in the northeast Pacific during May 1999. The specimens were collected at seven stations between 145−165°W and 39−49°N and ranged in mantle length from 10.3 to 102.2 mm. Their diet comprised seven major prey groups (copepods, chaetognaths, amphipods, euphausiids, ostracods, unidentified fish, and unidentified gelatinous prey) and was dominated by copepods and chaetognaths. Copepod prey comprised four genera, and 86% by number of the copepods were from the genus Neocalanus. Neocalanus cristatus was the most abundant prey taxa, composing 50% by mass and 35% by number of the total diet. Parasagitta elegans (Chaetognatha) occurred in more stomachs (47%) than any other prey taxon. Amphipods occurred in 19% of the stomachs but composed only 5% by number and 3% by mass of the total prey consumed. The four remaining prey groups (euphausiids, ostracods, unidentified fish, and unidentified gelatinous prey) together composed <2% by mass and <1% by number of the diet. There was no major change in the diet through the size range of squid examined and no evidence of cannibalism or predation on other cephalopod species.

Efficiency of bycatch reduction devices in small otter trawls used in the Florida shrimp fishery

Two bycatch reduction devices (BRDs)—the extended mesh funnel (EMF) and the Florida fisheye (FFE)—were evaluated in otter trawls with net mouth circumferences of 14 m, 17 m, and 20 m and total net areas of 45 m2. Each test net was towed 20 times in parallel with a control net that had the same dimensions and configuration but no BRD. Both BRDs were tested at night during fall 1996 and winter 1997 in Tampa Bay, Florida. Usually, the bycatch was composed principally of finfish (44 species were captured); horseshoe crabs and blue crabs seasonally predominated in some trawls. Ten finfish species composed 92% of the total finfish catch; commercially or recreationally valuable species accounted for 7% of the catch. Mean finfish size in the BRD-equipped nets was usually slightly smaller than that in the control nets. Compared with the corresponding control nets, both biomass and number of finfish were almost always less in the BRD-equipped nets but neither shrimp number nor biomass were significantly reduced. The differences in proportions of both shrimp and finfish catch between the BRD-equipped and control nets varied between seasons and among net sizes, and differences in finfish catch were specific for each BRD type and season. In winter, shrimp catch was highest and size range of shrimp was greater than in fall. Season-specific differences in shrimp catch among the BRD types occurred only in the 14-m, EMF nets. Finfish bycatch species composition was also highly seasonal; each species was captured mainly during only one season. However, regardless of the finfish composition, the shrimp catch was relatively constant. In part as a result of this study, the State of Florida now requires the use of BRDs in state waters.

现代黄河三角洲湿地景观变化及其对水禽生境的影响

本文研究的开展主要源于国家海洋局海洋公益性行业科研专项经费项目“渤海典型区域的海洋多过程数据整合研究”课题支撑。在湿地日益退化丧失的全球背景下，本文选择沉积年代较轻、生态环境比较脆弱，且当前人类活动不断加剧的现代黄河三角洲为研究区，采用1999、2001、2004和2008年的Landsat5 TM遥感影像，选择丹顶鹤和黑嘴鸥为指示物种，结合野外实地调查和历史数据资料的整理和分析，以及黄河三角洲自然保护区对鸟类的监测记录结果，开展现代黄河三角洲湿地景观变化及其对水禽生境的影响研究。 论文的主要研究结果如下： 1、建立了服务于黄河三角洲湿地水禽生境保护的湿地景观分类体系 在系统分析研究区域湿地水禽生活习性和生态分布特征的基础上，从鸟类生境选择的概念出发，建立了服务于黄河三角洲湿地水禽生境保护的湿地景观分类体系。该分类体系一共分为4级，其中，第三级分类系统下天然湿地的划分是从鸟类选择的“大生境”角度出发，即根据区域地表类型，进一步将海洋/海岸湿地和内陆三角洲湿地划分成浅海水域、潮间淤泥滩、潮沟、河口水域、潮间盐沼、河流湿地和沼泽湿地7类。而第四级分类系统下天然湿地的划分则是从鸟类选择的“小生境”（即对水、食物、隐蔽物、干扰等的需求）角度出发，并按照水文和典型植被类型，进一步将天然湿地的三级类型划分为碱蓬沼泽、芦苇沼泽、柽柳灌丛沼泽等33类。 2、系统研究了现代黄河三角洲湿地景观格局的动态变化和影响因素 根据景观生态学理论，选取用于分析的景观格局指数，并从湿地景观类型的组成特征变化、面积变化、形状特征变化、空间配置特征变化四个方面分析在黄河断流前到其恢复正常行水至今的时间里三角洲湿地景观格局的动态变化，研究结果表明：在1999~2008年的9年间，天然湿地构成了现代黄河三角洲景观的主体，约占研究区域景观总面积的65%~75%，决定了该地区湿地的主要结构和功能。但随着人类对土地资源利用方式的不断改变和强度的提高，天然湿地景观呈萎缩退化趋势，9年内共减少338.44 km2，约占研究区景观总面积的8.90%。与此同时，盐田、养殖池塘等人工湿地和耕地等非湿地面积不断扩张，人工湿地面积增加量约为242.08km2，约占研究区景观总面积的6.37%，非湿地面积增加量约为96.36 km2，约占研究区景观总面积的2.53%。从一些重要的景观指数的计算结果来看，研究区域整体景观斑块数量呈增加趋势，平均斑块大小随之减小，景观边界密度大小、聚集度指数也呈下降趋势，表明从1999到2008年研究区域整体景观被边界分割的程度加深，整体景观中的斑块在空间分布上隔离程度加重，开始由大片连续分布向小块离散分布转变，景观的破碎化程度加重。 湿地景观格局变化的驱动机制分析表明，影响研究区湿地景观变化的主要因素包括三个方面，即：黄河水沙条件的驱动力、湿地自身演替驱动力和人为驱动力。在1999~2008年的9年间，黄河虽然恢复正常行水，不再断流，但入海泥沙量的明显减少使得除现行河口处沙嘴继续向海缓慢延伸外，黄河三角洲总体上处于侵蚀状态。湿地自身的演替主要体现在湿地由裸露淤泥质滩涂向发育典型湿地植物群落的顺向演替，以及发育有典型湿地植物群落的湿地向裸露淤泥质滩涂逆向演替两个方面。在1999~2008年间9年里，湿地顺向发育演替面积约130.64 km2，而逆向发育演替面积约为99.51 km2。人类活动一直以来都是影响黄河三角洲湿地景观变化不可忽视的营造力。大规模的滩涂围垦和养殖、农业用地的不断开垦和扩张，以及密集的油田开发活动不仅缩减了原本生长着芦苇茅草等植物的天然湿地资源，而且加重了三角洲湿地景观的破碎程度。 3、在整个研究区域尺度上深刻分析了丹顶鹤和黑嘴鸥潜在生境的适宜性 根据黄河三角洲自然保护区关于鸟类的监测记录资料，在深入分析湿地水禽生活习性和分布特征的基础上，选择丹顶鹤和黑嘴鸥为指示物种，从鸟类生境选择自身的特征出发，确定地表类型、水、食物、隐蔽物和干扰为影响两种鸟类类群进行生境选择的因素，并构建生境适宜性评价模型，在整个研究区域尺度上对两种鸟类类群的潜在生境进行适宜性评价和动态变化分析。研究结果表明，在不考虑居民地、油田作业用地和道路等干扰因子对生境产生的破碎化效应影响时，适宜丹顶鹤和黑嘴鸥生存的生境类型在1999~2008年间占研究区整体景观总面积的比重均在30%以上，其中天然湿地约占适宜生境类型面积的95%，可利用的人工湿地比重极小，但呈缓慢增加趋势，且由于可利用的天然湿地生境类型的逐年减少使得适宜两种鸟类类群的生境类型总面积总体上呈萎缩趋势。在考虑居民地、油田作业用地和道路等干扰因子对生境产生的破碎化效应影响时，适宜丹顶鹤和黑嘴鸥生存的生境类型在1999~2008年间占研究区域整体景观总面积的百分比由之前接近40%下降到20%以下，面积减少量均在600 km2以上。 4、系统分析了研究区湿地景观变化对水禽生境的影响 从研究区湿地景观基质的面积变化、形状和空间邻接关系变化、破碎化等三个方面分析了研究区湿地景观变化对丹顶鹤和黑嘴鸥两种鸟类类群生境的影响，结果表明，湿地景观基质中天然湿地的变化与丹顶鹤、黑嘴鸥适宜生境的大小和空间分布密切相关。在1999~2008年间，随着天然湿地面积的减少，适宜以上两种鸟类类群的生境面积也随之减少，两者呈正相关关系；在1999~2008年间，研究区天然湿地和人工湿地景观基质整体的形状指数均在1.0附近，表明湿地景观基质整体上的边缘效应较小，但建设用地、农林用地等非湿地景观与丹顶鹤和黑嘴鸥适宜生境类型中的主导类型——潮间淤泥滩、潮间盐沼和沼泽湿地等三种景观类型的频繁邻接，对于保护两种鸟类类群十分不利，应积极采取相应的措施加强保护力度；在1999~2008年间，研究区景观整体，以及湿地景观基质结构的破碎化，导致鸟类可利用的天然湿地和人工湿地景观内部斑块之间的连接程度下降，从而使得丹顶鹤、黑嘴

Evolution of the tandem repeats in thymidylate synthase enhancer region (TSER) in primates

The upstream regulatory region of the human thymidylate synthase gene (thymidylate synthase enhancer region, TSER) is length polymorphic, attributable to variable numbers of tandemly repeated copies of a 28-bp fragment. It has been found that TSER length