Active steering of a tractor-semi-trailer

This paper develops a path-following steering control strategy for an articulated heavy goods vehicle. The controller steers the axles of the semi-trailer so that its rear end follows the path of the fifth wheel coupling: for all paths and all speeds. This substantially improves low-speed manoeuvrability, off-tracking, and tyre scrubbing (wear). It also increases high-speed stability, reduces 'rearward amplification', and reduces the propensity to roll over in high-speed transient manoeuvres. The design of a novel experimental heavy goods vehicle with three independent hydraulically actuated steering axles is presented. The path-following controller is tested on the experimental vehicle, at low and high speeds. The field test results are compared with vehicle simulations and found to agree well. The benefits of this steering control approach are quantified. In a low-speed 'roundabout' manoeuvre, low-speed off-tracking was reduced by 73 per cent, from 4.25 m for a conventional vehicle to 1.15 m for the experimental vehicle; swept-path width was reduced by 2 m (28 per cent); peak scrubbing tyre forces were reduced by 83 per cent; and entry tail-swing was eliminated. In an 80 km/h lane-change manoeuvre, peak path error for the experimental vehicle was 33 per cent less than for the conventional vehicle, and rearward amplification of the trailer was 35 per cent less. Increasing the bandwidth of the steering actuators improved the high-speed dynamic performance of the vehicle, but at the expense of increased oil flow.

Triggering in a thermoacoustic system with stochastic noise

This paper explores the mechanism of triggering in a simple thermoacoustic system, the Rijke tube. It is demonstrated that additive stochastic perturbations can cause triggering before the linear stability limit of a thermoacoustic system. When triggering from low noise amplitudes, the system is seen to evolve to self-sustained oscillations via an unstable periodic solution of the governing equations. Practical stability is introduced as a measure of the stability of a linearly stable state when finite perturbations are present. The concept of a stochastic stability map is used to demonstrate the change in practical stability limits for a system with a subcritical bifurcation, once stochastic terms are included. The practical stability limits are found to be strongly dependent on the strength of noise.

线粒体DNA 3243、3316 点突变与2 型糖尿病

　目的　研究2 型糖尿病患者中线粒体tRNAL eu (UUR) 基因3243AöG 突变和NADH 脱氢酶亚 单位1 基因( ND1 ) 基因3316GöA 突变的发生频率及其与2 型糖尿病的相关性。方法　应用聚合酶链反 应及限制性片段长度多态性技术检测225 例中国云南2 型糖尿病患者和195 名无糖尿病家族史的健康对 照者有无3243AöG 突变和3316GöA 突变, 并经DNA 直接测序确证。结果　2 型糖尿病患者中3316GöA 突变者5 例(2. 22% ) , 195 例对照者中突变者2 例(1. 03% ) , 突变发生率在两组间差异无统计学意义(P = 0. 4576) ; 两组中无线粒体3243AöG 突变。结论　线粒体tRNAL eu (UUR) 基因3243AöG 突变在中国云南2 型 糖尿病人群中发生频率低, 可能不是云南人群中2 型糖尿病的常见病因。线粒体ND1 基因3316GöA 突变 可能仅为人群中线粒体基因组的正常多态。其他的遗传、环境及子宫内因素需要进一步研究。

白腹锦鸡和红腹锦鸡的遗传分化

测定了白腹锦鸡C. amherstiae两个个体部分细胞色素b基因序列,得到完全相同的861bp的序列。与红腹锦鸡C. pictus的同源序列相比,在21个位点上出现变异,应用木村资生的双参数法算出两者的遗传距离为2.5%。根据鸡形目细胞色素b基因核苷酸替换的速率约为每百万年0.5%-0.7%,推断出两种锦鸡的分化时间至少为1.7百万年。从而在分子水平上支持白腹锦鸡(C. amherstiae)和红腹锦鸡(C. pictus)是两个独立种。

Tolerance of Penaeus monodon larvae to cupric sulfate added in bath

Copper is used to deter the growth of bacterial, fungal and protozoan disease organism in fishes. Zoeae (Z SUB-1 ), myses (M SUB-1 ) and postlarvae (P SUB-1 ) were exposed to copper sulfate at concentrations of 0 . 025, 0 . 05, 0 . 75, 0 . 1 and 0 . 2 ppm from 24 to 96 hours. The number of surviving larvae were counted at the end of each 24-hour period and the percentage of survival is determined for each dose level. The LC SUB-50 for each of the larval stages was interpolated from the data whenever possible. Three trials with 2 replicates per trial were conducted. The physico-chemical characteristics of the bath taken before and at the end of the experimental period show insignificant differences between initial and final values in each trial. Results indicate that mortality rates of all larval stages increased with exposure time and that mortality rates of the experimental group is higher than the control. Interpolation of the LC SUB-50 is possible only for the 48-h and 72-h exposure times for both zoeae and myses and for the 48-h exposure time for the postlarvae. This is due to the high survival percentage of the 24-h group and the low survival percentage (below 50%) of the larvae exposed for 96 hours. The 48-hour LC SUB-50 for Z SUB-1 , M SUB-1 and P SUB-1 are 0 . 225, 0 . 350 and 0 . 125 ppm respectively. Postlarvae seem to be more sensitive than either of the 2 larval stages having a lower 48-h LC SUB-50 and a low survival rate after 72 hours. The larvae were observed to lose their balance and were lethargic, producing few swimming movements so that they were mostly confined to the bottom of the aquaria. Moribund larvae observed under the microscope had a faster but weak heartbeat compared to healthy larvae. Slight or complete loss of feeding ability indicated by empty guts and delayed molting of Z SUB-1 to Z SUB-2 were also noted.

四个小檗碱类化合物的体外抗HIV-1活性

目的:研究小檗碱和巴马汀母核上己基的引入对化合物抗HIV-1活性的影响,并比较结构相似的小檗碱和巴马汀抗HIV-1活性的差异.方法:考察4个化合物对重组HIV-1 RT活性、HIV-1复制和细胞毒性的影响.结果:小檗碱和巴马汀有较强的体外抑制HIV-1重组逆转录酶活性, EC50分别是63.1和44.52 μg·mL-1;己基巴马汀有一定的抗HIV-1活性,合胞体抑制的EC50是0.08 μg·mL-1,治疗指数为11.38;巴马汀对各种细胞系的细胞毒性较其他3种化合物小.结论:己基巴马汀有一定的抗HIV-1活性,己基的引入可能改变了其作用机制,提示构效关系的研究将为寻找高效低毒的天然化合物提供实验依据.

一种在核苷酸水平检测自然选择的新方法

非编码区序列在基因表达调控中起着重要作用, 但其在进化过程中是否受到选择作用一直较难检 测。最近有一些研究使用平均的核苷酸替换速率与中性序列的核苷酸替换速率的比值(ω) 作为检测非编码区 总体受选择作用的指标; 但是对于非编码区而言, 了解具体哪些核苷酸受到选择作用更具有意义。我们借鉴 Nielsen & Yang (1998) 检测单个氨基酸位点是否受选择作用的思路, 在最大似然法的模型下, 提出一种在核苷 酸位点水平上对自然选择作用检测的方法。本方法能够检测在进化过程中对功能分化有重要贡献的核苷酸位 点, 包括编码和非编码区。将此方法应用于熟知的受到正选择作用的蛋白编码基因序列( HIV21 包装蛋白基因 编码区) , 均能够检测到那些已知的受到正选择的核苷酸(密码子) 位点, 说明此方法可以有效地在核苷酸位 点水平检测选择作用; 又将此方法应用于非编码区( CTGF 基因5′UTR) , 也得到了良好的结果。

Chemical Constituents from the Leaves and Stems of Schisandra rubriflora

Six new nortriterpenoids, schirubridilactones A-F (1-6). as well as 14 known compounds, were isolated from the leaves and stems of Schisandra rubriflora. The Structures of 1-6 were elucidated oil the basis of spectroscopic methods including HSQC, HMBC, H-1-H-1 COSY, and ROESY NMR experiments. The relative stereochemistry of I was confirmed through single-crystal X-ray analysis. In addition, compounds 1-6 showed anti-HIV-1 activity with EC50 values in the range 14.3-80.8 mu g/mL and Selectivity indices in the range 2.2-9.0.

云南怒江峡谷的蝴蝶资源

报道云南怒江峡谷的蝴蝶共11 科115 属225 种。同时提出改造怒江峡谷为蝴蝶峡谷、开办蝴蝶牧场、发展蝴蝶 贸易、建立科普园地、加强生态环境的恢复和蝶类资源保护等5 点建议。

Effect of delayed icing on the quality of tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon Fab.)

Effect of delayed icing on the quality of Penaeus monodon iced after three hours of harvest was studied in plastic and bamboo baskets. After harvest of three hours at ambient temperature (28°-32°C), ice was added to the shrimp at a ratio of 1:1 (shrimp:ice) and stored for 21 hours in both the baskets. Quality evaluation was carried out through visual assessment, biochemical analysis and microbial analysis for 24 hours. The organoleptic evaluation and scoring was done from the time of harvest treated as 0 hour and the average score was 10. At 9th hour after iced condition quality of shrimp was found reduced to the next stage (acceptable) with a score ranged from 8.4-6.5 in both baskets. This acceptable stage was observed throughout the experiment for bamboo basket whereas in the plastic basket the quality was reduced to a small extent with a score of 6.4 (moderately acceptable). Till the end point of the experiment the quality of shrimp was acceptable in respect to biochemical analysis. The microbial load was found log sub(10) 3.99±0.12 cfu/g to log sub(10) 4.33±0.21 cfu/g and log sub(10) 4.01 ±0.12 cfu/g to log sub(10) 4.83±0.19 cfu/g in the bamboo and plastic basket respectively. The importers or buyers suggests for immediate icing to maintain good quality but results of the present experiment suggest that the quality does not vary drastically for first three hours.

Species diversification in coastal aquaculture: production potentials of shrimp (Penaeus monodon) with mono and mixed sex tilapia

An experiment of 120 days of culture was conducted in brackishwater earthen ponds having an area of 0.2ha each. The hatchery produced shrimp (Penaeus monodon) post larvae were stocked in the 40m² fine meshed nylon net nursery enclosures were fed with commercial pellet feed. After two weeks of nursing, juveniles were allowed to spread in cultural pond by opening the fence. Fingerlings of three different strain of tilapia were stocked as shrimp and Strain-1 all male (monosex) (T1), shrimp and Strain-2 all male (T2), shrimp and Strain-3 mixed sex population (T3) @ 20.000/ha and 10.000/ha, respectively and shrimp only (monoculture) (T4) @ 20.000/ha. The shrimp and fish were fed with farm made feed consisting of a mixture of fishmeal 29%, MOC 15%, rice bran 30%, soybean meal 16%, wheat flour 9% and vitamin premix 0.1%. The average final weight of shrimp was 24.9±1.13g, 23.41±3.26g and 26.67±1.89g that stocked with tilapia in treatments T1, T2, and T3 respectively. The final average weight of shrimp in monoculture (T4) was 27.41±0.76g, apparently higher but insignificant in treatments. The survival of shrimp was 42.17%, 32.38%, 39.45% and 61.98% in treatments T1 T2, T3 and T4 respectively. The production of shrimp in concurrent culture was 193.67, 154.26 and 210.41kg/ha in T1, T2 and T3, respectively, while in monoculture (T4) was 339.77 kg/ha. The growth and survival of tilapia among the treatments was insignificant. The growth of monosex tilapia ranged 225.29 and 291.31g and survival 62.77 and 72.20% in T1 and T2, respectively, in mixed sex was 193.0g and 83.20% (T3). The production of tilapia monosex strains was 1676.69kg/ha (Strain-2 all male) and 1668.98 kg/ha (Strain-1 all male) while that of Strain-3 mixed sex population was 1622.92 kg/ha.

A new species of bamboo bat (Chiroptera : Vespertilionidae : Tylonycteris) from southwestern China

Bamboo bats are a group of small bats with unique skull and morphology. They roost inside hollow bamboo stems in tropical and subtropical Asia and the Ambon Islands (Moluccas). We examined 53 specimens of Tylonycteris from southern and southwestern China. Comparisons of skull and external characteristics, pelage color, shapes of thumbpads and footpads, and statistical analysis of cranial measurements revealed that specimens from Damenglong, Jinghong County, Xishuang-banna, Yunnan, are distinctly different from the other two species of Tylonycteris described so far. The Yunnan specimens are the smallest in size; have dark blackish brown pelage color; and have larger upper premolars, smaller first lower premolars, and longer C-M-3. They are sympatric with the previously described species. Here we review the genus Tylonycteri and describe a new species, Tylonycteris pygmaeus, from the Yunnan material.