Streamline topology and dilute particle dynamics in a Karman vortex street flow

Three types of streamline topology in a Karman vortex street flow are shown under the variation of spatial parameters. For the motion of dilute particles in the Karman vortex street flow, there exist a route of bifurcation to a chaotic orbit and more attractors in a bifurcation diagram for the proportion of particle density to fluid density. Along with the increase of spatial parameters in the flow field, the bifurcation process is suspended, as well as more and more attractors emerge. In the motion of dilute particles, a drag term and gravity term dominate and result in the bifurcation phenomenon.

Review of river fisheries valuation in West and Central Africa

This paper provides a review of the valuation of river fisheries in West and Central Africa. It is the general perception that, compared to the biological and ecological aspects of river fisheries, this particular subject area has received relatively little attention. Economic valuation is concerned with finding expression for what is important in life for human society. It should, therefore, be a central and integral part of government decision-making and policy. The review started with concepts and methods for valuation. Three main types of valuation techniques were identified: conventional economic valuations, economic impact assessments and socioeconomic investigations, and livelihood analysis. On the basis of a literature review, valuation information was then synthesized for the major regional river basins and large lakes, and also used to develop a series of national fisheries profiles. To supplement this broad perspective, a series of case studies are also presented, which focus in particular on the impact of changes in water management regime. Finally, the paper presents an assessment of the three main types of valuation methodology and a set of conclusions and recommendations for future valuation studies.

Controlling the group velocity in a five-level K-type atomic system

The properties of a five-level K-type system are investigated. With the controlling fields, the properties of the dispersion and absorption of the system are changed greatly. The system can produce anomalous dispersion regions with absorption and normal dispersion regions with absorption or transparency. Furthermore, the group velocity can be varied from subluminal to superluminal by varying the intensity of the controlling field and the probe detunings in principle. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

基于达曼光栅的动态光耦合器

提出了一种基于达曼光栅的动态光耦合器,通过控制装置中达曼光栅位移参量,可实现入射光束的分束或合束以及两者之间的动态转换。适当选择达曼光栅类型可实现任意N×M的动态光耦合。实验中以1550 nm光波长为例,对1×8达曼动态光耦合器进行测量,测得其实现光开关功能时插入损耗为0.43 dB,实现光分束功能时均匀性达到0.03,单路插入损耗均值为10.5 dB。该实验装置易于调节、体积小、能耗低,且关键元件达曼光栅制作工艺成熟,易于批量化生产。特别是在实现中大规模光交换阵列时,该方案就具有更明显的优越性,有实用意

Synapses with short-term plasticity are optimal estimators of presynaptic membrane potentials.

The trajectory of the somatic membrane potential of a cortical neuron exactly reflects the computations performed on its afferent inputs. However, the spikes of such a neuron are a very low-dimensional and discrete projection of this continually evolving signal. We explored the possibility that the neuron's efferent synapses perform the critical computational step of estimating the membrane potential trajectory from the spikes. We found that short-term changes in synaptic efficacy can be interpreted as implementing an optimal estimator of this trajectory. Short-term depression arose when presynaptic spiking was sufficiently intense as to reduce the uncertainty associated with the estimate; short-term facilitation reflected structural features of the statistics of the presynaptic neuron such as up and down states. Our analysis provides a unifying account of a powerful, but puzzling, form of plasticity.

梭梭种群分子生态学研究

中国是受沙漠化影响最严重的国家之一。梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendronBunge)是藜科梭梭属多年生小乔木或灌木，作为荒漠地区主要的建群种和优良固沙植物，梭梭在维持荒漠生态系统的结构与功能、防止土地沙漠化、改善小气候方面具有十分重要的作用。近年来，由于不合理地开发利用，大面积的天然梭梭林衰退甚至死亡。然而，我们对于梭梭种群的空间分布和遗传结构所知甚少。本文拟通过对自然梭梭种群的空间格局、遗传结构、遗传结构的空间分布、以及种子种群与地面植被种群的遗传比较的研究，探讨种群的空间结构特征及成因，评价种群遗传多样性水平，了解遗传多样性在种群内、种群间的分布情况以及在空间上的分布格局，预测种群的遗传潜能，并为制定合理的保护、利用策略提供理论依据。 1．对古尔班通古特沙漠东南部地区处于不同演替阶段的四个梭梭种群的分布格局和种群动态进行了考察。结果表明，不同样地中梭梭种群的幼苗（<0.5m）和幼树( 0,5-lm)均呈聚集分布，样地A、B、D中的成熟个体(>1m)也呈聚集分布，样地c中的成熟个体呈随机分布，从整个种群来看，所有梭梭种群均呈聚集分布。种群的龄级结构图表明样地A和c中的梭梭种群表现为稳定型结构，可进行持续更新，虽然样地D中的种群幼苗和幼树数量较少，但这种现象是暂时的，种群仍具有持续更新的能力，样地B中的种群表现为衰退型结构。 2．利用空间自相关分析检测上述四个种群的空间遗传结构，结果表明，四个种群中的成株均无显著的空间自相关。虽然梭梭的种子散布能力有限，但花粉流有可能是空间遗传结构不显著的原因之一;另一个可能的解释是在种群更新和发展过程中，由于种内竞争的增强而发生了自疏现象。 3．利用ISSR标记对新疆和内蒙古境内共9个种群的遗传结构进行研究。8个引物共扩增出219条带，其中184条(84%)具多态性，种群的遗传多样性水平较高，通过AMOVA分析表明大部分遗传多样性分布在种群内，区域间、种群间的遗传变异均很小。梭梭种群较高的遗传多样性水平可能源于对异质、高胁迫环境的长期适应，而种群间遗传分异低的主要原因是种群间存在强大的基因流。 4．对5个梭梭种群的地面植被和种子库的遗传结构进行了比较分析，并调查了其中3个种群地面植被和种子库的空间遗传结构。结果表明，在所有种群中，地面植被和种子库的遗传多样性水平相似，而地面植被的遗传分异高于种子库的遗传分异：二者在遗传结构的空间分布上也不相同，地面植被种群无显著的空间自相关，而种子库种群在第一距离级上( 0-10 m)呈显著正相关。研究结果表明梭梭种群的种子库有能力保持种群的遗传多样性并减弱种群的遗传分化。 5．研究结果建议，由于现存梭梭种群和其潜在种群（种子种群）仍保持了较高的遗传多样性，种群间的基因交换并没有受到阻碍，因此对梭梭的保护可以与生态恢复工作同时进行。在具体工作中，应充分考虑种群的遗传结构特征及其空间格局，选取适合的种群或种子资源进行恢复与重建，并保持一定水平的种群大小，才能实现种群的稳定发展以及在高胁迫环境中的长期存活。 荒漠生态系统植被结构简单，环境压力大，对荒漠地区主要建群种和优势种植物的空间分布和遗传结构进行研究对于探讨在胁迫环境中各种进化力量（如选择、突变、迁移、漂变）的作用机制有重要意义，并为荒漠生态系统的恢复与重建工作提供了有价值的信息。在本文中，对荒漠植物在较大地理范围内的遗传结构研究、通过空间自相关分析进行种群的空间遗传结构研究、地面植被种群与种子库种群在遗传结构、空间遗传结构上的比较研究在国内均为首例。这些研究结果为进一步深入探讨荒漠植物生态适应与进化的分子机制奠定了基础。