Observations on colony formation by the cosmopolitan phytoplankton genus Phaeocystis

Few marine phytoplankton have heteromorphic life cycles and also often dominate the ecosystems in which they occur. The class Prymnesiophyceae contains a notable exception: the genus Phaeocystis includes three species that form gelatinous colonies but also occur within their ranges as solitary cells. Phaeocystis antarctica and P. pouchetii are exclusively high latitude taxa, and are notable for regionally tremendous blooms of the colony stage. P. globosa occurs circumglobally, yet its colony blooms primarily are confined to colder waters within its range. Three additional species are warm water forms that have been reported only as solitary cells or loose aggregations that bear little resemblance to the organized colonies of the other taxa. Interpretation of existing data indicates that resource availability (light, temperature and nutrients) by itself is not sufficient to explain this distinction between cold-water colony-forming taxa and warm water solitary cell taxa, nor why colony development in P. globosa is essentially a spatially restricted phenomenon within a much broader geographic range. Colony development by P. globosa in situ has been observed at temperatures ≥20 °C, but only rarely and generally under conditions of seasonally or anthropogenically elevated nutrient supply. Data presented here demonstrate colony development at 20–22 °C in natural plankton communities from oligotrophic waters that were pre-screened through 63 μm mesh (i.e. lacking mesozooplankton and large microzooplankton), but not in unscreened communities containing microzooplankton and >63 μm zooplankton. Reduction of colony proliferation at higher temperatures by mesozooplankton grazing remains as an intriguing possibility that is consistent with available evidence to help explain differences in latitudinal extent of in situ colony development. These data are interpreted within a theoretical framework regarding the potential advantages and disadvantages of the two life cycle stages.     

Bottom slamming on heaving point absorber wave energy devices

Oscillating point absorber buoys may rise out of the water and be subjected to bottom slamming upon re-entering the water. Numerical simulations are performed to estimate the power absorption, the impact velocities and the corresponding slamming forces for various slamming constraints. Three buoy shapes are considered: a hemisphere and two conical shapes with deadrise angles of 30° and 45°, with a waterline diameter of 5 m. The simulations indicate that the risk of rising out of the water is largely dependent on the buoy draft and sea state. Although associated with power losses, emergence occurrence probabilities can be significantly reduced by adapting the control parameters. The magnitude of the slamming load is severely influenced by the buoy shape. The ratio between the peak impact load on the hemisphere and that on the 45° cone is approximately 2, whereas the power absorption is only 4–8% higher for the 45° cone. This work illustrates the need to include slamming considerations aside from power absorption criteria in the buoy shape design process and the control strategy.     

An approach to estimation of near-surface turbulence and CO2 transfer velocity from remote sensing data

The air–sea CO₂ exchange is primarily determined by the boundary-layer processes in the near-surface layer of the ocean since it is a water-side limited gas. As a consequence, the interfacial component of the CO₂ transfer velocity can be linked to parameters of turbulence in the near-surface layer of the ocean. The development of remote sensing techniques provides a possibility to quantify the dissipation of the turbulent kinetic energy in the near-surface layer of the ocean and the air–sea CO₂ transfer velocity on a global scale. In this work, the dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy in the near-surface layer of the ocean and its patchiness has been linked to the air–sea CO₂ transfer velocity with a boundary-layer type model. Field observations of upper ocean turbulence, laboratory studies, and the direct CO₂ flux measurements are used to validate the model. The model is then forced with the TOPEX POSEIDON wind speed and significant wave height to demonstrate its applicability for estimating the distribution of the near-surface turbulence dissipation rate and gas transfer velocity for an extended (decadal) time period. A future version of this remote sensing algorithm will incorporate directional wind/wave data being available from QUIKSCAT, a now-cast wave model, and satellite heat fluxes. The inclusion of microwave imagery from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) and the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) will provide additional information on the fractional whitecap coverage and sea surface turbulence patchiness.     

A novel physiological index for Driver’s Activation State derived from simulated monotonous driving studies

Automobile driving in monotonous situations such as driving for long periods and/or travelling a familiar route may cause the lowering of the driver’s awareness level or what we term here as a Driver’s Activation State (DAS), resulting in an increased risk of an accident. We propose here to develop means with which to create an in-car environment so as to allow active driving, hopefully thus avoiding potentially dangerous situations. In order ultimately to develop a validated activation method, we firstly set out to examine physiological variables, including cardiovascular parameters, during simulated monotonous driving. Subsequently, we investigated the derivation of a suitable DAS index. During the experiment, a momentary electrical test stimulus of 0.5 s duration was applied at a rate of approximately once per 10 min to the subject’s shoulder to evoke a physiological responses. In 11 healthy male volunteers we successfully monitored physiological variables during the experiment and found particular patterns in the beat-by-beat changes of blood pressure in response to the electrical test stimulus. This finding, explained by autonomic activity balance, suggests that the patterns may be used as an appropriate and practicable index relevant to the Driver’s Activation State.     

金融危机下，导航企业怎样生存

虽然金融危机爆发已经好几个月了，但真正的危机将在2009年春节后到来，现在只不过是个“危机预热期”。在此情况下，我们的导航地图业如何保持业绩持续增长，在危机期间凸显新兴行业的潜力呢？     

测量隧道、管道中的结构性运动：光纤测量应变

预测结构性地表沉降引起的地下结构运动是一件非常重要的任务，特别是牵涉到年久的基础设施时（例如砌筑隧道和管道）。我们对这方面的了解还很有限，例如，隧疏王引爱土体运动时，砖衬隧道将如何变化？现在英国剑桥大学工程部的研究人员提出了一种解决方案。     

Shipping and investment incentives: a trilogy Part 2. Investment incentives for shipping

This paper concentrates on the shipping industry and considers the forms of fiscal and financial incentives which are used by different governments to promote or encourage investment in their shipping industry. The analysis reduces the various packages of investment incentives and loan arrangements to a common measurement—the net present value of the package—and uses this to draw international comparisons and rankings. The results are based on different values of rates of return in the shipping industry and under certain assumptions concerning the rate of inflation and the rate of discount. Differences in loan arrangements have also been incorporated. The particular results are valid only for the specified circumstances but the methodology is generally applicable.     

Shipping and investment incentives: a trilogy Part 3. The effectiveness of investment incentives for shipping—the UK experience 1950-1987

This paper concentrates on the determinants of investment and examines both theoretical and empirical work on the investment function. The major determinants are considered and a case study of the United Kingdom shipping industry in the period 1963-1987 is undertaken. The analysis is unable to find any real link between the value of the investment incentives packages available to the UK shipping industry and the size of the UK fleet during this period. The conclusion follows that while financial factors (e.g. favourable credit arrangements) or individual components (e.g. investment grants) of fiscal packages may influence the decision to invest, the total package has not affected the level of shipping investment in the manner expected.     

美国校车及其紧急逃生研究

从美国校车发展历程、校车管理以及校车安全标准3个方面概述美国校车。一旦发生紧急情况,紧急逃生对于保障学生安全举足轻重,而国内相关研究相对薄弱。从常见紧急情况、紧急逃生原则、紧急逃生演练等不同视角详细阐述美国校车事故的紧急逃生,对于改善中国校车安全现状具有积极意义。