Ecological forecasts: an emerging imperative

Planning and decision-making can be improved by access to reliable forecasts of ecosystem state, ecosystem services, and natural capital. Availability of new data sets, together with progress in computation and statistics, will increase our ability to forecast ecosystem change. An agenda that would lead toward a capacity to produce, evaluate, and communicate forecasts of critical ecosystem services requires a process that engages scientists and decision-makers. Interdisciplinary linkages are necessary because of the climate and societal controls on ecosystems, the feedbacks involving social change, and the decision-making relevance of forecasts.     

Catalytic coal gasification: an emerging technology

Catalytic coal gasification is being developed as a more efficient and less costly approach to producing methane from coal. With a potassium catalyst all the reactions can take place at one temperature, so that endothermic and exothermic reactions can be integrated in a single reactor. A key aspect of the concept involves continuous recycling of product carbon monoxide and hydrogen to the gasifier following separation of methane. Development of the process has advanced steadily since the basic concept was proposed in 1971. A 23-day demonstration run was recently completed in a process development unit with a coal feed rate of 1 ton per day. The next major step in the program will be to design and construct a large pilot plant to bring the technology to commercial readiness in the late 1980's.     

植物内生菌及其防治植物病害的研究进展

目的了解香竹箐栽培古茶树内生真菌对植物病原真菌的拮抗活性。方法采用尖端菌丝纯化法分离内生真菌,并结合形态学和分子生物学方法对内生真菌进行鉴定,采用五点对峙培养法筛选对供试病原真菌具有拮抗活性的内生真菌菌株,对具有较强活性的菌株进行分类地位归属。结果从香竹箐栽培古茶树枝叶中共分离纯化出308株内生真菌,归属于61个形态型。病原真菌拮抗试验结果显示：有18株内生真菌对4种以上供试菌的抑制率大于50%,分别隶属于2门3纲10目13科14属。有13株对至少1种供试菌的抑制率大于75%,有9株对5种供试菌的抑制率均大于50%。其中,菌株Ct-BC40、Ct-BC72和Ct-LP113对5种供试菌的抑制率达80%以上,属强拮抗菌株。结论香竹箐栽培古茶树内生真菌中广泛分布着抑菌活性菌株,占分离菌株总数的96%以上,且抗菌活性、种属分布具有多样性。     

Thermoclines: a solar thermal energy resource for enhanced hydroelectric power production

The solar thermal energy stored in hydroelectric reservoir thermoclines is very large and greatly exceeds the gravitational hydroenergy of the surface water, even after limitations arising from the second law of thermodynamics have been taken into account. Greatly enhanced power production can be obtained at present hydroelectric facilities if heat engines are adapted to exploit this large thermal energy resource.     

Normalization of tumor vasculature: an emerging concept in antiangiogenic therapy

Solid tumors require blood vessels for growth, and many new cancer therapies are directed against the tumor vasculature. The widely held view is that these antiangiogenic therapies should destroy the tumor vasculature, thereby depriving the tumor of oxygen and nutrients. Here, I review emerging evidence supporting an alternative hypothesis-that certain antiangiogenic agents can also transiently "normalize" the abnormal structure and function of tumor vasculature to make it more efficient for oxygen and drug delivery. Drugs that induce vascular normalization can alleviate hypoxia and increase the efficacy of conventional therapies if both are carefully scheduled. A better understanding of the molecular and cellular underpinnings of vascular normalization may ultimately lead to more effective therapies not only for cancer but also for diseases with abnormal vasculature, as well as regenerative medicine, in which the goal is to create and maintain a functionally normal vasculature.     

中国农地保护及其制度研究

分析了中国农地资源减少的严峻形势以及西方有关农地保护的制度与法规,提出了中国农地保护与管理制度体系,并着重对农地产权制度,土地利用规划,土地用途管制和土地事理等缸建设进行了探索。     

Children creating core properties of language: evidence from an emerging sign language in Nicaragua

A new sign language has been created by deaf Nicaraguans over the past 25 years, providing an opportunity to observe the inception of universal hallmarks of language. We found that in their initial creation of the language, children analyzed complex events into basic elements and sequenced these elements into hierarchically structured expressions according to principles not observed in gestures accompanying speech in the surrounding language. Successive cohorts of learners extended this procedure, transforming Nicaraguan signing from its early gestural form into a linguistic system. We propose that this early segmentation and recombination reflect mechanisms with which children learn, and thereby perpetuate, language. Thus, children naturally possess learning abilities capable of giving language its fundamental structure.     

中国宜能非粮土地资源评价研究进展

就近年来中国不影响粮食安全的适宜发展能源植物生产的土地资源的研究成果进行综合述评。分析相关的概念定义,确定宜能非粮地或宜能边际地作为同义词是最合适的术语,其定义为经济上或生态上不适宜生产粮食,但具备能源植物生长需要的基本条件,适宜于规模化种植或天然生长非粮能源植物的土地。讨论并确定宜能非粮地包含的土地种类,即不适于粮食作物和果树的耕地和园地、宜能林地、荒草地、可复垦工矿废弃地、坑塘水面、水利设施林带、盐碱地、沙地和裸地。总结前人研究结果,不同研究者的结果差异很大,宜能非粮地的面积包括林地在3 420~16 374万hm2,不包括林地在700~6 473万hm2,在各省市区分布上的结果差异也很大。进一步研究方向是制定相关行业标准,以更准确地确定宜能非粮地资源分布和生产潜力,建立不改变土地用途的、因地制宜的土地利用规范,并加强政策性管理方法的研究。