Venus: topography revealed by radar data

Surface height variations over the entire equatorial region on Venus have been estimated from extended series of measurements of interplanetary radar echo delays. Most notable is a mountainous section of about 3-kilometer peak height located at a longitude of 100 degrees (International Astronomical Union coordinate system). The eastern edge has an average inclination of about 0.5 degrees, which is unusually steep for a large-scale slope on Venus. The resolution of the radar measurements along the surface of Venus varied between about 200 and 400 kilometers with a repeatability in altitude determination generally between 200 and 500 meters. The mean equatorial radius was found to be 6050.0+/-0.5 kilometers.     

Microstructured magnetic materials for RF flux guides in magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy systems use coils, either singly or as arrays, to intercept radio-frequency (RF) magnetic flux from regions of interest, often deep within the body. Here, we show that a new magnetic material offers novel possibilities for guiding RF flux to the receiver coil, permitting a clear image to be obtained where none might otherwise be detectable. The new material contains microstructure designed according to concepts taken from the field of photonic band gap materials. In the RF range, it has a magnetic permeability that can be produced to specification while exhibiting negligible direct-current magnetism. The latter property is vital to avoid perturbing the static and audio-frequency magnetic fields needed to obtain image and spectral data. The concept offers a new paradigm for the manipulation of RF flux in all nuclear magnetic resonance systems.     

Field data and satellite imagery of tsunami effects in Banda Aceh

After the 26 December 2004 earthquake and tsunami, field data on the extent of the inundation in Banda Aceh, Sumatra, were combined with satellite imagery to quantify the tsunami effects. Flow depths along the shores of Banda Aceh exceeded 9 meters, with inundation reaching 3 to 4 kilometers inland. To the southwest, at Lhoknga, flow depths were more than 15 meters at the shoreline and runup exceeded 25 meters. Erosion and subsidence moved the shoreline of Banda Aceh inland up to 1.5 kilometers, and 65 square kilometers of land between Banda Aceh and Lhoknga were flooded.     

Elevation changes in Antarctica mainly determined by accumulation variability

Antarctic Ice Sheet elevation changes, which are used to estimate changes in the mass of the interior regions, are caused by variations in the depth of the firn layer. We quantified the effects of temperature and accumulation variability on firn layer thickness by simulating the 1980-2004 Antarctic firn depth variability. For most of Antarctica, the magnitudes of firn depth changes were comparable to those of observed ice sheet elevation changes. The current satellite observational period ( approximately 15 years) is too short to neglect these fluctuations in firn depth when computing recent ice sheet mass changes. The amount of surface lowering in the Amundsen Sea Embayment revealed by satellite radar altimetry (1995-2003) was increased by including firn depth fluctuations, while a large area of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet slowly grew as a result of increased accumulation.     

NOAA卫星可见光和红外资料在干旱监测中的应用

利用NOAA卫星AVHRR通道1、2计算NDVI和通道4的亮温T4,建立模型方程W=aeNUV1 bT4 c监测辽西地区土壤干旱情况.结果表明,土壤深度20cm左右是该模型适用的最佳层次,且模型的监测结果与实测值相对误差较小.     

Suitability of satellite remote sensing data for yield estimation in northeast Germany

Precision Agriculture - Information provided by satellite data is becoming increasingly important in the field of agriculture. Estimating biomass, nitrogen content or crop yield can improve farm...     

Determination of area of drought-affected crops based on satellite data (exemplified by crops in Chuvashia in 2010)

A method is developed for determining at the level of a federal subject of Russia the area of drought-affected crops based on using MODIS and Landsat satellite data. Underlying the method is a comparative analysis of the behavior of the vegetation index in the current and other seasons during the past ten years. Evaluation of the method, using the 2010 drought in Chuvashia as an example, showed a good similarity between the results obtained on the basis of satellite data and official information on crop death.     

h/e magnetic flux modulation of the energy gap in nanotube quantum dots

We report experiments on quantum dot single-electron-tunneling (SET) transistors made from short multiwall nanotubes and threaded by magnetic flux. Such systems allow us to probe the electronic energy spectrum of the nanotube and its dependence on the magnetic field. Evidence is provided for the interconversion between gapped (semiconducting) and ungapped (metallic) states. Our tubes exhibit h/e-period magnetic flux dependence, in agreement with simple tight-binding calculations.     

Changes in Earth's albedo measured by satellite

NASA global satellite data provide observations of Earth's albedo, i.e., the fraction of incident solar radiation that is reflected back to space. The satellite data show that the last four years are within natural variability and fail to confirm the 6% relative increase in albedo inferred from observations of earthshine from the moon. Longer global satellite records will be required to discern climate trends in Earth's albedo.     

Perspective of Chinese GF-1 high-resolution satellite data in agricultural remote sensing monitoring

High-resolution satellite data have been playing an important role in agricultural remote sensing monitoring. However,the major data sources of high-resolution images are not owned by China. The cost of large scale use of high resolution imagery data becomes prohibitive. In pace of the launch of the Chinese "High Resolution Earth Observation Systems",China is able to receive superb high-resolution remotely sensed images(GF series) that equalizes or even surpasses foreign similar satellites in respect of spatial resolution,scanning width and revisit period. This paper provides a perspective of using high resolution remote sensing data from satellite GF-1 for agriculture monitoring. It also assesses the applicability of GF-1 data for agricultural monitoring,and identifies potential applications from regional to national scales. GF-1's high resolution(i.e.,2 m/8 m),high revisit cycle(i.e.,4 days),and its visible and near-infrared(VNIR) spectral bands enable a continuous,efficient and effective agricultural dynamics monitoring. Thus,it has gradually substituted the foreign data sources for mapping crop planting areas,monitoring crop growth,estimating crop yield,monitoring natural disasters,and supporting precision and facility agriculture in China agricultural remote sensing monitoring system(CHARMS). However,it is still at the initial stage of GF-1 data application in agricultural remote sensing monitoring. Advanced algorithms for estimating agronomic parameters and soil quality with GF-1 data need to be further investigated,especially for improving the performance of remote sensing monitoring in the fragmented landscapes. In addition,the thematic product series in terms of land cover,crop allocation,crop growth and production are required to be developed in association with other data sources at multiple spatial scales. Despite the advantages,the issues such as low spectrum resolution and image distortion associated with high spatial resolution and wide swath width,might pose challenges for GF-1 data applications and need to be addressed in future agricultural monitoring.     

14份杏种质的ISSR分析

以冀光为试材,研究了PCR反应体系的主要成分及退火温度对杏ISSR扩增结果的影响。同时,从42对ISSR引物中筛选出12对扩增条带清晰、多态性好的引物进行扩增,并运用UPGMA聚类分析法,分析了12份杏种质的亲缘关系及多样性。结果表明:在20μL的反应体系中,模板DNA含量在10~80 ng均能得到较好的扩增;dNTP用量对扩增无明显影响;而引物、Mg2+的最适浓度分别为0.25μmol/L、0.25 mmol/L;Taq酶在0.5~4 U均能得到好的扩增条带;退火温度在50~52.1℃范围内均能得到清晰的条带;并在此基础上建立了杏ISSR反应体系。当相似系数在0.444~0.452之间时,将12份杏材料划分为3类:①普通杏(Amentacavulgaris),西伯利亚杏(A.sibirica),辽杏(A.mandshurica),藏杏(A.holosericea)类型;②仁用杏品种一窝蜂;③紫杏(A.dasycarpa)。     

Understanding rat occurrences in oil palm plantation using high-resolution satellite image and GIS data

Rats are an important vertebrate pest of oil palm in Malaysia. This damage translates into substantial economic loss to the oil palm plantation sector. We used habitat factors dervived from GIS data to develop a logistic regression model to predict rat occurrence in a FELDA oil palm plantation in Sabah, Malaysia. Our logistic regression results predicted a high occurrence of rats in young palms areas (<3 years) and in areas near the plantation roads. The rat occurrence areas were further examined using a detailed land cover types generated from a high-resolution satellite image (GeoEye, spatial resolution: 0.5 m). Our results showed that the combination of bare or open areas bushes mixed with partial shades of young palms is important to the survival of Rattus rattus diardii, a highly adaptable rat species that dominated the plantation. The combined use of GIS and high-resolution satellite remote sensing techniques enhanced our understanding of rat occurrence in oil palm plantation. Our results suggest these techniques can be used to predict rat occurrence and can be used to guide the rat baiting program in the oil palm plantation.     

Slip deficit on the san andreas fault at parkfield, california, as revealed by inversion of geodetic data

A network of geodetic lines spanning the San Andreas fault near the rupture zone of the 1966 Parkfield, California, earthquake (magnitude M = 6) has been repeatedly surveyed since 1959. In the study reported here the average rates of line-length change since 1966 were inverted to determine the distribution of interseismic slip rate on the fault. These results indicate that the Parkfield rupture surface has not slipped significantly since 1966. Comparison of the geodetically determined seismic moment of the 1966 earthquake with the interseismic slip-deficit rate suggests that the strain released by the latest shock will most likely be restored between 1984 and 1989, although this may not occur until 1995. These results lend independent support to the earlier forecast of an M = 6 earthquake near Parkfield within 5 years of 1988.     

杨树Genomic-SSR与EST-SSR分子标记遗传差异性分析

利用16个杨树无性系对Genomic-SSR和EST-SSR两种SSR标记的遗传差异性进行分析。统计分析结果表明,Genomic-SSR平均检测到的等位基因数为4.1、Shannon指数为1.0646、观测杂合度为0.4427、期望杂合度为0.5523;EST-SSR平均检测到的等位基因数为2.8、Shannon指数为0.6985、观测杂合度为0.2330、期望杂合度为0.4684。聚类分析结果显示,EST-SSR相对Genomic-SSR能更精准地鉴别基因型。研究结果表明,在标记多态性及基因型鉴别等方面EST-SSR与Genomic-SSR均具有显著的遗传差异性。通过对两种分子标记遗传差异的比较分析,可为合理利用SSR标记进行物种遗传多样性等相关研究提供依据。     

Tropical deforestation and habitat fragmentation in the Amazon: satellite data from 1978 to 1988

Landsat satellite imagery covering the entire forested portion of the Brazilian Amazon Basin was used to measure, for 1978 and 1988, deforestation, fragmented forest, defined as areas less than 100 square kilometers surrounded by deforestation, and edge effects of 1 kilometer into forest from adjacent areas of deforestation. Tropical deforestation increased from 78,000 square kilometers in 1978 to 230,000 square kilometers in 1988 while tropical forest habitat, severely affected with respect to biological diversity, increased from 208,000 to 588,000 square kilometers. Although this rate of deforestation is lower than previous estimates, the effect on biological diversity is greater.     

Pathogenicity determinants in smut fungi revealed by genome comparison

Biotrophic pathogens, such as the related maize pathogenic fungi Ustilago maydis and Sporisorium reilianum, establish an intimate relationship with their hosts by secreting protein effectors. Because secreted effectors interacting with plant proteins should rapidly evolve, we identified variable genomic regions by sequencing the genome of S. reilianum and comparing it with the U. maydis genome. We detected 43 regions of low sequence conservation in otherwise well-conserved syntenic genomes. These regions primarily encode secreted effectors and include previously identified virulence clusters. By deletion analysis in U. maydis, we demonstrate a role in virulence for four previously unknown diversity regions. This highlights the power of comparative genomics of closely related species for identification of virulence determinants.     

Heat storage in the oceanic upper mixed layer inferred from landsat data

From the spacing of internal wave packets generated by tidal flow over topography, one can determine their propagation speed. The propagation speed depends upon the density anomaly and depth of the upper mixed layer. Attributing the density anomaly to temperature only, one can calculate the heat storage in the upper oceanic layer. On the basis of Landsat images of the New England continental shelf, the heat storage calculated from satellite data has been compared with available in situ observations. The data show that the method may have merit and is deserving of further refinement.     

基于环境卫星数据的黄河湿地植被生物量反演研究

回归模型拟合植被指数与生物量的定量关系是植被生物量反演的重要研究方法之一.研究在此基础上,基于环境卫星遥感数据和同步野外实地采样数据,以郑州黄河湿地自然保护区为试验区,比较MLRM(多元线性回归模型)与SCRM(一元曲线回归模型)反演植被生物量的能力,并估算研究区植被生物量,生成研究区生物量分布图.结果表明,文中所建立的MLRM在研究区具有较好的反演精度和预测能力.其模型显著性检验为极显著,相关系数为0.9791,模型拟合精度达到29.8 g/m2,其模型预测结果系统误差为49.9g/m2,均方根误差为67.2 g/m2,预测决定系数为0.8742,比传统的一元回归模型具有更高的精度和可靠性.估算研究区域2010年8月湿生植被生物量约为6.849199 t/hm2,相对误差为4.73％.