Bacterial community in ancient Siberian permafrost as characterized by culture and culture-independent methods

The microbial composition of ancient permafrost sediments from the Kolyma lowland of Northeast Eurasia was examined through culture and culture-independent approaches. These sediments have been continuously frozen for 5,000 to 2-3 million years. A total of 265 Bacteria 16S rRNA gene sequences were amplified from the permafrost total-community genomic DNA and screened by amplified ribosomal 16S rRNA restriction analysis. Members of three major lineages were found: gamma-Proteobacteria (mostly Xanthomonadaceae), Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. We also determined partial 16S rRNA gene sequences of 49 isolates from a collection of 462 aerobes isolated from these sediments. The bacteria included Actinomycetales (Arthrobacter and Microbacteriaceae); followed by the Firmicutes (Exiguobacterium and Planomicrobium); the Bacteroidetes (Flavobacterium); the gamma-Proteobacteria (Psychrobacter); and the alpha-Proteobacteria (Sphingomonas). Both culture and culture-independent approaches showed the presence of high and low G+C Gram-positive bacteria and gamma-Proteobacteria. Some of the 16S rRNA gene sequences of environmental clones matched those of Arthrobacter isolates. Two-thirds of the isolates grew at -2.5 degrees C, indicating that they are psychroactive, and all are closely related to phylogenetic groups with strains from other cold environments, mostly commonly from Antarctica. The culturable and non-culturable microorganisms found in the terrestrial permafrost provide a prototype for possible life on the cryogenic planets of the Solar System.     

With a grain of salt: what halite has to offer to discussions on the origin of life

This experimental study investigated how the dynamics of the crystallization of the evaporite mineral halite could affect the accumulation and preservation of organic macromolecules present in the crystallizing solution. Halite was grown under controlled conditions in the presence of polymer nanoparticles that acted as an analog to protocellular material. Optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and laser scanning confocal fluorescence microscopy were used to trace the localization of the nanoparticles during and after growth of halite crystals. The present study revealed that the organic nanoparticles were not regularly incorporated within the halite, but were very concentrated on its surfaces. Their distribution was controlled dominantly by the morphologic surface features of the mineral rather than by specific molecular interactions with an atomic plane of the mineral. This means that the distribution of organic molecules was controlled by surfaces like those of halite's evaporitic growth forms. The experiments with halite also demonstrated that a mineral need not continuously incorporate organic molecules during its crystallization to preserve those molecules: After rejection by (non-incorporation into) the crystallizing halite, the organic nanoparticles increased in concentration in the evaporating brine. They ultimately either adsorbed in rectilinear patterns onto the hopper-enhanced surfaces and along discontinuities within the crystals, or they were encapsulated within fluid inclusions. Of additional importance in origin-of-life considerations is the fact that halite in the natural environment rapidly can change its role from that of a protective repository (in the absence of water) to that of a source of organic particles (as soon as water is present) when the mineral dissolves.     

Impact of rain on wave retrieval from Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar images in tropical cyclones

The main objective of our work was to investigate the impact of rain on wave observations from C-band (~5.3 GHz) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) in tropical cyclones. In this study, 10 Sentinel-1 SAR images were available from the Satellite Hurricane Observation Campaign, which were taken under cyclonic conditions during the 2016 hurricane season. The third-generation wave model, known as Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) (version 41.31), was used to simulate the wave fields corresponding to these Sentinel-1 SAR images. In addition, rainfall data from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite passing over the spatial coverage of the Sentinel-1 SAR images were collected. The simulated results were validated against significant wave heights (SWHs) from the Jason-2 altimeter and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts data, revealing a root mean square error (RMSE) of ~0.5 m with a 0.25 scatter index. Winds retrieved from the VH-polarized Sentinel-1 SAR images using the Sentinel-1 Extra Wide-swath Mode Wind Speed Retrieval Model after Noise Removal were taken as prior information for wave retrieval. It was discovered that rain did indeed affect the SAR wave retrieval, as evidenced by the 3.21-m RMSE of SWHs between the SAR images and the SWAN model, which was obtained for the ~1000 match-ups with raindrops. The raindrops dampened the wave retrieval when the rain rate was < ~5 mm/hr; however, they enhanced wave retrieval for higher rain rates. It was also found that the portion of the rain-induced ring wave with a wave number > 0.05 rad/m (~125 m wavelength) was clearly observed in the SAR-derived wave spectra.     

基于潜在成分的时变系统损伤的概率神经网络分类

提出了一种新的时变系统健康监控的损伤分类方法。将函数级数时变自回归平滑时序模型应用于时变系统的振动信号,以估计TAR／TMA参数和革新方差。这些参数是时间的函数,将它们在以特定的基函数构成的某种函数子空间上展开得到相应的投影系数组。所估计得到的TAR／TMA参数和革新方差可进一步用来计算潜在成分（LCs）,将LCs用于健康评估比原来的参数更具信息。并将LCs联合并归化为数值得到特征集,输入概率神经网络（PNN）进行损伤分类。为了评价该方法,对一个时变系统进行了仿真,以各种不同的质量和刚度减少来模拟不同的损伤类别。算例表明：该方法能够在时变系统的背景下对损伤进行归类。     

NF-3风洞神经网络自适应稳风速控制系统研制

介绍西北工业大学NF-3大型低速直流式翼型风洞改进后的稳风速控制系统的结构、控制原理和性能特点.针对低速直流风洞风速控制系统建模困难,易受外界干扰影响,且自身参数时变不确定,控制难度大的特点,新系统采用了多线程、数字式数据采集方式,带死区控制的PSD神经网络自适应控制算法.通过在NF-3风洞三元试验段和二元试验段的实际应用,与正在使用的模糊控制系统相比较,新系统的适应性和鲁棒性更强,调试时间大为缩短,风速控制精度在风速大于10m/s时从国军标的合格指标0.3%提高到先进指标0.1%,稳定时间减少了10%左右,人机交互也更加友好.     

上仰及小振幅振荡三角翼流动显示研究

为验证折合频率与无量纲频率对涡破裂点位置的影响,在北航大水洞用动态机构三角翼分别进行了不同折合频率k(k=à C/2U∞)的上仰.停止运动及不同无量纲n(n=fc/U∞)的小振幅的俯仰振荡实验.实验结果表明,在不同迎角范围上仰时不同折合频率对涡破裂点位置有很大影响,如在破裂涡迎角范围.破裂点随迎角的变化曲线会出现山峰状;对于在破裂涡区作小振幅振荡的三角翼,无量纲频率n,对破裂点位置变化也有很大影响.其中,无量纲频率n在1.0左右时为临界值.     

Maxwell方程的高阶间断有限元数值解法

采用高精度方法求解时域Maxwell方程,方程的空间离散采用基于计算流体力学(Computational fluid dynamics,CFD)领域的高阶间断有限元格式,非定常时间迭代采用四步龙格-库塔格式。为了提高计算效率,本文采用了Quadrature-free implementation和网格分区并行技术。数值结果表明,采用高阶格式的情况下,采用稀疏网格便可以得到高精度数值解。另外由于本文的方法基于非结构网格,因此非常适合计算复杂外形的情况。     

Revised upper limit on the internal magnetic moment of Venus

Over four Venus years of low altitude nightside PVO magnetometer observations are used to establish a new upper limit for the magnetic moment of Venus. Improvements over previous studies include data coverage and new instrument calibration information. The upper limit on an internal dipole moment is determined to be 8.4 × 10¹⁰ T m³.     

US and Soviet planetary exploration The next step is Mars, together

Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev has proposed a joint US-Soviet programme to explore the planet Mars. The authors argue that there is considerable advantage to be gained from such a programme for both countries and for all nations on Earth. They trace the history of the US and Soviet space programmes and of cooperation between the two nations, focusing particularly on activities relating to Mars. Robotic Mars exploration is already technically possible and could take place in the 1990s, and a first step towards manned exploration could be the writing of a development and flight plan aiming for the first decade of the 21st century.