The definition of life: a brief history of an elusive scientific endeavor

In spite of the spectacular developments in our understanding of the molecular basis that underlies biological phenomena, we still lack a generally agreed-upon definition of life, but this is not for want of trying. Life is an empirical concept; and, as suggested by the many unsuccessful efforts to define it, this task is likely to remain, at best, a work in progress. Although phenomenological characterizations of life are feasible, a precise definition of life remains an elusive intellectual endeavor. This is not surprising: as Nietszche once wrote, there are concepts that can be defined, whereas others only have a history. The purpose of this essay is to discuss some of the manifold (and often unsatisfactory) definitions of life that have been attempted from different intellectual and scientific perspectives and reflect, at least in part, the key role that historical frameworks play. Although some efforts have been more fruitful, the lack of an all-embracing, generally agreed-upon definition of life sometimes gives the impression that what is meant by life's origin is defined in somewhat imprecise terms and that several entirely different questions are often confused. The many attempts made to reduce the nature of living systems to a single living compound imply that life can be so well defined that the exact point at which it started can be established with the sudden appearance of the first replicating molecule. On the other hand, if the emergence of life is seen as the stepwise (but not necessarily slow) evolutionary transition between the non-living and the living, then it may be meaningless to draw a strict line between them.     

中国民航飞行学院图书馆读者文献资源利用现状分析报告

运用统计数据对中国民航飞行学院图书馆读者纸质文献资源及电子资源利用现状进行了测评、分析,提出了合理配置文献资源、提高资源利用率的几点建议及设想。     

头部波系对气动舵颤振特性的影响研究

以分析头部波系对气动舵颤振的影响为目的,采用CFD/CSD耦合算法.在耦合中采用保形动网格策略保持弹身和舵面的几何外形.对单独舵面和舵身组合体计算发现:与单独舵面相比,舵身组合体颤振边界随马赫数升高下降更快;在Ma=7时,单独舵面尚未颤振而组合体中的舵面已颤振.其机理为头部波系对气动舵的影响:马赫数升高,头部圆锥激波内移,膨胀低压区缩小,舵面上激波和外流场的总影响区扩大,气动舵更易颤振.     

用鲁棒算法使宽带雷达信号与目标实现最佳匹配的目标识别新方法

介绍了一种采用耦合振荡器阵列进行宽带雷达信号传输的新方法。这种方法表明振荡器阵列的总体输出是一种能够与特定方位目标匹配的灵活信号。此外，还介绍了一种新的基于相关矩阵本征向量的鲁棒算法，用此算法可以使耦合振荡器阵列产生的信号与目标在有限方位范围内实现匹配。因为雷达不能够精确估计真实目标的方位，所以具有这种性能是很重要的。在这种用于雷达目标识别的新方法中，在估计了未知目标的近似方位后，依次合成并向目标发射了大量与不同潜在目标相匹配的各种波形。这样，后向散射信号的最大峰值功率就会标明出目标的身份。计算机模拟表明这项技术对附加噪声和方位角不定性尤其有效。     

Technical evolutions of the French multipurpose instruments for Cognitive Neurosciences

Since the first French flight in space in 1982, the CNES has developed a wide range of instruments, especially in the field of Neurosciences. The design of these instruments has considerably evolved from rather simple equipment up to much more sophisticated tools that are being specially tailored for these missions. Four major phases can be identified: -a simple adaptation of an echographe leading to the first neurosciences experiments (the ARAGATZ'88 mission), -the ILLUSIONS and VIMINAL instruments used during the ANTARES'92 and ALTAIR'93 missions, -the COGNILAB instrument developed for the CASSIOPEE'96 mission, to be re-used in 1997 and in 1999, -a preliminary design of the 1999 mission payload, including virtual reality concepts, in a modular design to adapt to the European COF. Aside from the evolution of scientific requirements, the experience gained during the flights led to progressive improvements in the different technical parts, including visual system, body restraint systems, accessories, such as a force feedback joystick, computer and software, etc. This paper describes the technical evolutions in the CNES Neurosciences program.     

Adelaide地区大气重力波的气辉观测

利用澳大利亚Adelaide(34.5°S,138.5°E)地区7年(1995-2001年)的OH和OI气辉观测数据,以及同地区中频雷达所测背景风场数据,通过最大熵谱分析方法,统计分析了该地区大尺度重力波的传播特性.结果表明,(1)在中层顶气辉观测区,利用OH气辉探测到48个重力波事件,利用OI气辉探测到29个重力波事件,这些重力波的周期和水平相速度分别集中在68 min和36 m/s左右,具有东南向的优势传播方向,平均仰角为8°～10°,接近水平方向传播;(2)通过OH气辉和OI气辉观测到了同一个重力波事件,并根据两个高度上观测到的扰动相位差判断该重力波为上行波.     

Semi-global leader-following consensus-based formation flight of unmanned aerial vehicles

In this paper, we investigate a formation control problem of multi-agent systems(specifically a group of unmanned aerial vehicles) based on a semi-global leader-following consensus approach with both the leader and the followers subject to input saturation. Utilizing the low gain feedback design technique, a distributed static control protocol and a distributed adaptive control protocol are constructed. The former solves the problem under an assumption that the communication network is undirecte...     

我们死亡时发生了些什么？

斯蒂斐（以下简称“斯”）：这项研究采用什么方法来考察并核实人们宜称的有关“濒死体验”的描述？山姆·帕尼亚（以下简称“帕”）：当你的心脏停止跳动时。就不会有血液进入你的大脑。而接下来将会发生的,就如同你可以想象到的那样——在1O秒内,大脑的活动完全停止。然而。反常的是,在经历过心跳停止（其中既包括心跳停止几分钟的。也包括心跳停止1小时以上的）后又被从鬼门关上抢救过来的人群中。有10％至20％的人报告说他们当时是有意识的。     

一种具有极低交叉极化特性的弯曲口径波纹喇叭

文章详细叙述了具有恒定曲率半径、口径向外扩张的HE_(11)混合模波纹喇叭的设计和特性,以及喇叭馈电所需要的波纹波导模转换器的设计要点。若给定的曲率半径在设计频率f_0处大于波长的1.2倍左右,则交叉极化旁瓣强度随喇叭频率特性而明显变化,且在f_0附近有低于-50dB的极小值。因此,建议在要求极低交叉极化电平的场合下把这种喇叭作为标准喇叭。文中的归一化曲线显示了作为喇叭参数函数的交叉极化、波束宽度和相位中心的位置,当在1.36:1的频带宽度时,并没受到交叉极化性能的限制,而在频带低端边缘附近,受到反射损耗急剧劣化的影响。对于给定的交叉极化电平,其带宽随曲率半径的增大而增加。文中详细讨论了为获得低交叉极化电平而必备的预防措施以及在模转换器设计中的基本原理。