The recent expansion of Pluto's atmosphere

Stellar occultations--the passing of a relatively nearby body in front of a background star--can be used to probe the atmosphere of the closer body with a spatial resolution of a few kilometres (ref. 1). Such observations can yield the scale height, temperature profile, and other information about the structure of the occulting atmosphere. Occultation data acquired for Pluto's atmosphere in 1988 revealed a nearly isothermal atmosphere above a radius of approximately 1,215 km. Below this level, the data could be interpreted as indicating either an extinction layer or the onset of a large thermal gradient, calling into question the fundamental structure of this atmosphere. Another question is to what extent Pluto's atmosphere might be collapsing as it recedes from the Sun (passing perihelion in 1989 in its 248-year orbital period), owing to the extreme sensitivity of the equilibrium surface pressure to the surface temperature. Here we report observations at a variety of visible and infrared wavelengths of an occultation of a star by Pluto in August 2002. These data reveal evidence for extinction in Pluto's atmosphere and show that it has indeed changed, having expanded rather than collapsed, since 1988.     

Experimental study on centrifugal concrete-filled steel tubes under bending and torsion

A real-size experiment on 11 tubes was done to study the performance of centrifugal concrete-filled steel tubes under bending and torsion. This paper first introduces the relevant operating method, equipment, subjects and processes. The factors that affect deformation and stiffness and the break mechanism under different loading were studied. Experimental stress analysis showed that the values of practical critical stress of steel tubes accorded well with the MISES Yielding Rule. The correlative equation (on the bearing capacity of a structural member under bending and torsion) deduced in this study may provide valuable reference for the desima of this structural member.     

Estimate of human gene number provided by genome-wide analysis using Tetraodon nigroviridis DNA sequence

The number of genes in the human genome is unknown, with estimates ranging from 50,000 to 90,000 (refs 1, 2), and to more than 140,000 according to unpublished sources. We have developed 'Exofish', a procedure based on homology searches, to identify human genes quickly and reliably. This method relies on the sequence of another vertebrate, the pufferfish Tetraodon nigroviridis, to detect conserved sequences with a very low background. Similar to Fugu rubripes, a marine pufferfish proposed by Brenner et al. as a model for genomic studies, T. nigroviridis is a more practical alternative with a genome also eight times more compact than that of human. Many comparisons have been made between F. rubripes and human DNA that demonstrate the potential of comparative genomics using the pufferfish genome. Application of Exofish to the December version of the working draft sequence of the human genome and to Unigene showed that the human genome contains 28,000-34,000 genes, and that Unigene contains less than 40% of the protein-coding fraction of the human genome.     

Ｍ—通道分解综合系统新框架及其信号的最佳对称延拓策略

在利用小波变换进行图象压缩时,需对图象进行边界处理以减小边界误差。一个行之有效的边界处理方法是对称延拓,存在许多不同的对称延拓。笔者提出了最佳对称延拓的概念,给出了求最佳对称延拓的算法,并用该算法得出了一般的Ｍ－通道综合系统中各环节的最佳延拓和加窗方案。     

我国能源发展与石油安全

中国是世界能源生产大国，更是世界能源消费大国，能源发展是当前我国经济社会发展的重要组成部分。国家“十一五”规划提出，到本轮规划期末，单位GDP能耗要比“十五”期末降低20％．这是在中央文件中首次将节能降耗目标与经济增长目标放在同等地位，置于全国社会经济发展总目标中，其重要意义不言而喻。目前我国能源面临的问题中以石油供需矛盾日益突出．在国际市场持续的高油价和脆弱的石油供求格局背景下．制定正确的能源战略保障国家石油安全已势在必行。     

光纤横向色散的不均匀性对高斯脉冲传播的影响

本文基于高斯脉冲在光纤中传输时,考虑光纤色散效应(二阶、三阶)在空间有横向分布不均匀时的影响.推导出无啁啾的高斯型脉冲在光纤中传输时的解析表达式.并对理论结果进行了数值模拟,分析了脉冲产生畸变的影响因素.结果表明,由于材料的不均匀而导致的色散在空间横向不均匀对脉冲传播有很大的影响,高斯脉冲在光纤中传输时波形在横向呈对称性分布,二阶色散和三阶色散相互比较,三阶色散效应对脉冲的传输有严重的影响,在脉冲的一沿形成非对称的拖尾振荡结构,图像畸变严重性分布.随着传输距离的增加畸变也欲加严重.     

Neural correlates of short-term perceptual learning in orientation discrimination indexed by event-related potentials

The current work investigated the neural correlates of visual perceptual learning in grating orientation discrimination by recording event-related potentials (ERPs) from human adults. Subjects were trained with a discrimination task of grating orientation in three consecutive training sessions within 2 h. While reaction times (RTs) were shortened gradually across training sessions, the N1 was decreased and the P2 was increased over the parietal and occipital areas. A broadly distributed P3 was increased along with more practices. In addition, the time course of learning reflected in the P2 and P3 amplitudes was in line with the changes of reaction times and exhibited a stable level during later training. The impli- cations of these results to the neural mechanisms subserving perceptual learning were discussed.     

大型屋顶网壳结构稳定性分析及实时评估策略

进行了大型屋顶网壳结构的非线性屈曲分析，提出了支撑钢牛腿失效后网壳结构稳定性的实时评估策略。在有限元分析中，对于结构中的主桁架梁采用梁单元，对其他构件采用空间杆单元来模拟，并采用柱面弧长法来跟踪结构的屈曲平衡路径。结构分析中仅考虑结构的自重和风荷载。计算风荷载时，结构上的风压力系数采用缩尺模型的风洞试验结果。非线性分析结果表明，该网壳结构具有较高的稳定性。     

空间杆系结构的单元分组及统计损伤识别方法

提出一种基于应变模态的空间杆系结构统计损伤识别方法.为了减少待识别单元的数量,根据相似度对所有单元进行分组,从而将结构的损伤识别分两步实行首先识别出所有可能损伤单元的范围,然后再进行结构损伤的定位和损伤程度的估计,其中,对于较深程度的损伤,采用应变模态的修正摄动矩阵,最后采用数值仿真分析进行了验证.     

Synthesis, Characterization and Calorimetry of Ni（C4H8N2O3）2Cl2

A coordination complex was synthesized from NiCl2 and dipeptide glycylglycine（GG）. It was characterized by element analysis, NMR and TG methods, and then was determined to be Ni（C4HsN2O3）2Cl2. Using an isoperibolic reaction calorimeter, the standard molar enthalpy of formation of Ni（GG）2Cl2（solid） has been determined to be -（1 674.66±2.02） kJ · mol^-1 at 298.15 K.