A closely packed system of low-mass, low-density planets transiting Kepler-11

When an extrasolar planet passes in front of (transits) its star, its radius can be measured from the decrease in starlight and its orbital period from the time between transits. Multiple planets transiting the same star reveal much more: period ratios determine stability and dynamics, mutual gravitational interactions reflect planet masses and orbital shapes, and the fraction of transiting planets observed as multiples has implications for the planarity of planetary systems. But few stars have more than one known transiting planet, and none has more than three. Here we report Kepler spacecraft observations of a single Sun-like star, which we call Kepler-11, that reveal six transiting planets, five with orbital periods between 10 and 47?days and a sixth planet with a longer period. The five inner planets are among the smallest for which mass and size have both been measured, and these measurements imply substantial envelopes of light gases. The degree of coplanarity and proximity of the planetary orbits imply energy dissipation near the end of planet formation.     

Human metabolic individuality in biomedical and pharmaceutical research

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified many risk loci for complex diseases, but effect sizes are typically small and information on the underlying biological processes is often lacking. Associations with metabolic traits as functional intermediates can overcome these problems and potentially inform individualized therapy. Here we report a comprehensive analysis of genotype-dependent metabolic phenotypes using a GWAS with non-targeted metabolomics. We identified 37 genetic loci associated with blood metabolite concentrations, of which 25 show effect sizes that are unusually high for GWAS and account for 10-60% differences in metabolite levels per allele copy. Our associations provide new functional insights for many disease-related associations that have been reported in previous studies, including those for cardiovascular and kidney disorders, type 2 diabetes, cancer, gout, venous thromboembolism and Crohn's disease. The study advances our knowledge of the genetic basis of metabolic individuality in humans and generates many new hypotheses for biomedical and pharmaceutical research.     

Extended megadroughts in the southwestern United States during Pleistocene interglacials

The potential for increased drought frequency and severity linked to anthropogenic climate change in the semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States (US) is a serious concern. Multi-year droughts during the instrumental period and decadal-length droughts of the past two millennia were shorter and climatically different from the future permanent, 'dust-bowl-like' megadrought conditions, lasting decades to a century, that are predicted as a consequence of warming. So far, it has been unclear whether or not such megadroughts occurred in the southwestern US, and, if so, with what regularity and intensity. Here we show that periods of aridity lasting centuries to millennia occurred in the southwestern US during mid-Pleistocene interglacials. Using molecular palaeotemperature proxies to reconstruct the mean annual temperature (MAT) in mid-Pleistocene lacustrine sediment from the Valles Caldera, New Mexico, we found that the driest conditions occurred during the warmest phases of interglacials, when the MAT was comparable to or higher than the modern MAT. A collapse of drought-tolerant C(4) plant communities during these warm, dry intervals indicates a significant reduction in summer precipitation, possibly in response to a poleward migration of the subtropical dry zone. Three MAT cycles ～2?°C in amplitude occurred within Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11 and seem to correspond to the muted precessional cycles within this interglacial. In comparison with MIS 11, MIS 13 experienced higher precessional-cycle amplitudes, larger variations in MAT (4-6?°C) and a longer period of extended warmth, suggesting that local insolation variations were important to interglacial climatic variability in the southwestern US. Comparison of the early MIS 11 climate record with the Holocene record shows many similarities and implies that, in the absence of anthropogenic forcing, the region should be entering a cooler and wetter phase.     

Interaction-based quantum metrology showing scaling beyond the Heisenberg limit

Quantum metrology aims to use entanglement and other quantum resources to improve precision measurement. An interferometer using N independent particles to measure a parameter χ can achieve at best the standard quantum limit of sensitivity, δχ?∝?N(-1/2). However, using N entangled particles and exotic states, such an interferometer can in principle achieve the Heisenberg limit, δχ?∝?N(-1). Recent theoretical work has argued that interactions among particles may be a valuable resource for quantum metrology, allowing scaling beyond the Heisenberg limit. Specifically, a k-particle interaction will produce sensitivity δχ?∝?N(-k) with appropriate entangled states and δχ?∝?N(-(k-1/2)) even without entanglement. Here we demonstrate 'super-Heisenberg' scaling of δχ?∝?N(-3/2) in a nonlinear, non-destructive measurement of the magnetization of an atomic ensemble. We use fast optical nonlinearities to generate a pairwise photon-photon interaction (corresponding to k = 2) while preserving quantum-noise-limited performance. We observe super-Heisenberg scaling over two orders of magnitude in N, limited at large numbers by higher-order nonlinear effects, in good agreement with theory. For a measurement of limited duration, super-Heisenberg scaling allows the nonlinear measurement to overtake in sensitivity a comparable linear measurement with the same number of photons. In other situations, however, higher-order nonlinearities prevent this crossover from occurring, reflecting the subtle relationship between scaling and sensitivity in nonlinear systems. Our work shows that interparticle interactions can improve sensitivity in a quantum-limited measurement, and experimentally demonstrates a new resource for quantum metrology.     

梯级浮床修复黑臭河道过程中浮游植物动态研究

采用现场试验方法,将挺水、浮叶和沉水植物组合成梯级浮床以修复黑臭河道;监测浮游植物动态变化情况,并结合水质理化指标对梯级浮床修复黑臭河道的机理进行研究,以期为黑臭河道治理与修复提供参考.实验结果表明,经梯级浮床修复后,浮游植物种类中绿藻门和蓝藻门所占比例明显下降,优势种也发生改变,其中沉水植物浮床浮游植物门类最多,反映...     

梯级生态浮床系统净化富营养化水体的示范工程研究

针对富营养化严重的新角浦河,构建了梯级生态浮床系统(SFTW),开展河道水体的净化处理示范工程研究.结果表明,该系统对CODcr,NH+4-N,TN和TP的去除率最高分别可达21.26%,29.07%,37.95%和20.74%.治理后的示范河段除TN仍为劣V类外,CODcr,NH+4-N和TP出水浓度均达到V类标准,...     

梯级生态浮床系统处理黑臭河水除磷性能研究

以上海市某黑臭河道为处理对象,通过模拟天然水体中水生植物的分布,构建逐级下沉式梯级浮床系统(Staged Floating Treatment Wetlands,SFTWs),分析温度、植物种类、pH值和溶解氧(DO)等因素对浮床系统的除磷性能的影响.结果表明,浮床系统的除磷率受温度变化较为明显,一定温度范围内两者呈正...     

以蜂巢石为基质的垂直流人工湿地对黑臭水体除磷中试研究

以水生植物-梭鱼草作为湿地植物,新型填料蜂巢石作为湿地填料,构建了同时具有美化景观与净化黑臭水体的垂直流人工湿地,并将其成功应用于黑臭水体除磷的中试研究.试验结果表明,人工湿地的TP去除率为58.13%～83.25%,且TP去除率的变化趋势与气温变化趋势相一致.TP的去除效果具有一定的时空变化规律,在运行时间小于2个月...     

黑臭河水治理与水生植物生理响应的灰色分析

以上海城区黑臭河水的生物-生态处理工艺为研究对象,采用灰色理论分析水生植物在黑臭河水治理过程中的生理响应顺序,为科学解释污染物净化机制提供依据.结果显示,植物的生理特性对COD和NH+4-N去除的优先级关联排序均为POD>CAT>Chla>SP>Chlb,表明反应体系对黑臭河水中COD和NH+4-N的去除主要是通过微生...