Mapping the Linguistic Landscape of Historic Tourist Attractions:A Case Study of South Luogu Alley in Beijing

The linguistic landscape of traditional historic tourist attractions has undergone heterogeneous changes under the impact of globalization and tourism development.Guided by the linguistic landscape construction principle and meaning combination analysis,taking the linguistic landscape of South Luogu Al ey in Beijing as the research object,its unique presentation and formation mechanism are analyzed and explicated in this paper.In the first part,we describe the elements of tradition and modernity presented in both private and official linguistic landscape.In the second part,we explain these characteristics,and the results show that:traditional elements dominated with each presents unique characteristics while modern elements especially English have been extensively employed than ever before,functioning as the information disseminator and prestige symbol.Finally,certain degrees of problems need to be meticulously considered so as to foster the renewal progress of the historic tourist attractions.

改良QuEChERS技术结合超高效液相色谱-串联质谱法测定水产品中扑草净及其代谢物残留

采用改良QuEChERS技术作为前处理方法,建立了水产品中扑草净及其代谢物残留的超高效液相色谱-串联质谱分析方法。样品用乙腈提取,经增强型脂质去除吸附剂与Cleanert LipoNo组合净化,采用选择反应监测正离子模式测定,内标法定量。结果表明:扑草净及其代谢物在1.0~500 ng/mL质量浓度范围内线性关系良好,确定系数R2大于0.992,方法检出限和定量限分别低至0.20μg/kg和0.50μg/kg,在草鱼、克氏原螯虾和中华绒螯蟹等基质的加标实验中呈现良好的准确度与精密度,平均加标回收率和相对标准偏差分别为74.4%~113.7%和3.17%~11.47%。经内标法校正,5种扑草净及其代谢物在不同水产品中的基质效应不明显。方法实现了水产品中扑草净及其代谢物的识别与定量分析,并通过检测药浴扑草净的克氏原螯虾阳性样品验证了方法的适用性。

Synthesis, Characterization and Properties of Polymeric p-Benzoyl-4,4'-Diaminobenzoylaniline

An aromatic polyamide was synthesized by low-temperature poly-condensation reaction from terephthaloyl chloride and 4,4'-diaminobenzanilide (4,4'-DABA). The synthesized polyamide had a characteristic peak of carbon atoms in the amide group at 166 ppm, which was demonstrated by the solid nuclear magnetic resonance carbon spectrum. It was shown to be the stretching vibration absorption peak of the amide N-H bond at 3342 cm−1 by Fourier infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. It was obtained that the energy band near 1100 - 1276 cm−1 belongs to the absorption peak of the para-substituted benzene ring and the band near 2977 cm−1 was the C-H stretching vibration peak of the benzene ring by Raman spectroscopy. The molecular structure of the synthesized polyamide compound was confirmed by FT-IR, Raman, and solid 13C-NMR spectroscopies. It was proved that the polymer is stable up to 300˚C and has a relatively high stability by the thermogravimetric analysis. It was also confirmed by the fluorescence spectrum that it has a strong blue fluorescence near 420 nm. The morphological characteristics of the polymer were further demonstrated by electron scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The properties of polymeric p-benzoyl-4,4'-diaminobenzoyl-aniline were found to emit strong blue fluorescence and have good thermal stability, making it a promising functional material for fluorescence in the blue region with potential for large-scale applications.

Synthesis, Characterization and Properties of Polymeric p-Benzoyl-4,4'-Diaminobenzoylaniline

An aromatic polyamide was synthesized by low-temperature poly-condensation reaction from terephthaloyl chloride and 4,4'-diaminobenzanilide (4,4'-DABA). The synthesized polyamide had a characteristic peak of carbon atoms in the amide group at 166 ppm, which was demonstrated by the solid nuclear magnetic resonance carbon spectrum. It was shown to be the stretching vibration absorption peak of the amide N-H bond at 3342 cm−1 by Fourier infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. It was obtained that the energy band near 1100 - 1276 cm−1 belongs to the absorption peak of the para-substituted benzene ring and the band near 2977 cm−1 was the C-H stretching vibration peak of the benzene ring by Raman spectroscopy. The molecular structure of the synthesized polyamide compound was confirmed by FT-IR, Raman, and solid 13C-NMR spectroscopies. It was proved that the polymer is stable up to 300˚C and has a relatively high stability by the thermogravimetric analysis. It was also confirmed by the fluorescence spectrum that it has a strong blue fluorescence near 420 nm. The morphological characteristics of the polymer were further demonstrated by electron scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The properties of polymeric p-benzoyl-4,4'-diaminobenzoyl-aniline were found to emit strong blue fluorescence and have good thermal stability, making it a promising functional material for fluorescence in the blue region with potential for large-scale applications.

Design and Experimentation of Multi-Rod Grain Sampling Machine

In order to enhance grain sampling efficiency, in this work a truss type multi-rod grain sampling machine is designed and tested. The sampling machine primarily consists of truss support mechanism, main carriage mechanism, auxiliary carriage mechanism, sampling rods, and a PLC controller. The movement of the main carriage on the truss, the auxiliary carriage on the main carriage, and the vertical movement of the sampling rods on the auxiliary carriage are controlled through PLC programming. The sampling machine accurately controls the position of the sampling rods, enabling random sampling with six rods to ensure comprehensive and random sampling. Additionally, sampling experiments were conducted, and the results showed that the multi-rod grain sampling machine simultaneously samples with six rods, achieving a sampling frequency of 38 times per hour. The round trip time for the sampling rods is 33 seconds per cycle, and the sampling length direction reaches 18 m. This study provides valuable insights for the design of multi-rod grain sampling machines.

Improving the anti-collapse performance of water-based drilling fluids of Xinjiang Oilfield using hydrophobically modified silica nanoparticles with cationic surfactants

Wellbore instability,especially drilling with water-based drilling fluids(WBDFs)in complex shale for-mations,is a critical challenge for oil and gas development.The purpose of this paper is to study the feasibility of using hydrophobically modified silica nanoparticle(HMN)to enhance the comprehensive performance of WBDFs in the Xinjiang Oilfield,especially the anti-collapse performance.The effect of HMN on the overall performance of WBDFs in the Xinjiang Oilfield,including inhibition,plugging,lu-bricity,rheology,and filtration loss,was studied with a series of experiments.The mechanism of HMN action was studied by analyzing the changes of shale surface structure and chemical groups,wettability,and capillary force.The experimental results showed that HMN could improve the performance of WBDFs in the Xinjiang Oilfeld to inhibit the hydration swelling and dispersion of shale.The plugging and lubrication performance of the WBDFs in the Xinjiang Oilfield were also enhanced with HMN based on the experimental results.HMN had less impact on the rheological and filtration performance of the WBDFs in the Xinjiang Oilfield.In addition,HMN significantly prevented the decrease of shale strength.The potential mechanism of HMN was as follows.The chemical composition and structure of the shale surface were altered due to the adsorption of HMN driven by electrostatic attraction.Changes of the shale surface resulted in significant wettability transition.The capillary force of the shale was converted from a driving force of water into the interior to a resistance.In summary,hydrophobic nanoparticles presented afavorable application potential for WBDFs.

口蹄疫病毒O型全自动磁微粒CLIA抗体定量检测方法的建立

【背景】口蹄疫(foot and mouth disease,FMD)是由口蹄疫病毒引起的一种急性、热性、烈性传染病,疫苗接种是预防临床口蹄疫的有效措施。免疫抗体水平监测则是评估疫苗免疫效果、制定免疫程序的重要依据,是免疫工作和疫情防控必不可少的关键环节,因此建立高效、快速、全自动的抗体检测方法具有重要意义。【目的】基于磁微粒(micromagnetic particles,MPs)化学发光免疫分析技术(CLIA),建立一种新型、全自动、可定量的口蹄疫病毒O型抗体检测方法,为口蹄疫免疫监测和疫情防控提供技术支撑。【方法】使用纳米材料磁微粒为固相载体和分离载体包被捕获抗体,用碱性磷酸酶(alkaline phosphatase,ALP)标记检测抗体,经过条件优化建立了一种新型磁微粒CLIA检测方法(magnetic particle chemiluminescence immunoassay,MP-CLIA)。本方法首先加入磁微粒-兔抗偶联物(magnetic particle-polyclonal antibodies,MPs-p Abs)、待测样本、口蹄疫病毒O型抗原,37℃孵育;再加入适量酶标抗体(ALP-p Abs),37℃孵育;最后加入化学发光底物AMPPD,检测相对发光强度(relative light unit,RLU)。研究通过检测标准品拟合标准曲线,并应用受试者工作特征曲线(receiver operating characteristic,ROC)确定检测方法的判定标准;利用质控样本进行方法学评价,同时检测田间样本,并和液相阻断ELISA(LPB-ELISA)比对,验证临床检测效果。【结果】优化后最佳反应条件为磁微粒浓度0.25 mg·m L^(-1)、口蹄疫病毒O型抗原1﹕1000稀释、酶标抗体1﹕2000稀释、加样量20μL。整个检测过程均在全自动化学发光免疫分析仪中完成,反应时间20 min,在抗体含量0—1280 U(效价0—1﹕2048)范围内标准曲线R2>0.99,可进行定量检测。该方法敏感性为94.66%;特异性为97.10%,检测口蹄疫A型、Asia I型血清型特异性为97.14%,与塞内卡病毒(SVV)、猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒(PRRSV)、牛流行热病毒(BEFV)、猪圆环病毒2型(PCV2)、羊痘病毒(QRFV)、小反刍兽疫病毒(PPRV)抗体阳性血清无交叉反应;重复检测变异系数CV值<10%;田间样本检测结果与LPB-ELISA符合率为94.69%,定量结果相关系数R2为0.8473,P<0.0001,相关性显著。【结论】建立的MP-CLIA方法耗时短、操作简便,配套国产全自动化学发光仪,可进行全自动化检测,是一种新型、高效的口蹄疫病毒O型抗体定量检测方法,本方法对应的试剂盒已经完成中试生产和临床检测试验,在全国不同区域试用效果较好,具有较高的临床应用价值。

The role of signaling crosstalk of microglia in hippocampus on progression of ageing and Alzheimer's disease

Based on single-cell sequencing of the hippocampi of 5×familiar Alzheimer's disease(5×FAD)and wild type mice at 2-,12-,and 24-month of age,we found an increased percentage of microglia in aging and Alzheimer's disease(AD)mice.Blood brain barrier injury may also have contributed to this increase.Immune regulation by microglia plays a major role in the progression of aging and AD,according to the functions of 41 intersecting differentially expressed genes in microglia.Signaling crosstalk between C−C motif chemokine ligand(CCL)and major histocompatibility complex-1 bridges intercellular communication in the hippocampus during aging and AD.The amyloid precursor protein(APP)and colony stimulating factor(CSF)signals drive 5×FAD to deviate from aging track to AD occurrence among intercellular communication in hippocampus.Microglia are involved in the progression of aging and AD can be divided into 10 functional types.The strength of the interaction among microglial subtypes weakened with aging,and the CCL and CSF signaling pathways were the fundamental bridge of communication among microglial subtypes.

Whether human-induced activities could change the gradient pattern of coastal land use along the sea-land direction:a case study in Manila Bay,Philippines

Increasing intense human activities have largely changed the coastal landscape and caused many environmental issues.However,whether human-induced activities could change the coastal land use gradient pattern,an important coastal zonal characteristic along the sea-land direction,remains unclear.Manila Bay was selected as the study area in this work.According to the distance of the land use and land cover(LULC)to the coastline,we clustered the typical coastal land use sequence patterns(CLUSPs)along the sea-land direction between 1988 and 2016 in Manila Bay and found the following.(1)Four typical CLUSPs,including the natural CLUSP dominated by forest land and grassland,the agricultural CLUSP dominated by dry farm and paddy field,the urbanised CLUSP dominated by construction land and the fishery CLUSP dominated by fishing farm,were mined in 1988.Three typical CLUSPs(a natural CLUSP,an intermediate CLUSP between the agricultural and urbanised CLUSPs,and a fishery CLUSP)were mined in 2016.(2)Affected by the dominant LULC,these typical CLUSPs showed a regular spatial pattern along the sea-land direction.For example,the typical natural CLUSP showed a landward pattern due to the long distance between the forest land and grassland and the coastline.(3)However,influenced by urban and aquaculture expansion,the land intensification of the CLUSP exhibited an obvious increase and caused the decrease of the CLUSP diversity from 1988 to 2016.The increase in the area of LULC coverage showed no obvious correlation with its distance from the coastline(DFC),but the net increase rate of LULC coverage had a significant negative correlation with the DFC.Therefore,human-induced activities have a large impact on the gradient pattern of coastal land use along the sea-land direction.

The functions of exosomes targeting astrocytes and astrocyte-derived exosomes targeting other cell types

Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells in the central nervous system;they participate in crucial biological processes,maintain brain structure,and regulate nervous system function.Exosomes are cell-derived extracellular vesicles containing various bioactive molecules including proteins,peptides,nucleotides,and lipids secreted from their cellular sources.Increasing evidence shows that exosomes participate in a communication network in the nervous system,in which astrocyte-derived exosomes play important roles.In this review,we have summarized the effects of exosomes targeting astrocytes and the astrocyte-derived exosomes targeting other cell types in the central nervous system.We also discuss the potential research directions of the exosome-based communication network in the nervous system.The exosome-based intercellular communication focused on astrocytes is of great significance to the biological and/or pathological processes in different conditions in the brain.New strategies may be developed for the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders by focusing on astrocytes as the central cells and utilizing exosomes as communication mediators.

Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside alleviates trimethyltin chloride-induced neurodegeneration by maintaining glutamate homeostasis through modulation of the gut microbiota

Trimethyltin chloride(TMT)is a potent neurotoxin to cause neurodegeneration,especially in hippocampus.This study aimed to identify dietary components that can effectively attenuate TMT-induced neurodegeneration in humans.The predominant anthocyanin in human diets,cyanidin-3-O-glucoside(C3G,5 or 50 mg/kg),was given to mice for 16 days,and TMT(2.7 mg/kg)was injected intraperitoneally once on the eighth day.C3G(50 mg/kg)significantly alleviated TMT-induced seizures and subsequent cognitive impairment by ameliorating hippocampal neurodegeneration and synaptic dysfunction.Furthermore,C3G treatment restored glutamate homeostasis in brain and reversed glutamine synthetase(GS)inhibition in reactive astrogliosis and neuroinflammation,which are critical for C3G's neuroprotective effects.Notably,C3G decreased the lipopolysaccharide,tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin-6,and interleukin-1βlevels in the mice,which potentially by modulating the relative abundance of Atopobiaceae and Lachnospiraceae in the gut.C3G may be a promising and practical dietary component for reducing TMT-induced neurodegeneration.

Antibacterial,antioxidant and antiproliferation activities of essential oils and ethanolic extracts from Chinese mugwort(Artemisia vulgaris L.)leaf in Shanxi

Background:Artemisia vulgaris,a medicinal aromatic plant,is widely used as a food item,tonic pharmaceutical,and cosmetic industry additive owing to its antibacterial,antihypertensive,hepatoprotective,antioxidant,and antispasmodic properties.But the effect of different geographic locations on the chemical composition and bioactivities of its extracts is unclear.Methods:Biological activities of essential oils and ethanol extracts of three varieties of Artemisia vulgaris leaves,which are grown in Shanxi province China,were studied.Results:Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the main components of essential oils were terpenes and ketones.Essential oils and ethanol extract of Artemisia vulgaris leaves possessed good antioxidant activities,and their half maximal inhibitory concentrations determined using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate)assays were 57.0 and 22.9μg/mL,respectively.The essential oils also exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against three foodborne pathogenic bacterial strains.The ethanol extract presented a high anticancer activity against the MGC-803 human gastric cancer cell line.Conclusion:These biological activities were well correlated with the composition of the extract and EOs,which in turn is affected by the genetic composition of Artemisia vulgaris and geographic location and diverse climatic condition under which it is grown.These findings demonstrate the remarkable potential of Artemisia vulgaris as a valuable source of antioxidant,antibacterial,and anticancer agents.

Oligo-FISH涂染揭示柚粗线期1号染色体的结构及配对

【目的】深化柑橘减数分裂粗线期染色体结构组成和配对分析。【方法】首次利用柑橘染色体全长特异寡核苷酸荧光原位杂交(oligo-fluorescence in situ hybridization,oligo-FISH)涂染探针,精准示踪鉴定沙田柚粗线期1号染色体的结构特征,比较其与有丝分裂间期细胞核、有丝分裂前中期和中期染色体的结构差异,并揭示粗线期全长染色体的同源配对。【结果】观测到同源配对的全长粗线期与有丝分裂中期较大染色质结构差异。经测定,柚粗线期1号染色体平均全长、长臂长、短臂长和臂比分别为中期的13.93倍、16.54倍、10.44倍和1.54倍,表现出更高FISH信号分辨率。检测到柚粗线期1号染色体着丝粒附近约3.01 Mb的探针信号缺失区。【结论】首次实现柑橘特定全长粗线期染色体的跟踪研究,为深入开展其结构和配对遗传利用的精准研究提供了新方法。

Estrogen deficiency leads to telomerase inhibition, telomere shortening and reduced cell proliferation in the adrenal gland of mice

Estrogen deficiency mediates aging, but the underlying mechanism remains to be fully determined. We report here that estrogen deficiency caused by targeted disruption of aromatase in mice results in significant inhibition of telomerase activity in the adrenal gland in vivo. Gene expression analysis showed that, in the absence of estrogen, telomerase reverse transcriptase （TERT） gene expression is reduced in association with compromised cell proliferation in the adrenal gland cortex and adrenal atrophy. Stem cells positive in c-kit are identified to populate in the parenchyma of adrenal cortex. Analysis of telomeres revealed that estrogen deficiency results in significantly shorter teiomeres in the adrenal cortex than that in wild-type （WT） control mice. To further establish the causal effects of estrogen, we conducted an estrogen replacement therapy in these estrogen-deficient animals. Administration of estrogen for 3 weeks restores TERT gene expression, telomerase activity and cell proliferation in estrogen-deficient mice. Thus, our data show for the first time that estrogen deficiency causes inhibitions of TERT gene expression, telomerase activity, telomere maintenance, and cell proliferation in the adrenal gland of mice in vivo, suggesting that telomerase inhibition and telomere shortening may mediate cell proliferation arrest in the adrenal gland, thus contributing to estrogen deficiency-induced aging under physiological conditions.

The application of nanostructured transition metal sulfides as anodes for lithium ion batteries

With wide application of electric vehicles and large-scale in energy storage systems, the requirement ofsecondary batteries with higher power density and better safety gets urgent. Owing to the merits of hightheoretical capacity, relatively low cost and suitable discharge voltage, much attention has been paid tothe transition metal sulfides. Recently, a large amount of research papers have reported about the appli-cation of transition metal sulfides in lithium ion batteries. However, the practical application of transitionmetal sulfides is still impeded by their fast capacity fading and poor rate performance. More well-focusedresearches should be operated towards the commercialization of transition metal sulfides in lithium ionbatteries. In this review, recent development of using transition metal sulfides such as copper sulfides,molybdenum sulfides, cobalt sulfides, and iron sulfides as electrode materials for lithium ion batteriesis presented. In addition, the electrochemical reaction mechanisms and synthetic strategy of transitionmetal sulfides are briefly summarized. The critical issues, challenges, and perspectives providing a fur-ther understanding of the associated electrochemical processes are also discussed.

Fabrication of a Hydrophobic Hierarchical Surface on Shale Using Modified Nano-SiO_(2)for Strengthening the Wellbore Wall in Drilling Engineering

Wellbore stability is essential for safe and efficient drilling during oil and gas exploration and development.This paper introduces a hydrophobic nano-silica(HNS)for use in strengthening the wellbore wall when using a water-based drilling fluid(WBF).The wellbore-strengthening performance was studied using the linear swelling test,hot-rolling recovery test,and compressive strength test.The mechanism of strengthening the wellbore wall was studied by means of experiments on the zeta potential,particle size,contact angle,and surface tension,and with the use of a scanning electron microscope(SEM).The surface free energy changes of the shale before and after HNS treatment were also calculated using the contact angle method.The experimental results showed that HNS exhibited a good performance in inhibiting shale swelling and dispersion.Compared with the use of water,the use of HNS resulted in a 20%smaller linear swelling height of the bentonite pellets and an 11.53 times higher recovery of water-sensitive shale—a performance that exceeds those of the commonly used shale inhibitors KCl and polyamines.More importantly,the addition of HNS was effective in preventing a decrease in shale strength.According to the mechanism study,the good wellbore-strengthening performance of HNS can be attributed to three aspects.First,the positively charged HNS balances parts of the negative charges of clay by means of electrostatic adsorption,thus inhibiting osmotic hydration.Second,HNS fabricates a lotus-leaf-like surface with a micro-nano hierarchical structure on shale after adsorption,which significantly increases the water contact angle of the shale surface and considerably reduces the surface free energy,thereby inhibiting surface hydration.Third,the decrease in capillary action and the effective plugging of the shale pores reduce the invasion of water and promote wellbore stability.The approach described herein may provide an avenue for inhibiting both the surface hydration and the osmotic hydration of shale.

Early landslide mapping with slope units division and multi-scale objectbased image analysis——A case study in the Xianshui River basin of Sichuan,China

Previous studies on optical remote sensing mapping of landslides mainly focused on new landslides that have occurred, but little attention was paid to the early landslide due to its high concealment. In SAR technology, a prevalent method to detect early landslides, only can be used to identify the potential hazards of slow deformation. Therefore, it is necessary to explore new method of early landslides mapping by integrating all types of direct and indirect early features, such as cracks on slopes, small collapses inside and topographic features. In this study, an object-oriented image analysis method based on slope unit division and multi-scale segmentation was proposed to obtain accurate location and boundary extraction of early landslides. In the middle-and small-scale segmentation, the object, texture, spectrum, geometric features,topographic features, and other features were obtained to determine the local feature location of early landslides. The slope unit boundary was combined with the feature of a large-scale segmentation object to determine the scope of landslides. This method was tested in the Xianshui River basin in the Daofu County, Sichuan Province, China. The results demonstrate that:(1) Such features as landslide cracks and the small collapse at the bottom of slope can effectively determine the landslide position.(2) The slope unit division and the correct setting of shape factors in multiple segmentation can effectively determine the landslide boundary.(3) The accuracy of landslide location extraction was 83.33%, and the accuracy of boundary extraction for early landslides that were completely identified was evaluated as 82.67%. It is indicated that this method can improve the accuracy of boundary extraction and meet the requirements of the early landslides mapping.

Analysis on the multi-phase flow characterization in cross-measure borehole during coal hydraulic slotting

Hydraulic slotting in a gas drainage borehole is an effective method of enhancing gas drainage perfor- mance. However, it frequently occurs that a large amount of slotting products （mainly the coal slurry and gas） intensely spurt out of the borehole during the slotting, which adversely affects the slotting efficiency. Despite extensive previous investigations on the mechanism and prevention-device design of the spurt during ordinary borehole drilling, a very few studies has focused on the spurt in the s Ottlng pro ] ＂ _ cess. The slotting spurt is mainly caused by two reasons： the coal and gas outburst in the borehole and the borehole deslagging blockage. This paper focuses on the second reason, and investigates the hydraulic deslagging flow patterns in the annular space between the drill pipe and borehole wall Results show that there are six deslagging flow patterns when the drill pipe is still： pure slurry flow, pure gas flow, bubble flow, intermittent flow, layering flow and annular flow. When the drill pipe rotates, each of those six flow patterns changes due to the Taylor vortex effect. Outcomes of this study could help to better understand the slotting-spurt mechanism and provide guidance on the anti-spurt strategies through eliminating the borehole deslagging blockage.

Primary Study of Novel Method for Determination of Saponin in Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (<i>Suan-Zao-Ren</i>) by Digitally Scanning the Photo of the HPTLC Image without Configuration of TLC Scanner Facility

Conventional quantity determination of Chinese herbal medicines by High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) must be carried out on a TLC scanner for measuring the marker component on the HPTLC plate. Generally the HPTLC image of the herbal drug always takes the photograph as the permanent visual document. Considering the photo of the HPTLC image preserving all the visual quality-related parameters, there might be an alternative cost/effective approach worth studying. It would be presumably applicable to use the exclusively developed software as a virtual scanner instead of the TLC Scanner instrument to do digital scanning, integrating and calculating target components in the photo of the HPTLC image. It means digitally scanning the photo of the HPTLC image solely with software does the same thing as the instrumental scanner does. Based on this protocol, we primarily conducted the assay of the contents of the major saponins, jujuboside a and jujuboside b, in Ziziphi Spinosae Semen (Suan-Zao-Ren). Using home-developed software “digiscan” for acquiring the raw data and integrating the peaks area of the target components with “Origin Pro”, the contents of jujuboside a and jujuboside b can then be calculated respectively. The primary investigated experiment results were well compatible with official HPLC-ELSD method in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. The methodology validation and comparative analysis with HPLC confirmed that the unprecedented method is acceptable. The advantage of the recommended approach is far more simple, flexible and cost/effective than the conventional method, and it can be done at anytime and anywhere once only if the high quality HPTLC image photo is available. There would be a bright perspective for application to other herbal medicines. And the one-stop software for merging digital scanning, integration and calculation together is in progress.

Application of numerical model in evaluating the effects of a planned reservoir on reach-scale bankfull discharge of the lower Wei River

Predicting the responses of an alluvial channel to changes in flow and sediment supply is essential for engineering design. Many methods have been developed in the last few decades to describe sectional bankfull characteristics(elevation and discharge); however, studies on long-term reach-scale bankfull discharge are still limited. In this study, a hydraulic model is built to calculate the reach-scale bankfull discharge, and the effects of reservoir building on downstream bankfull discharges are discussed. The studied river reach is located at the lower Wei River(WR), where the planned Dongzhuang Reservoir would be built on its largest tributary, the Jing River. A quasi-two-dimensional numerical model coupled with a bankfull discharge estimating method is put forward to calculate the reach-scale bankfull discharge. The soundness of the model is verified. Results show that the temporal variation of reach-scale bankfull discharge of the lower reach of the WR would be highly influenced by the planned reservoir, especially during the first 20 years of operation. The effect of the planned reservoir on bankfull discharge may reach its maximum when the total trapped sediment load reaches approximately 75% of the reservoir capacity. Our results show that after the first 17 years of operation,the effect of the planned reservoir on bankfull discharge of the river reach may decrease gradually.The soundness and predictive capability of the coupled model have also been calibrated by comparing with existing reservoirs. All analyses indicate that the numerical model can be used to predict the changed reach-scale bankfull discharge of the lower WR.