Field survey around strong motion stations and its implications on the seismic intensity in the Lushan earthquake on April 20,2013

The Ms7.0 Lushan earthquake on April 20, 2013 is another destructive event in China since the Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake in 2008 and Ms7.1 Yushu earth- quake in 2010. A large number of strong motion recordings were accumulated by the National Strong Motion Obser- vation Network System of China. The maximum peak ground acceleration （PGA） at Station 51BXD in Baoxing Country is recorded as -1,005.3 cm/s2, which is even larger than the maximum one in the Wenchuan earthquake. A field survey around three typical strong motion stations confirms that the earthquake damage is consistent with the issued map of macroseismic intensity. For the oscillation period 0.3-1.0 s which is the common natural period range of the Chinese civil building, a comparison shows that the observed response spectrums are considerably smaller than the designed values in the Chinese code and this could be one of the reasons that the macroseismic intensity is lower than what we expected despite the high amplitude of PGAs. The Housner spectral intensities from 16 stations are also basically correlated with their macroseismic intensities, and the empirical distribution of spectral intensities from Lushan and Wenchuan Earthquakes under the Chinese scale is almost identical with those under the European scale.

Cameroon Green Energy Potentials: Field Survey of Production, Physico-Chemical Analyses of Palm Kernel Oil for Industrial Applications

This paper reports a field survey undertaken to determine the availability of raw material for palm kernel oil commercial production for industrial applications. Both industrial and artisanal wastes from palm kernel oil production were also surveyed as raw material (palm kernel seeds) for green energy production. Results of the field study show that 22% of palm kernel seeds (which represents tons of waste) resulting from palm oil processing plants are dumped while at the artisanal level, 80% of palm kernel seed waste is dumped. Analysis of field study data shows that large amounts of waste palm kernel seeds are available to enable large scale production of palm kernel oil (PKO) for desirable industrial applications in green energy production. The paper also reports on the physical and chemical properties of Cameroon palm kernel oil (PKO). Palm kernel oil was extracted using mechanical press and solvent extraction. The palm kernel oil (PKO) from Cameroon was analyzed by standard physico-chemical methods. Results of the physical measurements show a specific gravity of PKO of 0.92 kg/L, viscosity of 26.03 cSt and at 5.93 cSt at 40°C and 100°C respectively, viscosity index of 185, pour point of 20°C, cloud point of 29°C, flash point of 200°C, aniline point of 105°F, diesel index of 23, cetane number of 27 and ASTM (American Standards for Testing and Materials) color of less than 2.5. Results of chemical analyses showed an acid value of 17.95 mg KOH/g, free fatty acid (FFA) content of 8.98 mg KOH/g, iodine value of 2.10 mg I2/g, peroxide value of 2.10 meq/kg, ester value of 123.0 mg KOH/g, hydroxyl value of 93.4 mg OH/g, saponification value of 140.95 mg KOH/g and a sulfur content of 0.016% w/v, signifying low sulfur content. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) showed the palm kernel oil to be predominantly made up of glycerides of various fatty acids with higher proportions of C12 to C16 fatty acid residues. Cameroon PKO therefore has a broad spectrum of industrial applications by virtue of its rich physical and chemical properties.

Evidence-Based Therapy May Improve Outcome in Glomerulonephritis—A Prospective Field Survey

Introduction and aims: Although glomerulonephritis is rare in the general population it is the second most important cause for end-stage renal failure. The therapy of glomerulonephritis is guided by a limited number of individual clinical trials and treatment recommendations are based on meta-analysis and Cochrane Systematic Reviews. The impact of such therapy standards on the prognosis of glomerulonephritis is not known. Methods: Between October 2002 and December 2008 patients with abnormal urine findings and/or decreasing renal function of unknown cause were referred for renal biopsy. In a collaboration of out-patient nephrologists with a major teaching hospital, all patients received treatment recommendations according to evidence-based therapy guidelines based on Cochrane Systematic Reviews. Patient charts were systematically reviewed and patients were re-examined for follow-up until November 2009. Cox Regression analysis was performed to identify independent prognostic factors. Results: Two hundred patients with primary or secondary glomerulonephritis were identified. Complete follow-up data were available from 196 patients with 324 therapeutic interventions. The mean follow-up was 2.8 ± 2.0 years. Among all patients, 37% remained unchanged ill, 13% died, 17% had progressing renal disease, while 19% had a complete and 14% a partial remission. Proteinuria declined in primary glomerulonephritis (5.0 ± 5.4 g/d to 2.1 ± 3.4 g/d, p Conclusions: In a multivariate model of standardised glomerulonephritis therapy the presence of tubulointerstitial fibrosis was associated with death or progresssive renal disease, while prednisolone-based therapy regimens and intensified nephrological follow-up resulted in a significant delay of endstage-renal failure. This result should direct future health care policies because glomerulonephritis accounts for nearly 20% of the dialysis population.

Chemotherapy-based Control of Ascariasis and Hookworm in Highly Endemic Areas of China:Field Observations and a Modeling Analysis

Objective Our objective was to systematically evaluate chemotherapy-based control of ascariasis and hookworm infection and make predictions of the effectiveness of repeated mass treatment at different levels of coverage in highly endemic areas of China. Methods Field surveys were carried out to acquire the ascariasis and hookworm prevalence and intensity （mean worm burden） at baseline, one month and one year later. We calculated model parameters based on the survey data, then incorporated them into a quantitative framework to predict the prevalence and intensity one year later. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the influence of the chemotherapy measures on prevalence and intensity, and model simulations were performed to evaluate the feasibility of achieving the proposed transmission control criteria under different chemotherapy measures. Results The predicted prevalence and intensity one year from baseline were within the 95% confidence interval of actual values. As treatment frequency or coverage increased, the prevalence and intensity decreased. Model simulations show that many rounds of treatment are needed to maintain the prevalence at a low level in highly endemic areas of China. Conclusion We should select different combinations of treatment frequency, coverage and drug efficacy according to available resources and practical attainable conditions. Mathematical modeling could be used to help optimize the chemotherapeutic scheme aiming at specific parasitic species and areas, and to direct the establishment of soil-transmitted helminthiasis control criteria in China.

A Pedestrian Flow Survey Using Proportional Distribution Origin-Destination Method

Urban development has progressed with economic growth in various parts of Japan.However,there are concerns for the future with respect to severe population decline,aging population,and population concentration in metropolitan areas.Therefore,it is required for effective urban development in localities for sustainability.One of the practical measures is to focus on pedestrians’activity in the area.It brings revitalizing the local economy,enhancing the region's attractiveness,and bringing about fiscal consolidation.Thus,it is required to understand walking characteristics based on the actual pedestrian activity in the walking space.However,a method for grasping pedestrian activity,including pedestrians'exploratory behavior such as free-purpose behavior,rambling activity in a narrow area has not been established.The study proposes a survey proportional distribution origin-destination survey method focused on the proportion of pedestrians’route selection and the distribution of pedestrians at the time in the area,and evaluation method for urban space using PdOD method.

全球海啸相关研究进展综述

With the advancement of the global economy,the coastal region has become heavily developed and densely populated and suffers significant damage potential considering various natural disasters,including tsunamis,as indicated by several catastrophic tsunami disasters in the 21st century.This study reviews the up-to-date tsunami research from two different viewpoints:tsunamis caused by different generation mechanisms and tsunami research applying different research approaches.For the first issue,earthquake-induced,landslide-induced,volcano eruption-induced,and meteorological tsunamis are individually reviewed,and the characteristics of each tsunami research are specified.Regarding the second issue,tsunami research using post-tsunami field surveys,numerical simulations,and laboratory experiments are discussed individually.Research outcomes from each approach are then summarized.With the extending and deepening of the understanding of tsunamis and their inherent physical insights,highly effective and precise tsunami early warning systems and countermeasures are expected for the relevant disaster protection and mitigation efforts in the coastal region.

Building damage in Dujiangyan during Wenchuan Earthquake

A field damage survey of 1,005 buildings damaged by the Wenchuan Earthquake in Dujiangyan City was carried out and the resulting data was analyzed using the statistical method. It is shown that buildings that were seismically designed achieved the desired seismic fortification target; they sustained less damage than the non-seismically designed buildings. Among the seismically designed buildings investigated, RC frame buildings performed the best in terms of seismic resistance. Masonry buildings with a ground story of RC frame structure were the second best, and masonry buildings performed the worst. Considering building height, multistory buildings sustained more severe damage than high-rise buildings and 2- and 3-story buildings. Compared to residential buildings, public buildings, such as schools and hospitals, suffered more severe damage.

Biotic Homogenization Caused by the Invasion of Solidago canadensis in China

Although studies argue that invasive species can cause biotic differentiation, some cases show that biological invasions actually decrease biodiversity through biotic homogenization. The concept of biotic homogenization through the invasion of a certain serious invasive plant species merit more studies. Hence, we used field surveys to quantitatively compare invasive populations of Solidago canadensis （SC） in China with the control sites （adjacent sites to SC present sites yet without the species） and SC native populations in the USA. We found that plant communities in SC invaded habitats shared similarities with those in SC native ranges. Bray-Curtis similarity clearly showed that the composition of plant communities in SC invaded habitats were similar to those in SC native ranges. Both in the native and introduced range, plant communities with SC present were characterized by SC being dominant, significantly lower species richness, or-diversity and p-diversity, as well as a decrease in the correlation coefficient between geographic distance and floristic similarities. SC favors fertile and moist loam habitat, while it dominated in various habitats in China, where more than 20 different dominants should have occurred. In conclusion, serious invasive species can quickly remodel and homogenize diverse communities by dominating them.

Empowering fall webworm surveillance with mobile phone-based community monitoring: a case study in northern China

Recent advances in information and communication technologies, such as mobile Internet and smart- phones, have created new paradigms for participatory environment monitoring. The ubiquitous mobile phones with capabilities such as a global positioning system, camera, and network access, offer opportunities to estab- lish distributed monitoring networks that can perform a wide range of measurements for a landscape. This study examined the potential of mobile phone-based community monitoring of fall webworm （Hyphantria cunea Drury）. We built a prototype of a participatory fall webworm monitoring System based on mobile devices that stream- lined data collection, transmission, and visualization. We also assessed the accuracy and reliability of the data collected by the local community. The system performance was evaluated at the Ziya commune of Tianjin municipality in northern China, where fall webworm infestation has occurred. The local community provided data with accuracy comparable to expert measurements （Willmott＇s index of agreement 〉0.85）. Measurements by the local community effectively complemented remote sensing images in both temporal and spatial resolution.

Characteristics of strong motions and damage implications of M_s6.5 Ludian earthquake on August 3,2014

The Ludian County of Yunnan Province in southwestern China was struck by an Ms6.5 earthquake on August 3, 2014, which was another destructive event following the Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, Ms7.1 Yushu earthquake in 2010, and Ms7.0 Lushan earthquake in 2013. National Strong-Motion Observation Network System of China collected 74 strong motion recordings, which the maximum peak ground acceleration recorded by the 053LLT station in Longtoushan Town was 949 cm/s2 in E-W component. The observed PGAs and spectral ordinates were compared with ground-motion prediction equation in China and the NGA-West2 developed by Pacific Earthquake Engineering Researcher Center. This earthquake is considered as the first case for testing applicability of NGA-West2 in China. Results indicate that the observed PGAs and the 5 % damped pseudo-response spectral accelerations are significantly lower than the pre- dicted ones. The field survey around some typical strong motion stations verified that the earthquake damage was consistent with the official isoseismal by China Earthquake Administration.

Quantitative Analysis of the Outdoor Thermal Comfort in the Hot and Humid Summertime of Shenzhen, China

Outdoor thermal comfort has always been a major issue due to its irreplaceable role in maintaining good health and energy use. Thus,quantitative analysis of outdoor thermal comfort and discussions on influential factors seem very necessary to achieve the climate-conscious urban design. Therefore,an outdoor thermal comfort questionnaire survey and the simultaneous field measurement were conducted in six different places during the hot and humid summertime in Shenzhen. The results show that the overall weather conditions during the investigation can be expressed with high temperature and high humidity with strong solar radiation. The micro-meteorological parameters of six test sites vary greatly due to their different regional spatial layouts.Moderate range of air temperature( Ta) is between 28 to 30 ℃ while that of relative humidity( RH) mainly concentrates in 60%-70% with the thermal sensation votes. The main influential factors impacting outdoor thermal comfort are obtained and Tahas the greatest effect. The overall thermal comfortable ranges in Shenzhen are expressed by the range of 28. 14-32. 83 ℃ of PET and 24. 74-30. 45 ℃ of SET*. With the correlation analysis between the characteristic parameters of regional spatial layout and thermal climate and thermal comfort,it reveals that increasing the coverage ratio of water and green space( S) helps lower Taand increase RH. The global solar radiation( G) has a significant negative correlation with the height of buildings( H) and a positive correlation with sky view factor( SVF). Overall,reasonable configuration of the regional spatial layout contributes to providing a thermal comfortable environment.

Analysis of fig tree virus type and distribution in China

The common fig（Ficus carica L.）was one of the earliest horticultural crops to be domesticated.A number of different viruses can infect fig trees including Fig mosaic virus（FMV）that has been detected in several commercial fig trees in Xinjiang,China.However,the distribution of FMV and other fig-infecting viruses in China remains unknown.In the present study,a sample from an ancient fig tree growing in Xinjiang was investigated by electron microscopy（EM）followed by PCR/RT-PCR,and FMV,Fig badnavirus 1（FBV-1）and Fig leaf mottle-associated virus 1（FLMaV-1）were detected.Fig leaf samples（252）from commercial orchards across China were subjected to PCR/RT-PCR,and FMV,FBV-1 and Fig fleck-associated virus（FFka V）were relatively abundant（44.4,48.4 and 44%,respectively）,while FLMaV-1 and Fig mild mottle-associated virus（FMMa V）were much scarcer（5.6 and 0.4%,respectively）,and FLMaV-2,Fig cryptic virus（FCV）,and Fig latent virus（FLV）were not detected.The presence of disease-causing viruses in fig trees presents a significant challenge for fig producers in China.This study may help to promote actions aimed at controlling fig viruses,especially FMV.

Anisotropy effect on strengths of metamorphic rocks

This paper aims to study the effect of anisotropy on strengths of several metamorphic rocks of southern(Cine) submassif of Menderes metamorphic massif in southwest Turkey. Four different metamorphic rocks including foliated phyllite, schist, gneiss and marble(calcschist) were selected and examined.Discontinuity surveys were made along lines for each rock and evaluated with DIPS program. L-type Schmidt hammer was applied in the directions parallel and perpendicular to foliation during the field study. Several hand samples and rock blocks were collected during the field study for measurements of dry and saturated densities, dry and saturated unit weights and porosity, and for petrographic analysis and strength determination in laboratory. L-and N-type Schmidt hammers were applied in the directions perpendicular(anisotropy angle of 0°) and parallel(anisotropy angle of 90) to the foliation on selected blocks of phyllite, schist, gneiss and marble(calcschist). The phyllite and schist have higher porosity and lower density values than the other rocks. However, coarse crystalline gneiss and marble(calcschist) have higher rebound values and strengths, and they are classified as strong-very strong rocks. Generally, the rebound values in the direction perpendicular to the foliation are slightly higher than that in the direction parallel to foliation. Rebound values of N-type Schmidt hammer are higher than the L-type values except for phyllite. Sometimes, the rebound values of laboratory and field applications gave different results. This may result from variable local conditions such as minerals differentiation,discontinuities, water content, weathering degree and thickness of foliated structure.

Investigation and Evaluation of the Pedestrian Space in the Old Town of Nanjing

This paper studied the current situation of the pedestrian space in the old town of Nanjing, analyzed problems of the pedestrian space and reasons causing these problems based on the research results, and proposed main points requiring special attention and solutions to these problems.

Distribution of Dongxiang Folk Story Resources in Dongxiang Autonomous County,Gansu Province

Based on the field survey in Dongxiang Autonomous County of Gansu Province in 2017 and 2018,we found and obtained rich effective Dongxiang folk story resources.These first-hand story resources remain in relatively remote areas of the county,with elderly women in the Dongxiang Language Reservation Area in the central and east of the county as the main oral inheritance group.The distribution characteristics of folk stories:few people preserve most stories,while most people could not narrate complete stories,and few traditional story resources are widespread.At present,due to various reasons,the oral environment and inheritance status of folk stories in Dongxiang County is not optimistic,the survey is difficult,and the story resources are scattered,and there is a tendency to gradually disappear.Therefore,it is necessary to actively protect the existing Dongxiang folk artists and folk story resources,and to conduct digital sorting of these resources in time.

The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST)

The Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST, also called the Guo Shou Jing Telescope) is a special reflecting Schmidt telescope. LAMOST’s special design allows both a large aperture (effective aperture of 3.6 m–4.9 m) and a wide field of view (FOV) (5°). It has an innovative active reflecting Schmidt configuration which continuously changes the mirror’s surface that adjusts during the observation process and combines thin deformable mirror active optics with segmented active optics. Its primary mirror (6.67m×6.05 m) and active Schmidt mirror (5.74m×4.40 m) are both segmented, and composed of 37 and 24 hexagonal sub-mirrors respectively. By using a parallel controllable fiber positioning technique, the focal surface of 1.75 m in diameter can accommodate 4000 optical fibers. Also, LAMOST has 16 spectrographs with 32 CCD cameras. LAMOST will be the telescope with the highest rate of spectral acquisition. As a national large scientific project, the LAMOST project was formally proposed in 1996, and approved by the Chinese government in 1997. The construction started in 2001, was completed in 2008 and passed the official acceptance in June 2009. The LAMOST pilot survey was started in October 2011 and the spectroscopic survey will launch in September 2012. Up to now, LAMOST has released more than 480 000 spectra of objects. LAMOST will make an important contribution to the study of the large-scale structure of the Universe, structure and evolution of the Galaxy, and cross-identification of multiwaveband properties in celestial objects.

Assessment of groundwater potential using multi-criteria decision analysis and geoelectrical surveying

A precise map of the dispersion of the groundwater potential across each watershed can help decision-makers to exert optimal water management in each region.In this research,the potential of groundwater resources in both the Zanjanrood Catchment and the Tarom Region,located in the northwest of Iran,has been studied.Seven effective criteria including slope,land-use,drainage density,spring density,lithology,lineament density,and rainfall are considered.Criteria were first weighted using the Analytical Hierarchical Process(AHP)method and then overlaid by the Technique for Order Preferences by Similarity to Ideal(TOPSIS)model.Finally,the spatial zoning map of groundwater potential was obtained in four categories.A sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the influence of each criterion on the obtained map.The model was verified using both the spatial distribution of the high-discharged production wells and the geophysical-based geoelectric field surveys.The results indicate that the high-discharged wells(>40 l/s)in both regions are dispersed predominantly in the very good zone and,in several cases,in the good zone.Besides,the results from the two-dimensional models of resistivity and induced polarization of geoelectrical field survey are inappropriate agreement with those from the TOPSIS method.Notably,there is no suitable potential zone of groundwater in the surrounding highlands to be used in the future for drinking purposes since the highlands water supply is a strategic supply for drinking.The strategies employed in this study,the results of GIS modeling,and the geoelectrical analysis can be considered for sustainable development of similar arid and semi-arid areas since groundwater is considered as the main supplier of water in such regions.

Detection of helminths by loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay:a review of updated technology and future outlook

Background:Helminths are endemic in more than half of the world's countries,raising serious public health concerns.Accurate diagnosis of helminth infection is crucial to control strategies.Traditional parasitological methods,serological tests and PCR-based assays are the major means of the diagnosis of helminth infeaion,but they are time-consuming and/or expensive,and sometimes provide inaccurate results.Loop mediated isothermal amplification(LAMP)assay,a sensitive,simple and rapid method was therefore developed for deteaion of helminths.This study aims to discuss the current status of application of LAMP on helminths detection and to make a comprehensive evaluation about this updated technology and its future outlook by comparing with several other diagnostic methods.Main body:This review summarizes LAMP assay applied for helminth detection and helminthiasis surveillance.The basic principle of LAMP is introduced to help better understand its characteristics and each reported assay is assessed mainly based on its detection sensitivity,specificity and limitations,in comparison with other common diagnostic tests.Moreover,we discuss the limitations of the assays so as to clarify some potential ways of improvement.Conclusions:Here,we summarize and discuss the advantages,disadvantages and promising future of LAMP in heliminth detection,which is expected to help update current knowledge and future perspectives of LAMP in highly sensitive and specific diagnosis and surveillance of helminthiasis and other parasitic diseases,and can contribute to the elimination of the diseases from endemic areas.