An Improved HVQ Algorithm for Compression and Rendering of Space Environment Volume Data with Multi-correlated Variables

Volume visualization can not only illustrate overall distribution but also inner structure and it is an important approach for space environment research.Space environment simulation can produce several correlated variables at the same time.However,existing compressed volume rendering methods only consider reducing the redundant information in a single volume of a specific variable,not dealing with the redundant information among these variables.For space environment volume data with multi-correlated variables,based on the HVQ-1d method we propose a further improved HVQ method by compositing variable-specific levels to reduce the redundant information among these variables.The volume data associated with each variable is divided into disjoint blocks of size 43 initially.The blocks are represented as two levels,a mean level and a detail level.The variable-specific mean levels and detail levels are combined respectively to form a larger global mean level and a larger global detail level.To both global levels,a splitting based on a principal component analysis is applied to compute initial codebooks.Then,LBG algorithm is conducted for codebook refinement and quantization.We further take advantage of progressive rendering based on GPU for real-time interactive visualization.Our method has been tested along with HVQ and HVQ-1d on high-energy proton flux volume data,including>5,>10,>30 and>50 MeV integrated proton flux.The results of our experiments prove that the method proposed in this paper pays the least cost of quality at compression,achieves a higher decompression and rendering speed compared with HVQ and provides satisficed fidelity while ensuring interactive rendering speed.

Seasonal Variation of Environmental Variables and Phytoplankton Community Structure and Their Relationship in Liaodong Bay of Bohai Sea,China

In this paper, systematic studies on the changes in concentrations of the environmental factors and the net-phytoplankton community, and the relationship between them in the Liaodong Bay, Bohai Sea during 2013 are presented. The PCA results showed that higher levels of nutrients and dissolved heavy metals in the river-estuary-bay system were closely related to the river runoff. Since the influences of industrial and anthropogenic activities, the Liaodong Bay coastal areas are facing a huge environmental challenge of nutrients and heavy metal pollution. Net-phytoplankton community structure showed obvious seasonal succession, among which the dominant and(or) key species were the main factors affecting community structure change and stability. Under certain environmental conditions, the dominant species and(or) key species dominated the phytoplankton community structure succession. The Bio-ENV results suggested that the seawater temperature, nutrient, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cd in Liaodong Bay are important environmental variables that affect the phytoplankton community structure. Anthropogenic activities have significantly contributed to the changes in concentrations of environmental factors and the net-phytoplankton community structure and stability, and the relationship between them.

Relationships between daily growth of different groups of swordtip squid(Uroteuthis edulis)and environmental variables in the East China Sea

Swordtip squid(Uroteuthis edulis)is one of the important economical fishing target species in the East China Sea.Uroteuthis edulis is characterized by rapid growth,extensive migration,and long spawning period and sensitive to surrounding environment.In order to assess its stock status,it is necessary to explore its spawning season,growth patterns of different populations and their relationship with the environment in advance.In this paper,based on the samples of U.edulis collected in the East China Sea from September 2017 to March 2018,we explored the relationships between daily growth of statolith microstructure and environmental variables by gradient forest method and generalized additive model.The spawning season of U.edulis was found to be nearly one year,and two dominant season groups were found:the spring group with the peak period of April and the summer group with the peak period of August.Water temperature in the depth of 25 m(Temp_25),sea surface temperature(SST)and zonal velocity were the key environmental variables for the daily growth of April-spawning group.The most suitable environmental conditions for the growth of April-spawning group were water temperature(24-27℃)and velocity(0.1-0.3 m/s).SST,Temp_25 and mixed layer depth were the key environment variables for the daily growth of August-spawning group.The most suitable environmental conditions for the growth of Augustspawning group were water temperature(21-28℃)and water depth(0-50 m).Key environmental variables of different groups suggested that early growth was significantly affected by seasonal changes of water temperature,current velocity and prey abundance.This study explored the relationships between early growth and environmental variables and provided the scientific guidance for the management and conservation of U.edulis.

Effect of flow rate on environmental variables and phytoplankton dynamics:results from field enclosures

To investigate the effects of flow rate on phytoplankton dynamics and related environment variables,a set of enclosure experiments with different fl ow rates were conducted in an artificial lake. We monitored nutrients,temperature,dissolved oxygen,p H,conductivity,turbidity,chlorophyll-a and phytoplankton levels. The lower biomass in all flowing enclosures showed that flow rate significantly inhibited the growth of phytoplankton. A critical flow rate occurred near 0.06 m/s,which was the lowest relative inhibitory rate. Changes in flow conditions affected algal competition for light,resulting in a dramatic shift in phytoplankton composition,from blue-green algae in still waters to green algae in flowing conditions. These findings indicate that critical flow rate can be useful in developing methods to reduce algal bloom occurrence. However,flow rate significantly enhanced the inter-relationships among environmental variables,in particular by inducing higher water turbidity and vegetative reproduction of periphyton( Spirogyra). These changes were accompanied by a decrease in underwater light intensity,which consequently inhibited the photosynthetic intensity of phytoplankton. These results warn that a universal critical flow rate might not exist,because the effect of flow rate on phytoplankton is interlinked with many other environmental variables.

Monthly Variation in Crustacean Assemblage(Decapod and Stomatopod) and Its Relationships with Environmental Variables in Laizhou Bay,China

In this study,we investigated the community structure of crustaceans(decapod and stomatopod) inhabiting the sandy mud bottoms of Laizhou Bay(northeastern China) monthly from May 2011 to April 2012.Investigation was stopped from December 2011 to February 2012 because of the extreme weather and sea ice.A total of 205,057 specimens belonging to 31 species(shrimp,15;crab,15;and stomatopod,1) were collected in 148 hauls.From 2011 to 2012,Oratosquilla oratoria was the dominant biomass species(47.80%),followed by Charybdis japonica(15.49%),Alpheus japonicas(12.61%),Portunus trituberculatus(6.46%),and Crangon spp.(4.19%).Crangon spp.was the most dominant species by individual(32.55%).O.oratoria was the most-frequently encountered species(81.76%),followed by Palaemon gravieri(70.95%),C.japonica(65.54%),A.japonicas(62.16%),and P.trituberculatus(54.73%).The biomass density increased from August to September 2011 and decreased from March 2012 to April 2012.The dynamics of the ecological indices evolve in a similar manner,with high values of diversity and evenness and rich species from May to June 2011 and low values from September to October 2011.O.oratoria,C.japonica,and P.trituberculatus differed by biomass data between groups I(samples obtained from September to October 2011) and II(samples in other months).These species contributed more than 70% to the similarity of the crustacean community structure.Furthermore,the subsets of environmental variables that best matched the crustacean-assemblage structure were as follows:water depth(WD) in summer(June to August);sea surface temperature(SST),dissolved oxygen(DO),and WD in autumn(September to November);and DO,salinity,and WD in spring(March to May).The calculated correlation coefficients and significance level were higher in the period of July to August 2011 than in other months.Comparing 2011 to 2012 with 1982 to 1983,the species composition remained stable.However,the dominant species changed significantly.High value and large species,such as F.chinensis,P.trituberculatus,and T.curvirostris,have been replaced by low value and small species(i.e.,Crangon spp.,P.gravieri,and C.japonica).

Surface sediment diatoms from the western Pacific marginal seas and their correlation to environmental variables

Diatom data of 192 surface sediment samples from the marginal seas in the western Pacific together with modern summer and winter sea surface temperature and salinity data were analyzed.The results of canonical correspondence analysis show that summer sea-surface salinity(SSS) is highly positively correlated with winter SSS and so is summer sea-surface temperature(SST) with winter SST.The correlations between SSSs and SSTs are less positively correlated,which may be due to interactions of regional current pattern and monsoon climate.The correlations between diatom species,sample sites and environmental variables concur with known diatom ecology and regional oceanographic characters.The results of forward selection of the environmental variables and associated Monte Carlo permutation tests of the statistical significance of each variable suggest that summer SSS and winter SST are the main environmental factors affecting the diatom distribution in the area and therefore preserved diatom data from down core could be used for reconstructions of summer SSS and winter SST in the region.

Effects of phytoplankton community and interaction between environmental variables on nitrogen uptake and transformations in an urban river

Phytoplankton are not only the main bearer of the nitrogen cycle,but also a key link driving nitrogen cycle.However,most phytoplankton cannot directly use N_(2),and they must uptake nitrogenous nutrients(ammonium,nitrate,and urea)to meet their photosynthesis needs.We examined the uptake characteristics of several nitrogenous substrates using stable isotope technique and identifi ed the potential nitrogen transformations in the Fenhe River.Results revealed that spring phytoplankton community composed of mainly Fragilaria,Ulothrix,Microcystis,and Synedra.Urea can meet the spring partial nitrogen requirement of phytoplankton.The large uptake rate of urea depended on urease,chlorophyll a,and nitrate concentrations as shown in random forest models.Cyanobacteria explained more than 42.8%of the total abundance at all sites in summer.Upstream was dominated by Actinastrum,and Chlorella was relevant in the downstream section.The uptake rates of ammonium were higher than those of nitrate and urea.In addition,the random forest model demonstrated that ammonium,urease,and dissolved oxygen(DO)were the major contributors to the ammonium uptake rates.Ammonium was taken up preferentially in autumn and phytoplankton(Cyclotella,Chlorella,and Pseudanabaena)appeared to be able to respond to changes in nitrogen forms by adjusting their community composition.Structural equation models demonstrated that temperature-induced changes in DO directly affected the transformations of different forms of nitrogen.At the same time,dissolved organic carbon can directly act on nutrients and then indirectly affect enzyme activity.There were great diff erences in the positive and negative effects of different paths in the process of nitrate reduction to nitrite and then reduction to ammonium in time and space.These findings provide a better understanding of the underlying mechanism of nitrogen uptake and the influences of interaction between environmental variables on nitrogen transformations in urban river ecosystems.

Population structure,age and growth rates of conifer species and their relation to environmental variables at Malam Jabba,Swat District,Pakistan

This study focuses on age,growth rate and diameter distribution of pine forests in the Malam Jabba area,Swat District,Pakistan.Wood core samples were taken from twenty stands.Picea smithiana was the oldest at 234 years with a 112-cm diameter.Abies pindrow was 125 years with an 80-cm diameter while the oldest Pinus wallichiana was 122 years with 75-cm diameter.The fastest overall growth rate of 1.5±0.1 year/cm was for P.wallichiana on a west-facing aspect,while the slowest 5.8±2.6 year/cm growth was P.smithiana on an eastfacing exposure.P.wallichiana and A.pindrow exhibited marked differences in growth rates over a 5-year period.The highest growth was by P.wallichiana from 1966 to 2006.A.pindrow showed less growth over the same years,such pattern simultaneously reverse from 1911 to 1965.The relationship between diameter and age,diameter and growth rate and age and growth rate were correlated.P.wallichiana and A.pindrow ages were correlated with diameter and growth rates.P.smithiana age was positive correlated with diameter.Generally,topographic and edaphic factors did not show significant correlations with growth rates,although some appreciable correlations were recorded.The growth of P.wallichiana was correlated with elevation while A.pindrow was correlated with maximum water retaining capacity.Diameter and age produced uneven size classes and many size gaps,which could be the result of anthropogenic disturbances.

Diatom distribution in surface sediments from Chinese inshore waters and the relationship to modern environmental variables

Diatoms are widely used to study past and present changes in the marine environment. Unimodal models are appropriate for exploring the relationship between environmental properties in Chinese inshore waters and fossil diatom species derived from modern surface sediments. The best-fit relationships between two multivariate datasets(diatom species and environmental variables) were identified using canonical correspondence analysis(CCA), which is a constrained ordination technique. The absolute abundance of diatoms in the Chinese inshore waters ranged from 500 to 48 000 valves/g, and the average absolute abundance of all the 29 sites was 11 300 valves/g. 153 species and varieties of diatoms belonging to 42 genera in all were identified in the Chinese inshore waters. There were 28 dominant diatom species in all. According to the absolute abundance of the dominant species and the spatial distribution of the currents from the Chinese inshore waters, 12 diatom assemblages were distinguished from north to south, which refl ected the different oceanographic conditions at the regional scale. Of the eight environmental variables considered, the most important environmental variable is winter sea surface salinity(WSS), which was also the only environmental variable with statistical significance. Therefore, it may be used to establish a transfer functions for the Chinese inshore waters in future paleoclimate studies.

Spatial Prediction of Soil Salinity in a Semiarid Oasis: Environmental Sensitive Variable Selection and Model Comparison

Timely monitoring and early warning of soil salinity are crucial for saline soil management. Environmental variables are commonly used to build soil salinity prediction model. However, few researches have been done to summarize the environmental sensitive variables for soil electrical conductivity(EC) estimation systematically. Additionally, the performance of Multiple Linear Regression(MLR), Geographically Weighted Regression(GWR), and Random Forest regression(RFR) model, the representative of current main methods for soil EC prediction, has not been explored. Taking the north of Yinchuan plain irrigation oasis as the study area, the feasibility and potential of 64 environmental variables, extracted from the Landsat 8 remote sensed images in dry season and wet season, the digital elevation model, and other data, were assessed through the correlation analysis and the performance of MLR, GWR, and RFR model on soil salinity estimation was compared. The results showed that: 1) 10 of 15 imagery texture and spectral band reflectivity environmental variables extracted from Landsat 8 image in dry season were significantly correlated with soil EC, while only 3 of these indices extracted from Landsat 8 image in wet season have significant correlation with soil EC. Channel network base level, one of the terrain attributes, had the largest absolute correlation coefficient of 0.47 and all spatial location factors had significant correlation with soil EC. 2) Prediction accuracy of RFR model was slightly higher than that of the GWR model, while MLR model produced the largest error. 3) In general, the soil salinization level in the study area gradually increased from south to north. In conclusion, the remote sensed imagery scanned in dry season was more suitable for soil EC estimation, and topographic factors and spatial location also play a key role. This study can contribute to the research on model construction and variables selection for soil salinity estimation in arid and semiarid regions.

Acoustic and Vibration Environment Prediction Technology of Instrument Cabin Based on Multi-Source Data

Noise characteristic is one of the important factors to be considered during the design of a launch vehicle system.In this paper,the acceptance conditions for the external noise environment of the instrument cabin are given based on multi-source data,including the measured data of the launch vehicle lift-off noise,the mechanical environment of the launch vehicle equipment,and the external noise environment of the instrument cabin deduced from empirical formula.Then an acoustic and vibration transfer model is established based on the response data of the instrument equipment used to conduct measurements in the noise test reverberation room.By using an external noise environment and a transfer model,the response of the instrument and equipment for the acceptance condition can be obtained.The acoustic and vibration prediction technology introduced in this paper can provide technical support in the environmental prediction analysis of heavy launch vehicles for the future.

The environmental implication of diatom fossils in the surface sediment of the Changjiang River estuary(CRE) and its adjacent area

In order to depict the distribution of diatom fossils in surface sediments and to establish a reliable reference data for further paleoenvironmental study in the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary and its adjacent waters, the diatom fossils from 34 surface sediment samples and their relationship with environmental variables were analyzed by principal component analysis and redundancy correspondence analysis. The diversity and abundance of diatom fossils were analyzed. Some annual average parameters of the overlying water (salinity, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, depth, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phosphate and dissolved inorganic silicate) were measured at each sampling site. A total of 113 diatom taxa and one silicoflagellate species were identified in the investigation area. Diatom fossils were better preserved in fine sediments. The absolute abundance of diatom fossils did not significantly diff er between inshore and off shore areas, the species diversity decreased from inshore to off shore. This may be because high nutrients and low salinity promoted the growth of more brackish species in coastal waters. The diatom taxa were divided into three groups, on the basis of their response and indication to environmental changes. For example, Actinocyclus ehrenbergii and Cyclotella stylorum were dominant in coastal waters (Group 1 and Group 3) with high nutrients and low salinity;the relative abundances of Paralia sulcata and Podosira stelliger were significantly higher in off shore sites (Group 2, average 39.5%), which were characterized by high salinity and deep water. Four environmental variables (salinity, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, temperature and water depth) explained the composition and distribution of diatom taxa independently ( P< 0.05), this finding can be applied in further paleoenvironmental reconstruction research in this area.

The Seasonal Distribution of Wild Camels (<i>Camelus ferus</i>) in Relation to Changes of the Environmental Conditions in Mongolia

The wild camel (Camelus ferus) is a critically endangered large ungulate, surviving in just three distinct populations located in the Taklamakan Desert, China;deserts near Lop Nuur, China;and in China and Mongolia within and adjacent to Mongolia’s Great Gobi Strictly Protected Area (GGSPA). The population surviving in Mongolia remains poorly researched, but as few as 500 individuals may survive, although its distribution has remained relatively constant over the past 30 - 50 years. This study aimed at identifying potentially important environmental factors that influence the distribution of wild camels in Mongolia and predicting seasonal movement. We predicted distribution by season using presence only data and selected environmental predictors, including land surface temperature, normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVI), water sources, vegetation and soil. Model predictions revealed that land surface temperature in summer correlated significantly with wild camel distribution, with camels occurring in cooler areas. Abundance of biomass did not significantly correlate with camel distribution. Camels occurred in areas with intermediate levels of NDVI in most seasons, implying that they may base foraging decisions on forage quantity, not quality. Positive correlations of camel distribution with higher NDVI in summer (P = 0.03) suggests that they may prefer herbaceous species that appear after rainfall. Models indicate distance to water sources may be critical for camel distribution in all seasons. Camel occurrence correlated with areas containing shallow mountain soils in summer. Camels displayed no significant habitat correlations in other seasons, yet ranges differed among all seasons. Camels used a common region in spring, summer and autumn that we believe represents the core of the species’ annual range. Wild camel distribution during winter varied significantly from other seasons. Our modelling led to a predicted distribution range that was consistent with ranges described by previous research, indicating consistency between survey data and satellite tracking data.

Study on Multi-variables Decoupled Fuzzy Controller for Confined Pig House in Northern China

In winter, the confined pig house of northern China is severe. The environment variables are nonlinear, time-varying and coupled, which seriously affect the health of pigs and the qualities of the meat. In order to solve the problem multi-variables coupling, a multi-variables decoupled fuzzy logic control method was proposed. Two fuzzy logic controllers were designed based on fuzzy logic theory. The fans, heaters and humidifiers were used to control temperature, humidity and ammonia. The reductions of temperature and humidity caused by ventilating were compensated by heaters and humidifiers respectively which realized the multivariables decoupling. The proposed methods were validated through theoretical, experimental and simulation analysis. The results suggested that the methods were able to regulate the confined pig house environment effectively. In addition, comparing to the manual regulation, the proposed methods could reduce 19% power consumption as well.

Relationship between environmental factors and plankton in the Bayuquan Port, Liaodong Bay,China：a five-year study

To understand the relationship between the plankton community and environmental factor and water quality in the Bayuquan Port of Liaodong Bay, China, and investigations were carried ou during six dif ferent periods(April 2009, April 2010, October 2011, April 2012, October 2012, and Apri 2013). This area was characterized by high levels of nutrient and suspended solids(SPS) during surve periods, and eutrophication led to the occurrence of red tides in April and October 2012 and April 2013 Our analyses revealed that the plankton communities of Bayuquan Port lacked stability and were af fecte seriously by external disturbance(e.g., oceanographic engineering and river runof f). Our data indicate tha oil, dissolved inorganic nitrogen(DIN), SPS, and chlorophyll a(Chl- a) were key factors that regulated th phytoplankton and zooplankton communities. The partial redundancy analysis(partial RDA) suggested tha oil and SPS were the most important environmental variables af fecting the phytoplankton community i April 2010 and 2012, whereas DIN concentration played a governing role in zooplankton dynamics. Oi and Chl-a concentrations af fected signifi cantly the zooplankton community in October 2012. Therefore, th plankton communities could refl ect both dynamic changes in coastal environmental factors and the ongoin eutrophication process caused by anthropogenic activities in this area.

Response of rotifer community to environmental changes in five shallow lakes in the middle reach of Changjiang River, China

We evaluated the response of a rotifer community to environmental changes in five shallow lakes in the middle reach of the Changjiang(Yangtze) River in summer and autumn 2010. These five lakes differed in trophic status and rotifer community structure. Twenty-nine rotifer species were collected, of which Keratella cochlearis, Polyarthra dolichoptera, and Trichocerca elongate were dominant. The mean density, Shannon-Wiener diversity, and equitability among the five lakes differed significantly( P <0.05). The mean rotifer density was positively correlated with trophic state. The diversity was higher in lakes with high macrophyte coverage. The composition of rotifer species was closely associated with the trophic gradient. Five environmental variables, Secchi depth, conductivity, TN, NH 4-N, and TP, significantly affected the composition of rotifer species. Keratella quadrata, Brachionus calyciflorus, and B. forficula were more common in eutrophic conditions. Our results suggest that eutrophication has a significant influence on the rotifer community structure and highlight the potential for using rotifer community structure as an indicator of trophic status in subtropical lakes.

Combining Landsat-8 spectral bands with ancillary variables for land cover classification in mountainous terrains of northern Pakistan

Landsat-8 spectral values have been used to map the earth’s surface information for decades.However,forest types and other land-use/land-cover(LULC)in the mountain terrains exist on different altitudes and climatic conditions.Hence,spectral information alone cannot be sufficient to accurately classify the forest types and other LULC,especially in high mountain complex.In this study,the suitability of Landsat-8 spectral bands and ancillary variables to discriminate forest types,and other LULC,using random forest(RF)classification algorithm for the Hindu Kush mountain ranges of northern Pakistan,was discussed.After prior-examination(multicollinearity)of spectral bands and ancillary variables,three out of six spectral bands and five out of eight ancillary variables were selected with threshold correlation coefficients r2<0.7.The selected datasets were stepwise stacked together and six Input Datasets(ID)were created.The first ID-1 includes only the Surface Reflectance(SR)of spectral bands,and then in each ID,the extra one ancillary variable including Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI),Normalized Difference Water Index(NDWI),Normalized Difference Snow Index(NDSI),Land Surface Temperature(LST),and Digital Elevation Model(DEM)was added.We found an overall accuracy(OA)=72.8%and kappa coefficient(KC)=61.9%for the classification of forest types,and other LULC classes by using the only SR bands of Landsat-8.The OA=81.5%and KC=73.7%was improved by the addition of NDVI,NDWI,and NDSI to the spectral bands of Landsat-8.However,the addition of LST and DEM further increased the OA,and Kappa coefficient(KC)by 87.5%and 82.6%,respectively.This indicates that ancillary variables play an important role in the classification,especially in the mountain terrain,and should be adopted in addition to spectral bands.The output of the study will be useful for the protection and conservation,analysis,climate change research,and other mountains forest-related management information.

Spring Voices in Korean Rice Fields:The Effect of Abiotic Variables and Syntopic Calls on the Calling Activity of the Treefrog Dryophytes suweonensis

The calling activity of anurans is influenced by environmental variables and calls produced by syntopic amphibians,among other variables.Some variables have a strong influence,such as temperature and predation dilution,while others may have a periodical influence such as the moon cycle.Here,we hypothesised that the calling activity of the Suweon treefrog,Dryophytes suweonensis,is restricted by specific environmental variables but reinforced by the calling activity of specific syntopic anurans.Within the criteria set by the experimental design,D.suweonensis calling activity was significantly influenced by moon phase,temperature,date,time to sunset and the calling activity of Pelophylax nigromaculatus and D.japonicus.These variables are expected to be related to chorus size,predation,breeding phenology and competition,suggesting a broad plasticity in the calling activity of the species.

Development an Adaptive Environmental Assessment Method for Buildings

The idea behind this work is developing an adaptive method for the environmental assessment of buildings, to configure different versions according to the variables affecting them (spatial, temporal and associated with building characteristics) to suit different evaluated projects. This method may be applied using an electronic tool, which is in a development stage. Amending different assessment versions of the adaptive method is done by including the variables effect, according to set of steps, such as modifying the formulation of the assessment items, adjusting their estimation weights, and amending their achievement evaluation levels and their returned scores. When using the adaptive method, the assessment result of a building using a certain version differs from the results using other versions, even in the same country, so configuring an appropriate version due to the variables affecting the assessment helps getting more accurate results than the ones currently provided. The main goal of that research is to introduce the adaptive method that is proposed to ensure a fairer assessment results from the perspective of Green Architecture, and allow a more credible and accuracy of results comparison according to the environmental performance of buildings. The researcher analyzed the different main features she used in developing the adaptive method, the Comparative aspects between it and the current assessment methods, and the expected reached advantages from its usage. The paper arrived to the importance of adapting the environmental assessment of buildings according to the different affecting variables, and recommended developing the adaptive method and its tool to the stage of application to benefit its advantages.